Kiwi Ears - Cadenza

I don't game so I can't speak to that piece but I own the Kiwi Ears Cadenza and they are super comfortable and sound great for the price.

Appreciate the tldr rec for the Cadenzas, ordered a pair to check them out.

They sound fine. My ears are not really compatible with IEMs tho

My ears get sweaty and itchy if I leave things in for too long

Everybody talking about everything but nobody … nobody is suggesting you to check the iem rankings on thus community …. Which is pretty great …. Its KIWI EARS CADENZA … thank me later … it is best iem regarded under 50 dollars

I dont want to force your buying decision : Though I had wanger S.G , kefine klean , chu 2 and kiwi ears cadenza …. Chu 2 and kiwi ear cadenza are great … why you ask that metallic shell iems are not placed at the top … because they absorb moushire and can maybe end of clogging one of the sides in long run ( if you dont of take a good care of iem ) but kiwi ears cadenza are absolutely steal at 35 bucks

That really depends on what genra of music do you like … I would recommend…. 1) red zero : netural tuning … nothing much to say, just has extremely large nozzle size … 7 mm something not great for small ears… 2) kiwi ears cadenza ( my personal favourite ) : netural but energetic and engaging… has midbass for sure 3) kefine klean : overral a great iem… also little bit fun ( dont own this … but might be my future purchase was better than kefine delci and kefine ae those who had and reviewed ) 4) kbear ka02 : has bone conduction driver in them …. I dont have info but people who own liked them. 5) hexa : for puriet ( highly technical for price point meaning you can hear every detail … though lacks fun element to it … kinda bland for my taste ) People in comment can add others

Nx8 looks pretty cool. Compared to my Cadenza it’s quite similar in taste.

Up until now I've been listening to 7HZ x Crinacle Zero:2, they have a lot of bass and might be tiring for long sessions. So I ordered Kiwi Ears Cadenza for myself. They are quite similar to Tangzu Wan'er. In any case, Tangzu Wan'er or Moondrop Chu II will be a very great option for any ears.

I also have tinnitus and jumping into this hobby has been a real awakening. I cannot recommend the Kiwi Ears Cadenza enough for this problem. I own about 7 sets of iems and the Cadenza so far I found had been the best reproduction at lower volumes, and even when raising the volume a little bit they haven’t made anything worse or uncomfortable actually quite the opposite no fatigue whatsoever. Hope this helps!

I just got them and I am incredibly impressed.

I have them both and enjoy both of them but to my ears and tastes I do prefer the Cadenza. Cannot beat them for the price and they punch waaaayyy above their range.

also...Kiwi Ears Cadenzas are worth a look. I have these as well...and they fit between the Zero2s and the Chu2 for bass (again for my taste) One other thing to consider...these 3 IEMs vary in size. Chu2 are significantly smaller than the Zero 2. Also...don't despair when you first try any of them. Make sure the ear tips and sealing properly. If the fit isn't good...you'll lose bass response right off the jump

whoa! for my ears and my preference. The Cadenzas ranks in-between the Chu2 and Zero2. There's no better or worse...Chu2 being brighter...and Zero2 being more bassy. Again...I EQ...so your mileage may differ. Whether the difference is worth the money, that's up to you

did you roll tips on it? They were flat for me on first listen...once I got the right eartips fit...it got fun

ok, they were fun to me😅

OP...have you looked at Kiwi Ears Cadenza or KZ Castor Pro Bass Edition? Both respond well to EQ. Cadenza's bass is punchy and can satisfy your sub-bass rumble. The Castor Pro Bass Edition allows the user to tune the IEM with onboard switches. It's bassier than the Cadenzas in my opinion. I own both...and I get a deeper and more satisfying brain rattle from the Castor Pro Bass Edition from Angel by Massive Attack and Interlude by Yosi Horikawa. They both provide satisfying thumps to Billie Eilish's bad guy. Cadenzas lose a bit of mid treble detail (for me) on Starboy by The Weeknd. Both sets are currently under 35 USD (your pricing may vary)

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOUR POINTS: https://preview.redd.it/vwxf7i53neye1.jpeg?width=2377&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9aafdf70e38f01e9e6e88692e4c7f79caca103d8 This is MY collection...and I'm very early in the journey. I don't have the budget, knowledge or experience to blind buy a 500USD+ set of in ears that may or may not fit my ears or my preferences. While my journey doesn't completely fit OP's blueprint...I have/had the same thought process regarding purchasing IEMs. Not pictured are the Moondrop Chu 2 and 7Hz Sonus. I started with the Chu 2, 7Hz Zero 2 and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. From listening, watching and reading reviews...I was able to learn about all the terms, labels, and vocabulary to describe what I like or don't like. I threw money at the Wyvern Abyss...I mean...LOOK AT THEM😂. The Kz Castor Bass was a curiosity buy...want to hear if a set touting bass response was really that bassy. My next steps were the NiceHCK F1 Pros, Kiwi Ears Canta and the 7Hz Sonus. The F1 Pros and the Sonu were on sale at the time of purchase...good value and able to narrow things down more for myself. I knew I liked the planar sound...I have a set of open ear planar cans. The F1s felt disappointing (until I tip rolled) The Sonus was about much for my taste (in the mids) The Cantas were quite nice for me. By this point...I had a good grasp of what I was looking for and the direction (s) I want to go in. AFUL Performer 5+2 is currently my go-to...for all around listening. Sourced from R2R DAC lined out into a desktop tube amp. It's like a warm blanket on crisp bright and snowy winter day. I picked up the Hexa because I wanted to hear the hype...and yes...they definitely fulfill the hype and then some. I've EQed my IEMs... especially the planar. They can mimic the sound...but it's only a part of the equation. I now rotate through 3-4 sets at my desktop listening station. The cheapo ones all have 3.5mm out for around the house or for bed. If they break...ill decide if I want to replace. Tip rolling is a journey of itself. Some tips can dramatically change an IEM and rescue it from the bottom of the pile. My Planars now sport foam tips...easing off the treble was huge. Anyway...long post...if you got this far thanks for sticking with my diarrhea of words. TLDR: I agree with the OP

Simgot has a few under 60. Kinera Celeste Wyvern Abyss and the Kiwi Ears Cadenza are both solid at around 35usd. if you're willing to get up to 80-90 USD mark...that's where you find the Hexa. Bassier and fun can be found with the Zero Red and the Zero Blue 2. Lots of choices tbh. Watch some reviews of the community recommendations and whatever gets recommended in this thread...then make a choice (from consensus) Another's preference may not be your preference.

OP... don't get rid of your Astral. Someone else mentioned it already...but it's a lack.of reference that has you second guessing. EQ (parametric EQ) is a good tool. It can help you fine tune the sound of the IEM to your liking. But...the IEM should sound good to you out of the box. HD550...hmmm... just go for the legend. Save for the HD600. I wrote down my experiences and things I learned as a beginner [Posted here](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/u2D7CWFQw9) Go and find all the reviews you can on the Astral. Listen to the terminologies and try to associate what you hear from the Astral. Then pick up a budget set or two (if you want to learn) watch those reviews from the same reviewer. See if you can hear what they are hearing...and establish a frame of reference. Hope that makes sense. Outside of that...you picked a really good IEM. Stick with it. HD

check the community recs for under 50...that's where I started (kiwi ears cadenza, Moondrop Chu 2, and the 7Hz Salnotes x Crinacle Zero 2) There should be enough of a difference between 2 of those sets to start getting a frame of reference. You'll likely hear the differences between those and your Astral

At under $50, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza is tuned very similar to the Zero 2. The more expensive Kefine Delci is tuned differently in the upper midrange where the Delci is brighter in the 4 kHz to 8 kHz region.

A lot of people, including myself, like the Kiwi Ears Cadenza's overall tuning I got used to the Cadenza's slightly bright tuning in the upper midrange since it stayed just below being sibilant for me. I am looking forward to comparing the Unicrom to the Cadenza.

I suggest the Kiwi Ears Cadenza which is one my favorite budget IEMs. I also like the 7Hz Zero 2. Quality control by these two brands is really good. The Cadenza is slightly more energetic and engaging and the Zero 2 is slightly more relaxing. La Victoria Taco Sauce goes quite well with in eat monitor earbuds. Delicious!

Kiwi Eara Candenza green one and the Tangzu Wan'er SG II Jade edition, GOATED

You do realize that you guys are arguing over KZ and CCA (er, I mean, KZ), right? You have to have a set with excellent imaging, soundstage, detail retrieval, separation/layering. I’m not saying you have to spend $300+ to get all of that, but you gotta do better than the Castor Bass Pro and Rhapsody. C’mon now. At least mention the KE Cadenza. 7Hz Zero2? Wan’er? Wyvern Abyss? Let’s get crazy with the cheese whiz.

Although not a bullet-style IEM like those listed above, I find the Kiwi Ears Cadenza to be very small and comfortable.

I own both the Truthear Hexa and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. After listening to both, I really can’t decide which is better. Hexa costs twice as much.

I've got both. It's kinda hard decision. Both are good, just zero reds are better in technicalities and maybe slightly in detail retrieval. Cadenza is great too, has a tactical bass, very cool to listen to heavy metal and the drums double kick, you can literally feel the texture. Also cadenzas are slightly warmer than zero reds which are even more neutral but with less midbass and that makes them being "less warm". Honestly if I had to buy only one, I'd stick with zero reds since for me they are more versatile IEMs and with the impedance adapter they go pretty close to the cadenzas sound signature. Either way you cannot go wrong. Edit: Also Zero reds take better the EQ than cadenzas in my experience. I guess that's due to the dual dynamic drivers.

I have them in my ears as I type this. It's a solid choice.

The Cadenza’s an absolute belter for the price. I still listen to mine regularly.

IEMs:- Campfire Andro 2020 > Shure se846 > Sennheiser ie800 > Dunu sa6 > Sony mdr ex800 > Sony xba N3 > final a4000 > Sennheiser ie200 > etymotic er2xr > Sennheiser ie600 > Kiwiears Cadenza > Shure se215 > blon bl03 > Moondrop Space travel Headphones:- Audeze LCD2C > AKG K701 > hd600 > hd660s > hd6xx > hd650 > Meze 109 > Koss porta pro > Grado sr225 > Grado sr80

daily driving kiwi ears cadenza, but i've went through a pair of salnotes zeros, and a pair of linsoul tangzu waners as well as daily drivers. probably gonna swap back to the tangzus once i get a new cable for em

i would be pretty interested in the NX8, but both seem good. i have a pair of cadenza's and t2's, i like both, but something (either of these really) that have a higher price tag, makes me somewhat intrigued. i know the be all end all is obviously not the price, but with the price comes some other features that i have yet to have in any IEM. sale items, probably a new cable for either of the ones that i currently have.

Personally, i feel the best of the three is the InAwaken Dawn. It just has a special quality about it that i find very engaging, and really enjoy. You and i listen to very simialr music, so take that as you will. Plus they look gorgeous, and come with a great accessory pack of quality tips, a good cable, and a fantastic carrying case. The Klean is also a good set. However, the tuning nozzles on it are, IMHO, a bit gimmicky. The alternative Black Nozzle is a little too bright and glaring. And, myself, and others, have experienced some QC issues with the filters. My Black Filters have one side that is quieter than the other. Some people have had that issue with the stock silver filters too. So, be aware that this may be a problem on your set also. The accessories pack on the Klean isnt anything to get excited about. Tips are sufficient, and the cable is functional, and the carrying case is decent enough. Now, i will say, that i do have some bias with the Klean. The Kefine Delci AE is one of my favorite sub $100 single DD sets. And the alternative nozzle on the Delci AE sounds amazing. And it really brightens up the tonality of what is a predominantly warm set. The Klean, on the other hand, is a little brighter on treble extension than the Delci past 10k on the stock tuning, while having very similar overall tunings. So the Klean gives at lot of the same energy i like from the Delci AE, but it gets to be a little too much with the alternative nozzles. So, this is where my personal head bias comes into play, because i am intimately familiar with the Delci AE's sound, and i find the Klean to be a little lacking in technicalities to the Delci AE, while also sounding too similar. Which is why i keep coming back to the Dawn more, because it has a different tonality to its flavor. Basically, because i have the Delci AE, the Klean becomes the orphaned step child of the two. Now, one area where the Klean will excel over the Dawn is durability. If you plan on wearing these outside a lot in direct sun, i would go with the Klean, as the Dawn being full resin, can, with time, have some yellowing, or crazing issues. As all fully resin IEM's can, when being exposed to the suns UV rays. I try to keep all my resin IEM's as indoor only sets for that reason. The Cadenza is a good little single DD set. But i dont think it is as good as the Dawn or the Klean. If you really want to have the Cadenza sound...just pick up the KBear KB01. Exact same driver and tuning made in the exact same assembly facility as the Cadenza, and its like $10 cheaper.

Why these two? Cadenza is a$30 IEM (Get the KB01 for $20, it's exactly the same) And the other is an $80 dollar tribrid IEM. They aren't in the same class. So I am confused as to why these two?? The Cadenza is mildly better than the Chu2, but not enough to not call it a side grade. And the KB01 exists for Chu2 money if you really want to hear it. The EW300 is sub mid. Lots of ear gain issues, and generally not that amazing. It's way over hyped, IMHO. If you want that tuning, get the TRN Shell, or the new Simgot EG280. I like it more than the EW300, ans it comes with a DAC that has EQ tunability via their app. There is a lot a lot of good stuff at $50, and even better sub-$100. So it's weird to see two totally different priced IEMs as your choices.

The part of the shell that contacts your ear is the same between the two. The Cadenza has a little bigger booty. So it sticks out a little more, but both are equally comfortable. If you want to wear it under a winter cap, or side sleep, probably the KB01.

T10 is great. Vastly superior to thr Cadenza. But, 2 things... 1: Planars NEED Power. The more, the better. So you will need a decent Dongle DAC with good power to drive them.. 2: If you have small ears, avoid the T10. It's round shape is not conducive to comfort. I have pretty average sized ears. Medium shading towards small and the T10 hurt my outer ear, I get hot spots, and extreme discomfort. Tip selection helps. And everyone's anatomy is different. But ve aware a lot of people find it uncomfortable, despite its fantastic sound quality.

Either the Cadenza or the Zero Red with fiio btr11 it adds some warmth but not too much.

# Kiwi Ears Cadenza – My Ultimate EQ Profile & Guide I've been using the Kiwi Ears Cadenza for almost a month now, clocking over 300 hours of listening. At first, I wasn’t impressed, but after switching to the stock white silicone eartips, I started appreciating it. It’s pleasant and handles my library well even without EQ. [Genres I listened to ](https://preview.redd.it/kg754u1on6ge1.jpg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2d660f1a450dcd61456db731997e423a5b01baa) However, to my ears, the default tuning sounds dark, and the vocals lack presence. It’s enjoyable, but it didn’t have that WOW factor I was looking for. Since the Cadenza’s driver is highly responsive to EQ, I spent so many hours fine-tuning an EQ profile that has everything I need—while staying customizable for different preferences. If you’re unsatisfied with the Cadenza’s stock tuning, you can try my EQ profile! It works on Android (Wavelet) and PC equalizers. I’ll also guide anyone new to EQ’ing so you can tweak it to match your taste. # EQ Profile Overview [Reference Target ](https://preview.redd.it/p2rlh8rqn6ge1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=57bd313d1bfdf4e60698654427e210966ba0a364) [Vs PEQdb Average ](https://preview.redd.it/wukye9rqn6ge1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=1bf9a3ef23daebc6cd0ca5514bd1c76558ea8c99) The EQ profile is based on my reference target which is basically PEQdb average with slight emphasis on bass. Which I think is acceptable for most people, and if not, the EQ profile is still customizable just by unchecking certain adjustments. [EQ Profile Values ](https://preview.redd.it/xhrg19etn6ge1.jpg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1302e68cb8d0203a15682a53e3bb12ee1fb33a6a) 🔹 **Base EQ Profile (Balanced, Clean, & Airy)** This tuning refines the Cadenza’s default sound by: ✔ Slightly reducing bass – still present but less overpowering. ✔ Cleaner mids – mid-bass warmth is controlled for better separation. ✔ Enhanced vocal presence – upper mids are slightly lifted. ✔ More air & treble clarity – fixes the default dark tonality. https://preview.redd.it/rd573vaxn6ge1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf55d78019972b6d44db9fd01d186426660fe0b5 Closest comparison: Somewhat similar to Truthear Zero : Red if you disable the 1.2k–2.8k adjustments. It shines with classic rock, soft pop, and night-time listening. 🔹 **Warm & Dark Profile (Enhanced Mid-Bass, Smooth Treble)** If you like the stock warmth but want slightly more mid-bass, try this: https://preview.redd.it/h1v2itl5o6ge1.jpg?width=1061&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2cadd8a8864a3f176a8f048c8b82628c2c5e83b Uncheck 105-190Hz for extra warmth. Uncheck 6120Hz for a smoother treble. Uncheck 10kHz if treble feels too much (or lower from 5.4dB → 3.5dB). Uncheck the last 3 adjustments to restore default treble. **Perfect for: Hip-Hop, EDM, and relaxed listening.** 🔹 **Bassy but Clear Mids (Best All-Rounder)** Want deep bass without muddying vocals? Try this: https://preview.redd.it/9vxftw88o6ge1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db1fb64ecf03965276176bcc05fcae70f02bf07e Uncheck 105Hz only. This keeps the clarity of mids & vocals intact while adding punchy bass. It’s a versatile setting that works well across most genres. **This is my personal favorite.** # 🔽 Download: [EQ Profile Link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Wb7yhJ12ZEvpBuEA6wsuLqwRNJOsgSCY/view?usp=drivesdk) # How to Use the EQ Profile 1️⃣ Go to [Squiglink](https://squig.link/?share=Kiwi_Ears_Cadenza) search for Kiwi Ears Cadenza. 2️⃣ Click on Equalizer > Scroll down > Import. 3️⃣ Select the downloaded EQ profile. 4️⃣ Adjust as needed, then Export for Wavelet (Android) or PC Equalizer. https://preview.redd.it/2c3w59q2o6ge1.jpg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=209f82bcd25a124b5bfa891f5d9f6371042b4b2d # Final Thoughts The Kiwi Ears Cadenza has an amazing driver, and with proper EQ, it competes with more expensive IEMs. This profile is highly customizable—whether you prefer warmth, clarity, or a balanced sound, you can tweak it to match your style. I’ll be happy to help anyone new to EQ’ing! Let me know your thoughts or if you need guidance. 🎧 What do you think of the Cadenza’s stock tuning? Have you tried EQ’ing it? Let’s discuss!

Which one is better is going to be totally subjective. But, everyone can agree on Vivace being better in gaming. For me, Cadenza is the sweet spot. For music, I love the warm tonality of it. The bass can be felt but it's not boomy or punchy; it's subtle. For my ears, it lacks the excitement, so I just EQ'ed it. Now, it's very natural and fun. https://preview.redd.it/tjfxtqggrhke1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=4afdb3d6deb00a2c5ffc01c01597fa260cdfb2c5

I don't think Kiwi Ears Cadenza would give you what you are looking for because Cadenza is neutral with a sub bass boost. What you are looking for in the "Energetic bass" is the mid bass all these IEMs are lacking. They are bassy, but mostly elevated sub bass because it is a safe tuning. To prevent mid bass overpower the vocals. You will get all the rumbly thumps, but not the punch. If you are looking for that, under $20 you have the KZ Castor Pro Bass. https://preview.redd.it/8f2d0qd74pce1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3922f0d622a62fb121d5590f82d988091bd50e3 Unfortunately, there's not many IEMs that are tuned like this. So I can't suggest something alternative to Castor Pro. If you don't mind trying KZ, you can look into it. Don't get the OG Castor, it sounds awful.

--- ## The Context The Kiwi Ears Cadenza has gained attention as a potential upgrade in the budget IEM category, particularly when it comes to driver and sound quality. My goal with this review is to evaluate whether it truly offers an improvement over other popular IEMs in a similar price range, such as the Tangzu Wan’er SG and Salnote Zero 2. Additionally, I aim to test the full potential of its driver to see how it performs under various conditions. This review is based on my hands-on testing and overall listening experiences. --- ## Review ### 1. Build Quality The build quality is what you can expect from a $30 IEM: it's cheap. The KZ Castor Pro feels more premium. The IEMs are so lightweight that I feel like there's nothing on my ears. It's a good thing when it is about comfort. About the stock cable I don't feel confident with it; it's very thin. Overall, it's forgivable as the IEM looks good, at least. --- ### 2. Sound When I put these on with the stock eartips, I was extremely disappointed. The sound was awful—bright and sibilant. I tried every included tip and size, but the result was the same. Then I decided to use the eartips from my KZ Castor, and it sounded good. Personally, I am not a fan of this type of tuning, but there are times when I prefer a balanced sound. So, this does suit the mood. It's boring, but it's fine. --- **__Bass:__** The bass is present but lacks weight and depth. It leans toward a flatter, more neutral presentation with minimal sub-bass extension. While it avoids muddiness, it also doesn’t provide the engaging, punchy low-end that some people might prefer (including me), especially for genres like Hip-Hop or EDM. --- **__Mids:__** The mids sounded clear, lacking warmth, but they were neutral and enjoyable. I enjoyed the acoustic guitar and piano so much on Cadenza! It puts my KZ Castor Pro to shame. The upper mids were not as forward as the Wan’er, but both male and female vocals sounded decent on Cadenza. If I am to compare the Cadenza with the Wan’er, the latter sounds fuller and warmer. This is probably due to the mid-bass scoop on the Cadenza. Still, it’s fairly good. --- **__Treble:__** The treble is where the Cadenza’s issues with stock eartips were most noticeable. It’s overly bright and prone to sibilance, which can make extended listening uncomfortable. With better eartips, the treble smooths out and becomes tolerable, though it still leans toward a brighter presentation and might need to EQ. The soundstage and imaging are fairly average. Nothing too great in terms of accuracy and separation. Busy genres like rock music can sound congested, but I think it does fairly well for the budget. --- ### Do I feel like the need to EQ? For the most part? No. But, I do find it sibilant at higher volume. So, the only adjustment that I had to make is on the Treble side. --- ## 3. Driver This is the only thing where I was impressed and really felt like it was an upgrade! The Beryllium dynamic driver is impressive. It passed my distortion test at max volume. It's very EQ friendly. Although, it struggles when there is more than +1db gain in the sub bass region and use Wavelet's "Bass Tuner" with Sustain Compressor mode. The limiter needs to be turned on for this. With stock tuning it's not a problem tho. But, to be honest, I have yet to find a set that can handle that thing without applying a limiter. Even my bassy over the ear Sony headphones couldn't handle it. So, I call this driver competent for EQ'ing. --- ## 4. Conclusion While I do like the Cadenza, but other than the driver quality, there's not much difference I've felt while listening to this. It doesn't do anything exceptionally well. It's only recommended as the first IEM if the budget is not tight. But, if someone already got something like Salnote Zero 2, Wan'er SG or Gate, this upgrade doesn't make any sense.

Castor Pro is exciting and fun, but not EQ friendly (if you are using Apple music with max volume it can't handle Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Atif Aslam and Arijit 's high pitch vocals) western songs will not have any issues. With stock tuning, there will be no problem, but if you EQ the treble region, there will be distortion. On Spotify, it's very pleasant even with EQ. If I am to compare Cadenza and Castor Pro with this EQ profile: https://preview.redd.it/qo1y7i1a07ee1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=3941703199f3e3dc6571989e848b98877f628143 On Spotify, Castor Pro gives me an Eargasm... It makes me feel excited and enjoy the music. Cadenza is just okay and sharp. They sound identical but Castor Pro will have warmth making the music more listenable.

Honestly, I don't think there's anything better than Castor Pro under $25 if you are talking about a fun V-shaped sound signature. You may find recommendations with more bass, but there's nothing that does bass, mids and treble as good as Castor Pro does. I switched many budget IEMs, the most time I spent with are Castor Pro and Cadenza. I love Cadenza for how good it is for EQ'ing and the comfort. It's super lightweight. If I have to criticize Castor Pro, it's mainly because it kinda struggle with EQ. I hope they fix it with future IEMs.

EQ won't give you the quality, but sure you can EQ to match your preference. If the tonality is correct, you would automatically keep coming back to it. I keep coming back to Cadenza's because of the natural tonality and timbre. It has the best timbre out of every IEM I own. So, after EQing it, it became my go to set to listen to music. The only issue with Cadenza was the treble extension. After EQ, it feels pretty good. Not as spacy, but very smooth and natural. https://preview.redd.it/s7h0furrclif1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=473149b03e8e4895962d30b835af053e8ed6b7b2 It handles EQ really well. So, getting a good set that can handle EQ, is important. Most of the multi driver sets are sophisticated and EQ can introduce distortion. But, surely EQ is the easiest way to enhance your listening experience.

I quite like my Kiwi Ears Cadenza, sound amazing for the price but comfort is just okay. I wore Bose IE2 for years with my iPod nano before they broke, most comfortable earbuds I’ve ever worn but they tend to cost a lot, even on the used market.

I'm with you. I returned the pair I bought within 24 hours. The hype train is weird. I found them to be muddy, sludgy, and lacking any and all definition in any frequency range. My songs were recognizable through the Cadenza in the same way a 64kbps mp3 is recognizable against the uncompressed master.

The Zero2 is my choice. If you're looking at the Cadenza specifically for the beryllium driver, the KBEars KB01 does it better and is cheaper. The Cadenza sounds like a plate of hot, wet shit.

He is. The Cadenza isn't deserving of the hype it gets.

I don't believe the Cadenza deserves the hype it gets. I returned the pair I ordered within 24 hours. I've been within the audio industry and have enough experience over the past two and a half decades to know when I'm going to like something and when I'm not. Compared to everything else in my collection, which is not small, there were no redeeming factors in the performance of the Cadenza.

These are some that caught my attention when I researched before getting my first set in this price range. TBH the budget space is so crowded that it's really hard to pick. I feel like as long as it doesn't have overly negative reviews, and physically fit your ear great, you'll be ok. Hell, some people are even happier with some more budget sets in the $20 range. My top picks based on build are - Moondrop Lan - Kefine Klean (I own and love) or maybe spend a bit more for - Kefine Delci for the metal build and smaller body overall. If you want something prettier with a resin build (a bit lighter) - Kiwi Ears Cadenza (cheapest in this short list) - Truthear Red or - Truthear Blue 2 (also popular, but some complain about it being big) I think these are still pretty balanced, only a bit warm leaning - Inawaken Dawn MS (but looks to be leaning warmer, slightly V-shaped than neutral, which is not bad since neutral can be boring sometimes) I think the Truthears were popular for their technicals and great for EQ (tining), in which you said you don't need, though. least bass to most bass is probably Lan < Reds < Cadenza < Kefines < Blue 2 < Inawaken Dawn MS again, all still pretty balanced, the ones that are more on the right just have a bit more bass presence If you can spend a bit more, a very popular pick is the Truthear Hexa. More neutral and brighter (less bass) than the others listed. Or maybe the ew300 which looks pretty neutral but not as bright as the hexa.

Actually shocked at the lack of Cadenza. Arguably the best for the price range

Imo cadenza

Just got my first pair (Kiwi Ears Cadenza) and I had to stop myself from buying 2 more. Smh

Preferences are highly subjective. This said, a bass-forward IEM I really enjoy is the KBear Rosefinch. Very affordable, comfortable, bassy but decently balanced and not at all muddy. EDM, IDM, rock and it's a solid and often over-looked IEM. I've the Wa'ner and Cadenza as well in the lower price tiers, but I find myself with the Rosefinch more often, which surprised me.

The Cadenza is a really great all-rounder and an easy go-to first IEM recommendation. They’re wonderful and not just for the price. The Wa’ner I got for $5. They’re great…for the price. You mentioned bass so that’s why I mentioned the Rosefinch. My approach with IEM’s right now is I use my Sennheiser IE600 for detailed listening sessions. I used the wa’ner for watching video on my laptop. The Cadenza and Rosefinch are in my travel bag. The Sennheiser‘s don’t leave the house given the price tag.

Looks like you can pick up the Kiwi Ears Cadenza for about $15 on AliExpress. Truly a solid introductory IEM - great sound, quality build, and comfortable. At that price, honestly, a no-brainer.

I would recommend buying some cheap pairs to figure out what you like then going from there. Personally I have the SM4, Explorers, ARTTI T10, and Hexa for inside use. Outside my house I have the Wan’er, Rosefinch, and Cadenza. A lot of people are going to blindly recommend the Explorers for everything and while I use the Explorers the most for day to day music because they’re relaxed and warm theyre not something I would ever consider using for a competitive shooter. Price for performance I still think the best on the market is the ARTTI T10. If you’re in the US you can get it off Amazon for $56 right now. The shell is plastic but that’s really the only negative I have for it.

Yes I would recommend. If you like a little wide soundstage, clear vocals and mids, clear sound separation for every instrument. Rich and a bit warm sound. It has all of it. But honestly it lacks BASS, If it had little more bass it would be perfect. **So if you are a basshead don't buy it.** I don't listen to bassy music so it works fine for me. But yeah I do miss a little Bass here and there which is fine and negligible for me.

Haven't heard the other two, but I'd pass on the Cadenza. Here are my quick notes: "Treble is tinny and maybe a bit sibilant, bass hollow and unsatisfying. Mids are clear and have nice punch/microdynamics. Resolution is maybe a bit lacking? A little bit hollow and disappointing all around. Feels cheap, though I like the subtle purple color. Cable is actually pretty decent at this price. Comfortable, but hard to get a good fit (especially the left earbud)."

I can't even appreciate it for them; the timpanis, tubas, string basses, etc. just all sounded awful, and flutes VERY tinny. I just went back and listened to them again for a lunchtime walk, and while they're okay for loud environments where you're not really listening closely ... yeah, I'm going to pick a bunch of much cheaper pairs over them.

I personally found the Cadenza pretty disappoining, so I'd advocate for anyone moving on to something else almost all of the time. 😂 Don't know anything about the Klean, but I think the Cadenza tinny and sibilant, with hollow and unsatisfying bass. So if you haven't tried anything else ... snag a $20 pair of Tangzu Wan'er and see if you like taht tuning better.

The Wan'er 2, hands down. Definitely skip the Cadenza; at least to me they're super tinny and sibilant, with hollow and unsatisfying bass. Chu II are also great, but I think the Wan'er are a more resolving headphone.

I'd skip the Cadenza; to me they're both tinny (treble) and hollow (bass). Honestly if you like neutral tunes the Tangzu Wan'er 2 are great at $20, and I've heard few pairs under the $100 mark that are substantially better. Maybe look at the Kiwi Ears x Crinacle Singolo if you lwant Kiwi Ears; they're wildly overpriced at MSRP but they're basically half off everywhere these days and they're good at 40 USD.

Love my Kiwi Cadenza’s. https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/inexpensive-iem-roundup-r1175/

Love my Kiwi Cadenza’s. Recommended by audiophilestyle’s inexpensive IEM roundup.

The way as you describe it, I recommend you to go for something cheaper. People who are not into this hobby dont know how ridiculously good budget IEMs are nowadays. They hardly lack anything in comparison to more expensive options. I can almost promise you that they will exceed your expectations (as long as they sit tightly in your ear, that is). Spending more money is not helpful as you dont know what you really enjoy, and what In-Ear does fits your ear canal. You might want to watch this video (the IE200 also shows up in it): https://youtu.be/eJGwS_I8m4E?feature=shared Basically, If you like a bit more bass, buy for example the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. If clarity is more important for you, go for the Moondrop LAN. Both are good allrounders though and cost around 40-50€. (Theoretically, there are absolutely fine options which are even cheaper.)

1. The only set I can really recommend at that price point is the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. They're $28 from where I'm from. 2. Absolutely 3. There IS a difference, but it's debatable if it's worth it. 4. I wouldn't say they're bad, I just think the good ones are overpriced. 5. Agreed I don't really have any unpopular opinions, tbh. I just enjoy listening to music.

Personally haven't tried the other two, but I can't recommend the Cadenza enough as a starter set. It used to be part of my "holy trinity under $50" recommendations. The other two being the Simgot EW200 and the Truthear Hola.

I was listening to my sample unit a few days ago and I couldn't agree more with it being a better Cadenza. Mind if I mention you in my review?

Agree with everything. These are $20 iems that comes with $9 eartips that Compete with $30 iems. I put it on the same level as kiwi cadenza and 7hz zero. Competition keeps heating up with a race to the bottom

I REALLY love the way they sound. Unfortunately my right IEM goes very quiet after 30min-1hr. So they are unusable... the manufacturer and the seller have 'noped' out of helping me beyond "change the filter, clean them." They were broken right out of the box, but I was dumb and chalked it up to high humidity because it rained a ton when I first got them and I'm my research they hate humidity. None of the trouble shooting has helped and I'm stuck with $80 IEMs (my first pair) that are useless. I tried storing them in an air tight container with silica and they still don't work for long. This was a big purchase for me so I had to downgrade to Kiwi Cadenzas. They don't sound as good, but at least they work. I'm heartbroken over it, they sound so SO good for a short time.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza

They sound flat & muddy

It's not the tips, I used different sets. When an IEM is muddy & flat trust me it's just muddy & flat

Yeah, we all have different preferences & different hearings.👍

I'm not sure I'd call the Cadenza a basshead tuning, but they certainly have plenty of bass. It gets deep and rumbly, with some punch but not as much as the Castor Bass (not sure about the Pro: apparently that's not as hard-hitting as the OG, which I have). The also have very smooth treble that's a touch darker than some similarly-tuned IEMs like the Chu 2, which adds to the overall warmth/bassiness, while they sill have good clarity, imaging, etc. Sometimes someone will complain that these have little or no bass and without fail it's because they aren't getting a proper seal. Make sure you try out all the tip sizes if you aren't hearing enough bass.

Kefine Klean if you can find them in budget (they're generally right around that price, depending on sales etc.). Otherwise KBear KB01 or the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. The KB01 is a 1:1 clone of the Cadenza, so choose based on price/looks. They sound identical. Failing that I'd go for the Chu 2 as IMO they sound the best in that price range and have the best build & accessories (only the Klean is ahead of them). But they do need a bit more looking after than most IEMs and can be prone to moisture issues if not kept dry between uses. I've also heard good things about the Bunny DSP, but haven't heard it myself. The fact it's plastic makes it lower maintenance than the Chu 2, but it won't look or feel as high quality. They do have them on Aliexpress, but it's possible they don't ship to your region and that's why it's not showing up. Sometimes Aliexpress search can be a bit weird so try googling it with "site:aliexpress" (you need to add .com to that but I don't want to get caught in the spam filter). That will sometimes help with finding listings that Aliexpress decides not to show for some reason. If you get a "not found" error that normally means it's not available in your country. Also another one that's not on your list but is excellent is the QKZ HBB. It's a very warm, laid back tuning. Quite bassy, but not energetic bass, just really warm. One of my favourite IEMs at any price, because there isn't really much else tuned like that. It's not as good and all-rounder as the others, but I think it might suit the genres you mentioned quite well. I like it for background listening because it pushes vocals back a bit (without making them sound muffled or unnatural) so it can make otherwise distracting music sound less distracting. It also volume scales really well if you decide to crank it up (just don't damage your hearing doing this!)

I would avoid the Zero Red unless you have quite large ears because the nozzles are huge, so it can be uncomfortable or painful depending on your ear canals. The Cadenza is a solid choice, quite often comes up as people's long-term favourite IEM even after they get more expensive ones. The Kefine Klean is good as well and feels quite high quality because of the metal shell, but with metal shells you do need to take a bit more care about condensation & should get some silica gel to store with it. Between the Klean and the Cadenza you can't go too far wrong, so I'd buy whichever one is cheapest if there's a big price difference, or get whichever one you like the look of the most.

KZ ZS10 Pro, they were far better than the old JBL T110 I used years ago but I hated how sibilant and harsh the treble was to my ears. At the time I didn't know much about EQ or audio as a whole, and I wasn't aware how sensitive I am to high frequencies. Now I've been using the Kiwi Ears Cadenza for almost two years and I love their warm, laidback tuning.

I bought the kiwi ears cadenza’s. I wanted some wired earbuds after airpods broke again. found IEM’s, didnt want to spend a ton so just went with them as I think they were top or highly rated under $50. Worked out fine. Honestly there are already too many and a database is too much.

Well it depends of course on your music preferences, finances and source of music. May I suggest you disclose a couple of tracks you absolutely adore and would want to sound brilliant with the new IEM. Based on the genres you're into, the recommendations will change. Also mention your budget. Second, unless you are monitoring recorded/ live studio music, analysing technicals, you are not going to enjoy flat tuned iems that people generally recomend. Most people prefer iems with overall good textured thumping bass and sub bass rumble, clean strong vocals and airy crispy treble with a wide soundstage. If you have the option to physically try out IEMs before buying them, you might be able to first time right on purchase. Else, start small and go for starter iems and accessories. Once you are sure about what you like, you'll be able to research and find your endgame iem. I am listing some starter iems based on my listening preferences: Single Drivers. 1. Truthear GATe - Good single 10mm Dynamic Driver, fun sound tuning. Nice bass and vocals , smooth treble. Can be Equlised to make it amazing. Cons. Cheap cable, plasticy, needs 8 core upgrade cable to improve music quality and eq above 4 db boost. 2. Kiwi Ears Cadenza - Good single 10mm DD , fun sound, nice bass , smooth vocals, smooth treble. Can handle EQ well. Looks great. EQ can boost bass and treble and vocals . Cons. Bass is good you will love iems with more thump. 3. 7Hz Crinacle Salnotes Dioko - Single planar driver 14.5 mm. Clean tuning , focus on mids and vocals. Great for vocals and classical music. Can EQ will to boost bass and treble to sound amazing. Good looking set and kit Cons. Can sound muddy with EDMs with out EQ. 4. ARTTI T10 . Good single planar driver 14.2 mm. Great tuning , good bass texture , mids and lows. Sounds amazing on female vocals and instrumental tracks. Good kit, ok looks . Cons. Looks, needs EQ to boost lower mids for male vocals . Tambre is very planar and may sound different to sensitive ears. I recommend Truthear GATe with a better cable or the Kiwi Ears Cadenza as is. Multiple drivers. 1. Kz Vader. 3, 8mm dd drivers. Good bass, mids and treble. Nice soundstage, can handle eq boosts well. Good sound stage. Cons. Need cable upgrade to 8 core (qkz t1 cheap will do) . 2. Kz AM16 bass edition- 8 driver all BA. Good bass, good vocals and treble. Great musicality and comparable to expensive DD iems. Cons. Need better cable 8 to 16 cores. EQ is tricky as the low frequency BA driver is easy to boost , mids not so much. 3. Kz Castor Pro. 2 10mm DD driver. Good bass , good mids and treble.. Can be Equalised to boost bass and treble to sound like endgame bass iems like Punch audio Martillo . Cheap and dynamic. Cons. Need a 8 or 16 core cable (qkz t1) . With EQ this can amaze people . 4. Letshuoer DZ4- three 6mm DDs with a passive radiator. Great sound, good bass and treble. Sounds nice without EQ. Mid focused and perfect for vocals . Good kit and cable. Cons. Looks. 6mm dds do not handle much EQ. Sound is not the best for EDM. I recommend the KZ Castor Pro bass version or the Letshuer DZ4. With EQ and new cable the KZ Castor Pro or Vader will sound better than others.

Kiwiears Cadenza does a great job in the budget arena.

In that price range it is very good but there are the more accessible chu 2 although I recommend saving a little more for the kiwi cadenza that have beryllium to improve the sound quality for about 35 dollars more or less on amazon and 20 on aliexprees

They are not going to disappoint you, it is one of the best tuned low budget IEMs, they have enough bass to enjoy it and their treble is silky. They are light and comfortable, with a decent cable, if you have a neutral DAC Dongle you are going to enjoy them a lot.

It seems strange to me your way of describing the sound of the cadenza, I feel that their highs are at the limit of good technical detail before becoming rough or sharp, definitely there are those highs.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza's are the best I've heard for Music only. I preferr them over the t3+, Zero red's, EW300 adn even Hexa's.

Small sample size. But I also own some Cadenzas and they do sound pretty awesome.

For those new to the very confusing world of IEMs, welcome. I made a [beginner's guide video](https://youtu.be/1YUdNFLefVk) going over all the need-to-know basics of IEMs, but figured I post it on reddit as well since AI likes to scrape it from here. I highly recommend you watch the video since it's more in-depth and there's a lot of advice in there that doesn't translate to a summary text form. **1. IEMs vs Earbuds** - IEMs and earbuds are considered earphones, but the difference is that IEMs have a silicone tip that goes inside your ear to form a seal. This seal is very important to get a deep bass response. **2. What IEM to buy?** I'm going to recommend the $30 Kiwi Ears Cadenza. Don't overthink it. There's a LOT of IEMs out there and tons of random guides on what the "best" is. But to find the best, you need experience. And to get experience, you need to get started. Get something good to start and explore from there. And please, don't buy the Shure SE215s anymore. If you want to see more options, here's my [Best IEMs Under $100 buyer's guide](https://headphones.com/blogs/buying-guides/the-best-iems-under-100-summer-2025-buyers-guide-update). **3. Cables** - There are two primary types of connectors when it comes to IEMs. 2-pin and MMCX. The 2-pin cable is the most common, but you need to make sure you insert it properly so you don't mess up the polarity. If you're not sure, look up ["Polarity Test" on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUT6ZhFdLkA). The MMCX cable is less common, but offers the benefit of being able to rotate 360 degrees. Also, if you're confused about which side is right, there's typically a red marker on the cable. Remember red for right. **4. Tips** - Most IEMs come with silicone tips in different sizes. Make sure to use the correct sized tips! The correct size is the one that feels like its plugging your ears equally on both sides; this means that you formed a seal. If you're not sure you have a seal, you can try yawning. If you have a seal, you'll feel the seal break. Now, some IEMs come with foam tips. For foam, squeeze/compress it first and then let it expand in your ear. Don’t just try to push it in. **5. Sound quality pt 1** - There's a lot of discussion out there about sound quality, like "tuning" and "graphs" and "technicalities". Research tells us that the most important factor for sound quality is tonality (AKA tuning). This is the perception of the overall sound balance of a headphone or IEM. Whether or not it sounds bassy or bright. Warm or thin. Research shows that a balanced tonality is often the most preferred, but what YOU like is something you'll what to find out. Hence why the most important thing is to just get started. A headphone or IEM's tonality can be measured and represented in what's called a [frequency response graph](https://i.imgur.com/82zoVX7.png). **6. Sound quality pt 2** - So then what are "technicalities" e.g. soundstage, resolution, dynamics, etc.? They're subjective interpretations and descriptions of different aspects of sound that you can't easily read from a frequency response graph. So more accurately, they're "perceived technicalities". However, that doesn't mean they're not real or irrelevant. For example, some people prioritize certain perceived technicalities more than a certain tuning. **FAQ:** * **Does the driver count or type matter?** No. The only thing that matters is how it sounds. Not how you get there. * **Do fancy cables matter?** 99% of the time, no. It just feels nice. Use the one that comes in the box. * **Do eartips matter.** Yes, actually. It can matter a lot. But to start, just use the ones in the box. You can buy aftermarket ones later. * **Do you need a DAC or amp?** So technically, your computer motherboard or phone already has them built in. What you’re really asking is if you need to buy an external one for better sound quality. The answer is yes, but not for the reasons you might expect. It's less that it will make your stuff sound magically better, and more that it will fix any problems there might be with noise, output impedance, and power. To make it easy, I strongly suggest you buy a $10 Apple USB-C dongle or the $30 FiiO KA11 (especially if you use Android). Believe it or not, these little devices are actually great DAC/amp combos that will serve you until you get into some of the more exotic gear. * **What about customs in-ears?** For customs, they will sound different from their universal models. This is because the custom shape will change the treble in your in-ears, which will absolutely affect the tuning. As well, your ears also change over time, so customs that used to fit might stop fitting so nicely in the future. That said, if you need customs for comfort, especially if you’re play on stage, go right ahead. You can fix tuning problems with EQ. * **So is EQ and why does it matter.** Remember how I mentioned that tonality is the most important thing for sound quality? EQ is a way to digitally change the tonality of your IEMs to exactly what you like. If you want more bass, you can add that in for free. * **Are more expensive IEMs actually better?** The immediate answer is that price has no correlation to sound quality. IEMs aren’t like iPhones where the newest tech and highest specs give you better gear. Diminishing returns can hit as early as $30 with the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. The reason why we have expensive headphones and IEMs is because when people realize how much better music can sound with good gear, they start spending lots of money, to find the one that really scratches that musical itch. It’s neither no good or bad, it’s just about your priorities. And that's what you need to know to get started. Once again, I'm going to prompt you to [watch the video](https://youtu.be/1YUdNFLefVk) for some extra advice that didn't make it in here.

I would suggest getting a single DD IEM for stage, something like the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. Personally, I use the Etymotic ER4SR, but the Etymotic ER2XR would work just as well for $100. Insane isolation with their foam tips, great if you play an instrument where you don't need to move much i.e. keyboard. The reason is because the output impedance of random gear you plug in on stage might mess up the actual tuning of your IEMs. You can read the technical reason here if you want to learn more: https://headphones.com/blogs/features/the-most-important-spec-you-re-not-paying-attention-to-output-impedance-explained-11

So much hype for basically nothing much.. I mean, don't get me wrong, they are pretty nice and comfortable but definitely not my favorite...

Entry level ? Very entry level : Chu 2 / Entry level : Kiwi Ears Candeza / Quite entry level : Artti T10 / Less entry level but still: Simgot EA500LM Voilà 😄

In my experience BAs tend to have more resonances throughout the treble which you can't really EQ away, often times a driver resonance in the sibilance region, especially more affordable sets or ones with low BA count. So I would prefer a low distortion DD with a smooth graph, but the difference is never huge. Cadenza should take ok to eq, it's probably an issue of profile. You probably cut/boosted some areas you shouldn't have, maybe areas where you have some ear resonance.

Hello everyone, I need help choosing new in-ear monitor from the jungle of models. I currently have a pair of Truthear Hola, which I like, a pair of KZ Castor (Harman) and above all, the best from my point of view, a pair of CCA Rhapsody (with switches set to 1000). I love the Rhapsody, but they are big and quickly uncomfortable in the ears. So, I need help choosing new in-ear headphones from the jungle of models to replace the Rhapsody. I mainly listen to Jazz (trios and small groups), voices and classical music. I like the bass to be present and precise, the mids not to be recessed, and the highs to be well defined but not aggressive. I use a Hiby R3 DAP or a Toppinx DX1 DAC with my PC. My budget is under 100 euros. I would like to find a model at least as good as the Rhapsody, but with smaller and more comfortable shells. Thank you in advance for your valuable advice. PS: I already tried the Kiwi Ears Cadenza, I didn't like it, and I listened to the Aoshida E20, I liked it, but I didn't think it added much compared to the Hola.

I just bought the Cadenza's myself and honestly I'm very pleased with them. I haven't listened to any tracks that sounded shouty. That said, I mainly listen to rock so maybe me experience with them is limited in that regard. In my experience they are quite clear, have good punchy bass, and are overall a very pleasant iem to wear for long listening sessions. Only downside is the cable, which is quite thin. I wouldn't say it feels cheap, but I would prefer a thicker one.

Can confirm these sound really good, one of my favorite audio devices

I'd suggest something like KBear KB01 as your first IEM also EPZ G20 is a really good option as a first IEM

Kiwi Ears Cadenza is a really good option, but KBear KB01 exists. It's literally the same IEM as the Cadenza, but cheaper. Like literally, the only difference might be the shell, but from what I've heard, a lot of people prefer KBears shape more. And yeah, I haven't found any info on the silent revision of EDC Pro

You can eliminate the Cadenza from your list because for me they have a warm sound, and from what you describe liking in sound you are rather in the neutral, so for me the Cadenza (which I love) is not for you, the waner's sound excellent for their price, but you say you already have the Zero 2, so compared to the Zero 2 you would like what, to have more bass, medium or more treble? Because it's not that easy to guide you.

Also check out Shenzenaudio and linsouls sites. They are doing deals on their IEMs for prime day too. I got the Kiwi-ears Cadenza for below £20 shipped on linsoul.

If you can spend up to $35, the Kiwiears Cadenza is excellent.

Bought both. Prefer the Z300 for movies; the Candezas sometimes sound off in dialogue. The only thing I liked more with the candezas was the weight and fit.

As an Aussie I can't stress enough the value we get from an Amazon prime subscription. Not only is it worth it for the free shipping alone from any Amazon factory in the world, but you also get prime movies. I'd you buy more then one thing a month it's worth it. Check out Amazon Australia. I personally use the kiwi ears cadenza that are under 50, but there is many others available on there. https://amzn.asia/d/4qvpckI

Hi Buck-o u/Buck-O , wanted to ask you some questions! I have TANGZU Yu Xuan Ji and i like them and their tuning. The problem is that i cannot listen to them on mid-voulme for a long time. I had TANGZU Wan'er Jade Green before which i could listen at high volumes, SIMGOT EW200 were too shouty for me. With Yu Xuan Ji, with Spinfit CP145 , i was finally able to listen to them at low volume because it tamed some of the treble ever so slightly that it became tasteful yet detailed for me. I had Kiwi Ears Cadenza but still i like Yu Xuan Ji better, i cannot miss the details on this.Gave the Cadenza to my brother. With all the info above, should i go for Odyssey/TANGZU Nezha/Pilgrim/any other you recommend as an upgrade from Yu Xuan Ji, or rather, what should i go for as i want a better listening experience, with details definitely not missing but also not sibilant or fatiguing on my ears? Also, i have seen many opinions on the sound signature on Yu Xuan Ji, if you know what it definitely is, please do tell.

Those are one of the best tuned options for the price. The bass doesn't hit very hard being the main weakness.

Solid pair. Build, comfort, good for gaming. Sound is good though tuning remains a bit straight forward as the price and single DD would imply. I have them and Volace, but haven't AB tested to see which I'd prefer. Cadenza I'd say is overall better tuned, but the bass is lacking in comparison.

I tried the Cadenza briefly and it was decent. IEMs I had that lead up to the Aethers are the Kleans, Xuan Nv, Phoenix Calls, and EM6L. The Aether was a blind buy into a planar but each upgrade was looking for improvement in comfort, soundstage, and most importantly was detail/clarity. I was originally looking at the super mix 4.

Overrated

I was so ready to get the Purple zonie cable to match. Never got the fit I wanted with them either. I was truly disappointed but my ears are my ears. I'm glad others really enjoy them. Finding the right iem is tough.

If you are willing to EQ, Cadenza has better build quality and arguably a better dynamic driver (beryllium) which people seem to like.  The tuning between Cadenza and Vivace seems to be similar based on Paul Wasabi’s measurements, but I would lean towards Vivace tuning without EQ for music. That being said, I think they’re fairly close so it’s a consideration of price and build quality really. 

Hi, is no basshead level but the Aether have plenty more of bass than the Wan'er and Cadenza (i got all of those iems)

Hi, i prefer the sound firm of the Bl-03 II to the one in the Cadenza, the Bl-03 is more bassy and the bass kick is more noticeable, the mids are less forwarded but the uppermids are so well tuned so is better in the vocal department, the highs are more crisp and the technicalities part is also better. The Cadenza is good, but is more neutralish with a bass boost, the Blon have this overall tuning that is more appealing to a more huge public.

kiwi ears cadenza are the best among the above. i would say just slightly lift your budget and get the truthear zero blue 1. in they are only (500 INR) difference. for where i live atleast.

imo the salnotes zero 2 and 1 both are really shit, very cheap plasticy iems with good? sound i guess, I have the same kiwi ears cadenza from hpz, and they are really really good, they are better in bass and build quality for sure, the overall sound stage is also very good, if you can increase 500 INR more to your budget the truthear x crinacle zero blue are great choice

Kiwi Ear Cadenzas are the best $35 iems

Actually, I got my mom to try my kiwi ears cadenza and she loved them so much- so i thought why not gift her an IEM too. She doesnt play any games, she listens to alot of classical instrumental music, which are mainly vocal focused so i think i have found what i need the waner 2

Celest wyvern black and Cadenza would be my choice, i personally own the Cadenza, and am pretty happy with them. Though make sure that the earphones fit you well, like if you have smaller ears, probably the CHU || DSP would work better for you then the Cadenza or Wyvern black. Also the tips do play an important role in the fit of the iems. Lastly, i didn't mention Waner 2s because I didn't feel the sound to be that good also the fit was bad for me even after using all different combinations of the FIIO HS19 ear tips.

Hi! You commented on my post and I thought I’d come by to give some advice! I would typically recommend the wan’er 2 as a first pair of iem’s but considering their large shell size they might not be for you. The Chu 2 are a great set absolutely and can be upgraded directly to the LAN 2 ref also from Moondrop. I wouldn’t recommend going for the ie200 because they cost a good amount of money but they take on a neutral tone which might be to your preference, I personally prefer a “fun” sound and therefore don’t use them often. Also consider tip sizes. If you find your canal is too small, most iem’s offer small tip sizes and you can find even smaller aftermarket, in which case I recommend the wan’er 2 as they have my favourite ever tips in the stock box that I use for all my iem’s. Don’t spend more than needed, I would recommend the KZ castors, Cadenza, Wan’er 1 or 2, Chu 2, or, if it’s in your budget, the LAN

Cadenza is decent, treble might be sharp for some, but very detailed.

Considering you said "music listening" I am gonna name Overall best If it's your first IEM - Tangzu - Wan'er S.G 2 + Audiocular D07 DAC with Truthear zero Red auto eq 75 ohm (Equalizer APO + Peace Interface) If it's your second purchase - Kiwi Ears Cadenza If want something with heavy bass - Kinera - Celest Wyvern Black If want something balanced - BLON - BL-03 II I always suggest DAC cause auto eq may change frequency response to non existent, so you would need more power, DAC is investment and Audiocular D07 although is equipped with CX31993 DAC chip With MAX97220 Amp, I would recommend it for IEM under 7k. Good luck, have an audible orgasm listening music

I have the Cadenzas and feel like they are quite good the bass and sub base are great and punchy with an eq profile. The clarity is quite good but not incredible I find some slight bleed/bloat with minor distortion in the lower frequency on some rock tracks, when I say slight I really do mean slight they are not super detailed in instrument placementbut no complaints. Compared to my Moondrop Variations the Cadenzas are the most comfortable set of Iems I have ever worn out of the 6 different pairs ive owned and they look great too. The main thing I feel could be improved with the Cadenzas is the sound stage the Cadenzas are bit narrow and is somewhat lacking in organisation and instrument seperation but then again im comparing them to my main IEM Moondrop variations so take it with a grain of salt the variations have what feels like a 4k sound stage and the Cadenzas are 1440p and thats being generous I use the cadenzas for the gym so it doesnt bother me. I cant comment on ew300 as I don't own them but I would still 100% purchase the Cadenzas again if they broke or I lost them.

All of them have own advantages. All good just consider better deal and your preference of sound. Waner 2 is a good package for its content otherwise its on par with others. Wyvern is good looker, though fit can be issue as it quite large, I returned them due to this but I'd say best sounding in the 4. Cadenza is all rounder OK. CHU2 is good due to DSP.

the all rounder preset is the best one I've ever used. thank you so much !! LOVING IT

absolutely not. get the cadenza. i mean they're two different sound signatures so there's that and also im pretty sure the cadenza is more detailed

I have the Cadenza, kinda nice for like rock music. voices sound pretty clear and good. Only downside is, there is not much base, like hiphop music is not that good on it, dmb the same.

The Cadenzas are clean and clear, but not much else. If you don’t care for low end, these are the ones. I read about the klean being a bit shouty and having qc issues, so I can’t recommend. Not sure about the dawn iems.

I thought the Cadenza sounded great if you were listening to classical, jazz, or orchestral types of music. It just kind of sucked for everything else.

KZ Castor Pros are very cheap with some amazing bass. It's probably my favourite all around iem. The Cadenza is good for more orchestral or relaxed type of songs.

Howdy folks! As the title says, I am wondering if there are factors to an IEM that make it better or worse for EQing or if EQ is always going to be worse than mechanical tuning of the IEM by a **FAR** margin and I shouldn't pursue EQ any further I ask because it seems the mix that works best per song and even entire mediums like games or videos vary wildly from each other and so EQ seems like the best way to just have one set of IEMs for my PC and have them be able to sound great in all situations by just having EQ profiles, but I don't know much about audio haha I know that the Kiwi Ears Cadenzas were far less reciprocal to my EQ attempts than my Aria 2 REDs are, so I am confident that there's something that differentiates them but I don't know enough to guess confidently Thank you for any info or suggestions! EDIT: I discovered what a DAC is, got the Moondrop Dawn Pro (cost the same as the FiiO due to sale) and that already has had an incredible impact on my EQ ability due to not needing to mush other frequencies due to volume limitations. Like just doing that sounds like an EQ now that I can actually hear the bass out the box haha and I can make it uncomfortable while the vocals and such are literally unchanged in quality and volume, next is looking into Planar as many suggest or just going over-ear even though I fear the comfort haha

Cadenza. You won't believe how much better it is than a conventional dynamic.

The bass and mids are so so \*so\* good, I just think its too bright to realistically be called neutral top to bottom. Bright neutral though? Definitely.

i have both Cadenza and Dawn Ms and im liking the Dawn wayy better than Cadenza. unfortunately i can’t pin point what exactly is better, but the Cadenza seems way too muddy in comparison to how versatile the Dawn Ms is

I've the kiwi cadenza and tangzu waner. I would pick the kiwi for the more smooth and in-depth listening when I am in my zone. It is more comfortable and feels more balanced and being inside a closed room with good acoustics (I am not an expert, hope I am conveying what I feel). Tangzu is for casual listening. It's crisp, clear and pleasant.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza works for me, and I've pretty small ears.

OG Moondrop Arias. Still daily drive them after 3+ years. Don't know if it's because I've just got used to them but they just sound right to me(especially for YT + Gaming). I don't have many other IEMs, only KIWI EARS Cadneza (Arias miles ahead for me), but I do have high end headphones that I use time to time when I want to focus on the music (HD 660s2) but always return to old faithful :) Will probably upgrade in the future but will likely have to spend a bit more for a noticeable difference.

My first was kz d-fi. But they have short nozzles and they fall out of my ears immediately. The first and only time i have such problem. Can't say much about sound, since i simply can't listen them because of this. Next was moondrop chu2. Complete waste. They sounds so damn thin i absolutely hate them. I would ranked them 1/10 Next was kiwi ears cadenza. They sounds... Tolerable i guess. 3.5/10 or maybe 4/10 Tripowin piccolo - that was not a bad buy. Interesting, unusual mid centric (or w-shaped) tuning, i liked them, but not enough to use them as my main. 5/10 or 5.5/10 After that i lost my interest to iems for a year. But month ago i bought kz edx lite. I bought them because they cost for me $0.35. I had zero expectations since they normal price is like $4-5 and they were cheaper than anything i tried before, and i though if i didn't like more expensive iems there is 0 chance something so cheap would be good. But then i tried them i was immediately blown away how good they sounds and ofc much better than i expected. 7/10 Couple of days ago i bought kz edc pro. And i think they will became my main. Their resolution is just much better than in edx lite. Use edx lite in next day feels like watch 480p after 1080p. Honestly both has pros and cons, in sum i liked lower half of spectrum more in edx lite, but higher half of spectrum in edc pro. Edc pro less universal, electronic music sounds great, but any real instruments sounds less natural than in edx lite. Female voices, higher male voices, electric guitars and some dubstep synths sound thin. Kick sounds harder. Its not about quantity of kick, they just sounds different, and i like softer kicks in edx lite more. Edc pro sounds much more V-shaped, they brighter and kick take more attention than in edx lite. Soundstage is much better, in edx lite it almost dont exist. So, while i think that edx lite is equally good in every genre with any instruments etc, unlike edc pro, but the resolution is just much better in edc pro. 7.2/10 Basically reddit meta was waste for me (including tws - moondrop space travel and over ear - koss ksc75, didn't like any of this) So i don't trust reddit anymore

I guess because op didn't like them just like me when i bought them. Lack of bass (no, not because of bad seal), mids and highs are just "okaaay". They sounds at $5 at best, though i wouldn't buy them even for $5 because even cheaper you can buy some kz which would sounds much better. I'm agreed though, you should listen new iems at least for few days

I picked up a set after watching all the reviews. I only have KE cadenza and AKG N5005 (two sets because I liked them so much).

Similar complaints as the review I posted just a few minutes ago. [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1o39bx8/kiwiears\_cadenza\_impressions\_as\_a\_newbie/](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1o39bx8/kiwiears_cadenza_impressions_as_a_newbie/) The included eartips seem to be not the best, and not enough bass for certain music and fps games, but overall not bad. The included eartips seem to be especially hard to put on for some reason.

FlipEars Aisha Electrii - Fun V-shape sound signature, MDR-7506 in an IEM but with tamed highs. Smooth highs, recessed vocals, but has that fun sub-bass to mid-bass performance. FlipEars Legion - Has a weird O-like timbre? But other than that, for a basshead set, the vocals are still full and clear. Lowkey nasal, but it’s not that obvious until someone points it out I guess. FlipEars Legion with Penon Liquier Black tips - vs the stock tips version, the midbass grit disappears in favor of emphasizing the sub-bass rumble and making the vocals full and pop out more. Everything becomes more balanced, yet still retains that “fun” the original tuning had. FIIO FH3 - Sub-bass heavy like the Kiwi Ears Cadenza, but has more mids. Scalability is great. Doesn’t have the peaks that the KE Cadenza has. Kiwi Ears Cadenza - Second cheapest option in the list. Great sub-bass rumble, clean (especially on the bass), and great midrange for vocals. A more complete and pleasing KZ EDC Pro. KZ EDC Pro - The cheapest option in the list. For the price it’s… fine. Got it for around $3.50. Non-offensive tuning. Sub-bass elevated and Mid-bass focused set in terms of bass, you can hear the bass guitar grit when doing slides. Vocals are slightly recessed. slightly aggresive U-shape.

I recently got kiwi ears cadenza and have been really enjoying their sound.

I have the Cadenza and (had) the Space Travel (2 pairs lost while at airports, 1 pair brokey, waiting for Robin rn for both waifu and tune lol). Use(d) both semi-regular, now I'm rocking Moondrop Aria1 (discontinued) just because Cadenza tuning is a bit too safe and may be bored after a long while lol. Space Travel's bass is decent. HOWEVER, there are some songs that the Space Travel struggles (ala FF16 Find The Flame), it would buzz and a bit hissy. For those songs, I'd prefer the Cadenza. However trying out Daft Punk's Random Access Memory (both normal and drumless), both pairs work well, though I would prefer the Cadenza a weeeeeee bit more if not for wireless handy dandy. But for some rock songs (GG Strive OST lmao), Space Travel is quite pleasant, then again, both are p neck-to-neck w slightly different tuning. Then again, I would say Cadenza tune overall is a bit safe-y, comfy but may bored ypu after a long while listening. Space Travel is quite safe but more interesting (beside some weird limitation but kinda depend on the song itself), and also TWS soooooo...yeah. The ONLY issue I have with Space Travel is low volumn-ish. I'm already the lower volumn person yet must crank the bar quite high (70% or perharps more when outside). A trick is enable ANC mode to kinda isolate noises a bit but kinda useless when in a quiet room hmmm. *Space Travel is also so nice with ANC and on airplane tho* Edit: anyway I still prefer Aria if for bass among my pairs lol

I think Kiwi Ears Cadenza and Kefine Klean are very versatile, meaning they sound good in every genre you play on them. If you want more bass, it's either QKZ x HBB or KZ Castor Pro Bass but the bass is too much for my liking. For vocal-leaning IEM, I would say Letshuoer DZ4 is unbeatable if you want vocals but don't mind the lackluster bass. All these are great pairs so pick one that has better deals for you.

I suggest waiting for 11.11 sale para sa cadenza or kefine klean kasi they're unbeatable under 2k. For Chu 2, if you dont mind shouty vocals and peaky trebles then it's fine, maybe?? It's not for me. Also, you dont need a DAC unless you're not satisfied with the max volume level of your iem or if the hisses are audible for you which can get annoying. Otherwise, you can get a cheap CX31993-MAX97220 dac dongle for ~300 pesos. Dont buy their DSP version(type-c).

I went for cadenza and then hexas and waiting for juzear x z rn. I consider a planar but would I see an improvement with 10T?

If you got your first pair today why upgrade? At least enjoy them for a week or two. I’ve been buying up cheap <$100 IEMs lately but you can’t really decide you like them or not for at least a day or two. I give each one a week though. Edit: Also the cadenzas are awesome. I have 6 <$100 IEMs and that one is still #2 in the ranking. **Edit:** For those asking ranking is my previous post on this sub. Make sure you read the post though.

I have the Salnotes Zero:2 and Simgot EM6L, the EM6L are ok for EDM (my main music I listen to as well) but separate really well and have tons of detail, so you can hear each synth and sound super well. However they are light on bass. The Zero:2 have more bass but can be a little muddy, I wouldn’t say they are overpowering bassy though. I recently had a chance to listen to the Kiwi Ears Cadenza and the QKZ X HBB. The HBB have crazy amounts of bass that never felt overpowering to me, I really enjoyed them for heavier bass EDM. However, for overall I really really really enjoyed the Cadenza for basically anything and everything. Solid bass for EDM with a surprising amount of detail for a single dynamic driver, good separation, decent soundstage, and it handled every other genre well (I also listen to classical, country, rap/hip-hop, rock, and R&B). I am highly considering selling my Zero:2 and getting Cadenza because it sounds super similar but technicalities are way better on the Cadenza. 7hz Dioko is pretty solid as well if you want to try planar, they sound BIG! It’s the only way I can think to describe them.

I’ve tried all of these and personally own all except the chu I would say the wan er is the best bang for your buck package, they’re all competitive with each other in terms of sound. Personally I like the sound of the cadenzas the most but the wan er comes with by far the most comfortable best performing eartips.

Now, before I get into it, I posted about a month ago after getting the Zero: Red and caught some flack for showing the sum of my small collection of 5 sets saying about how it was just another consumerism show off. I bought my first sets back to back about 3 and a half months ago after watching a recommended budget list video. Me not knowing what sound I prefered went with both the 7hz Zero and Zero 2 at the same for under $30. It was here where I decided I'd like to have a good neutral analytical set and another more relaxed fun set. At the time I prefered the Zero more overall. The Zero 2 was also good for what it is but the sub was way to heavy for me. I threw wide bores on it. So like others I fell into the rabbit hole. Not fully understanding curve graphs at the time my best bet was to try them out. The following set was the Wan'er 2 (also a really good set and well worth it for the Sancai balanced tips alone). A few weeks after I got the Kiwi ears Cadenza for cheap (they were okay, bottom list for me, too dark and also too sharp, found this set better with foam tips). Last month I got the Truthear Zero: Red. I liked this set. Very well balanced and laid back but still well detailed. But ..it was lacking something, like a sizzle ..color, I wanted more of a general neutral with an analytical emphasis. So yesterday I caved and ordered the Hexa and got it in today ..my only problem is that I can't decide which tips I like better. I have the Spinfit W1, Sancai balanced and the Sancai wide bore tips. It's like none of these tips are bad with this set. I've run all my sets through the FiiO K11 and KA11 DAC dongle. This set in general I really like. It has all the technicality I was itching for, instruments sound accurate and natural and female and male vocals are very clear and defined, it really gives me that "in the studio sound" when listening to some tracks. This is especially good because I also game and play instruments, I want to hear all the analytical nuances and this is doing it for me. (I'm not gonna say these are endgame, nothing ever is). There's probably another cheap set I want to try, but, that's more out of sheer curiosity in the V area. Really wish I was in this when the Hola was in circulation, but next I want to try the Kinera celest wyvern black remaster. But that's for another time.

Hmm, I feel like it's really a mixed bag. I own about 6 pair of IEM's and started off from budget $20 7hz Salnotes Zero and Zero 2, that kind of put me in focus of what I'd like to have for tuning. Naturally I tried others like the kiwi ears Cadenza, the Wan'er 2. I actually really like my Truthear Zero Red and Hexa. I had previously already owned a FiiO K11 DAC/AMP from about a year ago when I had gotten budget and mid range over-ears. I like to have a neutral-analytical set and a fun set of usually whatever I have. So it's usually doing a lot of homework before buying and there's a lot of stuff out there. Even then it's not like one always has the available spaces to try these things out beforehand. Maybe I got lucky or maybe I took into consideration the things I was looking into and what I was looking for. It's an interesting space. Though, it does make sense that it gets overwhelming and then you get disappointed when you get the results you either want or expect. Honestly.. I know people rag on the budget space ..but sometimes it's also just a bunch of people who paid a ton for their stuff and haven't even bothered trying anything there. Although it's always better to have a place where you start from the bottom up rather than going backwards. Budget space exists for a reason And that's not to say there aren't good starters or even good sets to be used as beatemups for their price. Ultimately that range exists and that's to get people started on finding out what they prefer without breaking the bank and then later sniffing out a higher quality or more refined version of that. On top of that one really does have to take into consideration which review channels are being serious and which is just trying to just push product. There's a lot of brand loyalists out there too. Don't even get me started on listening formats cause that shit is all over the place. Spotify lossless is not real lossless even if they claim it's CD quality 44.1khz, they don't use bit-perfect sampling. So there's still quality loss.

tbh in the end, it boils down to 1. Tuning 2. Looks/Visuals 3. Accessories 4. And your music library or genres you listen 5. Treble sensitivity = sensitive, go to Safe tuning Kiwi Ears Cadenza is the safest tuning out in the two, but the tuning might not work with some music genres especially if you want a tad bit more analytical or technical. 7Hz Salnotes Zero 2 is a bit more technical-ish than Cadenza and with a tad bit more treble. The safe tuning is also up there with the Tangzu Wa'ner SG/2, which is fine for me but I still ended up with KZ Castor Silver because of abit more technical sound experience and generally abit more brighter feel. In the end its hard to say one is better or the other until you hear the difference between the two or atleast if you have a headphone then EQ it to either, or test your treble sensitivity via speakers or headphones. Personal experience based on my collection https://preview.redd.it/u014mhatspue1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8fba3241ae9d71167d526093ed0d263afe39ad07

Cadenza is decent and good, just that it sounds safe. Might be too safe, personally. Same with Tangzu Wa'ner SG or its v2. Oh you got the KZ Libra? Castor Silver might be good or the Aurora. Terms on fit, Aurora Ultra is smaller than Chu 2 terms of size

|WARM|BALANCED-ish|BRIGHT| |:-|:-|:-| |Tangzu Wan'er SG (neutral warm)|Moondrop Chu 2 (mild v-bright-ish)|7Hz Salnotes Zero (neutral bright)| |Kiwi Ears Cadenza (neutral warm, with a touch of bright)||Simgot EW200 (mild v-bright)| All of them are good at their price point, but basing on your other IEMs, you prefer a mild-v tuning, either abit bright or abit warm. * KZ Castor Harman (Silver) which is a neutral bright to mild v-warm from switches * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 which is a mild v-balanced with a warm-ish feel * KZ EDC Pro is a u-balanced with a touch of warmness Kiwi Ears Cadenza has better brightness and air vs Tanzgu Wan'er SG, and personally experienced some minimal lower midrange mud with the original Tangzu Wan'er SG. Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 kinda fixed most of the issues with the original Wan'er SG, but its still a neutral warm IEM. Simgot EW200 has more energetic and brighter sound signature than KZ Castor Silver (Harman), but KZ Castor Silver has better soundstage and image separation vs Simgot EW200. Moondrop Chu 2 is the smallest on all of these, but might lack overall sound experience abit vs both the KZ Castor Silver and 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2. 7Hz Salnotes Zero is more neutral bright, lacks bass impact vs 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2. (fairly similar to KZ Castor Silver at DDUU/DDDU switches) * So if you want a little bit more warmness but retaining some balanced feel, Kiwi Ears Cadenza * If you want more treble energy and abit more analytical, Simgot EW200 * If you want a small IEM, Moondrop Chu 2

its more of a warmer IEM, but its a decent IEM for the price, though you might need to buy a different cable if you want with in-built microphone with the Cadenza. Tuning is fairly similar to the Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss

No point going past Kiwi Ears Cadenzas. Best 3D Soundstage, far past the S08, Delci, quartet, etc.

7hz zero2 or kb01/kiwi ears cadenza, shouldn't even be a debate.

It's literally in my comment lmao

Cadenza on the long-term.

Before I answer,: 1) as someone said earlier, Iems are not nessesarily good for gaming, It's just cheaper to get better audio than other choices(earbuds, headphones, etc.) 2.) Please use instrument sounds next time as it is easier to suggest any sound device than sayiing genre. Anyways, I'd recommend based on price(highest to lowest): 1.) Truthear Nova: try to find one on sale as they are really good for footsteps and has a nice case. 2.) Moondrop may: neutral with a bit of bass boost. Good for most songs and games. 3.) Truthear zero: red: more neutral than the may. Nozzle may be too big for small ear cannal users 4.) Truthear zero: blue 2: more bass than the red nad has better cables than the red. This will come in april 20. 5.) Kiwi ears cadenza: really good for the price. Competes with the truthear zero blue

is not "too much" depending on what your expectations are, but the Wyvern, because of the tuning, should work a bit better for what you are looking for* (my bad, thats what i mean when i said "better" in my first comment, they should be better for what you are looking for in terms of style of sound*) however, in overall technical performance, maybe cadenza is the one that could como slightly on top. but again, not by much, they are fairly similar.

have used cadenza, didnt feel it that much, but again, either one should be fine xd

Cadenza has this particular problem that some people (me included) find the lower treble too harsh for some reason, Vivace is quite similar but it has a better fit than cadenza because of an smaller nozzle and is not prone to that harsh problem that some people find, cadenza is not bad, but specially for gaming, i really would recomend vivace instead.

Cadenza is good all things consider, but for $5 less Vivace is essentially the same build quality wise (despite what people want to believe because of driver, etc, materials used alone arent the only thing that marks how well build something is), and is way safer. I often recomend iems here and, fortunately, i have yet to get any complaint about Vivace once given the recomendation (and believe me, people will came back if they dont like what they get), now, is it perfect? well no, people can like different stuff, is just that is hard to hate vivace when does everything just correct.

i had the Cadenza, i have the klean, i 100% think is an upgrade, BUT, 2 things: the tuning is quite similar, but Klean has a bit better comfort, and second and most relevant, the Klean struggles a bit with humidity, if you live in a humid country, is not the best pick, would be a good idea to be storing it with 1-2 packs of silical gel, but the build quality is a bit better otherwise on the klean, but just a tiny bit on some areas.

i also used to own the Zero blue og, it was also similar, but it was more energetic than the Klean, but for me cadenza sounded a bit shouty, too intense on upper mid range, female vocals were aggressive, the Blue OG handled it better but had that same energetic presentation, both actually have a similar style of sound, clean bass, decent punch and rumble but as a basshead myself, wont call it bassy, just balanced, and the upper treble is well controlled, but again, my problem is mid range, sound a bit thin on both (like vocals lack a bit of body), but feamle vocals sound a bit intense for me on both, specially on the cadenza tho. If you liked cadenza for how it was, is also a good upgrade, BUT, given that the Og blue has quite large nozzles, i would recomend the TKZK Ouranos instead which is kinda the samer tuning as the cadenza but with a better driver.

# Overview (TL/DR) The Pula Unicrom is a well done, slightly bassy, balanced V-shape, with a pretty decently punchy and rumbly bass, a bit thin but mostly correct mid-range with very lively female vocals, and a present enough treble that’s inoffensive for the most part, just a bit of sparkly on top. A solid V-shaped choice under $100usd. Its soundstage is average but with accurate imaging, solid resolution, and fine detail retrieval for its price. Separation is remarkable for a single-driver config, note weight strikes a nice balanced of enough physicality without being too intense, and replay is good on well-mixed tracks, though it can feel bland on poorly mixed music. ---------- # Quick note: From August 14th to 28th, you can get the Unicrom for just $69.99usd with a $10 early-bird coupon, Use code: 818UNICROM, valid on HiFiGo, Amazon, and AliExpress. ***Code: 818UNICROM*** ---------- \---------- **WOULD RECOMMEND:** * For people that like energetic (V-shape) kind of tunings. * For people that like lively vocals, specially female vocals. * For people that want good quality bass, that is still quite balanced. * For people looking for a comfortable IEM (The best seal out of the box I have got). * For people that like to do EQ, since it works fairly decent with it (Basshead potential with EQ applied). * For people that want decent accessories. * A good upgrade coming from Kiwi Cadenza or TKZK Ouranos, especially if you want more bass. * Similar tuning approach to Artti T10 or TRN White Tiger but a bit more bassy and with less treble sparkle, better technical performance than Tiger and very close to T10. /----------/ **WOULD NOT RECOMMEND:** * Not for people that don’t like V-shaped, too energetic, or too intense sound signatures. * Not for people that like very thick and fuller (lush) vocals. * Not for people sensitive to bass (it could sound too bassy for some). * People who are sensitive to upper mid-range (high pitched vocals), should be cautious with this set. * People that use iems at high volumes should be a bit cautious with this set. ---------- ***Full disclosure, this set WAS provided by HiFiGO, I did NOT buy it with my own money, but the opinions, as always, were given on my own accord.*** ---------- # REVIEW # INTRO With Pula entering the sub $100 IEM competition, and with a (so far) short history in the IEM market in general, their new budget model, the Unicrom, has become PULA´s gateway set for people to be introduced to the brand, and as we all know, first impressions are very important, so, how does Unicrom compares in a market with a lot of competitive sets nowadays?. Let me be honest, when I first saw the pre-release* frequency response graph of the Unicrom I was a bit skeptical, however, Pula listened to feedback given on their pre-release tuning and, for my surprise, once I tried Unicrom, I can say that they have done a tuning style that I never thought I would be willingly recommending, until now. ---------- # Fit and Drivability Out of the box, nothing seem too impressive, I mean, the unboxing experience is fairly premium (more on that later), the nozzle doesn’t seem too big and shell shape is quite generic so it should be fine, nothing seemed too impressive until I put the Unicrom on. Unicrom is the first iem ever to fit me like a glove, no slipping out, no constant adjustment, and after some tip rolling, using the stock blue colored, red core, small eartips for this review, there is a good chance Unicrom would offer a great, comfortable fit for a lot of people out there. As for what you need to drive this, arguably you can connect Unicrom to any kind of source and should work mostly fine, the only possible difference I found from my 4.4mm 150mW DAC output (Dunu DTC480) to my phone jack was that, with less power output, the bass had a tiny bit more presence, but overall presentation of the sound was just about the same. Suffice to say any basic dongle DAC like the Apple dongle, or anything with 30mW+ of power output, will do just fine for Unicrom, those get quite loud easily, despite the 101dB sensitivity and the 32 Ohms impedance. --------- # THE BIAS. Just before commenting on my experience, I need to mention a few things about me. Remember, every person listens and perceives in a different way, and those preferences and differences in perceptions are key to understand what each person specifically likes and dislikes and how that will translate into the opinions given for a review. My preference is a “neutral with bass boost” type of tuning, I don’t like too boosted treble, however, I do can handle intense upper treble quite a lot, so, what is not too bright or too “sparkly”, treble forward for me, could actually come as harsh for you, and what is bassy enough for me, could be too bassy or even muddy for you. Another relevant thing to note is that I’m a bit susceptible to iems with boosting on the upper mid-range and the lower treble are of the sound (around 4Khz-6Khz), which affects high pitched vocals, some instruments like cymbals, and part of the treble. Having boosting peaks in those areas gives the sound this overall intense and harsh energy for me, so if I personally find something that I say it could be “shouty,” or too intense in treble or vocals, please understand that I’m mostly talking about this. Last thing is that I usually don’t struggle with iems with the called “Metallic / BA / Planar” Timbre that some people can’t really enjoy, I normally don’t have problems with neither of those. ---------- # SOUND # Bass After trying a few iems that, on graph, had a quite boosted bass area and expecting a decent presence of it, just to be disappointed, Unicrom is a breath of fresh air to that trend, being boosted enough to balance the sound and also having a pretty nice, pretty punchy bass presence with just the right amount of physicality to enjoy music without getting too aggressive. The bass area is well balanced overall, but the mid-bass, where most of the punch is, does feel like slightly more boosted over the sub-bass rumble, this is more of an “allrounder” kind of bass approach that would deliver rumble or punch when the song calls for it without much problem. The sub-bass has a decent rumble quality that, along the bouncy mid-bass, gives a fairly good texture and detail to this area of the sound, and despite being fairly boosted, it maintains a mostly clean presentation, with barely any “muddy” presence into the mid-range. Overall, a good quality and quantity of bass across the board. ---------- # Mid-range (vocals) Mid-range, where vocals live, is the only part that would receive a nit-pick from my part, but to be clear, this is more of a preference issue rather than a flaw in itself, and is that the mid-range do is a bit on the thin side, with some part of the vocals feeling a bit “on the background”, however, versus other V-shape style sets, Unicrom is far from the worse offenders, since vocals don’t feel totally “in the back” just a bit reduced overall. Lower mid-range, where a lot of instruments and specially male vocals live, is the more affected part of the sound, which you might feel male vocals aren’t as full as they could be, still in terms of correctness, thanks to the controlled amount of warmness coming from the bass are, male vocals sound quite natural and also quite clean overall, well separated. In terms of upper mid-range, the part where there is more high-pitched sounds, it is on the boosted side, this means that female vocals are very lively and energetic and, while it sure come feel shouty for sensitive people, they are also quite well controlled and fairly natural. If you like this kind of presentation, I think they are from the better done ones in IEMs since even I, with my sensitivities, can enjoy it. ---------- # Treble Treble is one of those cases that is just good so there is nothing much special to mention but also not much really to critique about, is decently extended, a bit airy, sense of detail is good, texture is fine, is just well controlled in general, not really for trebleheads but also not super “tamed”, just the right amount of it for the overall sound presentation. The only potentially problematic thing to point out is that there is a tiny area of the treble that is audibly emphasized over the rest of the treble, which makes for a bit of a “splashy”, a bit sparkly presence on some specific sounds that some sensitive people could find too intense, more so depending on the music genre but for the most part it isn’t really fatiguing, still, using high volumes or, again, being sensitive, can make it more problematic If sibilance is something you are worried about, I’ll say Unicrom actually controls sibilance quite well but it would really depend on each specific song, especially if there is recorded sibilance involved, it might be a bit be a bit annoying in those kind of tracks, all in all though, it controls it just fine as most decent IEMs do. ---------- # Technical performance I recently reviewed another iem that had a similar tuning but had a hybrid driver configuration, 2 dynamic drivers plus a small planar, and this is what I mean when I say “driver quality is always more relevant than driver count”, because Unicrom, with just a single 10mm Beryllium-Plated Dynamic Driver, manages to beat the hybrid configuration, even on things that it should do better for being a hybrid. Soundstage is fine, not the most open feeling, but also not the most narrow, is the average for most IEMs, imaging is pretty accurate, on brand with most good sub $100 iems, resolution is pretty nice, realistic enough, detail retrieval is fine but maybe not the most obvious when listening to it, again, everything is as good, as crisp as it should be for the price bracket Unicrom is at. Something that did surprised me is that, despite the single driver, the separation on the Unicrom is surprisingly good, and I mean, remarkably good for both the price and for not being a hybrid IEM, plus, it does it in a bit more cohesive way that some hybrids do. Finally, stuff like note-weight, how physical the notes feel on the iem, is in the middle ground of being aggressive or being too soft, just the right amount for enjoying music. About replay, how good the IEM can convey the mixing on a song, for well mixed tracks it does very well, giving you the full experience, but it might feel a bit bland with poorly mixed tracks, not bad, but maybe lacking some “wow” factor. ---------- # Overall sound All in all, I find the Unicrom to be a well done, slightly warm, slightly bassy, balanced V-shape, with a pretty decently punchy and rumbly bass, with a clear focus on the mid-bass hit, without leaving the sub-bass rumble behind, a bit thin but mostly correct mid-range with very lively female vocals, and a present enough treble that’s inoffensive for the most part, just a bit of sparkly on top, so sensitive people should be careful. I am going to be real with you, I really hate V-shaped iems, I don’t like thin mid-range, I don’t like boosted upper mid-range (4khz to 7khz) and I don’t like too boosted treble, and in general I just don’t like how noisy yet hollow music sounds with V-shapes, so you got to imagine my surprise when I was not actively hating using the Unicrom which do check some of those boxes. Would I even buy it with my own money? Not really, but not for other reason than because is just not my style, however, if I had to use a V-shaped iem without EQ for the rest of my life I will, for sure, be picking Unicrom from all the other V-shapes I have tried, it just gets the job done, is well balanced and I can actually enjoy it in a personal level. Is it a new benchmark in the price range? Is the best iem I have hear under $100? Again, no, but what Unicrom do is, is a well-made, a well thought out set that I can actually see myself recommending to people looking for things like an upgrade or even as an allrounder / daily driver set under $100. ---------- # COMPARISONS I don’t want to make this too large, but I did promised to compare this set, something that I don’t do often, but in this case, with how so much competition is in the sub $100 price bracket, and with other similar tunned iems, I think it’s a helpful thing to do. /-----/ **- Dunu Titan S2:** Similarly comfortable fit for me, S2 has more full feeling vocals while keeping the lively feeling to them, treble is also more sparkly than Unicrom, but it has some less amount of bass so it could feel a bit brighter, Unicrom does sound a tad bit cleaner, so it does better in terms of a funny engaging sound but they are ultimately just 2 flavors of similarly performing sets, Unicrom might feel a bit more open than S2 but technical performance is pretty much the same, only separation being more obvious on Unicrom. /-----/ **- Dunu Kima 2:** Kima 2 has more treble so it feels a bit more open than Unicrom, more notably airy, but surprisingly Unicrom has the more lively vocals, Kima 2 just comes across as less energetic, more relaxed, and less bassy than Unicrom, it does have fuller, more controlled vocals so if you like that, Kima 2 is still the clear vocal winer for me, in technical performance though, they are pretty close, maybe Kima 2 is just a bit more resolutive /-----/ **- Artti T10:** This is a close one, both are similarly V-shaped, but right out of the bad, getting a good seal isn’t as easy as on Unicrom, clarity do is better on T10 given that it has more treble and is fairly smooth with it, but vocals feel more pushed to the back, bass is also less punchy on T10, it doesn't sound bad, mind you, but Unicrom does make it feel a tad weaker when compared, soundstage, similar to Kima 2, feels more open too, and in technical performance T10 has a small edge in resolution and detail retrieval, but for separation it feels like a tie. /-----/ **- Artti T10 Pro:** T10 pro has the better bass here for sure, but is not a big gap, treble is also quite more notably splashy when compared to Unicrom and even normal T10, vocals are nothing special and comfort is similarly tricky as T10, both are kind of V-shaped, but if I had to pick on to use with EQ, ill go for Unicrom, technical performance is also on the same level for both iems. /-----/ **- TRN White Tiger:** Ill be straight, Tiger almost feels like the budget version of Unicrom, despite stock being near the same, treble is more sparkly but also way less controlled than on Unicrom and it doesn’t make it that much more open on soundstage though, bass is pretty similar but it fills less punchy overall thanks to the better seal on Unicrom, mid-range is also similar as both aren’t that pushed to the back, but thanks to the smoother and crispier sound on Unicrom they feel more approachable, Unicrom is an small but almost direct upgrade from the Tiger, specially in technical performance across the board. /-----/ **- Kefine Klean:** Unicrom has a bit better resolution, but they aren’t that far off, bass quality is a bit better on Unicrom too, but because of the tuning, Klean has more presence of the bass, fuller vocals and a bit more sparkly treble, technical performance in general, specially separation, Unicrom does have a notable edge over Klean, but Is not a big upgrade from one to the another, I naturally like the tuning on Klean better though, which makes me more biased towards it. /-----/ **- Kiwi Ears Cadenza:** As of right now I don’t hand Cadenza in my hands anymore, however, for better or for worse I remember the experience of using it, Unicrom reminds me a lot of it but it does feel notably better, more technical, Unicrom has more bass so is more balanced to my ears, although if you find Cadenza any bassy, it could be too bassy for you, do I recommend it as an almost direct upgrade? Yes I do. ---------- # Accessories The box the Unicrom comes in looks fairly eye-catching but I was actually surprised on how premium it felt when opening, since after removing the cardboard sleeve, the box closes with a magnetic kind of latch, when open you can see the earpieces well-presented above its carrying case and bellow it is the rest of documentation and accessories inside 2 black boxes. - The cable is a Pula branded “high-purity silver-plated copper cable” that has a 0.78mm 2-pin IEM connection with an interchangeable plug system with both 3.5mm and 4.4mm jack connections included in the package. If you ask me this is from the best stock cables I have seen on a sub $100 iem, is lightweight, doesn’t tangle much, is flexible and feels sturdy, the screwable connection system is similar to Dunu cables but they aren’t compatible. The “screwable latch” is smooth metal so it could be a bit tricky to use at first. /-----/ - The included eartips aren’t anything special however it doesn’t mean they are bad, Unicrom comes with 2 sets of eartips, the clear ones seem to be a bit more of a wide bore, while the dark blue ones seem to be a narrow bore, both came in S, M and L sizes and both felt quite comfortable in the ear, they are very usable, which despite it being an obvious thing to say, not all budget iems come with as decent as those. /-----/ - Finally, in the box comes a dark green solid carrying case that also use a magnetic latch to close, it is compact, it feels sturdy, and despite the size, feels spacious enough for perfectly carrying your iems plus anything else you would need, even a larger dongle DAC like Dawn Pro or DTC480 (yes, I managed to fit them too). /-----/ Unicrom doesn’t come with too much inside the box, but it does come with jut all you need to use them to the best of their capabilities, these accessories are well paired with this set and is nice to see it when a lot of other sets, even more expensive ones, feels like they get handicapped by the accessories. ---------- ---------- #Conclusions I might sound a bit too optimistic throughout the review when talking about Unicrom, but is very refreshing to test an iem that, despite not being my preference, it really feels like the brand knew exactly what they were doing when producing them, everything just makes sense for the most part I can realistically see what kind of public would want to get one. If you want an energetic, clean, and funny sound, if you want comfort, if you are upgrading from the Kiwi Cadenza or the TKZK Ouranos and felt like wanted a bit more bass, if you feel other V-shapes are too sparkly, if you just want a well-rounded, energetic set, Unicrom is your pick under $100, simple as that, and I can stand behind it. ---------- ***Thanks a lot for reading, the Budget Knight bids farewell, wishing you the best, good luck. – O.E.***

Cadenza is a fantastic IEM if you can find it on offer or can stretch the budget a bit, I would pick it over the others mentioned if it's within your budget.

Chu 2 and Wan'er 2 are a good start, but I'll go with Wan'er because of its more mature tuning and Moondrop build quality will really disappoint you in the long run Cadenza used to be my go to pick, but with Wan'er 2 existing, I dont see the point anymore Wyvern abyss is...a massive turn off tuning wise, the upper mids is too much for my ears, doesnt sound right

Imo the Cadenza is probably the best.

Glad the rankings helped! Dual Drivers can be better, but it is not necessarily always the case. I'd highly recommend either picking up the Cadenza or the Zero 2 as those are both safe options that are great for someone starting out! The Castor has a ton of bass and might not be for everyone

I have the Cadenza's and they are very nice comfy iems both fit-wise and sound-wise! However, they're not exactly neutral since they have an elevated high region as well as a lowered mids region. However however, they are still an absolute joy to use for music and can also be EQ'd very well to be more neutral (and more enjoyable for me). I used Squiglink to compare it's frequency response to the Kiwi Ears KE4 (cool neutral "meta tune" iem) and did auto-EQ to get values for a parametric EQ (which i used on Equalizer APO and the Peace UI on windows, it lets you change gain and Q value for specific frequencies!). Alternatively, for android because it is good enough, the generic slider: 63: +1 dB ### 125: -1 ### 250: 0 ### 500: +2 ### 1k: 0 ### 2k: -2 ### 4k: -2 ### 8k: 0 ### 16k: 0 (### just for formatting to make them easier to read cuz mobile formatting idk :)). The only other iems i know are: 7Hz Zero 2: a pretty good budget neutral option actually! Just too bass-boosted for me so it is unpleasant to use for a long while (7Hz Zero 1 as a less bassy version?). I absolutely hate how it fits though because it has a large-ish blocky shell and short nozzles, so it doesn't feel like they insert properly. Also, it somehow does feel more boring to listen to vs my other "neutral" iems. Tangzu Wan'er Studio Edition: idk how they compare to the normal ones, but they are also a good budget neutral but without the bass boost of the Zero 2! I also hate their fit for the same reason though. Edit: I tried the Wan'er SE's again recently and I do love their tuning a lot actually! Like my EQ'd Cadenza's but less bass so it also sounds cleaner. --- but the Cadenzas are still better overall >:D. Also, the fit isn't bad though, it just takes more effort to make it good, whereas the Cadenzas are effortless to insert properly :) Simgot EW300: a bit pricier, but basically has the same-ish sound as the Cadenza's but with all the other technical parts of the sound being better! Also comes with different nozzles and foams to adjust the sound further, so I used one foam in each nozzle to reduce the treble a bit (tuning is like my EQ'd Cadenza's now) and now its perfect for me :) I also heard the Simgot EW200 would be a good option, but they're especially bright sounding

D13 is one of most underrated IEMs and it’s fine since I already have 2 units I bought for 30 euros each on sale , love them and there’s no comparison in build quality, zero red is another neutral boring IEM I never understood the hype and I’m glad I never bought one , I prefer the kiwi cadenza and it’s cheaper

my least favourite from the list is inawaken dawn.. Imo, klean and cadenza are better

I am coming from the Air Pods Pro 2 and started with the Cadenzas and they blew me away. To me they sounded better than Air Pods Pro 2.

Cadenza 12, its the best neutral IEM.

Dont waste time, just get Cadenza 12 or EJ10

Cadenza 12 and EJ10, FEI WAN is a specialist that sounds very odd at times 😁 but fun non the less!

Indeed I have seen your post, a great help specially for newbies (like me). I must say I have tried the kiwi ears cadenza and didn't like em at all, found their sound too warm with a lot of missing bass. According to this which one of the V-shape IEM (not bass head) that you have tried has a good soundstage while maintaining the quality of the details? Especially for metal genres, not planning or using external DAC. And if you recommend it over the KZ ZAX.

There are so many, but the standard "try them" sets seem to be: Tangzu Wa'ner (2), 7hz Crinacle Zero 2, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Truthear Zero Red, Truthear Hexa.

I don't know anything about the Tanchjim but the Chu 2 is nothing out of the ordinary in the segment it's solid and has good bass but it's nothing that the Castor doesn't offer you beforehand so I wouldn't buy it, the same will happen with all the single DD's in this segment from the cheapest kz to the 35 dollar kiwi ears cadenza all will have a similar sound being the biggest difference technicalities (where the multidrivers are better) and the body build where the resin ones are better like kbear kb01 kinera wyvern and the same kiwi ears

The kiwi ears cadenza are good for gaming and ok for vocals

Simgot EW200 is far better than the ones you linked and falls right within the edge of your budget. Unless you are treble sensitive. But even then, Final E tips plus EQ can sort you out. Kefine Klean is the other option, a tad more expensive. Better for music but would still place EW200 better for content and gaming. Third option that's another new launch would be the Epz Q5 Pro. Haven't heard these yet but getting very fine reviews as well. KE Cadenza is another popular set in your budget, smoother than the EW200 but nowhere close in resolution, imaging or soundstage.

Zero:2 is very fit for EQing I hear - but at the risk that you're sure that it'll fit your ears. Cadenza very good for its price, absolutely glorious with EQ. I'd say go for Cadenza

Cadenza, trust me

Cadenza, period

Vivace is exceedingly good for gaming and one of the default recommendations for it in that price range but the Cadenza are no slouch either. I think it depends on what you want to slightly prioritize. Both perform decently well in either category but the Vivace are ever so slightly better for games and the Cadenza are ever so slightly better for music. That's just my take though and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see others disagree. But that ultimately proves just how minor the differences really are and that both will be a fine pickup you won't regret.

It's less about being worth the upgrade if you already own one of the other sets, to me at least. I find that the question is more about just spending the little bit of extra money to begin with if it's within your budget. If it's not then an upgrade would also be out of the question either way, so that's not the focal point. As you said, the Cadenza just take EQ really well and have solid technical performance for their price, so even if you don't enjoy the tuning, they can be a really good deal. From there, newbies can easily play around with different signatures and AutoEQ other IEMs onto the Cadenza to get a fairly good impression of what they enjoy. I consider the Cadenza to be a great starter IEM for that reason and would argue that if you're looking to eventually upgrade or expand your collection, they are a top notch recommendation. Where I agree with you is that they are not ideal as a standalone one-of product. As part of an arsenal or as a first entry point they can shine but if you're only ever planning on one "do-it-all" IEM, then the 7hz Zero:2, Tangzu Wan'er and (as much as I dislike them) KZ Castor Pro are better in that regard. One last thing too, and this is a very minor criticism: Since you mentioned the Truthear Gate, which are considered very treble forward and the sharpest sounding non-KZ IEMs in their price range, I think it's a moot point to argue about the perceived sharpness of the Cadenza, especially given that a simple tip-roll can solve that issue entirely. I agree that the problem exists, I just wouldn't outright fault the Cadenza for that when other IEMs that people might be upgrading from had even sharper treble, even with better tips. Still, the default upgrade path here would go through the Truthear Zero:Red, not the Cadenza for most people and I'd levvy a lot of the same criticism against those as well (nozzle size -> stock tips, good technical performance, minor price difference to other entry level IEMs). I think it's more of an issue with ultra-budget and budget IEMs just not being all that different from one another and the most notable differences only coming once you invest more, which many people want but can't do. Then they opt to make marginal upgrades and end up disappointed at the lack of a difference. It's more of a customer behavior issue, not a product issue inherently if you ask me. Other than that, great stuff, appreciate the attention to detail.

I‘m super biased here because I just think it’s the end-all be-all of sub $100 IEMs but the Cadenza takes the win for me. Slap on a pair of Tri Clarion tips and I would genuinely daily drive that bad boy with no yearning for anything more expensive. I don’t hate any of the other ones and some models you didn’t mention like the Truthear Zero:Red also have a great value proposition but I am just a fan of the overall experience of the Cadenza. I like how they look, they fit my ears really well even over longer periods of time and the sound is obviously also great. Exciting enough but never straining or fatiguing in any way. The technical aspects also punch significantly above their weight in my opinion. But don’t take any of that as fact because this is just one persons preferences. I just can’t miss an opportunity to bang the drum for that set when I see it mentioned.

Yup, they're very good. The wide bore edition is also worth the upgrade, they have a similar effect on soundstage for me personally to what the Clarion tips do and both versions of the Sancai are comfortable even over longer periods of time. That said I don't think they're all that special in that regard and unlike the Clarion there aren't any sets where they help me produce or keep a seal that I wouldn't have gotten using other tips. Their price as a standalone product is also less favorable now because you get them included in the deal when buying the Wan'er SG2 which is also a great set of IEMs inherently, so there's a joke going around that you're basically getting the IEM for free with the purchase of a set of tips, which isn't quite accurate, but if you don't have the Wan'er 2 yet and want the S/M/L 3 sizes version of the tips anyway, I think it's a pretty good investment because I do really like that IEM too.

Just go for kiwi ears cadenza or Blon BL03 ii you wouldn't be regret, perfect iem for beginning this journey. 

Tangzu wan'er 2 and tanjchim bunny are not for v shape iem, bunny have so flat neutral sounding signature n wan'er 2 is not have base also weather u r using dac or dap nothing changes the sound of them... so in my opinion if you want a perfect v shaped iem, kiwi ears cadenza n Blon blo3 or 2nd generation blo3 mark 2 is perfectly good for your taste, cheers 👍

Cadenza is somewhat colored textured sound where as bunny is flat. Neutral so if you crank bunny nothing improved, I mean if you like thick meaty sound go for blon BL03 or something thinner cadenza is best overall, but if you like neutral thin light sound, something flat frequency then bunny is best which is not for base lover, cadenza is far better 

The Cadenza is a good choice. Look into the Celest Wyvern Abyss as well. If you really want bass at a budget, try the QKZ HBB.

For audio production, I personally wouldn’t use anything less than the Zero Red. The closest to me at the price point would probably be either the Chu 2. Then slightly more expensive might be the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. If you haven’t chanced upon it yet, [here’s ](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1ei7lp2/newbie_advice_for_what_is_the_best/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) my standard advice that may help you find the answer you need.

It depends on how different a sound you want. If you want more treble clarity, try the Kefine Klean. For even more treble, maybe the EW200. If you want more mid mass warmth, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza are great. For even more warmth, try the Celest Wyvern Abyss. For more prominent vocals, there’s the Wan’er. For more Bass, the QKZ HBB. If you just want something a tad more v-shaped than the Chu 2, there’s the 7hz Zero 2.

These are all great IEMs so good research there! Out of these, my favourite are the Tangzu Wan'Er 2 because of their V-shaped sound signature. I also have a pair of Kiwi Ears Cadenza tho. They are warm, chill and laid back. Out of all IEMs in this price range I would go Salnotes Zero :2 tho. Best in that bracket imo

Love my Kiwi Ears Cadenzas but they are far from bassy, opposite in fact

I bought Kiwi Ears Cadenza as my first IEMs and they’re pretty good for the price especially if you play with EQ

MP145 are really good, I EQ then to my preferences and they can even be turned into a bass head set. I think I won't hear any difference with the 10 times more expensive gear, or it'll be tiny and not worth the money. However I recently bought a Kiwi Ears Cadenza for my wife 'cause she needs something small and comfortable. They still didn't fit her, but I was amazed by their sound. With heavy EQ they are almost on par with MP145s. There is a small difference but almost negligible considering their price. I decided to not return them, so I use them now even more tbh. They are miles ahead in comfort comparing to MP145s, so I use them on work for meetings and music, and I barely notice them even after hours of continuous wear.

These are good, I have them in this exact color. Look and sound great

big fan of cadenza personally - also because a lot of other iems feel heavy and cause me earache - including expensive ones - these ones surprisingly feel much nicer especially with an aftermarket cable

i don't know the detail, but when i see their squiglink tonality, there is a bit different thing wan'er SG has more neutral tonality while the kiwi ears cadenza has balance tonality personally i will take the kiwi ears, but since the waner SG is cheaper, i'll take the wanee SG, because neutral tonality mean that we can slightly adjust the EQ edit : why personally i'll take the kiwi? because i like the balance tonality

Waners, Castors, Abyss, Cadenza, Moondrop Chu 2, Blon bl3 2 are some iems you can consider. Most iems these days are good enough for flac music in this price range, only the tuning differs. As they're wired, they dont have a battery to degrade so they can ladt you forever. Just keep them away from sweat and moisture of any kind since that damages them. Considering most iems are 3.5mm, you will need a dac which converts type c to 3.5mm (digital to analog) and lets you take full advantage of your iems as it improves the sound and volumes as well. Even if you have a 3.5 on your phone or laptop, a dac will make the iems sound better.

Zero 2 and no. I grabbed some kiwiears cadenzas and rolled with those for about a year and most recently have gotten into a set of kiwiears quintets.

[Cadenza](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/su2rZpGrt7) is winning big time! Tuning, driver, looks, size, durability, you name it!

Yes and No. Tread carefully with the buying IEMS. Like with any other audio equipment, you'll always naturally want to seek that "next upgrade". After that $250-$300 mark for IEMs, it's all deminishing returns. The bump in price after that range would only be for clarity but it would never justify 1.5x or even 2x the price IMO. For IEMs, I've got the Sony WF-1000XM5s, Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Moondrop x Crinacle DUSK, and the Pilgrim Elysian, all at different price points. I tend to enjoy more of a slight V-shape sound signature and the DUSK, Cadenzas, and the XM5s are exactly that. You can get each for under $300 if you look in the right places. The Pilgrims are $400-$500 but tbh it's just not worth the offering for me even if the clarity is better the rest is underwhelming. TDLR: Find what sound signature you like best, do your research, and pick carefully. If you like a V-Shape signature like I do out of the box, the Cadenzas are great for $35. Oh and like someone else mentioned here. you only need that Apple Dongle as a DAC......nothing else.

Generic pop is usually mastered very well lol, it's just not aiming to sound the most interesting or complex. Good headphones can make generic pop sound better than generic earbuds BTW my recommendation would be 7hz zero 2, it's my favourite of the budget iems. I prefer it to the chu 2, tangzu wan'er and kiwi ears cadenza, but of course everyone's ears are different.

I would say try the kiwi ears cadenza or the kinera celest wyvern black they both punch far above their price point. I would skip the zero red. If u can I would go for the simgot ew300 it often goes on sale for around $60. I’ve also seen the shozy p20 just under $70.

no mention of staples like Wan’er, Gate, or maybe Zero 2 for the low budget end. Aria 2 is outclassed by newer releases and the cadenza isnt even 50, its 35 and should be in the higher end of the low budget end. No mention of other mid range staples like Crinnacle red/blue, artti t1, ew300, and especially the hexa which should be close to your pref. Even the Titan S is outdated with the Titan S2 and other competition stated High end is plagued with the same issue, lack of explanation and choice Honestly, the list is outdated and you would be better off just going to r/iems and looking at their list or doing your own research

I'm a big fan of the KZ Castor Bass as well (I have pairs for home and the office) though I tend to go with something with a more neutral sound profile for gaming. My current gaming IEMs are the Kiwi Ears Cadenza.

Nice review! *btw I also found the Cadenza’s lacked detail.* I was initially torn between these and what I did buy (Inawaken Dawn; the shells won me over). Most reviewers put these near identical in quality/sound to the Klean and definitely more engaging than the Zero Reds, which are recommended on here all the time… Like you, the Singolo tuning was also mentioned for the Inawaken, but they’re improved versions - v.interesting you also brought it up for the Klean! The frequency graphs have them kinda similar but listening must make them appear even closer. Honestly, I think the Klean & Inawaken are the best $50 iems around for the sound preference.

Try the Moondrop Chu 2. Small fit, quality metal build and balanced V sound. You will get improved sound quality with $40-60 iem’s imo but if you’re looking only for $20-25 range, then these are good start (again!). Esp. if the fit wasn’t right with bigger plastic shells. - Wan’er is vocal forward; 2’s are warm leaning slightly but more vocal forward around the 2k region (personally found these intolerable unless at super low volume). Chunky shells, not suitable for everyone - Cadenza’s - warm with balanced vocals but found treble wasn’t as detailed, felt a bit muddied but lots like these. Shells are small-ish vs Zero/Wan’er, wider usability - EW200 are balanced but treble can be bright for anyone sensitive to those peaks. Quality shells for the price - Zero’s - same fit as your 2’s but 2’s are much better tuned **Side note:** I made a quick step up from the Chu 2 (nothing wrong with them a starter set) to **Inawaken Dawn MS**. **Kefine Klean** was also on my list but the look was similar to the Chu 2 and wanted a different style and were only £36. Both tuning’s are similar but the lower treble peaks vs Klean made it preferable (both sets are probably the best sub $50 around). InAwaken is warm leaning but bright enough without any shoutiness. Mid bass is rich & textured without overpowering, excellent balanced vocals with smooth treble. Works great for varied genres. Despite the shell being bit larger vs Chu 2 the fit has been amazing. The resin build is high quality & so silky to wear all day. They have a shorter nozzle so sit really well with no canal issues. I would honestly consider both the Klean and InAwaken based from you already trying a few budget sets and wanting improved sound quality. The sets you listed are literally sidesteps. **If not wanting to spend more, restart with the Moondrop Chu 2 :)**

Hey guys, so I bought the kiwi ears cadenzas about a month ago and I am loving them. My brother used my IEMs and he also loved them. He wants to buy a pair for himself but he doesn't want to buy the cadenzas. He listens to wide range of music and wants an all-rounder. Please recommend me some good IEMs. I was thinking about the Truthear hexa but suggest me some other good ones as well. Thanks

im using a air of Linsoul Kiwi Ears Cadenza mostly with flacs on an xduoo x2s

My vote go for Cadenza, hand down best Beryllium single DD so far, micro details, imaging is absolutely beyond price range. Good enough to compete with those 1000$+ Single Beryllium DD iem, especially the Dita Dream XLS ( lol)

The Cadenza are magnificent.

I've got a few KZs, and they're great considering the price I paid (around $5 per pair). But my Kiwi Ears Cadenzas are just flat out better and feel more premium, and they're only about $30 or less.

My first is simgot ew300 DSP version, got them for $60 instead of the original $79 price tag. Fantastic sounding iems, wasnt really a blind buy, I got some other pair to reference from and I was still surprised after actually buying, also the gaming experience as well as eq potential on the DSP version is insane, at least for the price. So, no regret but if I had the opportunity to step back, I would definitely get a cheaper pair. I would say ew300s are good for listening to music in a quiet room, because of the treble signature, outside noises will ruin the experience a lot. So for a first buy I would like to get something more neutral, or even have a darker signature for comfort as well as versatility, I would say Kiwi ears Cadenza or Wan'er 2.

Been enjoying my Cadenzas for around 6 months, can't complain at all. Enjoy theme before deciding to upgrade. Also keep in mind you can use an equalizer to give yourself more bass

I also bought cadenza and wan’er, and preferred blon. It’s all up to personal preference, but I definitely recommend trying a few if possible

Yes, budget IEMs are crazy good these days, especially if you use EQ to touch up the output to fit your personal taste. For me, the original Artti T10 with EQ is the best budget device. I bought a few budget IEMs over last year and a half and the T10 is the best of all of them, followed by the Kiwi Ears Cadenza at $35.00. The thing about the T10 is that it does not fall apart with complex material. It keeps that transparent midrange and treble. The bass and low mids is where it lacks substance. It has good amount of bass, especially with EQ, but it's not the same authoritative bass that something like the Hype 4 has. But even then, for $55.00 the T10 provides disproportionate amount of enjoyment.

Any one of the IEMs you named could work you just need to get your own mix and EQ right. The Cadenza is very musician friendly as it follows the Harman curve very closely. Seeing how you play guitar, that Harman forward midrange should suit you well. If you want the drums and bass to be very present, you can add a bass shelf to your mix and EQ the bass out of your guitar signal. If you are looking for excellent isolation, the Cadenza might not be it, depending on how loud your stage volume is. Look for a metal shell IEM and foam tips if you need that isolation. But first and foremost you should spend time on the actual instrument and vocal mix. That will make the biggest difference. The IEMs themselves won't make that much difference unless they are total crap.

Have all three and on paper/technically speaking, the kefine klean is probably the best pick. Personally though, I really like the dawn ms a lot. I have a lot of IEMs that are in the 300-400 dollars range and while they’d logically be no match, there is something about the dawn Ms that makes me grab them every now and again and use them for a good few hours. I have a few kiwi ears IEMs (6) and a lot of love for almost all of them, but I’m not wildly impressed with the Cadenza. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still good and would be a good pick as a starter set, but if I HAD to choose between those three, it’d be the dawn Ms

That's all up to you and what you are willing to spend. I have Kiwi ears Cadenza and Aful Perfomer 5+2. They are vastly different. I could never EQ the cadenzas to sound like the Aful. I paid 2万５千円 (250Aud)for my Afuls, and that basically is as far as I am willing to spend right now. I EQ them ever so slightly and lower the preamp so I can get better headroom. Using the EQ too much doesn't allow as many genres to be played.

Totally OT and not trying to hijack the OPs post. I just didn't want to make another post since I'm looking at getting something in this price range and I like the EW300 as well. I was wondering if anyone can give an insight on how the EW300 compares to the Kiwiears Cadenza (which I have at the moment). I can also spend a couple more dollars (like $100-120) and get something else that you guys recommend for that price range. I also listen to music similar to what the OP does. I also love bass (but obviously it shouldn't overpower everything else or be boomy). Any comparisons/recommendations will be helpful!

I unfortunately live in the middle of nowhere. We don't have anything good here apart from best buy. And at the local BB, there's nothing except stuff like Bose and Sennheiser. So there's no way I can test it out unless I buy and return on Amazon, which I'm not keen on doing. I also appreciate your insight. I might just end up getting the EW300. I really like my Cadenza and I hope there's a difference (upgrade) in sound with the EW300.

kiwi ears cadenza, don't use anymore as I now have the simgot EA500lm.

I agree with your points. My only complaint with the cadenzas is listening to podcasts or ppl talking in general with non 1000$++ mics. Sounds like a muffled mess. Music on the other hand sounds lovely especialy with decent amplification. The bass can be punchy but not overpowering. I also find soundstage lacking but for 34euros the only thing i can say is wow...

for $35 kiwi ears candenzas are pretty solid

I bought Cadenza as my first pair , and honestly they are good for the price ! And you’ll love em too :)

I don’t know what to say , I am exactly in your shoes… I got kiwi ears cadenza was impressed , I just wanted a touch of bit more clarity, and I am in the same boat as you , it’s EW300 vs HEXA for me too I love the looks of the EW300 , but HEXA seems to have the best of clarity and separation out there but everyone seems to be on the train that bass is low , one Redditor said bass is like 10% more than AirPods Pro 2 , which I’ll be honest have more than enough bass for me. Honestly? Cadenzas had just about enough bass and any less would be anemic (more or less like AirPods but depth was better) , (maybe cadenzas were the best set ? Lmao) But looking at the anecdotes in the post… I am not even sure I should buy EW300 anymore… I passed up on EA500LM as reviewers put EW300 over them … (EW300 sounds more natural) Moondrop Aria 2s look don’t wow me , so that’s an no go… Ugh

Kiwiears cadenza, they are warm and full sounding. Good for the type of music u listen to

Seriously, seeing them listed as bassy made me scratch my head

I have the Tangzu Wan Er and the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. Between the two, I prefer the Cadenza. I listen mainly to Jazz, Bossa Nova, Folk, Eighties and Nineties Pop and Rock music, Classical and EDM. The Cadenza is warmer than the Wan Er, but the Wan Er has better treble extension. Cadenza scales well with more power, I bought an aftermarket cable with 4.4 jack. I use a Hiby R4 DAP and a Colorfly AKM based dongle DAC. If you don't have a DAC, the Bunny with DSP would be a better choice.

I've tried Cadenza, Pure, S12, EM6L, Kiwi Ears Astral and ZiiGaat Arete. The jump from cadenza to em6l is larger than em6l to astral/arete. So something in that 125-175 will be good. I use fresh reviews tier list as a rough guide. Everytime I have put more money in and gone higher up tier list I generally find meaningful improvements and I've settled now on the Aretes. The highest scoring one in your budget is the ZiiGaat Lush. (I can't link the spreadsheet but its in his youtube description)

I only disagree with 1. I prefer my cadenzas for podcasts over any other headphones I have. For music I prefer ofc the supermix 4, or 660hd.

I really like the kiwi ears cadenza for podcasts, it's such a relaxing chill sound and best comfort I've had in a iem. For music I really enjoy the supermix 4, although everyone has different taste.

I mostly use an on-ear headphone (Sennheiser Amperior) for away from home-duties. Biking, walking, shopping et c. (uni student in the EU, so no car/driver's license) But I have a pair of IEMs as permanent residents in each of my jackets. Sometimes I forget to grab the on-ears, and having a Kiwi Ears Cadenza as a backup is a comfort and a luxury.  They are inexpensive enough to warrant multiple purchases, and for the lifestyle they lead. Their sound is a bit too Harman to suit my individual head, but not enough to be offensive. >!I need 4ish dB less help from 1650~4k compared to Harman, making Harman thin, sharp, bass light. Removing dB in that region adds more bass than adding bass itself!<

Moondrop kato, i had it, its V shape sound with a great bass sound. Kiwi, and KZ iems are great too However there’s many options at this price range,

im on kiwi ears, no waifu 💀

I am new to this so I did buy the kiwi from lowest range price which is recommended here

So. I started trying to get a bunch of sets to see how much the difference is between the low range and the middle range ( my middle is probably a lot of people’s low range ! ). These are like a quick comment on the sets. (Spoiler : the zero 2s were awesome ) Super mix 4 - perfectly neutral Green dragon - neutral, less dynamic range Black lightning- flat, no dynamic range , uncomfortable fit Zero2 - balanced, touch more silky smooth bass. Hyper comfortable. Kiwi ears - zero2 , bass a bit more direct

I own both and I would have to say the Tea Pros are just all around better for gaming. The Kiwi's were the king for a long time but when I switched to the Tea Pros I was blown away by the upgrade. I'm actually selling my Kiwi's right now. That's how good the Tea pros are.

I play mostly FPS games and everything feels pinpoint accurate. Not to mention the added bass allowing for better audio cues on footsteps. The Kiwi's were a little too high in the treble for my liking and I could never go for long sessions without feeling very fatigued

I love the sound of the Blue 2’s, but I tried the Tangzu Fudu, Kiwis and 7hz - the only reason I’m considering others is because they feel so much better in my ears. But the sound signature has been better on the Truths by far