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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired in-ear monitor you plug straight into a mixer or phone and forget about batteries, choose Linsoul KZ AS16; if you need a portable personal in-ear monitor amplifier that lets you control your own stage mix, choose Nexilunual P2.
• Linsoul KZ AS16 — biggest strength: eight balanced-armature drivers per side with a three-way crossover and a 20Hz–40kHz range, so it's a genuine multi-driver IEM rather than a single-driver earphone.
• Linsoul KZ AS16 — biggest trade-off: it's a passive, wired earphone, so there's no built-in amplification and no battery — the source you plug into is what you hear.
• Nexilunual P2 — biggest strength: it's an actual headphone amp with XLR/TRS input and 3.5mm output, mono/stereo switching, and 2x AAA battery power for cordless use.
• Nexilunual P2 — biggest trade-off: it amplifies whatever you feed it but produces no sound on its own, and it doesn't include the batteries or the earphones.
• Who the KZ AS16 is for: listeners who want the most detailed earphone they can get from a phone, laptop or mixer output.
• Who the P2 is for: working musicians who need their own volume knob and a reliable, cable-free monitor feed on a loud stage.
The KZ AS16 is, first and foremost, an earphone. Each side packs eight balanced-armature units, split across three frequency bands by a three-way PCB crossover: high-frequency drivers for extension and resolution, mid-frequency drivers for vocals and instruments, and a pair of low-frequency units for the bottom end. The claimed frequency response runs from 20Hz all the way to 40kHz, with 23.5 ohm impedance and 111dB sensitivity. That combination matters — low impedance and high sensitivity mean it doesn't demand a lot of power to get loud, which is exactly what you want if your "source" is a phone, a laptop headphone jack, or a cheap interface output.
The other half of the story is isolation. Linsoul states passive noise cancellation of more than 26dB, which is the number that should catch your eye if you play or listen in a noisy room. A well-sealed multi-BA IEM with that kind of attenuation does real work here — it drops the outside world enough that you can hear detail without cranking volume. The rounded-tip, in-ear, plastic-shell design with metal inlay is built for a deep-ish fit, and the detachable 0.75mm two-pin cable means a broken cable isn't a dead earphone. There's also a media control on the remote, and it's the "without mic" version, so it's aimed at listening and monitoring rather than calls.
Nexilunual P2: Who It's For
The P2 is a different animal entirely. It's a portable in-ear monitor amplifier — a box you plug a feed into (XLR or TRS in, 3.5mm out) and then plug your earphones into. It runs on two AAA batteries, which Nexilunual says gives up to 12 hours of cordless operation. No phantom power, no USB, no charging. You swap batteries between sets in seconds. For a drummer or bassist who's tired of hunting for a power outlet mid-show, that's the whole appeal.
The feature list is aimed squarely at performers. There's a mono/stereo switch, so you can adapt to whatever the monitor send looks like. There's an analog volume knob — the single most useful control on a personal monitor rig, because it means you set your own level instead of waving at a sound engineer. The metal-and-plastic chassis is ultra-compact at 5.3" by 1.4" and about 8.16 ounces, which is small enough to clip to a belt or drop in a pocket. The seven-color breathing light is a cosmetic touch, but it's the kind of thing that helps you find your unit in a dark rack or on a crowded stage.
Who should buy it: keyboardists, drummers, guitarists and bass players playing loud live shows who need their own monitor feed under their own control. It also suits anyone running a wired IEM off a mixer send who wants more gain and a physical volume knob. Who should skip it: if you just want to listen to music on your phone, the P2 adds a box, a battery habit, and a cable to your life for no benefit. It also assumes you already own in-ear monitors — it doesn't come with any, and it doesn't include the AAA batteries either.
• Best for sound quality and detail → Linsoul KZ AS16. Eight balanced-armature drivers per side with a three-way crossover across a 20Hz–40kHz range is a fundamentally more sophisticated earphone than a single dynamic driver.
• Best for controlling your own stage volume → Nexilunual P2. The analog volume knob and mono/stereo switch are the point of the product.
• Best for noisy environments → Linsoul KZ AS16. Over 26dB of passive noise cancellation from the sealed fit does more for real-world isolation than any amp feature.
• Best for battery-free, plug-and-play listening → Linsoul KZ AS16. It's wired, needs no batteries, and runs off 23.5 ohm / 111dB sensitivity, so it's easy to drive.
• Best for cordless stage use → Nexilunual P2. Two AAA batteries for up to 12 hours, no outlet, no USB, no charging.
• Best for durability in a gig bag → Nexilunual P2. Compact metal construction built to survive live performance handling.
• Best for replacing a worn cable → Linsoul KZ AS16. The 0.75mm two-pin cable is detachable, so a cable failure isn't the end of the earphone.
• Best for a musician who already owns IEMs but can't hear them → Nexilunual P2. That's literally the problem it exists to solve.
In my opinion, most people reading a comparison like this should buy the Linsoul KZ AS16. It's the complete product — you take it out of the box, plug it in, and you have a serious multi-driver monitor with real isolation and no batteries to think about. The P2 is excellent at one specific job, but that job assumes you're already on a stage with a monitor send and you already own earphones. If that's you, I'd buy the P2 without hesitation — it solves a problem the AS16 can't. If it isn't, the AS16 is the one that earns its place in your bag. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the variable that changes fastest.
how to check headphones battery
There's no battery in the Linsoul KZ AS16 — it's a wired earphone with a 3.5mm jack, so there's nothing to check. The Nexilunual P2 runs on two AAA batteries with up to 12 hours of use, and since they're standard AAAs you replace them rather than charge them, so the simplest "check" is carrying a spare pair.
how to check headphones battery on iphone
This only applies to battery-powered gear paired to your phone. The KZ AS16 doesn't pair — it's wired, so an iPhone would need an adapter for the 3.5mm jack and shows no battery status. The P2 is a standalone analog amp with no Bluetooth or app, so an iPhone can't report its battery either. For the P2, plan around the AAA runtime instead.
how to check headphones
Start with the basics: confirm the cable is fully seated. On the KZ AS16, the 0.75mm two-pin connector is detachable, so a loose or worn cable is the first thing to check. On the P2, verify the source is plugged into the XLR/TRS input, your earphones into the 3.5mm output, and that the mono/stereo switch matches your feed.
how to check headphones mic
The Linsoul KZ AS16 in this configuration is the "without mic" version, so there's no microphone to test — the inline control is for media, not calls. The Nexilunual P2 has no microphone at all; it's an amplifier with an input, an output and a volume knob, so if you need to talk, that has to come from a separate mic.
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