QKZ VK4 Review

The QKZ VK4 has been around for a very long time with a lot of praise for its good sound with ridiculously cheap price tag. When I checked today, it was $12 on ali express. I think I paid $15 on Amazon for this myself. This quick article will go over some impressions of this bright and colorful in-ear monitor that many consider one of the better IEMs under $50.

The QKZ VK4 comes in two color options, a black/carbon print, or a flashier translucent blue and pink look. I opted to buy the blue/pink combination mostly because it looks really cool and unique. The included cable has a mic built-in and is quite easy to tangle and a mess to use, but it is detachable and uses standard 2-pin connectors.

The VK4's tonal balance isn't the best there is, but its pretty good for this price class. In this price category, there few standouts that I've tried and an abundance of mediocre. The ones that stood out were all freebies -- the Sony MH755, which came packaged with Sony Bluetooth adapters, and the AKG/Samsung IG955BSEW in-ears that came pre-packaged with the older Galaxy series phones (think S8-S10). 

The VK4 isn't too far off these ones. It has an elevated, but pleasant bass gain, even mid-range, and a slightly bright treble, that doesn't come across too fatiguing. It's a generally well-done V-shaped IEM, that's biggest limitation is its sheer resolution and technical performance.

The bass doesn't have a lot of layering and texture capability, and that does make this a bit one-noted and blunted, but the overall quantity is appealing. It is perhaps a little overly warm at times, with a dipped mid-range, but I don't find it any way appalling either.

The biggest knock on it tonally, really, is that the treble response is uneven. It has some peaks that occasionally show up but then it also comes across dark too. Compressed and slightly veiled come to mind. But then again, it isn't! It does depend on the music you're listening to.

Overall, I think the VK4 is an outstanding value at $12 USD and has also a very nice an attractive look. It does not have the bass presence and impact of the Sony MH-755 but doesn't have the vacuum suck effect of that one. It doesn't have the easy on and off comfort of the AKG buds, but it also doesn't have piercing treble that the AKG ones do either. It's a good middle ground between the two with the most even and balanced frequency response, and a good comfortable fit.