The KZ DQS ranks #1044 out of 1369 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 17, 2026 at 6:04 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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#1044 KZ DQS: 9.90 Discontinued eBay
Pros: About 4 dB more bass than the Harman target below 150 Hz, for listeners who want a fuller low end.
Cons: An uneven response, 2.5 dB standard deviation from target. Discontinued.
Is the KZ DQS 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 27 points.
Skip it if
- you want to buy it new: it is discontinued.
| Back | Semi-open |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.52 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x dynamic driver (four-layer voice coil, 0.15mm magnetic gap) |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz |
| Harman Preference Score | 63 (median of 8 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 14 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 110 dB |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.07 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ Presets
Harman target
Set a preamp of -5.2 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Harman match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 63.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 187 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.91 |
| Peak | 755 Hz | +1.3 dB | 2.87 |
| Peak | 5,789 Hz | +5.7 dB | 5.34 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -2.6 dB | 6.00 |
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -5.2 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 21.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -11.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 75 Hz | -1.0 dB | 1.83 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.65 |
| Peak | 703 Hz | +1.4 dB | 1.95 |
| Peak | 5,789 Hz | +5.7 dB | 5.33 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -2.6 dB | 6.00 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -4.2 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 79 out of 100, up from 3.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -12.0 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 159 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,836 Hz | +2.4 dB | 2.98 |
| Peak | 5,867 Hz | +4.1 dB | 5.41 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -2.3 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 69.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -4.1 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.5 dB | 0.93 |
| Peak | 757 Hz | +1.6 dB | 2.45 |
| Peak | 2,066 Hz | -1.0 dB | 2.17 |
| Peak | 3,654 Hz | -1.6 dB | 0.99 |
| Peak | 5,952 Hz | +3.4 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 7,915 Hz | -4.3 dB | 6.00 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.1 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 77.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.6 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 191 Hz | -3.7 dB | 0.95 |
| Peak | 758 Hz | +1.2 dB | 2.94 |
| Peak | 5,790 Hz | +5.7 dB | 5.34 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -2.6 dB | 6.00 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.1 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 11.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -11.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +1.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 75 Hz | -1.1 dB | 1.88 |
| Peak | 186 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.64 |
| Peak | 703 Hz | +1.4 dB | 1.94 |
| Peak | 5,403 Hz | +6.0 dB | 2.50 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.2 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 8 squig.link measurements, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 68.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +2.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 42 Hz | +0.6 dB | 2.39 |
| Peak | 187 Hz | -2.4 dB | 1.11 |
| Peak | 703 Hz | +0.8 dB | 2.22 |
| Peak | 1,478 Hz | -0.8 dB | 3.10 |
| Peak | 3,244 Hz | +1.2 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,283 Hz | +6.0 dB | 2.12 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the KZ DQS 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 8 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 8 measurements from the squig.link databases of achoreviews, ekaudio, hore, ianfann, pw, soundignity, tdl and vortexreviews. Thanks to each of them for publishing their work.