KZ HBB PR2 - Best Planar Money can Buy!!

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[@r31ya]

Love the fact that HBB mentions, _"This the best value IEM you could buy... in April maybe May. Not sure what chifi will throw to outperform these, but when that happen, it'll be good for all of us"_

[@shakilmohammad9731]

A minute of silence to those who recently purchased pr1 pro for $81 and wants to sell now..

[@r31ya]

Thankfully i bought my PR1 Pro for $42 (early discount). definitely Worth the money but i might sell it, if pr2 is better in my ear, the amount of effort to tame PR1 Pro treble is a bit much Tough it may takes another month before it arrive. Also to note. Pr1 pro have better cable, slightly better shell, and brighter tone for treble head.

[@shakilmohammad9731]

and also pr1 pro is comparatively easy to drive as compared to pr2

[@onthefences]

I am actually still happy with my choice of going with the Pr1 Pros.

[@raphaelbigman]

Let's Hope we who bougth pr2 for 36-48 dollars regret it in the next planar by kz for being even cheaper

[@sleepe8050]

Just bought 54$ with tax

[@exactom6320]

Its good to see kz making some great iems. My first dip into the iem world was the zs10 pro a couple years back. I guess i can blame them for my now favorite hobby.

[@fuad000100]

Was waiting for this!!

[@saint_odonnell]

Thanks for the detailed review and comparisons! Chapter markers would be so helpful for a near 40min video 😛

[@akros9333]

Apologies I will endeavour to put chapters. Thank you for your support

[@chefsteve8381]

Ordered mine 1 week ago might get them in 3 more weeks, by the sounds of it worth the wait.... thanks Tony my new go to man for iem's......

[@coaldust01]

Ordered mine a couple of days ago, not shipped yet, I geuss they have huge amount to ship, will be interesting to see how they compare to my timeless for £36 lol.

[@f_troop5886]

Nice review on pr2... I am now waiting for mine to arrive... Thanks for the information... 👍👍👍

[@terrano4392]

Most awaited review for me❤❤❤❤

[@andydj261]

Just ordered Tin-HiFi "Giant Panda"...I received the PR2 5 days ago - so the P1 Max will be an amazing contrast...

[@Jaytiss]

Great Video!

[@hb6266]

For me p1 max is too the best.Good work

[@quadrannilator]

Hi Akros, Thanks for all your reviews. Would you pick the Kiwi Ears Quartet or KZ PR2 pro just based off sonics, price no bar?

[@hecntina]

I received my PR2, and to me they sound more reference and less fun than the PR1 Pro. I like both but enjoy the Pro more. If I had to buy one, factoring their price, I'm still leaning towards the Pro because of how much easier they are to drive. My main use case for these is to pair them with my KZ AZ09 Pro BT adapter... the Pro pairs far more easily; the 2 has to have the volume cranked up nearly all the way, even with the high output mode enabled. The Pro was on sale for $69 in March, and I suspect they'll be on sale again this summer, so for the better cable, drivability, and fun tuning, they'd be my pick.

[@GarethHailes]

Picked up the pr2 for $25, it's great

[@colddish]

Totally agree that P1 Max is a joy to listen to. I just couldn’t put it down when auditioning them. Unfortunately, the price was and still is a deal breaker. Am definitely going to pick it up one day when the price drops.

[@innovance3788]

They're like $90 at the moment, what price are you waiting for them to hit?

[@colddish]

@@innovance3788 I’m unable to get it at this price, it’s more like $160.

[@innovance3788]

@@colddish That sucks. How come you can't get it at that price?

[@colddish]

@@innovance3788 not sure. I mainly get my iems from Lazada or direct from TaoBao and all are priced at its original selling price.

[@lantern054]

Sorry to say bro, Really well explained review. But non categorised explanation and unnecessary explaining it with other iem. If possible reduce the length of the video and include timestamps. Just a suggestion, telling this as this could not be useful to us as viewer nor u as content creator 😅😅

[@koningklootzak7788]

PR2 sensitivity is 94db😂 That's headphones level. Forget about driving it on smartphone. If you buy PR2, don't forget to spend extra $90 for a decent DAC😂 I'll pick PR1 PRO over this any day.

[@Whit-mh9nt]

my pr1 pros were fried on double ended output in 15 minutes I didnt realise they were so stupidly sensitive, I have pr2 now and they are incredible but the short while my pr1 were alive showed a slightly more natural timbre in the mids, and more extension in the high range, not enough to get excited about

[@Rsalmond83]

The PR2 is revolutionary. The PR2 Pro/Max is going to break the internet and mindset of audiophiles here on out. Companies will have to rethink their pricing, build, cable quality, and accessory content. Get ready.

[@matrixmodulator]

what is the Max variant? can't find it

[@mateuszzimon8216]

@@matrixmodulator they don't exist, as 3rd week of may 23... But we talk about KZ, they upgrade a new release

[@bluecost]

​@@matrixmodulatorthey brought out a pro version for the pr1. He's betting there will be a pr2 pro. I doubt hbb will tune the pr2 pro. Reviewer usually only do 1 collab. I can't think of a consistent iterative iem upgrades.

[@matusjurcik6974]

Based on the Hi-Fri's teardown (and if the pr2 and pr1 shares the same design) the pr2 actually should be closeback. Its interesting but Paul's Wasabii graphs actually shows that the pr2 has more energy after around 13-18K, more air compare to the pr1pro 😅 and dip around 9-10K which as u said can highlight that planar rawness. When it comes to p1max I really agree. Its my favorite planar to date.

[@r31ya]

The diagram from Kz marketing page shows its a close back with decorative mesh. PR2 also share mostly same PR1 pro driver (kz second gen planar, different with first gen in pla13, pr1hifi/bal) It have different tuning damper and mild change so it will graph more consistently

[@andydj261]

@@r31ya The side vents are open - hence the PR2 is semi open back.

[@Owen-np3wf]

I'm glad I only really caught on to these planars now that it's reached what seems to be the cheapest set with arguably the best tuning.

[@sjaool]

@@andydj261 as far as I know there are no (semi)open back planars made by KZ.

[@matusjurcik6974]

@@andydj261 there is a transparent closed resin shell inside of the pr1 the grill is just slaped on top as a decoration. I cant see any reason why the pr2 should have a different design. They also say it on the website, its just decor. ... didnt see them in person but once they will arrive I can confirm.

[@matusjurcik6974]

Hi Akros ☺, by that dullness of the p1max people mean or percieve that low contrast across the whole FR spectrum in my opinion. They are accommodated for that V-shaped high contrast planars and maybe fooled by some of their excesive peaks which they percieve as being more detailed, but those are fake details that are covering real details. I dont share this opinion though. P1max is a perfect planar, my favorite.

[@dave91863]

There's not enough of a difference between the PR2 and the PR1 pro to justify the purchase, your review helped me decide that

[@migracing8232]

Dude if you don't have it or heard both just don't justify what's in your head

[@dave91863]

@@migracing8232 don't justify what's in my head ?? What have you been smoking bruh 🤣

[@dave91863]

@@migracing8232 the difference between the PR1 pro and PR2 aren't worth the $40 in my opinion...i would rather put the $40 towards the venture electronics SIE or even the penon serial/fan

[@migracing8232]

@@dave91863 Dude like I said if you don't got it just keep quiet, I've both and Pr2 is an upgrade over pr1 pro.

[@dave91863]

@@migracing8232 don't tell me to keep quiet, I don't believe you have both stop lying and keep of the drugs

[@randynguyen6402]

are the technicalties better than the hexa? thanks akros you're one of my go to reviews

[@akros9333]

yes they are. PR2 is way more capable .Thank you for your support

[@AhmadGhaziA]

What cable do you pair your pr2 with?

[@JoseFerreira-zb7wh]

Which tips did you use? (silicon)

[@Kjrov]

Hey king, do you have any mod or filter in mind to tame the treble and hopefully curb the sibilance?

[@coaldust01]

Tuning aside, hows this compare with the timeless in terms of speed, resolution, seperation etc, Can it hang with the bigger boys or does the price show in its technicalities?.

[@tito_kenneth]

What cheap DAC would you recommend to drive the PR2? My Faaeal dongle dac can't drive it very well and needs to max volume to enjoy the sound output.

[@anamitrabhaumik2455]

how does it compare to letshuoer s12 / s12 pro ?

[@fiddlix]

Another great review. I’m going to pass on this one. I am planar poor atm.

[@LateBandwagon]

take the blue plastic wrap on the off your heydays jack

[@Radugazon]

The most amazing is the industrial adventure behind these 5 releases in just more one year....apparently KZ check the customers reactions and does the retuning. I also wonder how they decide of the final price : PR1 pro was too expensive compared to the Hi-Fi, and now this PR2 is at a floor price. Strange....

[@r31ya]

According to HBB, Expected sales number affect the price. KZ and HBB hopes the collab will bring higher sales number so they could priced it lower. Also need to note, PR2 also came with cheaper cable and plastic shell compared to the better cable and resin shell in PR1 pro.

[@Owen-np3wf]

I think they are hitting and exceeding the target. People are waiting for sets to be shipped, so it means distributors are waiting for stock to be manufactured. It's good KZ are trying to win back the consumer after previous shenanigans, and hopefully, they don't mess up again.

[@destiny_xd9126]

KZ are doing a Xiaomi strat where they win in sale numbers to get better reputation.

[@Owen-np3wf]

@DesTiNy_XD after the fake driver nonsense ect they needed to work on thier reputation lol.

[@xavierfillat4689]

Unbeatable for the price! But I enjoy more with 7hz Timeless

[@MrPhenix21]

Tony, which cable did you use on the PR2? I ordered an XINHS 8 core pure silver to go with my PR2 because that cable seems to be pretty bright and energetic when I've used it on other IEMs. This will be my first foray into the planar world, and this is probably the set to do it with. Appreciate your videos as always!

[@HeliBenj]

IEM cables don’t make a difference in sound. Fact, even if you don’t like it.

[@MrPhenix21]

I've heard a discernable difference in tone and timbre in the same set of IEM's across multiple different types of cable materials and manufacturers. Whether it would present on a graph, I would say that no, it probably wouldn't have a statistically measurable difference on a graph. It is, however, akin to saying that changing the pickups in your guitar from humbuckers to single coils will have no difference on your tone, and we have years of objective and subjective data to prove that assertion incorrect.

[@HeliBenj]

@@MrPhenix21 point at ANY objective evidence for me please. Your comparison with single could vs humbucker pickups is just nonsensical (I am a guitarist)

[@MrPhenix21]

@@HeliBenj My original comment was an expression of my experiences with cables, not an abject assertion of unassailable "fact". I'm not interested in attempting to somehow prove or disprove anything I've experienced to you, that is a colossal waste of time and energy in this case. If I have the experience that specific cables with specific materials change the way a set of IEM's sound *TO ME*, what proof of that can I offer another person? Moreover, what need to I have to prove to you that I hear something different? I have no need of that. I have no need of being right on the internet. If you had engaged me with a question about why my experience with that particular cable was what it was, that would've been an entirely different conversation. That didn't happen, unfortunately. As for the guitar pickup comparison, I'm sure you can figure it out. You seem to be someone who knows some things about some things, and I'm certain you can figure out what I was aiming for with that comparison, should you wish to. I won't be part of that discovery, because I'm out. Have a great day on the internet.

[@TopFinancialAdvisor]

CCA Rhapsody VS KZ X HBB PR2 Which IEM is better for watching Action Movies in a smartphone ?

[@MichaelBruceTaos]

Not bad. For me I need less energy after pinna.. always.

[@colinmartin9797]

So vs the PR1 hifi, is it more "planar textured" or is it still that ultra smooth, almost-too-smooth dynamic like vibe of the PR1? Because I genuinely didn't really like the tamber of the PR1 hifi, and was hoping for more planar "feel" with that almost uncomfortably fast, precise bass response. Also I wonder why the hell they all dropped 25% in price, these things are now $32-35 everywhere after a $45 launch price. I've been particularly wanting a really killer set that uses the goofy KZ/CCA/TRN connector, that I can use the 4 pin modular wire of the rosefinch with (the rosefinch's cable is still one of the very best I've ever seen on an IEM.)

[@Grrrr3FKAGrrrrGrrrrGrrrr]

I have not heard PR1, but compared to 7Hz Timeless the PR2 is very monochrome in tonal colour, it doesn't really show the timbre of different types of instruments

[@blorg8206]

They changed the tuning, the PR2 V2 currently on sale is not the same IEM as reviewed here.

[@colinmartin9797]

@@blorg8206 interesting, why would they do that? I ordered another pair in the $32 range, I'll be curious to compare it with the release pair. Why in the hell would they change the tuning and drop the price from its already unbelievable position? Do you have any source I could see for that?

[@renatosabino6566]

Is Hiby FC1 enough to push him?

[@LuciferArc1]

I notice you've got music playing to your left

[@RandyNguyen-lx8rm]

apple dongle enough to power these?

[@jishnuraj8546]

Which one is Good IEM ? 1. KZ x HBB PR2 Planar Magnetic Driver IEM With Mic 2. KZ Acoustics ZS10 Pro X IEM With Mic please suggest me

[@mudzera]

what do you think of ikko oh10? do i buy an ikko or a pr2 that seems to be very good? very good your videos

[@joefilter2923]

I love the bass on the 0H10, but the upper mid / lower treble is too much in the end. It’s also heavy, and I moved to lighter planar myself.

[@mudzera]

@@joefilter2923 ty

[@shaufaal-maruf7207]

What's the different between the 3,5mm and the 4,4mm jack if we plug it into the DAC?

[@Rsalmond83]

More power and easier to drive.

[@JeradBenge]

If your amplifier circuit is actually balanced, 4.4mm offers double the power, and less noise. If your amplifier only offers the 4.4mm socket for convenience, then there's no difference.

[@ameenSW]

@Akros Can you please clarify what is the current situation with the controversial post HBB Collab removal of black mesh and treble peaks? I am very impressed with your reviews and I was hoping to take your word on whether or not it is the same product that has been praised five months ago versus what is allegedly available these days with deafening treble? Your comment would be really helpful. I’m writing from New Delhi/India.

[@akros9333]

Will give you a good answer in a video I am making

[@ameenSW]

@@akros9333 thank you so much for your response. Looking forward to the video.

[@pio5495]

​@@akros9333did u ever make this video

[@dexterlallo397]

any recommendations to drive this puppy on a budget, using a phone/ pc portable setup like fioo btr3k would be suffice or no?

[@akros9333]

Btr3k will struggle I would say a JCAlly AP90 or AP98 is an option € 72,83 | JCALLY AP90 Portable DAC Amplifier With AK4493SEQ Phones AMP Supports 32bit/768kHz DSD512 Headphone Amplifier Balanced OutputOTG a.aliexpress.com/_Ey7zf3R € 113,01 10%OFF | Jcally AP98 Headphone Amplifier Dual CS43198 DAC USB C Decoder 3.5 4.4mm Balance Output Audio HiFi AMP 768KHz DSD256 Dongle a.aliexpress.com/_EJ5g0FT

[@oaktowndimond668]

@@akros9333 what about a VE Megatron?

[@akros9333]

@@oaktowndimond668 that would work very well

[@ZeusPropofol]

That 5 kHz peak on PR2 hurts my ears, and becomes shouty with higher volume. PR1Pro with Comply TX500 tips is musical, and balanced, presenting vocals with thicker note weight.

[@iKaGe01]

The fact you say the pr2 is a bit dark in the treble worries me because my fave iem is the tin hifi t4 and that is vs a couple of other similar iems like the moondrop aria, the kqz khan hbb. I still turn to the t4.

[@akros9333]

Well compared to PR1 Pro ....PR1 Hifi and even the P1Max the PR2 does sound a little darker....let's not forget we talking Planar so if you looking for the usual Planar openess it's not there . Of course this was tuned that way, and also my opinion is based on my ears and musical taste/selection

[@blorg8206]

If you want more treble, you're in luck, as they removed the treble damper in the PR2 V2. The treble level on it now is basically identical to the PR1 Pro. It has way more treble over 8kHz than any of the T4, Aria, Khan.

[@fioreinforma-pilates-bisceglie]

Hi akros actually i ve to say that these video are so difficult to follow, for me, but its only my opinion, are too long ,they miss the chapters division. So i am forced to see it with fast mode and skipping randomly to the part i found interesting. Please make a chapter with the comparison and thats it, dont speak allllll the time about allllll the iems you have on you table it's so exausting and distracting. I subscribed your channel and think you're making a god service testing so dast all these iems but these video are a little irritating and in order to have more follower maybe you can reduce the speed in making video and try to get better quality. Anyway these are only my opinion.

[@Whit-mh9nt]

will the pr1 pro handle my balanced output at 3.6vrms? Or should i get the pr2? I bought pr1 pro but the right one died right away within 15 minutes and i have to buy again..thanks so much

[@akros9333]

Well I have had it hooked to my RA2B-FE and had the volume turned up way past half way without any problem....

[@Whit-mh9nt]

@@akros9333 thanks.. I think I will go with the pr2 secret revision number 3, have an example available found today.. It's like the pr1 hifi but more bass, less v or u shaped, forward mids. It might even be a pr1 hifi it's bright silver and looks the same.. I like it anyway and was able to try it on my gear.. I really appreciate your videos very helpful for this hobby. Thanks for all the hard work...btw this is Indonesia it's a test bed for many iem companies

[@sirhoshi5471]

how does it compare to d-fi non-tunable?

[@blorg8206]

D-Fi is better tuned, more natural sounding. The PR2 V2 is very bright in the high treble. PR2 V2 is much more detailed, higher resolution though.

[@bruno_mart]

I like your reviews but they’re much longer than what I can commit my time to. Might I suggest you try out shorter formats of no more than 10 min, or written reviews?

[@namnguyentran2285]

I AM SO TEMPTING right now so please

[@markevinlagsac3252]

biting the bullet now

[@fahryst]

Wouldn't using original Zetian Wu for comparison make more sense since it has more subbass and upper mids than heyday Tony? Even HBB referred to the OG Zetian Wu in his video.

[@akros9333]

Yes you are right....I guess I should have done that....my apologies. I can always make that comparison. The reason I used the Heyday was because it was very much like the PR2 past 10k

[@fahryst]

@@akros9333 no problem friend. I ordered a pr2 last week but something is wrong with the parcel. It can't be tracked and I can't get a hold of the customer service. It took me a lot to give kz another chance after the shit storm last year and it looks like it will take another year for the next haha

[@MCanoLasala]

I think I'll keep my P1 Max for the time being.

[@woka_kawanua-hw2hj]

to be avoid when "money can buy." , "value for money." , "budget." !

[@alexfizz7402]

Just ordered my PR2 for 30 bucks lol

[@beepover]

personally I think KZ is a low tier chifi brand, mainly churning out low quality drivers in a snazzy shell and marketing to the newbie.

[@princeajaz9167]

A minute of silence for me, for thinking that he is suggesting that these help in sex and then realised he was talking actually about sax....

[@shakilmohammad9731]

Difficult to understand KZ's pricing policy. If pr2 is its best planar for $40, who will buy pr1/pr1 pro... Why kz is killing it's own previous models and why kz is releasing new models of same series in such short intervals and that too at half the price citing it as an upgrade to previous models

[@quadrannilator]

I think throughout KZ's history, they have always done that. They just keep releasing new models in a (relatively) rapid cycle that sit side by side or just supercede older models. I think they themselves just bank on the initial sales and know very well that they're own models will cannibalize the older ones. They keep things cheap that a wider diaspora will almost always be able to afford their sets. This sub 50$ excellence of IEMs race has only been going on the past 2 yrs. KZ knows very well now, like all other brands, that now they're playing for the first 2-3 weeks after release for bulk sales till the next contender gets hyped by some reviewer. As Akros said, some people are still going to buy sets based off their preference, while others who seek more versatility will try going for sets like 7Hz Zero, Tin T3+, KZ PR2 pro, etc. I am just afraid this race to the bottom only serves a very small piece of the pie for all companies. EVERYONE is playing a hit or miss game now in the sub $100 market.

[@VanDungLe2510]

Because sales. With HBB name stuck to it, with it having relatively good tuning, it's bound to sell a lot of units. More than 600+ units in the first few days in Ali

[@quadrannilator]

@@VanDungLe2510 I didn't mention the obvious. HBB himself said that's the plan. And as Akros said, he killed the market.

[@destiny_xd9126]

I think pr1/pro is discontinued as of now and I believe something changed in KZ management as well, since they are moving from doing tuning that most ppl don't prefer to more mainstream tuning with good value products that will dominate the market and kz would get a better reputation(kinda a Xiaomi strat)

[@quadrannilator]

@@destiny_xd9126 I'm getting the same feeling. In the earlier days of Chifi, KZ was one of the firsts and also the one to spread international, and give a big bang for buck performance vs the likes of Shure. They didn't need to listen to audience, reviewers nor go the extra mile for specific tunings - they were indeed the ones that broke the market. KZ's tuning till the last year or so, never went beyond the elevated bass shelf and multiple upper-mid and treble peaks with cramming of drivers. Now with so many collaborators, highly tuned sets and better drivers, its the reviewers/influencers that making the big part of marketing a set, and here they are forced to play along and tune things well, if they want to be seen through the eyes of customers who follow reviewers like HBB. People now also know what a well tuned set is, and sound likes. This one is their redemption arc.

[@shakilmohammad9731]

KZ should refund $40 to all those customers who recently purchased pr1 pro. Why they priced pr1 pro so high at 80 dollars when they make profit by selling pr2 to 40 dollars. Will keep myself away from these scamsters in future

[@VanDungLe2510]

You wish if they gonna refund it lol. There's no reason to. Pr1 pro has better cable and newer gen/easier to drive driver. Besides, it will have the sales to make up for the cheaper price

[@alexc7857]

😂 man complains about cheap planars

[@norbertoillan2255]

​@@alexc7857 he maybe was one of the guys who were crying because Epic gave the GTA5 for free

[@araakin]

A company is "scamsters" for literally releasing a new product for a lower price. Do you ever listen to yourself?

[@shakilmohammad9731]

@@araakin yes scamsters. Can they justify selling a recently released previous model (pr1 pro) at double the price. Pr2 is considered to be an upgrade to pr1 pro. Upgrade version at less than half the price of recently released previous model? How pr1 pro guys gonna sell their set in second hand market

[@kr33k00]

This planar is rubbish! Beware of driver flex!

[@akros9333]

My friend I was referring that the PR2 phase one sets where pretty good but as I also mentioned the PR1 Pro still stands for me as the best Planar KZ has made

[@brano5006]

🧽🧐 Is there some kind of sponge in the nozzle of the KZ planar? 🤔

[@user-du6jb6lt7z]

Another Good Review 👍