INTRODUCTION:
KZ, the brand which needs no introduction in the first place, is based in China and has conquered the budget chi-fi market for a long time before the arrival of newer gen brands. Most of the audiophiles out there would have started their journey from KZ including me! Today in our hands is the KZ Castor, their newly launched budget product which claims to have a dual dynamic driver for a powerful dynamic sound. In this review let’s check out in detail about it.
KZ CASTOR SPECIFICATIONS:
Frequency Range: 20-40000 Hz
Impedance: Harman Target Version: 31-350Ω & Harman Target with Improved Bass Version: 16-200Ω
Sensitivity: Harman Target Version: 105±3dB & Harman Target with Improved Bass Version: 103±3dB
Plug Type: 3.5mm
Pin Type: 0.75mm
Cable: Flat transparent black cable
KZ CASTOR OVERVIEW:
Castor comes with a 10mm Dual Magnetic Dynamic Driver and an 8mm Dynamic Driver enclosed in an acrylic resin body with an aluminum faceplate that has the engraved name CASTOR on it for a premium touch. There’s a small opening on the faceplate that mimics of a semi open back design. The driver is separated via a frequency board that can be controlled to out liking through the tuning switches. The switches enable us to choose from 16 different sound signatures and the picture has been attached to get the idea about it.
The provided stock cable is an average one that’s available in both mic and non mic version with usual KZ Starline ear tips for attaining a secure fit and seal.
KZ CASTOR SOUND ANALYSIS:
First Mode: Low frequency up to level 1 which delivers a darker color to the presentation with enhanced bass while sacrificing other technical aspects and the recession in mid-section.
Second Mode: Similar to the Mode 1 but with less enhancement in the darker color and the bass profile.
Third Mode: The most pleasing mode that provides excellent balance between all the frequencies.
Fourth Mode: Full Band Up.
The Castor comes with 16 different sound signatures while the third mode is the default one that comes out of the box. The whole impressions are based on the third mode which is the Switch 3+4 Mid High Frequency up to 2 levels.
The sound delivered out of the Castor has a mild V shaped signature and in KZ’s terms it’s the Harman Curve and Beyond with slight sacrifice on the technical aspects. The bass got the enough quantity and the precise quality that even satisfies the bass heads. The mid-section gets the proper attention with only minor recession to the section. The treble feels airy enough for detailed presentation makes this Castor an interesting contender in this budget arena. Let’s dive in detail about the sound through the following sections.
BASS PROFILE:
- The sub bass digs deep enough and provides satisfying rumbles that makes the listeners feel the ethereal environment from the track.
- The mid bass has the precise amount of warmth and the quantity making even the bass heads drool upon it.
- The control of the bass is stellar in the Castor enabling them to replay even the most busiest tracks.
- The track separation in the bass section feels smooth with no noticeable struggles in placing different bass note weights.
- The bass has a full body nature to it making them sound weighty and fuller.
MID SECTION:
- The mid section has a slight recession but for the most part they feel nicely presented in a nice positioning.
- The lower mid section gets the adequate warmth and fullness from the mid bass profile making the male vocals sound thicker and lush.
- The upper mid section gets the proper attention which leads the female vocals and the percussion instruments to shine.
- The balance between the lower and upper mid section gave the Castor a vivid and engaging profile.
- Accompanied with the natural tone with a hint of warmth made the midrange feel lively and engaging.
TREBLE SECTION:
- Castor has a smoothly extended treble section that gives out the essential nuances out of the track.
- The cymbal crashes and the trumpets sound with natural tone and with precise decay making them appear realistic.
- There’s adequate brightness to the presentation which makes the Castor sound open enough for an airy presentation.
- The sibilance is kept under control thus providing a fatigue free listen.
- The notes in the Castor’s treble section doesn’t feel edgy; rather it’s smoother yet it retains the crispness and the bite.
TECHNICALITIES:
STAGING AND IMAGING: The staging has adequate width and the height while the imaging appears moderate. The placement of the instruments with different note weights is good but can be better where an intimate positioning of the notes can be sensed from the Castor.
The space between the notes appears slightly claustrophobic compared to the CHU 2 which displays an impressive layering capability.
TONE AND TIMBRE: Castor displays a natural tone and timbre with a hint of warmth for a pleasing overall listen.
DETAIL RETRIEVAL: This is not the star aspect of the Castor where this does not excel in this category while retrieving out the essential nuances out of the track. Accompanied with that the resolution appears to be on the moderate side too.
KZ CASTOR VERDICT:
Castor, the latest product from the house of KZ lines up itself against the budget contenders namely the Waner, Salnotes Zero, QKZ HBB etc. and its own product Linglong. This comes with a dual dynamic driver setup which is pretty new for an ultra-budget IEM to adopt. The 10mm and the 8mm Dynamic Driver are connected together via a circuit board that allows us to configure between 16 different sound profiles through the tuning switches. Surprisingly the switches do work altering the coloration of the sound. The construction is made out of resin while the faceplate alone adopts an alloy that comes with the engraved CASTOR branding with a small vent that mimics as a semi open back design.
The whole sound is analyzed in the third sound mode which is the default mode that comes straight out of the box and as a disclaimer that’s the one that sounds pleasing and engaging overall. As the KZ states this has the Harman Curve and beyond sound profile and in layman terms it has a mild V shaped signature with slight sacrifice on the technical aspects.
The bass here gets the first attention with proper sub and mid bass presence. Control and separation of the bass is stellar for the price with precise decay for a realistic bass experience. The mid section feels engaging with fuller and lusher notes. The upper midsection gets proper extension yet keeping the sibilance under control. The treble appears smoothly elevated while providing adequate brightness to the overall presentation. The cymbal crashes and the percussion instruments sound great with proper decay to the notes.
Castor excels in the main display of the sound but shows its setback in the technical aspects especially the layering and resolution. They are definitely not bad but could have been definitely better considering the other contenders like the CHU 2 which has impressive layering capability.
KZ Castor shows immense AMPLENESS in its sound without sacrificing much on any aspects. For the price of 17 USD this definitely secures its place in the budget arena!
POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES:
POSITIVES:
- Harman Curve ( Mild V shape )
- Tuning Switches (16 Sound Profiles) – Third Default Mode (Most Balanced)
- Quality and Authoritative Bass Section
- Dynamic and Vivid Profile
- Track Separation
- Price to Performance Ratio
NEGATIVES:
- Moderate Resolution
DISCLAIMER:
This unit is bought from CONCEPTKART for the purpose of review thus it is not monetized by the brand. The whole views are based on my observations with this product hence it might differ from person to person.
If interested about the Castor, here’s the unaffiliated link of it: Here!