The KZ AM16 ranks #974 out of 1398 total In-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: KZ
Prices on this page were last checked October 19, 2026 at 10:32 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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#974 KZ AM16: $86.99 Amazon $86.99 eBay
Pros: An all balanced armature design with eight drivers per side whose midrange and presence track the Harman target within about 0.5 dB, so voices sound natural. Bass sits about 4.5 dB above target with full sub bass to 20 Hz, giving it more weight than most balanced armature sets.
Cons: A 10 dB peak near 8.2 kHz can make sibilants and cymbals sound harsh, and the extra bass may be too much for listeners who want a neutral low end. Low 104 dB sensitivity needs more volume than most earphones, the score rests on three measurements, and the EPZ Q5 Pro scores much higher for less.
Is the KZ AM16 right for you?
Buy it if
- you like extra bass (about +4 dB below 150 Hz versus the target).
- you want sub-bass rumble that reaches down to 20 Hz.
- you are happy to use EQ: our preset lifts its Harman match by about 21 points.
Skip it if
- you want the best value: the higher-rated EPZ G10 costs about $63 less.
| Released | Apr 2025 (1 year ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.48 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 8 x balanced armature per side (1 x 22955 + 1 x 29689 + 4 x 30019 + 2 x 31736) |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 65 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 22 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 104 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.6 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.61 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -3.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 65.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 119 Hz | -4.2 dB | 1.18 |
| Peak | 2,843 Hz | -3.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,957 Hz | +4.0 dB | 5.85 |
| Peak | 7,564 Hz | -6.0 dB | 6.00 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -3.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 88 out of 100, up from 25.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -12.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 111 Hz | -4.4 dB | 1.10 |
| Peak | 2,843 Hz | -3.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,957 Hz | +4.0 dB | 5.85 |
| Peak | 7,564 Hz | -6.0 dB | 6.00 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -3.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 83 out of 100, up from 10.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -12.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 124 Hz | -6.7 dB | 1.05 |
| Peak | 2,211 Hz | +1.5 dB | 4.40 |
| Peak | 2,970 Hz | -1.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,852 Hz | +3.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 7,513 Hz | -5.9 dB | 3.95 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -1.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 67.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -3.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 117 Hz | -4.0 dB | 1.26 |
| Peak | 2,833 Hz | -5.0 dB | 4.57 |
| Peak | 3,925 Hz | +2.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -7.9 dB | 2.18 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -3.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 87 out of 100, up from 76.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 122 Hz | -4.1 dB | 1.26 |
| Peak | 2,843 Hz | -3.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,957 Hz | +4.0 dB | 5.86 |
| Peak | 7,563 Hz | -6.0 dB | 6.00 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -5.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 18.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -12.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 111 Hz | -4.4 dB | 1.09 |
| Peak | 438 Hz | +0.8 dB | 1.66 |
| Peak | 2,866 Hz | -4.0 dB | 5.73 |
| Peak | 3,748 Hz | +1.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,321 Hz | +4.9 dB | 2.85 |
| Peak | 5,705 Hz | +2.6 dB | 4.61 |
| Peak | 7,818 Hz | -2.4 dB | 6.00 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -5.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from the median of 3 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 74.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 110 Hz | -3.2 dB | 1.58 |
| Peak | 2,889 Hz | -3.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 4,321 Hz | +5.4 dB | 2.38 |
| Peak | 5,718 Hz | +2.8 dB | 5.69 |
| Peak | 7,846 Hz | -2.0 dB | 6.00 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the KZ AM16 measures across the audible range, against the Harman in-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is the median of 3 independent measurements, so one odd sample or rig cannot skew it, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: median of 3 measurements from the squig.link databases of eplv, koi and obodio. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.