KZ - Castor (Harman Target Version)

I had just the OG with Bass , very good The pro with bass is a different beast. If you want relaxed smooth thick bass , the OG is better , the pro has somewhat coloured enhanced mids and all cymbals sound the same . Imagine the old one note bass of cheap speakers , now flip this into treble . I prefer the OG bass than the pro bass

There appears to be a massive dip in the upper mids low treble on the castor pro bass . Also when there’s a lot of badly constructed treble in the track, the OG sounds better Another thing, at low volumes the OG carries the bass better I have both and like them both , but the OG version plays better on most tracks except where there is too much bass

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.

I own the OG castor and really want something that's lighter and slimmer. KZ went backward with the pros in terms of size and fit.

I own the Castor Harman (original version) and heard the Chu2. The Castor trashes the Chu2. Also, the Gate is said to be "not for everyone" and the build is not on par with the Chu or Castor.

The Zero:Red is a good-enough earphone with a generous package. Not much needs to be said. As for the KZs, I really don't know where the others are getting their sets from, since my older sets have lasted for 2+ years while my newer budget sets have no signs of failure albeit some wear and tear from constant use. If you want a technical Harman, then get the standard Castor. The KZ Saga balanced-version (15usd) is warm Harman-ish and the better 7Hz G1 (36usd). Same tuning philosophy but smoother treble and slightly more forward vocals.

you should look at their detailed description in yt so you can get the one which is better for your use. i think generally castor are better

This one with dunu candy tips and a nicer cable became my daily, I felt that it sacrificed some timbre for better technical performance compared to the other budget iems. Shame it's unofficially discontinued, I opened one up and one of the drivers was changed. So was the sound.

terms of vocals, nothing really beats the Tangzu Wan'er SG or the Wan'er 2. Maybe abit of treble, sparkles, and soundstage, that would be KZ Castor Silver. But vocals is still better for the Wan'er SG/Wan'er 2.

I am doing the reverse from you, I came from bassy IEMs to neutral or neutral-ish. My old daily driver was the QKZ AK6 Pro (left most, too boomy for my ears now) Then switched to the KZ Castor Bass (Very very V-shaped, big bass and big treble) -> Tested Tangzu Wan'er SG (Neutral Warm on my ears) -> KZ EDC Pro (U-shaped) -> Tested then switched to the KZ Castor Silver (Neutral Bright IEM) https://preview.redd.it/7fb6i40ommve1.png?width=8100&format=png&auto=webp&s=5639f5828253e1796037c4592d784a93bd3eb8b3

https://preview.redd.it/eamschpzsdte1.png?width=8100&format=png&auto=webp&s=64a34d73de9ac20e910cd7c60c1059ab51e04e8d I haven't noped out on any IEMs yet so far haha, lets see as I slowly grow my collection and future IEMs and upgrades. Maybe because I prefer mild or slightly coloured v-shaped/u-shaped either bright or warm. Maybe if I get the QKZ x HBB Hades I would nope out because of lack of treble and too much bass. **(from left to right, list is based on when I bought it)** 1. QKZ AK6 Pro (Original daily driver, memories) 2. KZ Castor Improved Bass (Current daily driver, may change to the KZ Castor Silver) 3. Tangzu x Headphone Zone Wan'er SG (tested and satisfied, collected) 4. KZ EDC Pro (tested and satisfied, collected) 5. KZ Castor Silver (currently testing, collected)

ah the Castor Silver or the Castor Pro Silver might really not sound as good as the Bass version direct being its tuned for more neutral signature (less bass) Than the bass version which is more into giving more bass, more immersion for games plus yeah you are using it directly to a device than via a separate DAC I use mine for the most part music listening and the Castor Silver for music production, I rarely play games nowadays. For the most part single player games on PC/Laptop or games with Co-op and lots of story.

KZ Castor Silver (Harman, personally best of both worlds, closest to the sound of EDC Pro with better general sound feel) PROS * Neutral sounding (Bright or warm, depends on the tuning) * Very versatile with tuning and EQ * Same with the Bass, better high clarity and details, technicallity better than the Wan'er SG * Closer to the Harman tuning than the two, so it sounds very harman tuning (Subjective, some dont like harman) * Its like your in between the Castor Bass and Wan'er SG, but without the cons of the Wan'er SG CONS * Treble bright, might be fatiguing for some * Accessories lack abit * Might be heavy feeling in the ears for some * Nozzle size might be abit larger than Wan'er (Personally they feel the same for me, needed to go for a smaller eartip on both) * SUBJECTIVE: Personally I don't like the stock eartips

And for your question, IEMs for gaming maybe at or under $20 or less. Tangzu Wan'er 2 * New and will improve the original Wan'er SG, 2-pin 0.78mm (better than QDC) * Pre-order and no reviews yet so far. Tangzu Wan'er SG * Mellow and easy to daily drive both physically and sound comfort wise, one of the best stock eartips I experienced. Best low sub-bass I experienced. * Might sound a tad muddy footsteps especially Valorant, uses QDC connector. Moondrop Chu 2 * Great all rounder for competitive gaming, light and small, metal case and 2-pin 0.78mm. * Bass might be lacking for some, and especially single-player games, might be abit treble harsh sounding for some. KZ EDC Pro * General all rounder, punchy bass with good clarity and highs. Great for general single-player games and maybe some online games as well. 2-pin 0.78mm and light to wear. Mellow and not treble harsh sounding. * Might muddies out footsteps especially Valorant KZ Castor * Silver version - A more versatile version of the EDC Pro, has the better soundstage a bit, can change sound feel from a neutral bright, neutral, and abit bassy. uses QDC and might be a tad heavier in the ears, treble harsh especially at its treble and mid focused tunings. * Bass version - Best avoid with competitive games, especially Valorant. But great with single-player games that are cinematic and has alot of cutscenes and environmental stuffs. QDC and heavy as well. KZ Castor Pro * Silver and Bass versions - same with the OG Castor, but a tad bit physically heavier. There are definitely better IEMs on slightly higher price range of $50-80, but they might be expensive for you. You can wait and save some more money for a more pricey set.

Ah oh, you could try vent blocking the ThieAudio though the sound feel will change. I don't know how pricy is this but, Audiosense DT600, unvented and bassy IEM Or maybe your ears will adjust to the Orchestra Lite, just like how my ears adjusted from the QKZ AK6 Pro (bassy boomy set) to a KZ Castor Silver (harman tuned)

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

https://preview.redd.it/snok346uz5we1.png?width=8100&format=png&auto=webp&s=75fafb1987a5ab7a8175735702e898f4e399a116 I have the Wan'er SG 1 (center), and these other IEMs on my collection Personally I still prefer the sound of the KZ Castor Silver or Bass. I don't know much about the ZS10 Pro, but basing on the squiglink. Wan'er 2 is more of a neutral warm, safe tuning (minimal treble) IEM Zero 2 is a mild V-shaped IEM, while not causing issues with the midrange that much ZS10 Pro is more V-shaped than the Castor Silver, and is treble brighter-ish and has abit more bass than the Silver but lacks bass vs the Bass version. In the end it really depends on your sound preference, music genres you listen in general, and comfort level on an IEM. I would definitely suggest to buy the Wan'er SG and the 7hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 as well being those two are also cheap IEMs under $20. But if you cannot buy another one, if you have friends or people who can let you try their Wan'er or Zero 2. Same with u/Mrs_Doyles_Teabags, the IEM world is a journey to enjoy, and good luck on your IEM paths you take!

KZ Castor Silver can be bright and very technical, separation of bass and midrange is decent, not mudding each other than the Bass version. While still giving clarity and sparkles with some ok technicalities and soundstage. But it definitely follows harman tuning. The Aurora Ultra is more technical than KZ Castor Silver because of its hybrid planar+DD setup, so it can handle faster transients and changes in the music than DD only. Only issue is unsure if it would be all good with direct to device than using a USB-C DAC, being a planar set it might need some power

1500 INR? * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver * KZ EDC Pro If you can at least push it at 2k INR, I would suggest * Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 * Tangzu Wan'er SG * Truthear Gate * 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 * Kiwi Ears Dolce * Moondrop Chu 2 Prices are HeadphoneZone, Audio Store, and Concept Cart If Amazon * KZ EDC Pro above 1.5k INR * Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 * Tangzu Wan'er SG * Truthear Gate * 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 * Kiwi Ears Dolce * Moondrop Chu 2 * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver

yeah as long as you buy the Silver, not the bass. The silver is more all-rounder than the Black bass version which is more into EDM/Pop

- KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver - KZ EDC Pro - Tangzu Wa'ner SG/Wan'er SG 2 - 7Hz Salnotes Zero/Crinacle Zero 2 - Truthear Gate - Tanchjim Bunny

tbh all budget ChiFi has meh QC or some of its quality reduced, especially under the 3-4k INR. As long as you take good care of your IEM, they will last long, cheap or expensive. [Here is my beginner's guide for IEMs,](https://www.reddit.com/user/NinjaSiren/comments/1jil8re/beginners_intro_guide_to_iems/) including how to protect these little stuffs This QKZ AK6 Pro that is below or above 1k INR lasted with me for 3 years and still running, QKZ is one of those IEM manufacturers that is known to have iffy issues. (Btw KZ not same as QKZ, different companies) https://preview.redd.it/tz0tlx4e49te1.jpeg?width=4272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=584f698dcd0a4488307e52f7e48f599ff7e0c052

All under 3k INR (based on ConceptKart website) Neutral (including warm and bright) * Tangzu Wan'er SG (neutral warm) \*\* * Tangzu Wan'er 2 (neutral warm) \* * Tanchjim Bunny DSP (neutral bright) \* * Tanchjim One DSP (neutral warm) * Moondrop Chu 2 DSP (neutral bright) * 7Hz Salnotes Zero (neutral bright) * Truthear Gate (neutral balanced) \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Qing (neutral balanced) \* * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver (v-warm-ish to neutral bright) \*\* V/U-shaped (including warm and bright) * Tanchjim Bunny 3.5mm * Tanchjim One 3.5mm * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 (mild v-balanced) \* * ND Planet (v-warm) * Rose Technics (Roseselsa) Aurora Ultra (v-warm-ish) \* * Moondrop Chu 2 3.5mm (mild v) * DUNU Titan S2 (v-balanced) \* * BLON BL-03 (v-warm) * BLON BL-03 II (v-warm) * Kiwi Ears Dolce (u-bright) * TRN Conch (mild v-bright) * Moondrop Chu 2 3.5mm (mild v-balanced) \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss (mild v-warm) * Tangzu Shimin Li (mild-v bright) * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver (mild v-warm-ish to neutral bright) \*\* * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Black Improved Bass (v-bass to v-bright-ish) \*\* * KZ EDC Pro (u-warm) \*\* * KZ EDX Pro (v-bright) (\* recommend | \*\* personally I own)

Chu 2 is ok, just that it might sound abit less fun with single-player games because of lack of enough bass. As well as recent issues with broken 2-pins and them getting stuck within the IEM. (very fixable and cable replacement) Tangzu Wan'er SG is a safer for the ears set, less treble crazy, but personally it sounded abit low mid muddy (but generally its all fine) KZ Castor, I am still waiting for my Silver version (but I liked the EDC Pro, similar-ish to the Silver Castor). I have the Bass, which is better for me vs the Wan'er SG, better sparkle and technicalities.

1. **are you treble sensitive?** *if yes* then I cannot fully approve KZ Castor either Bass or Silver (as its tad bit treble crazy in some of its tuning) If not treble sensitive, yeah KZ Castor Silver Harman you can go for neutral bright to neutral warm (bassy, like Wan'er SG with abit more technicality) with the tuning switches. KZ Castor Bass is abit more bassy than the Harman, its also low mid muddy and abit mid recessed, but I get more technicalities and sparkle with it. But Tangzu Wan'er SG or Wan'er 2 is a more mellow IEM, great for long duration listening with no issues with treble, decent mid clarity and vocals. Bass is also decent with good sub-bass, but personally I find it abit low mid muddy and less technical and sparkle. KZ EDC Pro is my middle of the road between the Castor and Wan'er, it has enough sound sparkle and brightness while maintaining some clarity in the mids and still a bassy and punchy bass. While not making too much harsh trebles. This would be subjective, as you might have a different sound experience.

If you are going for the Castor or Castor Pro for general use, do not go for the Improved Bass version (even if its being advertised by many YouTubers) The Silver Harman is the way better Castor for general use, I have the OG Bass version as well. Its great for music but with gaming it gets muddied. Castor/Castor Pro Silver > Castor/Castor Pro Bass Terms of the Wan'er 2, from the people I ask and comparing vs the original Wan'er SG. Seems its a minor upgrade, better bass and mid separation (less muddy mids), and better cable with the inclusion of their Sanchai eartips. But the tuning is still the original Wan'er SG with its slighty anemic treble and sparkles (personally)

If you are going for the Castor or Castor Pro for general use, do not go for the Improved Bass version (even if its being advertised by many YouTubers) The Silver Harman is the way better Castor for general use, I have the OG Bass version as well. Its great for music but with gaming it gets muddied. Castor/Castor Pro Silver > Castor/Castor Pro Bass Terms of the Wan'er 2, from the people I ask and comparing vs the original Wan'er SG. Seems its a minor upgrade, better bass and mid separation (less muddy mids), and better cable with the inclusion of their Sanchai eartips. But the tuning is still the original Wan'er SG with its slighty anemic treble and sparkles (personally)

They are for the most part similar in general sound experience and tuning. Just that Castor Pro has abit more clarity and minor details vs the original. Though the Pro is abit more larger in size and abit heavier. Like a little bit. Both are good tbh, though I personally go for the og version. If you want less treble with them, then you go for UUDD switches.

|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

then go for a single DD IEM or 2DD with neutral or harman/harman-ish tuning, avoid going hybrids or planars. With the price range there are decently ones but I am unsure if they include a cable with included microphone, excluding every IEM we already listed before: * Kefine Klean \* * Tripowin Vivace \* * Moondrop Lan * Inawaken Dawn Ms \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Pro * Tanchjim Bunny * Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 \* * Simgot EW100/EW100P * ZiiGaat Nuo \* * Truthear Gate \* * ISN Neo 1 \* * BLON BL-03 * BLON BL-03 II * BLON BL-05 * EPZ Q5 Pro \* * TKZK TK-02 * KBEar KB01 * KBEar KB02 \* * KZ Castor Harman (Silver) \* * KZ Castor Pro Harman (Silver) * KZ EDC Pro (\* recommend)

https://preview.redd.it/oc5qk49gnqze1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=9aa9538b56e361c6da5d2c43aba4962eff6c12fd SGOR Adonis should be also good for you, though its more v-shaped than the Salnotes Zero 2, with abit more upper midrange energy (which means female vocals and lead sounds will be more pronounced) But male vocals might get thinner abit, but advantage for the Adonis maybe slightly better on soundstage and image separation vs the Salnotes Zero 2, because of its semi-open back design (Like the KZ Castor Silver, at the UDUU switch setting)

difference is more into maturity, general sound experience, and refinement. but it definitely depends on your preference tuning(s). I previously came from the original KZ Castors (both Bass and Silver Harman), then jumped to KZ AM16 Balanced, but I have already experienced few higher end IEMs around 50-200 USD. AM16 Balanced, especially if bought on a discount or at low price (just like mine at $33 locally here in the Philippines, but in the US it might be around $50-60). Better terms of detail retrieval, instrument separation, and "soundstage" vs the Castors (even if I EQ them to a similar preference EQ I like) But with a little bit more pricy set than the AM16 Balanced, because of its deep V-shape tuning and a little bit more refinement on those more expensive sets, those sets sound better overall. (specifically Ziigaat Odyssey 1) Though personally the AM16 Balanced with PEQ is getting there, sounds wonderful, though definitely those two sets are better, But definitely I know now what to upgrade to and most likely I know what are my end game sets. Until I don't need to EQ. My Mild-V/U shape EQ is around the Xenns Mangird Tea Pro and Ziigaat Odyssey 1. https://preview.redd.it/enkhr59aqhyf1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=35e8f417e92d2acc4f2be3885944fbb1a67f9a52

Castor Pro (Silver) might be touch bit brighter (abit more leaning towards neutral bright) than the OG Castor Silver, OG Silver seems to have a little bit more smoother sound experience than the Pro Silver. OG Silver, even in FR graphs is more versatile from neutral bright to a Mild-V warm-ish tuning. On the Tangzu Wan'er SG 1, yes its really warm and chill sound experience, though same with your guess it sounded abit too relaxed. Wan'er SG 2 changed that, so you can definitely go for that one as well. If you like bass, then Castor Bass definitely. Imaging wise its better than Tangzu Wan'er SG 1, though male vocals gets drowned, female vocals does not get affected as much. This based on my own personal experience on all 3 https://preview.redd.it/pq76zelzj8xf1.jpeg?width=9720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e9a811c03703d0c885fd03d7a806392ba2ec491 Though in the end, these are just subjective and personal opinions, everything will end up on your own preferences, likes, and dislikes.

The original EDX Pro is really more on the V-shaped bright tuning, and many don't like its bright tuning. If you really like bass, Castor Harman is not your IEM. I would either suggest going to like Saga Bass or Castor Bass, or Dawn. Castor Harman (1100 switches), Gale, EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga Balanced is more leaning towards balanced-ish tuning. Castor Harman (0000 switches) is more leaning to mild-V shaped bright, (0011 switches) neutral bright tuning Terms of improvement or any differences, if you want versatility and easy to adjust to almost any tuning, go for the Castor Harman (tuning switches and EQ) If you want to not fiddle with switches and/or EQ, go for the EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga series.

EDX Pro 2 and Saga Bass would definitely be a slightly more warmer set than EDC Pro. EDC Pro would be similar-ish in bass and mids with the EDX Pro 2, but a brighter treble, abit closer to balanced than warm or bright. But the EDC Pro was original reference tuning for many newer KZ IEMs, like the EDX Pro 2 and Saga Bass. They just refined the sound overtime, Zenith was the pinnacle of that tuning, especially alot of people really preferred the warmer sound. Even other KZs have been tuned to a tamer treble than classic KZ sets. Though recent new new releases have been using the Castor and Castor Pro Bass tuning with refinements on treble, and bass for the bass versions of the new KZ IEMs. https://preview.redd.it/rwodxqaqc3yf1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=cef5c06819544d7d3340234c1640b7dc24e72474

The original EDX Pro is really more on the V-shaped bright tuning, and many don't like its bright tuning. If you really like bass, Castor Harman is not your IEM. I would either suggest going to like Saga Bass or Castor Bass, or Dawn. Castor Harman (1100 switches), Gale, EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga Balanced is more leaning towards balanced-ish tuning. Castor Harman (0000 switches) is more leaning to mild-V shaped bright, (0011 switches) neutral bright tuning Terms of improvement or any differences, if you want versatility and easy to adjust to almost any tuning, go for the Castor Harman (tuning switches and EQ) If you want to not fiddle with switches and/or EQ, go for the EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga series.

The original EDX Pro is really more on the V-shaped bright tuning, and many don't like its bright tuning. If you really like bass, Castor Harman is not your IEM. I would either suggest going to like Saga Bass or Castor Bass, or Dawn. Castor Harman (1100 switches), Gale, EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga Balanced is more leaning towards balanced-ish tuning. Castor Harman (0000 switches) is more leaning to mild-V shaped bright, (0011 switches) neutral bright tuning Terms of improvement or any differences, if you want versatility and easy to adjust to almost any tuning, go for the Castor Harman (tuning switches and EQ) If you want to not fiddle with switches and/or EQ, go for the EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga series.

The original EDX Pro is really more on the V-shaped bright tuning, and many don't like its bright tuning. If you really like bass, Castor Harman is not your IEM. I would either suggest going to like Saga Bass or Castor Bass, or Dawn. Castor Harman (1100 switches), Gale, EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga Balanced is more leaning towards balanced-ish tuning. Castor Harman (0000 switches) is more leaning to mild-V shaped bright, (0011 switches) neutral bright tuning Terms of improvement or any differences, if you want versatility and easy to adjust to almost any tuning, go for the Castor Harman (tuning switches and EQ) If you want to not fiddle with switches and/or EQ, go for the EDC Pro, EDX Pro 2, and Saga series.

Neutral Warm \\\_ * Tangzu Wan'er SG/Wan'er 2 Neutral Bright \_/ * 7Hz Salnotes Zero * KZ Castor Silver (Harman, DDUU) V-shaped \\/ * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 * Kinera Celest Wyvern Pro (Mild V) * ZiiGaat Nuo (V-bright) * Kiwi Ears Dolce * Moondrop Chu 2 * Tanchjim Bunny 3.5mm * Tanchjim One 3.5mm * KBEar KS2 * QKZ x HBB * KZ Castor Silver (Harman, UUDD) * KZ Castor Black (Improved Bass) U-shaped \\\_/ * Tanchjim Bunny DSP * Tanchjim One DSP * KZ EDC Pro

7Hz Zero 2 is good on gaming. With the KZ Castor (it depends on what Castor you wanted) as there are 2 version of the Castor. Silver Harman Tuned and Black Bass Boosted Tuned: Black Bass Boosted Tuned is usually recommended by majority of the YouTuber reviewers, but its only great for EDM, Hip-Hop, and Rap music and not so good for competitive gaming personally, but great for single player games. Silver Harman Tuned is more versatile, can be tuned either for gaming and/or music. And can handle more than the Bass Improved version and also decent for general gaming as well.

Taurus is really tuned for a more neutral-ish or neutral bright preference. Its close to my JM-1 +10 dB bass shelf PEQ of my AM16 Balanced. But for my mild-v preference, ill rather pick OG Castor Harman at 1100 or Castor Pro Bass for more bass-focused tuning. Or just use my AM16 Balanced with no EQ, Taurus would just be a side or downgrade personally. But I know some will buy this set as their first.

I have seen a comment (maybe from Audio Amigo) where the Soundbrenner might just be a rebadged TRN ST2 shells with an additional BA driver. Seen frequency response graphs of it somewhere from ASR Forums, wacky and maybe shouty and shrilly graph. https://preview.redd.it/05hgzaaiqxqf1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=bc1d239095b5772b4ab21beb2e973abb64f6a65d I would personally stay away from the Soundbrenner if this is the actual graph, I would rather personally use my KZ Castor, AM16 Balanced, or my EDC Pro over this. In your case, go ahead and buy the Kefine Klean!

Newer KZ sets like the ZS10 Pro 2 are semi-open backs, but they are not really open-backs they still has significant noise cancellation passively. All because of eartip rolling, invest on other eartips. I myself has the KZ Castor, it has a big hole on its bottom with filters. You could kinda hear stuffs outside a bit, but with the right eartips and volume you can't even hear the outside even people yelling.

2 recomendations, if you havent use the tuning switches, play around with those, and tye spinfit CP155, they will help a lot with fit, im rocking the OG Castor bass with those.

Castor Og (talking about the bass versions tho) has more focus on mid bass punch and less on sub-bass rumble, being also a more energetic, kind of V-shaped, clean sound, but that makes the mid range sound thin and/or on the background, the Pro kinda fixes most of this adding more sub-bass rumble and reducing a bit of mid bass punch, and also reduces a bit the v-shaped sound so mid-range is not so pushed to the back, but it also increases the size of the nozzle (the part of the iem that goes into your ear canal) when the OG castor was already on ther big side of nozzles, so yeah, wound should be an overall upgrade, although not by much, but the comfort took a hit for some people.

For the price both are fairly good, but is possible that Zero 2 would have the technical edge over castor by a tiby bit, and also, the Harman version isnt that impressive to begging with, the bass version is usually recomended for its really good bass quality despite lower price, Harman is just fine-ish, either way, the biggest differences would be that: Zero 2 would have a more bassy and warm sound while the Castor Harman would feel brighter (more focused on vocals and treble) that could help with details, but also make it feel more intense than needed, and even with the tuning switches, bass on the harman castor wont be as especial or good as on the Castor Bass version*. that said, given that you also want to do some gaming, Zero2 is more commonly used for that as it works quite decently, so yeah, all in all, Zero 2 is the safer option here in terms of your use case.

Z300 is too much bass for people that dont like bass, and too little for bassheads, is and in all, not that great for a bassy iem, Castor is probably the best bass centric iem under $50, there are other iems with good bass, but arent as bass centric (like Dawn Ms or Kefine Klean).

Both have the same dual drivers (as I’ve read) but the Pro version moves their positions inside the shell. Apparently this also adds to the better sound of the Pro, regardless of the tuning, the drivers arraignment makes the sound waves “better”. Is that true? Idk but it sounds plausible. As far as the actual tuning, to me, the Pro is better but it isn’t some might and day difference. Both original and pro versions are really good for their price and sound profile. Either one is a good choice for bassheads. If you have the choice the Pro version is the one to get. If you can only get the original version you’re not missing out on much and would be quite satisfied with the original version.

Based on ONLY what you(OP) said about your usage, between those 2 IEMs the Castor Harmon is the better option. The 4 switches on the Castors control “Bass/Bass/Mids/Treble”. By default they are all in the Off position. Turning on both Bass switches will give you a nice and easily noticeable increase in bass response. The EDC Pro is an amazing sounding IEMs for how cheap it is, but that’s the thing, it is cheap. The materials used for the EDC Pro are of the lowest quality. This may not matter to you but just doing a simple side by side comparison of the Castors to the EDC Pro, Castors have a far better build quality. I would seriously look into getting the Saga bass version. Even the Saga Balanced version sounds “better” than the Castor Harmon versions and the Saga Bass has a noticeable boost in the low end over the saga balanced while still retaining its clarity.

eh the non bass version of kz castor is okay