I don't really like the stock cable that came with my KZ ED16. I think it feels flimsy and I don't really like the design. So I went and got myself 2 replacement cables for different purposes.
1) BQEYZ C1 Cable which comes with Mic
2) A random, brandless cable that comes with Mic and volume control that I got from Shopee. (It's the only one within my budget that comes with volume control)
I tested all of them out and did a simple comparison to help me decide which I should use for my music. Just in case you're wondering how I test them out, I used an audio split and listened to one cable on each ear.
So now, let's get going!!
Oh wait!
Before that, I need to remind your that I'm no professional and this is just for fun.
The plug
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless |
|---|---|---|
| Angled | Angled, Silver plated | Angled, gold plated |
| TPE with Strain relief | Metal with Strain relief | TPE with Strain relief |
All 3 cables comes with L-shape angled plus which I personally prefers. The BQEYZ C1 would stand out here because out its metal casing.
Cable
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon, rubbery feel | Braided | Braided, PVC |
| ~124cm | ~120cm | ~118cm |
To be honest, none of the cables feel really strong. Although the braided cable looks stronger and cooler, the left and right cables are actually quite thin, even thinner than the KZ's.
Y-Split
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon, Strain Relief on Top and bottom | Braided, Strain Relief on bottom only | Braided, Strain Relief on Top and bottom |
| TPE | Metal | TPE |
The brandless cable and the KZ have similar design and material for the Y-split, but the KZ one looks more polished while the brandless one have longer stress reliefs. The BQEYZ C1 lags strain relief on the top which make it lose out to the other 2.
Mic/Volume Control
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless |
|---|---|---|
| Answer Call | Answer Call | Volume control, Answer Call |
| On Right Cable | On Left Cable | On Right Cable |
| Plastic Casing | Metal Casing | Plastic Casing |
This is obviously an unfair comparison! The brandless cable would stand out because it has functions - Volume control! I've tried the controller, it works well with my iPhone.
Earhook
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless |
|---|---|---|
| Memory, adjustable | Memory, not adjustable | Memory, not adjustable |
| Stiff | Soft | Soft |
Sound
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless |
|---|---|---|
| Bass is strong and punchy | Has the most boomy bass, more "vibrations" felt | Similar with KZ |
| - | - | - |
There is actually not much audio differences. The KZ and the brandless cable are very similar sounding. The only differences I notice is that the BQEYZ C1 perform slightly better than the other 2 in some songs that have deeper bass. I felt a little more "vibrations" from it and bass may sound a little more energetic.
Summary
| KZ | BQEYZ C1 | Brandless | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | - Flimsy cable - The colour really doesn't appeal to me | - Braided looks cool! - Small connector, harder to plug in. | - Braided looks cool! - Connector casing is thicker, making it easier to plug in. |
| Comfort | Comfortable but have to readjust if you tag it accidentally. | Comfortable, not need to adjust. Flexible earhook wraps round your ears. | Comfortable, not need to adjust. Flexible earhook wraps round your ears. |
| Sound | Good | Has slightly better bass. | Good. |
| Price | ~$7 | ~$8 | ~$6 |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Volume Control | No | No | Yes |
In the end, I decided to go with the BQEYZ C1 cable for the metal casing feels much cooler and it has better bass.
