KZxHBB PR2 V2 : Good Budget planar IEM post

Intro

This article outlines my experience with KZxHBB PR2 after using it for over two months, please note that I am not a professional reviewer so all views expressed are based on my preferred sound signature and hardware preferences. I bought this from Aliexpress when the listed price was USD 25/-.

Kindly note that the version I have received is the revised one so that’s why I have named it V2, this was one of the IEMs for which KZ was criticized and rightly so for changing the design after getting favourable reviews from the regular reviewers. The test samples sent out had a metal mesh over the driver which apparently mellowed down the treble while the version I have does not have the mesh so is supposed to have a higher treble than the first version. The visual difference can be seen in the below photos:

Beauty Shots

Box and What's in the Box

• KZxHBB PR2 with foam tip attached

• 3.5mm Earphone Cable with Recessed 2pin

• 3 Pairs Ear Tips

• Warranty Card (not filled nor stamped)..

Accessories Quality

Being a 25$ IEM there should be not much expectation in terms of accessories, it comes with a basic KZ cable and three pairs of silicon tips (L, M & S).

The cable is a regular KZ silver-plated one nothing fancy but will do its job. It’s quite flexible with a recessed 2-pin connector. L and R are marked but it’s transparent so very difficult to see, would have preferred if they had printed the same in a dark colour. To make it easier I coloured the left L grove with a blue CD marker. Majority of my review period I have used Tripowin Zonie 32AWG 16 core cable with a 4.4mm plug to enable me to use it with my iBasso DC04 PRO dongle DAC.

The IEM comes with medium foam tips attached and three grooved silicon ones in the box in three sizes. As usual, the medium one fits my ears but it’s recommended to get better ones if they don’t provide a proper seal.

IEM Built Quality

It’s built quite well with an Alloy die-cast outer shell that looks like polished gunmetal. This shell is joined with a translucent resin shell and overall looks and feel quite sturdy. The gold-plated 2-pin connectors protrude out of the alloy shell and are quite sturdy. No issues with the theTripowin Zonie cable connections as well, it stays in position without any issues. Even though the outside shell has a polished finish due to the vents it does not seem to collect fingerprints so it looks clean and neat all the time. Even though the IEM does not have a fancy metal construction the built quality cannot be questioned as it feels like it can take quite a beating and for the price it should be considered excellent.

Size and Fit

It’s a medium-sized IEM and my ears with medium silicon tips produced a comfortable fit. The nozzle is not large and has a notch and it's easy to put on and remove the silicon tips. To get an idea about the size and to compare with your existing IEMs refer to the photos below:

Technical Specification

Driver Type: Planar Magnetic Driver

Driver: KZ 13.2mm Planar Magnetic Driver

Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz

Sensitivity: 94±3dB

Impedance: 15±3 Ohms

Plug: 3.5mm

Connector: 0.75mm recessed 2-Pin

Cable Length: 120±5cm

Weight: 15g (Both IEMs together Excluding Cables)

Frequency Curve

The below frequency curves are measured with an IEC 60318-4 coupler connected to M1 MacBook Pro and IEM connected to the PC through iBasso DC04 Pro USB DAC. To understand how I finalized the way I measure my IEMs please refer to my article link below:

https://www.sibykoshy.com/how-i-finalized-the-way-i-measure-my-iems

IEM was measured with a silicon medium tip, the Cyan graph shows the Harman 2019 IEM target curve.

The measurement shows a difference between left and right with about 1dB in sub-bass to about 2dB in the upper mids which reverses to much higher at 13kHz and above. To ensure it's not a measurement error remeasured it after removing the IEM and refixing it again on the IEC coupler but got almost identical results.

These graphs should not be compared with graphs by any other reviewer as they vary from setup to setup. This should be used to get a general idea about how the IEM behaves relative to the Harman Curve but this should be complemented by listening experience to understand how this translates to actual hearing experience.

Sound Impressions
I am not a professional reviewer or someone with extensive experience in listening to multiple IEMs. These are my observations based on what I like to hear and my preference towards a particular sound signature that I love. I have used this exclusively in conjunction with my USB DAC iBasso DC04 Pro connected to either my M1 MacBook pro, iPhone 14 Pro or Oneplus 5T(converted to a dedicated music player).

In comparison to the Harman curve, my preference is a bit higher sub-bass and bass, lower mid and mid almost following the Harman curve, upper mid lower than Harman and a bit more sparkle in treble beyond 10kHz.

Now let's get into my thoughts about this IEM:

To start with this iEM requires power to perform well so it's recommended to at least power it with a dongle DAC. Most mobile phones will not generate adequate power to get the best out of this IEM.

Subbass and bass are present but not full-bodied. These are tuned with a bass and sub bass boost but this does not reflect in the hearing experience mainly due to the lack of depth in bass presentation. Being planar it’s inherently difficult to reproduce bass but at this price point, this does in better than most of the other IEMs. Only bass heads and predominantly bass-boosted signature lowers will have issues with it all others will be quite satisfied with the performance.

The Mids on this IEM are where I have the most issue with this IEM, Even though the frequency response closely follows the Harman curve the vocal presentation leaves a bit more to be desired. Both male and female voices are laid back so vocals don’t get the punch and centre-stage presence that I like. Those who like laid-back vocals will like this IEM. That said don’t underestimate its performance it lays down all the mids in its location well and nothing is muddy or missing. It performs well for its price range or for that matter even double its price range.

Treble is where its planar roots come to life, all details are clearly audible. There is a dip from Harman curve between 2kHz to 8kHz but after that, there is substantial peaking of treble. The treble extends well and is very forward, maybe this is the reason why the Mids sound to be backed off. Forward treble leads to piercing treble at higher volume. Those with issues of sibilance will have difficulty at higher volumes. At normal volume levels it's fine but when you want to enjoy some songs at a bit higher volume it becomes fatiguing very soon. This is where it seems the missing metal mesh from V1 to V2 is leading to the deterioration of the sound signature.

The soundstage for this IEM is good but nothing great, all instruments can be clearly heard with adequate separation. Most songs with good soundstage are well represented, especially for it's price range and even for higher price range.

To get to my preference tried EQing them with eqMAC (highly recommended for all MAC music lovers) on my MAC. This set responds OK to EQ but is not good enough to completely match my preferences but comes quite close. Most of its issues can be eradicated 90% using EQ and I urge all to give it a try. Identify the issues you are facing and correct these frequencies accordingly and you are guaranteed to enjoy this IEM.

Please find below my preferred EQ settings for the IEM:

Preamp: 0dB
Filter 1: ON PK Fc 32 Hz Gain -5.6 dB Q 1.41
Filter 2: ON PK Fc 64 Hz Gain -1.1 dB Q 1.41
Filter 3: ON PK Fc 125 Hz Gain 4 dB Q 1.41
Filter 4: ON PK Fc 250 Hz Gain -1.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 5: ON PK Fc 500 Hz Gain -1.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 6: ON PK Fc 1000 Hz Gain 3.9 dB Q 1.41
Filter 7: ON PK Fc 2000 Hz Gain -4.8 dB Q 1.41
Filter 8: ON PK Fc 4000 Hz Gain 7.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 9: ON PK Fc 8000 Hz Gain 6.7 dB Q 1.41
Filter 10: ON PK Fc 16000 Hz Gain -10.8 dB Q 1.41

When Compared to...

Hidizs MP145
This is not a fair comparison as MP145 is over 5 times more expensive than PR2 but this will enable us to appreciate how much we are being offered at this low price point. This is the only other planar in my collection and in terms of performance, the difference is not one-fifth. I have used these side by side for about two months and played around with Eqing both as well.
The bass and sub-bass are more in PR2 but the quality is better on MP145. MP145’s sub-bass is more full but PR2 is about 80% there but lacks the finesse that MP145 provides. Mids are way better on MP145 while it's more recessed on PR2 still all details in the mids are well articulated. Again the performance is 80% close to MP145. Highs are where PR2’s detail recovery matches that of MP145 but due to its higher treble tuning, it leads to fatigue very soon at higher volumes. Overall MP145 is better but PR2 holds its own in its price range and also comes closer with EQing but cannot match the performance of MP145.

I will be updating this section as and when I finish reviewing other IEMs that are in the same league in terms of sound quality, price or similar driver configuration...

Final Thoughts

This IEM is one of the best budget offerings to get a feel of planar drivers and its tunning also cannot be faulted for those who love Harman signature. Trebel can be troublesome for some at high volumes but many will also appreciate the detail and crispness of the treble from this IEM. For the price, this IEM overperformes in every department and if you can experiment with EQ it will definitely serve you well.

It’s a recommended buy for anyone who enjoys a sparkling treble and coupled with a little EQ for its mids it becomes a compelling option, especially for USD 25/- it’s a steal…