AM16

i'd consider kz am16 balanced. high value set, nicely detailed and technical set nice for pinpointing footsets but has a nice amount of bass for immersive games and your music genres which tend to like some bass boost if those are out of budget tripowin vivace are a nice set for fps and should do everything else pretty well too

if you want v-shape (actual v-shape not mild v-shape) then juzear clear are very good. excellent bass extension + quality and you get alot of it. bonus points for the very good included cable if you want something fun but still technical then kz am16 bass version

I listen to all those genres. Xenns Mangird Tea Pros are my daily drivers (and they play those genres and anything else I've thrown at them really well) and are highly recommended by others for gaming too. If you want to do it on a shoe string, I'd recommend the KZ AM16 Balanced, although I don't find them very comfortable. Don't expect the sort of bass from either of them that you'd find in a pair of Soundcore buds, but you can always learn how to EQ bass in if you need more. Sound stage is adequate with both those models (IEMs aren't really about soundstage, compared to a set of open-back over ears (I have a set of Hififman HE400se and the soundstage on them is miles better than any IEM I've tried), imaging much better with the Tea Pros. What headphones do you use at the moment?

If for you it sounds better than chu 2 it's good upgrade, for me am16 needs a bit of eq to sound good (much better then chu 2 imo), try this eq in any eq software https://preview.redd.it/kkrrdgyjkblg1.jpeg?width=1439&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a3799a8f955fc2e1c785819b09807c1314ad15a4

I will speak to your mobile setup for $100. For DAC my choice would be the TRN Black Pearl or Hiby FC4 original version (no screen) for having good sound and powerful 3.5 and 4.4 mm ports. For the IEM I recommend the KZ AM16 balanced, a very musical IEM which might be the best all BA set under $100.

I agree, i have 1 month with my AM16 Balanced and its incredible, i got it for $27!! I dont know how people are recommending $20 IEMs here when this exists!

Yes exactly, Earphones Store. I just checked and it's $25 for me now lol

sorry for the late reply, yes its rally good, its a nice warm relaxed tuning, detailed with amazing bass you wont believe its coming from BA,textured and slams hard and you can EQ even more if you want!!, decent instrument separation and doesnt loose amt details with no sibilance at all, its my favorite tuning coming from the Vader, if its the kind of tuning you like you will love the set edit:scales well with source too

I have the balanced version and i can certainly vouch for AM16

KZ AM16 Balanced is absolutely phenomenal. The best bang for buck IEM I've ever tried. I urge anyone reading to buy it instead of a Zero Red.

T10 is ALWAYS my first recommendation... It hurts that people buy $30 IEMs when for $20 more they could have got THAT. It's SO much better. New- KZ AM16 Balanced - glorious value KZ Decet- 5 DDs in each ear. BASSY glorious value. TRN Shell - All round value package. Great sound, build, accessories, and a unique 3dds and a planar.

That's a tough one, I've not tried them back to back, but from memory I think the sound is quite equal. Trn Shell has MUCH better accessories for sure. If you want I can have a proper listen tomorrow and tell you my opinion. I ALWAYS think it's better to buy both and test them yourself. Return whichever loses.

I've tried 2 out of your lists- AM16 (but the Balanced version) and Zero Red's. Zero Red's are overrated, I returned them. AM16 is one of the best bang for buck sets I've ever tried. For the middle of your budget, I really recommend Hidisz MP145. It's the best I've tried at that price. A very bassy planar, that still has great details and accurate instrument timbre. A great all rounder. A bit over your budget - TSMR Armor or Punch Audio Martilo.

Buy a KZ AM16 Balanced, and if you don't think it's better than the Zero Red, I'll pay for it. KZ in 2022 was diabolical. KZ in 2025 is phenomenal. The accessories are still shit, but they have vastly improved the sound quality and tuning.

Hmm, I'd still probably say the t10 but if you're specifically wanting bass I can personally recommend the KZ Decet, or maybe the Bass version of the KZ Am16 (I have the balanced and that's pretty bassy so I guess the Bass version would have loads)

I love KZ. They let beginners or people in poorer countries experience a taste of great sound and hybrid setups. KZ AM16 is better than every single DD IEM that gets recommended.

I've tried most of the budget ones (Wan'er, Chu2, Cadenza etc) and the AM16 is so much better, it's not even close. Not because it has more drivers, but because it sounds better.

KZ AM16, TRN Shell, Artti t10.

I just had to Google it because I didn't think there was an AM16 Pro. I think you mean AS16 Pro? Kz are notorious for constantly pumping out a different models every week with confusing letter names that were anywhere from terrible to great, so it's hard to keep up. Recently they slowed down a lot, and every release has been quality. AM16 came out a few months ago so I wouldn't bother with the other one

Never buy KZ on Amazon! I don't know why but they're over twice the price! I still think that's too high. I got my AM16 for $31 on AliExpress. If you're in America though I've seen people say the prices are way up because of the tariffs.

Awesome. Yeah I think balanced is the way to go- I was surprised how bassy it was.

Hmm, if soundstage and separation are your main thing, I'd actually recommend the KZ AM16... It has 8 drivers in each, so each instrument sounds very individual and clear. I'd been listening to a $300 IEM all day, then switched to the AM 16 and was SO impressed at how well it kept up. It needs well mastered music with instruments to show it's best. If the majority of your music is EDM and hip hop, get the Shell, but if it's lots of soul, funk, jazz, indie, rock the AM16 is the best I've ever tried at its price.

No such thing as a must have imo- I go on and on about how the Artti T10 is the best value in audio and the IEM everyone should start with... But there's still plenty of people who don't like it. And with anything more expensive, it's a much bigger risk. Purely because they're cheap- Kz AM16 (Too many people still claim KZ is shit. They used to be. But in 2025 they are making awesome IEMs at prices nobody else can touch) Kbear02/ Kiwi Ears Etude - Bone conduction is weird voodoo and lots of people are curious. These two have the most vibration, so buy one of these, turn the volume up, and see if you like or hate it. Artti T10 - THE best first IEM on the planet.

I'd love to try the Luna. The only other all BA I have is the KZ AM16, and it's very impressive for the price, but you can tell the drivers are cheap.

HOW DARE YOU (From someone who has multiple $200-800 sets but still buys the more interesting KZ sets like the AM16)

Price is the *point* of the Kunten hype though. If it was $30 nobody would care! You're entitled to think it's dog shit, that's fine! Not everyone liked it, especially now with rumours of a stealth revision that sounds a lot worse. But I genuinely thought it easily beats the usual $20-30 picks, and the *very* often recommended Zero Red, and I'd personally much rather listen to the Kunten than a Hexa. It's not the second coming of Christ, there was definitely overhyping (I remember a post about the Kunten beating his Mega5est!) I listened to it for a few days, then went back to my collection of better, more expensive IEMs *Listening to an Archangel currently* I'm lucky as hell to have this collection. But for less privileged people, something competitive with $20-$50 IEMs for less than $5 is a revelation. And for that, it deserved the hype imo.

KZ AM16 Balanced (or Bass if you like it) has armature drivers , so it's great for fast, detail and analytical sounds. Or KZ PRX (if you have DAC/AMP, better if output power more than 100mW) has planar driver which is also great for fps games. Other planar driver IEMs: Letshuoer S08, 7hz Divine (or Diablo for bass)

For FPS gaming, I think, it's better to take a planar IEM, like Artti T10 Pro, Letshuoer S08, Kiwi Ears Aether, etc or full-BA IEM, like KZ AM16, KZ Sonata. They are fast and detailed, you will hear everything and everyone in the game. Also you will need a DAC for planars, they like powerful sources

Full armature balanced KZ AM16 (Bass version or Balanced), but shell is a little big, so need to buy additional ear tips (For example, nicehck 07 and liquid Nicehck C04) Very new KZ Vibe X, I ordered it, but it is not shipped yet.

I have AM16 Bass version, good one, not basshead, but for bass lovers. Shell is a bit large, so buy additional sets of eartips (for example, Nicehck 07 with 5 pairs of sizes + liquid Nicehck C04 with 4 pair of sizes) for finding comfort fit