KZ S1 vs QCY T5 | Sound, Features, Design Comparison

Ultimately, Apple’s AirPods are among the most popular wireless earbuds throughout the world, and because of that, many copies of these have been released by less popular companies. Among these, we have the QCY T5, and today we will compare them to other earbuds that have a completely different design, the KZ S1, and we will see which works in a better way. Welcome to this new KZ S1 vs QCY T5 comparison.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – All The Differences You Need To Know!

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Specifications (Specs) Sheet Comparison

Model	KZ S1	QCY T5
Bluetooth version	V5.0	V5.0
Bluetooth protocol	A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP	A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
Transmission distance	10 - 15 meters	10 - 20 meters
Driver unit	1DD + BA	6mm
Playtime	3.5 to 4 hours	5 hours
Battery capacity	300mAh	380mAh

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Design & Appearance Comparison

Before we talk about the way these two pairs of wireless headphones work, let’s talk a bit about the most notable thing, their design. When we see them, we can realize that they are completely different, although both are made of plastic, both come in white color and they are pretty minimalistic. The QCY T5 has a partially in-ear design, so they have a great resemblance to the famous Apple AirPods, while the KZ S1 a more comfortable full in-ear design.

Likewise, all these wireless headphones are ergonomic and very light, in addition to being adaptable to any size of the ear since they have sport rubbers of three different dimensions. It is worth noting that they are not resistant to scratches and bumps, so you have to be very careful with them. Also, the QCY T5 has the much-needed IPX4 certification, and while this type of certification makes the devices waterproof, it is not that recommended to fully submerge them in water.  On the other hand, KZ S1’s company has not said a word about the IPX certification these earbuds have.

Having said that, and this being one of the best characteristics that both earbuds have in common, is that they both have touch panels, which although they are not capable of carrying out complicated actions, do work with the most basic and important controls.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Comfort & Wearing Experience Comparison

Concerning the comfort that these headphones offer, ultimately they have many points in their favor. Since they are made of plastic, the earbuds are extremely light, in addition to having three silicone ear tips (S, M, and L) which are suitable for almost every ear size. Likewise, and due to their comfort and the certifications they have, they can be used not only as common headphones, but they can also be used when exercising since they cling very closely to the ear, which is always a big plus point.

About wearing, they can be used for a long time as long as the appropriate size of ear tips is being used, although, and like any other headset made of plastic, it can be a bit annoying for some users.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Charging Case Comparison

Now, and talking about the charging case of these earbuds, the truth is that there is not much difference between them. Both cases have a magnetic closure mechanism, which can assure us that it will not open with any movement we make, thus keeping the headphones safe. All are charged through a micro-USB port, which is charged thanks to a USB Type-C cable provided by the same company.

On the other hand, the charging case of the KZ S1 has a battery with a capacity of 300mAh, while the charging case of the QCY T5 has a battery with a capacity of 380mAh.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Hardware & Performance Comparison

When it comes to hardware, many people would think that some high-end chip made by some popular company is inside these headphones, and that’s the case for none of these two earbuds. The QCY T5 works together with a chip made by GreenRadio, although it is not known for sure which one it is. On the other hand, in relation to the KZ S1, there is no knowledge about the chip that it has inside.

KZ S1 …. ???

QCY T5 …. GreenRadio

With that being said, one of the highlights of these products is the master switch added to each earbud. This means that either of the earbuds will serve as the main earbud and will carry the functions of the main earbud (play, pause, call, forward, etc.). This is a useful approach because if you lost an earbud or one of the earbuds gets faulty, one can easily use another earbud as a mono earphone with the same functionality.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Sound Quality Comparison

Now moving to the sound quality, the reality is that you can’t expect professional audio; Remember that when buying any model of True Wireless headphones, you are dispensing with audio quality to gain comfort. In this sense, the QCY T5 has a 6mm dynamic driver, while the KZ S1 has a 1DD + BA combo (One Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature). The difference between BA and dynamic drivers is that BA does not displace air to produce sound, having a lack of bass as a result, although the single dynamic driver that it has improves this aspect a bit.

Although they do not give the best sound on the market, to get a better listening, you can turn the volume up to its highest capacity, because they also have the ability to provide a really good bass quality.

KZ S1 has:

• Better performance in the treble frequency than QCY T5
• Better detailed sounds than QCY T5

QCY T5 has:

• Better clarity than KZ S1
• Better bass than KZ S1
• Better controlled bass than KZ S1
• Better soundstage than KZ S1

Having said that, by being placed correctly on the ear, these two earbuds are capable of keeping external noises moderately opaque, and that is that although external sounds could still be heard a little, everything can be solved by setting the volume of what it is being listened to 100%, which is performing in a good way.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Talking / Call Experience Comparison

About the experience in calls, there’s no microphone difference in both earphones. They have the same mic. Also, the call quality is just average, nothing special. They can be easily used when talking on the phone in any closed space, although the problem comes when they are used in open spaces with noise; the audio and microphone quality drop immediately, and if there is a lot of noise, it will be almost impossible to have a conversation that can be understood.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Connectivity Comparison

Due to the use of Bluetooth 5.0, the connectivity of these two headphones to other devices is of high quality, in addition to is capable of greater stability, battery optimization, and have a faster connection speed. The QCY T5 has a range of 10 to 15 meters of connectivity while the KZ S1 has a range of an amazing 20 meters and, on top of that, we found that they can be used separately and linked in the same way. Also, they automatically connect after removing them from the box after being paired with another device.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Function & Features Comparison

Now let’s discuss the functions and features of these earbuds. In the KZ S1, we have things like:

• 1DD + BA combo
• iOS and Android compatibility
• Smart touch control
• Voice assistant
• Dual master switch

On the other hand, in the QCY T5 we have these additional features apart from the above-said features:

• 6mm dynamic driver with ENC
• CVC 6.0
• IPX4 certification
• AAC support
• Gaming mode

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Battery Life Comparison

In relation to the battery, and as mentioned before, the charging case of the QCY T5 has a battery with a capacity of 380mAh, while the charging case of the KZ S1 has a battery with a capacity of 300mAh. With that being said, both pairs of earbuds have individual batteries with a capacity of 43mAh. Also, in the case of the KZ S1, the battery lasts about 3.5 to 4 hours while in the QCY T5 lasts for about 5 hours.

With that being said, both earbuds take about 1.5 to 2 hours to fully charge.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Price Comparison

Finally, and to finish this comparison, we will talk about the prices of these earbuds. The KZ S1 is available in various online stores, but the lowest price is found on AliExpress with a price that is around $21 to $24. With that being said, the lowest prices for the QCY T5 can be found in AliExpress for $17.51, making this earbud the cheapest of both.

KZ S1 vs QCY T5 – Summary

• KZ S1 has a full in-ear design
• QCY T5 has a partially in-ear design
• QCY T5 has IPX4 certification
• Both have touch control
• QCY T5 charging case has more capacity
• QCY T5 have a GreenRadio chip
• QCY T5 has a 6mm dynamic driver
• KZ S1 has a 1DD + BA combo
• QCY T5 is the cheapest

We hope you loved this KZ S1 vs QCY T5 comparison. Which one is your favorite TWS earbud? Let us know in the comments.