KZ - Castor Pro (Harman Target Version)

Under $10 the best is the KZ EDC PRO (edx pro is another iem), use it with Kbear 08 eartips. In Aliexpress (sometimes using coins) you can get for $8-15 the ND planet, KZ Castor Pro/OG, KZ Libra Balanced/Hi res/X, KZ Saga balanced/bass, KZ ZVX pro, all of them have good reviews and comments. The Kbear 07 and 08 eartips are good for them.

I have bass and non bass pro version and when I listen first time I got amazed by non bass version is more refined and clean than the bass version and I return my bass version and keep my harmen target version I don't feel any difference in bass

Castor Pro (Black) is not bad, especially if you like bass music. The silver (Harman Target) version heard that it is not bad also... I think it is the only one in these 3 selection that have 2 x 10mm Dynamic Driver, the other 2 if I remember correctly is single dynamic driver.

Castor Pro have a girthy nozzle, might be too much for people with smaller ear canals.

Castor Pro (Black) is not bad, especially if you like bass music. The silver (Harman Target) version heard that it is not bad also... I think it is the only one in these 3 selection that have 2 x 10mm Dynamic Driver, the other 2 if I remember correctly is single dynamic driver.

Dunno about the other 3, but I like Castor Pro, it is a very enjoyable IEM for the price.

So I've had my Castor pros for about 3 days now and I've got them to where I am happy with the tuning. For mostly classic rock, metal, stuff not extremely bass heavy. So now I am once again on the hunt, this time I was wondering what a good not pricey (I'm poor) lol, more bass heavy but still punchy. I listen to some rap also but mostly hardcore techno 155+bpm, but I still want it to be punchy. Any recommendations will help. Thx guys😊.

Castor pros, silver is the Harman curve, the black ones are the bass enhanced.☺️ I bought them as my first and I'm very happy.

Personally, at 2k INR. None will have the clarity and details for some and many audiophiles. It kinda starts at least at the 4k-5k INR or above. If you want some details in this price range, go with a bright sound signature or V-shaped with prominent bright or trebles. Neutral Warm * Tangzu Wan'er SG \*\* * Tangzu Wan'er 2 \* Neutral Bright * 7Hz Salnotes Zero * KZ Castor Silver (Harman tuning, DDUU switches) \*\* * KZ Castor Pro Silver (Harman tuning, DDUU switches) \*\* * KZ x Angelears Libra X V-shaped * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 \* * Tanchjim Bunny 3.5mm \* * Tanchjim One 3.5mm * KZ Castor Silver (Harman tuning, UUDD switches) \*\* * KZ Castor Pro Silver (Harman tuning, UUDD switches) \*\* U-shaped * Tanchjim Bunny DSP \* * Tanchjim One DSP * DUNU Titan S2 \* (\* recommend | \*\* personally owned)

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)

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.

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.

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.

It's a really nice review. I ordered a castor pro harman target version yesterday. Hopping it to perform well for gaming and music. do you think it will be good for gaming?

Yeah isolation is a tough one. I’ve had the KZ Pros and think they are garbage on all aspects from the fit, to sound isolation, to the sound reproduction. Probably my most hated IEMs that I’ve tried

I have the castor pro harman version and it's pretty good for the price.

Preorder the tangzu wan er 2 off the tangzu website or aliexpress. It has really good value. I have the castor pro and its ok but nothing crazy. I prefer my 7hz crinacle zero 2 instead.

I have the castor pro and I prefer my zero 2 instead of it as well.

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

previously i'd say Rosefinch, but i got CCA Trio, and it technically is pretty much the same thing as Castor Pro Bass version. It's gonna be a bit less rumbly, but definitely not less powerful, and in terms of tone and technicalities imo it's an upgrade as well.

I'm enjoying the lower ends so much that I'm starting to think I should not be enjoying songs this much for such a cheap IEM 😁

I like bass so I guess it's preference on the cheaper iems

Buy kz castor pro.

Месье! Посоветуй Не могу подобрать уши к shanling m1 plus. Слушаю в основном металы и электронку. Сразу кажется с непривычки, что вообще нет баса Castor pro с тублерами 1100 - уже почти к ним привык, но чего то не хватает. V образные TRN white tiger - середина и вокал сильно лезут вперед, отодвигая остальное на задний план. че-то не идут Truthear Crinacle zero - слабо звучат, но дефолтный кабель паршивый, норм кабель еще едет Вот теперь на форуме вместо вышеперечисленных рекомендуют эти KZ ZVX PRO, мол на голову выше звучат, хотя везде пишут, что баса маловато Как бы ты сравнил эти уши с вышеперечисленными? Спасибо!

Cant go wrong with the castor pros I’ll say…

Get Castor Pro + a cheap DAC like an Audiocular D13 or portronics converter. If your budget is too tight, get CCA Trio instead.

If you end up choosing Castor, I recommend you get the Castor Pro for the same price. They fixed some shortcomings of the non-pro version.

Less boom? I think you just don't have a proper ear seal. Try and get some foam eartips to emphasize the bass more. Also, try and get the castor pro bass.

Castor bass is kinda muddy, but the castor pro bass has a more controlled bass.

Op was looking for more bass. Castor pro bass is where you to go for bass. Cadenza is v shaped, but isn't known for bass. Also, it's way beyond the price range of chu ii. 7hz zero 2 is more balanced with a bit of bass. Castor pro bass is still better for bass. Wyvern abyss is meh. I got ok bass. It's just smooth listening, but it's not good for bass. I actually sold my wyvern because it's shell is absurdly big for a single dynamic driver. I won't recommend something that doesn't qualify for what the person is looking for.

Castor pro is much better than waner

(Im the writer of this post) Castor pro harman simply better.

Castor pro is similar in value, or rather higher than the most recommended 30-40 bucks iem at the moment. Same for both versions. I prefer castor pro bass more.. It's better than kefine delci for me. Actually, I have several excellent iem for near 150 dollars, but I use castor pro very often and I'm impressed with that.

No, I just meant that the castor pro is not too far behind when used with 150 bucks iem.

But I think castor pro is worth at least $35~40$.

**QKZ HBB:** Has more bass compared to Castor Pro, but comes with slight compromises in Mids and Treble. In certain songs the bass tends to mask the vocals. The Treble is smooth for some, but it is on the darker side. **Castor Pro:** Has Bass and good sub bass rumble and it is one of the sets that maintains a balance in everything. It has Sub bass, mid bass, decent Mids and resolving Treble. For me, this is the jack of all trades set under 20 dollars. Most bassy iems tend to sacrifice on mid bass punch to maintain the Mids. This does provide that mid bass punch but at a cost of harman-ish Mids.

**Castor:** Has punchy mid bass. The slam hits hard, but with a compromise on thin mids. Treble is sharp. Sub bass is sub par. If you only care about the mid bass slam, go for it. Keep in mind, Castor can have distortion on the treble. It's not as EQ friendly, at least for my standard. And I don't even make drastic changes. **Castor Pro:** Has lesser mid bass as compared to Castor, but the strong sub bass presence makes it overall good. The mids are not thin, it's neutral-ish but definitely not as warm as Chu 2. It's just fine. Treble is well done here. Can be sibilant for some people, but not as much. The upgrades here are definitely the balance in tonality and resolution. This has good sound imaging too. It's bassy yet balanced due to not lacking in treble. Compared to Pro, castor sounds horrible to me.

For Gaming Castor Pro Silver would be better. It has better Resolution and the soundstage gives a surrounding effect feeling.

Yes, the filter is thin and prone to get clogged with wax. In my case, it was never an issue. But, yes if you are not careful with it, the filter needs to be replaced from time to time.

**KZ Saga Bass Edition:** If you want bass, alongwith no compromises on Mids and Treble. KZ Saga is overall the best due to its superior tonality. You can listen to various genres unlike the others. **QKZ x HBB & Rosefinch:** Strong Sub bass, warm vocals, lacks details in treble. This is great for Hip Hop, but might not enjoy other genres. The same goes for Roseflinch. **KZ Castor/Castor Pro:** Castor has more Mid bass, punchy bass. Decent rubble. Thin mids, shouty treble. Castor Pro is more balanced, it's the best of both worlds, KZ Saga has better tonality, but Castor Pro has slightly better technicalities. It's very EQ friendly. https://preview.redd.it/0vpgb08z7r8e1.png?width=2400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d12b0acf442af8984f685492e0f7fe1c82a41e8 KZ Saga is overall best imo, due to how it's tuned.

--- ## 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.

If your budget is tight, and you only want Bass QKZ x HBB is what you need. If you want Bass and open up other genres aside from Hip Hop, KZ Saga is good at that. Saga has more bass and tonality than Castor Pro, but Castor Pro has slightly better technicals.

All the three IEMs are somewhat specialized or niche in my opinion. None of these does something exceptionally well in everything. But, if you are talking about versatile IEMs then the list goes like this: Moondrop Chu 2> Castor Pro > Wan'er If your priority is Bass and fun sounding IEM that is good for gaming and music: Castor Pro> Chu 2 > Wan'er Castor Pro is good if you want a fun V-shaped sound. Why you don't get many reviews of it mostly because reviewers do not like KZ or the sound signature it offers. So, if you want insight of Castor Pro, you have to look for user reviews. Or check the review of ToneDeafMonk's Castor Bass. Castor Pro is an upgrade and fixes the things that Castor Bass had. If your priority is vocals and smooth treble: Wan'er outshines everything in this price range. Additionally, there's Tripowin Vivace if you want something that is versatile and good for gaming in that price range.

If we are talking about a fun V-shaped sound like Castor Pro, that excels in Bass, mids and treble, I don't think there's any other good contender. Castor Pro is really a specialist. The other options are QKZ x HBB and Rosefinch, but they have bad mids performance. The bass often bleed into the mids. Sometimes masking the vocals.

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.

The Castor Pro is a really good IEM; especially if you like good bass. Then you have to see with what source you read your music.

Chu, SSR, Castor Pro and many cheaper ones. This is the most FOMO based hobby I’ve ever been in.

I agree with the Saga. I can't comprehend how those are cheap while sounding very nice. To me, Saga is more energetic than the Castor Bass. OP can also opt for Castor Pro. It's basically an improved Castor. But you can have a much different experience with the Saga. They are both cheap, so if you have some extra money to spend, I suggest you try both. 😂 I have the castor, castor pro, saga and vader, and I have no regrets. Eyeing on the Rhapsody and Hydro for my next purchase. 🧐

Kz zsn pro is too old to consider. Meron ako nyan dati and, and hindi naman masama sound but I prefer Salnotes Zero in terms of gaming and music. Yung first 3 choices mo dun ka pumili. Yung kz castor pro ata yung magandang budget iem kung prefer mo kz brand.

Get the KZ castor pro, also get Audiocular D07 DAC with it. These iems are great I got them a few weeks ago but I noticed that they definitely need a dac to perform at their best. My phone is Redmi note 9 pro max which has a headphone jack, but yet I got a dac and the sound difference is definitely noticeable on a large scale.

I get a tinny distortion on the right side. Only happens in specific parts of tracks that have bass and male vocals,

Out of those options I would chose the castor pro, also give the kinera celeste wyverns a look

Thanks I have those as well, they are way too bassy for me and at least for me are not comfortable at all and fall out very often :(

Got into IEMs this year after a few wireless sets died on me..... Started with budget ones and now have a small collection - Castor Pro tuned for bass, TW SG2 for daily use, and Chu 2 for vocals/classical. Would love to try something higher tier like the Horizon (or the Odyssey 2) to see what multi-driver magic sounds like!

I’ve been testing these 2 iem’s for the past month and I think I prefer the Artti R6 for Gaming and Castor Pros for music, the Artti r6 are much cheaper aswell, I usually see them under $10! Although the sound quality is much more “basic” or natural on Artti r6 I think that’s the reason why it’s better for gaming. Some sounds can be way too sharp if the volume is too loud, like gun shots can be too sharp at times I gotta turn the volume down a bit and it usually solves that. The castor pros on the other hand feel much more premium and with the tuning switches, you can tune it to your preference. The castor pros sound very good but in my opinion they can be a bit too quiet for fps gaming. I would say they’re the opposite of the R6 and sound much more warm. kind of muffled/quiet when playing fps games and I gotta try a bit harder to listen for footsteps. This is just my observations so far but I will continue testing. Again, this is just my opinion, I’m new to IEM’s so if my explanation sounds funny I’m sorry 😆 I will be purchasing a DAC soon and testing them again to see if I notice any changes. I know that a DAC is almost a must for IEM’s, so this is probably not the most accurate comparison.

Get castor pro bass or edc pro, get them from [https://www.headphonezone.in](https://www.headphonezone.in) or [https://conceptkart.com/](https://conceptkart.com/) Both are pretty good. Edc pro costs 600 without mic, or 750 for with mic. Castor pro is pretty much better version of Castor Chu 2 & zero 1 both are outdated.

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.

Kz Castor pros are goated for the price range and they are discounted on AliExpress rn, they are kind of heavy and big compared to the others tho so depending on your ear anatomy you might need to buy sm better eartips to get the best comfort and sound experience out of them

I’d say pass both and go for the KZ Dawn Silver. It has more bass then both QKZxHBB and Castor Pro. I’m my opinion, the Dawn Silver is also more clear sounding than QKZxHBB. I have all three.

Id actually say to go for KZ castor pro in the same price. Its highs arent sharp and can be tuned physically and the bass is complementary as its being produced by a different driver. I use it on iphone 15 with audiocular d10 plus apple music highres lossless. Its amazing bang for buck and also if used with android, we can use eq and atmos experience is better . If it dint have cables, I wouldn’t even use airpods pro.

Its 1850 in conceptkart

I have two sets of KZ. Castor Pros and Vader Pros. Both are reallllly good sounding to me, especially Harmon Target with adjustments. The Vader Pros are incredible, honestly. The Castor Pros are like BASS, but still tunable. Depends on what kind of bass you're looking for. Sub-bass is best on the Vaders.

No one mentioning the EDC Pro or newer Saga? I have all three you have listed. Of the three, I like the Wan'er the best, but only if you cover the front vent to give it a bass boost. Stock, it's great for movies and K/J-pop. Cover the front vent, it's now good for EDM (think PulsRadio Dance's poppish EDM) The Castor Pro Bass is a bit too V shaped for me. The bass and trebles are the best of the three. And has the most technical build {2 DDs) and requires more power, so buy a good DAC with 30mW per channel. And you can EQ the mids to give you an even better sound. The Chu 2 is decent Just... decent. Nothing special. I'll get hate for it, but to me, the sound boring. So I'd rank them in this order 1 Wan'er (with front vent covered. If not covered, then go with Castor Pro Bass) 2 Castor Pro Bass (probably best of three for gaming) 3 Chu 2 ...or buy the new KZ Saga and be done with it.

If your audio source is coming from a PC, I'd suggest the KZ PRX. Great planar sound, But it does require more power to run them, which your PC will provide. But between the two choices above, definitely the Zero Red. It's a decent sounding, dual dynamic driver IEM. I own a pair. If you're more into bassier tunes, like EDM, then maybe the Zero Blue. I don't own the blues, but my other dual dynamic driver IEM is my Castor Bass Pro. It's more V shaped than the Zero Red. And to me, better for EDM.

What are you looking to accomplish? Gaming? Music, and which genre? I have the Castor Pro Bass and the Wan'er 1. I like bassy tracks (EDM) and prefer the Castor Pro Bass, though I need a stronger DAC than what the easy driving Wan'er needs.

From that list Castor or Castor Pro but honestly I prefer Vader Balanced, Zenith, AM16, and ZS12 Pro X as my favorite KZ IEMs.

Castor pro black under 2k. For a more balanced harman ish tuning castor pro silver or 7hz zero2.

Gate, castor pro black, simgot ew100, tanchjim bunny, tanchjim zero ultima, nd planet many options. Get whichever fits your library.

From my experience, gate for treble, castor pro for bass, bunny for balanced. Watch reviews, read reddit, got to squiglink and see the graphs. I admit there's a learning curve but it's worth it.

Castor pros

I was too damn confused but eventually went with the kz castor pro

The Castors do not rumble that much, but boy do they SLAM. Subbass is kind of subdued and midbass gets on the spotlight for this set. The KZ Castor Pros are more balanced in terms of rumble and slam. For the other 2 sets I can't say much, but the frequency response graphs may give you an idea.

The kz castor pros are good so are the kz edc pro and cheap the wan er jade dragon is also good. Any of the ones you have listed are pretty good as well. I also like the ccz dc02 and ccz dc03 alot for their price which is usually sub 20 dollars.

Scandals and haters aside, I genuinely believe that most KZ IEMs are at least impressive, if not great. IMO the Castor and Castor Pro are probably the best for the price. That said, the ZS 12 Pro, shoots way above its weight.

Of course mate, no problem. Yes, you are correct, rolling is changing the stock ones to aftermarket ones (cables and eartips). Cable recs? For those Caspro bass, my choice is always the qkz t1 cable, are in 3 colors: brown/black, blue/silver and gold ( i have more than 15 of these with my kz iems mostly). For beginners Caspro bass is a no brainer, Sagas and the new ZVX pro are good options aswell. Try first the Castor pro Bass without eq, and change the switches at your liking, the og is more bassy (and it's fine if someone likes more that kind of tuning), but i prefer more this pro because is more balanced and technically superior after all, for someone entering this hobbie, those are an excellent enter drug, lol

Castor pro are more big but also ergonomic and confortable compared to the og, similar weight

If you want something which is nuetral and clear with good bass get the CHU 2(3.5mm) If you only care about BASS then get the castor pro. The have really prominent bass but lack clarity in highs. Tangzu Wan'er have a shitty build quality, since you come from the samsung AKGs, tangzu will feel really cheap, and they have okayish sound quality with nice bass. overall i would suggest moondrop chu 2, really great build(metallic/aluminium alloy) built, and have a good balanced sound with a nice bass that doesnt get into your brain, KZ castors are purely bass prominent!

I'm just a budget guy, but empathizing with the basshead stuff. I add a +15 ( or more) shelf to my S12s and still not satisfied. Never heard the deuce, but use it as a baseline target on various sets. For $15 you can pick up an 80 ohm, which should make a big difference. I'm assuming you prefer avoiding eq for convenience. 15 ohms doesn't do it for me. Personally I add a couple DB of sub bass over the Deuce target together with a 75+ resistance adapter (eq and plugs are sonically different and not interchangeable). W/ this setup, bass on the E20 and Castor Pro is absolutely ridiculous, leaving the Legato w/ shelf and Rosefinch w/shelf in the dust. Both sub and mid.

I have Castor Pro Black and Tangzu Wan'er, for me Castor Pro sounds better more clear and detailed but the comfort on my ear is pretty bad I can't have It for long time, Wan'er on the other hand is just a little bit worst not much, and It's comfortable to use for many hours. So I would recommend Wan'er, is a safe option, I haven't tried Chu II It could possibly be a good option aswell since most people like It.

$16? The kz castor pro alone already cost that, this collection cost around 100~200$

I have the Chu 2 and Castor Pro Bass version. The Chu 2s are way better all around than the Castor Pro Bass - way clearer detail, midrange, treble, more ergonomic for small ears, build quality, etc. I did notice the Chu 2 sounding a bit dark and metallic & sibilant in songs with a lot of cymbals, but it's still way better than Castor Pro Bass for everything but mid bass quantity.

For the price of Kinera Celest Wyvern, you can buy two choices of KZ Castor Pro (In my ₱lace). Oddly enough, you can even toy with both by having two different types of Castor in each ear as the fit feels the same. This method sacrificing stereo imaging but enhances monotone expansion that still feels like stereo...

For me, it's currently KZ Castor Pro with a very unique mod for the eartips. https://preview.redd.it/2xnucw1azdae1.jpeg?width=4064&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c3dfd7fe12e4673b8ed9845b96bdbd7420bee28 My ears have tasted sweet honey which have never before after doing this. A simple upgrade for eartips led me to a stopping tier.

This is made possible doing this to open nozzles which I think that are more than 6mm diameter. The [eartips](https://ph.shp.ee/mzxzdE5) are abnormally thin. **Castor Pro *Silver* Hardware Tuning**: UDUU. **Soundstage**: Suddenly felt small but anechoic. Feels good for my preference. The interchange is overwhelming and synthetic. Maybe I'd say, a prism shaped room. **Imaging**: An imitated joint 3 way channel surrounded sound precision or an expansive 2 way channel distinguished spatial stereo effect. The two depends on which becomes the dominant frequency of the sound genre. *(FPS gaming felt astronomical!)* **Seperation**: Wonderful accuracy *(more than ever!)* but makes the mids slightly lower and a bit penetrable *or* transparent in some cases. It's an amazing enhancement! **Bass**: Less air, but the pressure snares. Remains the typical and genuine dynamic performance. Give an impact when treble peaks and collaborates better forefront image. **Mids**: gains some opacity for some busy tracks. Gets a sacrificed volume just a bit when monitored for seperation, but still existent to listen consistently. **Treble**: Sweeter and hard to unnoticeable despite the tight gap space. Totally gets *hydrophobic* to sub-bass and subsequently bullies the central mids. **Pitch**: Gains up only when frequencies are peaking specially the mid and high melody tones. Amazingly limpid I guess. **Octave**: It is well controlled, but I think its subtly affect the mid-bass a bit. **Comfort**: Your typically opinions for KZ every stock eartips whether it is good or bad. This is good for me and seals well. I don't know what its going to be like for you. **Personal Taste**: My ears now have preferred capturing the imaging layers of what the mid frequencies are offering for my Castor Pro Silver after doing this to the nozzle. Im not a treblehead and my hardware tuning used to be *UUUD* at first, all *U* feels kinda aggressive. Now it's *UDUU* or *DDUD* which everything feels balanced and perfect in my scale ⚖️! I can't say this acts like narrow bore because I'm definitely sure it does not. I like clarity a lot to my music and I don't sense the aggressiveness of treble after switching an odd tuning combo which I'd never thought I'd like leave behind. The dynamic drivers now never felt lacking like I thought so before. At this point, I'd like to declare that these are my endgame for eartips, specifically for KZ Castor Pro only. It will permanently stay there without the need for a filter mesh.

You might not like its size if you think your ears are small. Specially the nozzles. This was my experiences the first time I wore the KZ Castor Pro. But now it's long-term comfortable. My ear contours have probably memorized its shape. Plus it digs deeper in my ear canal than my inferior KZ Castor even if both uses small eartips (I don't know why) But as for my modded eartips. You need small core eartips. Might be rare to find in your case though. https://preview.redd.it/1l4ztgsqdxbe1.jpeg?width=866&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dbe22cd972da73be882d84eacdef8db585c93e46

They're all cheap enough so i wouldn't sweat it. Wan'er and Castor Pro can be had for under $15. Little difference between them all, they are all good . Ps. Castor Pro's are ace.

Put it this way, because of them i have sold Castor Pro, Zero 2 and Chu 2. Tells you all you need to know!

Understandable. For less, the KZ Castor Pro obliterates them.

I use my castor pros for gaming. They sound great. I can pinpoint enemies in CoD, Rivals, or single player games like Oblivion.

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.

I bought Kz Castor Pro literally only for gaming. I set them to the overblown bass setting for extra boom, and it’s awesome. I wouldn't listen to music on them like this, but for games, it's a good and fun experience.

Yes. I don’t like bassy headphones for music, but I use those for gaming with maxed out bass switches and it’s great. Games usually don’t have enough bass by default so bassy headphones add more excitement.

Been using this to play COD since 2 days (4 hours each day) https://preview.redd.it/7wjlmuf60ise1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78054a2a67181ff5552c8d396b5a1ea61dbc8147 I just got my hands on the 7Hz G1, and after testing it extensively, I have to say—this IEM is an absolute beast for gaming! **Build & Specs:** Driver: 1 Dynamic Driver Tuning: Fairly balanced with a wide soundstage Volume & Bass: Both are solid, no complaints here **Music Performance:** I'll be honest—while the G1 sounds good for music, it doesn’t quite have the same excitement factor as my other IEMs. I find my KZ Castor Pro and ZS12 Pro X to be better for music and movies. The G1 is clear and detailed, but it just doesn’t hit that "wow" factor for pure music enjoyment. **Gaming Performance - A-Tier!** Where the 7Hz G1 truly shines is in gaming. I tested it on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Nuketown) and Warzone, and the experience was nothing short of amazing. (Warzone only for 4 hrs as it is paused for today) **Here’s what stood out:** Insanely Wide Soundstage – The G1 made Nuketown feel HUGE. Warzone’s larger maps are even more immersive. Pinpoint Positional Accuracy – I could clearly track footsteps, gunshots, and even subtle movements. Whether enemies were on the left, right, front, back, above, or below, I could hear it all. Crystal-Clear Footsteps & Cues – Footsteps were loud enough without getting underpowered by other sounds such as gunshots, grenades etc. DTS:X Ultra + Shooter Mode – I used this combo with no EQ, and it worked perfectly. Best COD Audio Setting? – I tried Treyarch Mix, Headphones, and Sucker Punch, but Home Theater Mode worked best for me. It made everything sound even more massive, immersive, and lifelike—I felt like I was actually inside the game. **Final Thoughts - Is It Worth It?** If you're looking for an IEM specifically for gaming, 7Hz G1 is an absolute steal. I was considering buying an expensive IEM just for gaming, but this saved me so much money while delivering performance a lot better than my expectations. I loved it! For music, it’s decent but doesn’t replace my Castor Pro or ZS12X. But for gaming? Easily the best IEM I’ve ever used. If you want insane spatial awareness, wide soundstage, and accurate positional audio for FPS games—this is the one to get. **(Do not spend anything more than this just for gaming because I think post this every other iem will have a diminishing return).** Let me know if you have any questions!

I have Castor Pro, and it's alright for gaming, but I'd recommend KZ Gale that I also have.

I like the sound quality on both, but in my case, Castor Pro is really uncomfortable. After a few minutes of using it, my right ear hurts a lot, and it becomes unbearable to use after a while. It might be due to the shape and size of my ear, so take note of that when you consider what to buy. You can hear where the footsteps/shots are coming from clearly in both of them. Castor Pro is also bassier than Gale, so it might affect immersion for you. I like it when the sound is very bassy in games, but I know people who prefer more neutral sound for gaming without much bass.

Couldn't use my castor pro because it hurt my ears. I tried switching to foam tips and the pain went away, but they were still very uncomfortable. Turned out, the nozzles were too big for my ears.

Kz castor pro is a very good budget option

I own both of these, both are great but Castor Pro edges out Wan'er in detail and bass by a little bit. Either of these, if you are only picking from these two, will probably give a good experience but my bet will be with the Castor Pro

I still listen to them every once in a while, but not very much since I got the Castor Pro (Bass). The Zero Red is still a good set, I just don't know what value I would put on it at this point after hearing some great budget sets since I got it.

Nice comparison, thanks for doing this. I like my Castor Pro just a little bit more than the Saga but damn are they close. I really like both IEMs and they're under 20 bucks which makes them very accessible.

Qkz x hbb has way more rumble than castor bass (not pro). I don't think that pro really improves on that aspect. But you need to find the right tips for your ears. Stock qkz hbb tips kinda trash like on most budget iems. Qkz x hbb hades has even more bass, sub bass a little worse than qkz x hbb, but they're more comfortable at higher volume, but it's not for everyone and not for every type of music and it's harder to drive, but i really love them, they're my favorite with qkz x hbb atm. Castor and castor pro are also a little harder to drive. You won't find better bass quality with good quantity at this price than qkz x hbb. Kbear Rosefinch has more quantity but it lacks any rumble and punch for me. Kz saga bass could be a good competitor to qkz x hbb from what I've heard. Also there is new 7hz elua, wich is hbb colab, also could be something interesting, but a little bit more expensive. I'm waiting for both of those and more pairs to hear them, since i can't really find anything to replace qkz x hbb. I'd say go with qkz x hbb. They're absolute beasts for hip hop and any other genre really, if you're into dark sound signature which helps bass. Qkz x hbb hades are absolutely fucking insane for hip hop, but could be lacking in other genres, but i like them for most other music too. But for movies i always use qkz x hbb.

True i bought the castor pro and it had lower volume in one of them and as you can guess I had to threaten them to return it literally

They're very popular because of their price/sound quality ratio. You'd usually have to pay 20-30usd for that quality from other brands. There's a summer Sale now on Ali. You can get the Castor or the Castor Pro or D-FI for less than 10usd each if you have enough coins

I like them for rpg games. They are decent and can make explosions go boomy. I use my tripowin vivace for comp e sports tho. Great soundstage and cheap.

My recommendations would be -Truthear zero: Red. Be carefull as the nozzles are abit large. -truthear zero: blue 2: has really small nozzles copared to the reds. Dont go with kz as they have bad qc and nost of their products break within months.

Not all but the kz castor and the castor pro my friend has both broke in a month more or less. It sounds good when it works but not otherwise

I have only tested mine for a few hours and the bass is great, i mean the lows as whole are amazing or the best I've heard on the few iems I have, (they remind me of Sony sound) what I don't like is this particular high frequency that highlights the high hats and cymbals. Anyone else feels that way? I've been using the castor pro more often and it is softer. Tbh honest they're all pretty unused and haven't burned in properly yet. Also recently got some tips to try but haven't really swapped them around and test them all. (clarion, and sancai normal & wide)

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.

well, should be fine, is not as impressive as the castor bass, but is decent, it is a brighter iem tho (with some extra treble Energy) so i do hope it works for you, do try to play around with the switches to see what config works better for you.

Conceptkart is shitty, I had bought KZ castor pro - Silver version and I want to exchange it for Aurora( Have the exchange policy on my product) but these mind boggling piece of shits don't even care to reply!! :(

Ha ur in luck I saw this post , 🤣 hands down the castor pro for gaming and music 🎵 I have those and use it for PUBG /valo https://preview.redd.it/042jyvdlbbhe1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a720210401d7b443f6769086cf970c9630c9c8b3

I have both in bass versions. Original has more bass but less clarity and pro has less quantity of bass, but it's cleaner and nicer cleared highs. If you want more bass go for the original castor bass, if you want a more balanced sound with still having more than average bass get the pro bass.

I got 2 Castor pro harman 2 days ago. I have shp9500 headphones. The Castor Pro sounded like the shp9500. I applied the EQ I use for the shp9500 (9500 lacks bass but delivers a clean and natural sound) to the Castor Pro. I achieved almost the same sound quality with the Castor. In games, I watched a few clips where the footstep sounds I had previously recorded were barely audible. I could hear the sound directly, but I didn't test how well it was spatially accurate. If KZ has a newer and better IEM, go for it. Otherwise, get the Castor Pro and adjust the EQ settings. You can use Wavelet for Android and Equalizer APO for PC. This is my eq setting. GraphicEQ: 20 -0.2; 21 -0.2; 22 -0.2; 23 -0.2; 24 -0.2; 26 -0.2; 27 -0.2; 29 -0.2; 30 -0.2; 32 -0.2; 34 -0.2; 36 -0.2; 38 -0.2; 40 -0.2; 43 -0.2; 45 -0.2; 48 -0.2; 50 -0.2; 53 -0.2; 56 -0.2; 59 -0.2; 63 -0.2; 66 -0.2; 70 -0.5; 74 -0.9; 78 -1.3; 83 -1.7; 87 -2; 92 -2.4; 97 -2.7; 103 -3; 109 -3.3; 115 -3.6; 121 -3.8; 128 -4.2; 136 -4.5; 143 -4.8; 151 -5; 160 -5.2; 169 -5.3; 178 -5.4; 188 -5.5; 199 -5.5; 210 -5.6; 222 -5.4; 235 -5.3; 248 -5.1; 262 -4.9; 277 -4.9; 292 -4.8; 309 -4.9; 326 -4.9; 345 -5; 364 -5.1; 385 -5.2; 406 -5.3; 429 -5.4; 453 -5.5; 479 -5.7; 506 -5.8; 534 -5.9; 565 -6.1; 596 -6.2; 630 -6.4; 665 -6.7; 703 -6.9; 743 -7.1; 784 -7.4; 829 -7.7; 875 -7.9; 924 -8.1; 977 -8.3; 1032 -8.3; 1090 -8.2; 1151 -8.1; 1216 -8; 1284 -7.7; 1357 -7.6; 1433 -7.5; 1514 -7.1; 1599 -6.5; 1689 -5.9; 1784 -5; 1885 -4; 1991 -3; 2103 -2.6; 2221 -3.2; 2347 -3.4; 2479 -3.4; 2618 -3.9; 2766 -4.9; 2921 -6.1; 3086 -6.2; 3260 -5.4; 3443 -5.4; 3637 -5.9; 3842 -6.8; 4058 -8.2; 4287 -9.2; 4528 -10.5; 4783 -11.9; 5052 -11.3; 5337 -11.4; 5637 -11.8; 5955 -12.8; 6290 -13.4; 6644 -10.1; 7018 -7.5; 7414 -7.3; 7831 -8.1; 8272 -7.8; 8738 -7; 9230 -6.5; 9749 -6.2; 10298 -5.9; 10878 -5.8; 11490 -5.7; 12137 -5.7; 12821 -5.7; 13543 -5.8; 14305 -6; 15110 -6.2; 15961 -6.4; 16860 -6.7; 17809 -7.1; 18812 -7.5; 19871 -8

Castor Pro are good overall for its price point.

Owned both - wyvern I flipped asap as it was a boring listen. No regret letting it go. Castor Pro I flipped too only because I felt it wont get much listening time among my similar sets, and its large feeling fit. But it is a much more competent iem than the wyvern with tuning flexibility with its switches. I have slight regret selling it. Right now, in price range of these two, I'd recommend the hzsound white snow - best stock tuning, sq among my ultra budget collection.

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.

from what i know og castor bass have higher treble than castor pro. so i guess og castor bass may harsh to some while castor pro have slightly lower the bass and reduce some of treble region

I’m not a gamer, but IEMs that I’ve seen recommended in this sub for gaming include the QKZ HBB, 7hz Zero 2, Tripowin x 0diBi: Vivace, Truthear Zero Blue, the Truthear Nova and the Simgot EM6L. I haven’t really heard the Chu 2 or the Klean recommended for gaming. I’m not a fan of the Castor, but you may consider the Castor bass over the Castor Harman. (I have the Castor Pro Bass and it sounds similar to the QKZ HBB).

I find the Wyvern very flat in comparison to the Castor Pro. I found myself straining to hear the base and kept trying to push them deeper into my ear. I have the mic boom option and regret it. The weight of the boom is enough to cause the earpiece to constantly shift out of the desired placement in my ear. Found it annoying and nearly trashed it just cos of that. I guess a foam tip will help solve this issue. I feel like it's a quality product but I would have liked to have some ability to tweak it to my liking. As far as 'look and feel' it's probably the best looking iem right now, hard to beat in looks. Build quality is solid. The Castor Pro however also looks really good and I feel like the build slightly edges ahead of the Wyvern. I like how the connector pins on the cables have a protective housing whereas the Wyvern cables have the pins fully exposed. In terms of sound quality it's clearly superior in terms of staging and provides a richer, fuller experience. This combined with the ability to tweak the eq to a degree make it my choice between the two. The Wyvern is treble biased to the point that some of my favourite songs i listened to were nearly unrecognizable or sounded altered. Both are great products with a premium feel but the Castor Pro feels like they've put lots of time and consideration into producing a quality product that also comes in at a great price point. I must say that I was really dissapointed by the performance of the Wyvern but what it has done is give me a new appreciation of the Castor Pro.

I just bought the castor pro, and man the experience was great. The only downside is It feels heavy to wear, Compare to my Kz zsn and QKZ ak6 max the castor pro is way heavier even if you combine the weights of the two, so my ear canals are hurting and I can't wear them for longer period of time, I don't know much about IEMS and if my problem can be resolved by changing eartips but the only reason I bought the castor pro is the bass

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.

I had that same problem with the Castor’s falling out. Memory foam tips worked better for me.

Today Waner 2 arrived just to realize kz Castor pro are better .

I bought the silver KZ Castor Pro last week for gaming and I love them

I'm the same. My Zero Blue and Red both sit and look pretty but the nozzles are my big issue. Can handle them for a few hours but not much longer. Castor Bass is much more comfortable for long listening sessions. *Edit Zero blow to zero blue. Lol

I completely agree. Had the original Castors (bass improved supposedly) and they ended up collecting dust. Worst sounding IEM in my collection. Then I got the new Pro and WOW!! Can't get enough of it. Great sub bass, great bass, decent mids and highs. For an IEM at this price, the sound stage is also very decent.

Wan‘er best tuning. Or castor pro , i dont know why someone is suggesting you the the gate , they are cheap constructed the castor are much sturdier and the gate dont impress at all as sound

I just got an iem kz castor pro..they sound excellent but u can't use them for long hours..i tried apple wired too but they don't cut the outside noise..the best earphones for you will be samsung akg it costs 1700 approx and it's better than the apple wired earphones.for best music experience pair them with apple music and select the audio quality as lossless.

The only KZ worth buying is EDC Pro or Castor Pro, unless you know how to mod and experiment with IEMs. Even then, sets like QKZ X HBB and Blon BL03 II exist for $30. Spend a bit more than bottom dollar to get value.

I'm going to get the castor pro after sending back my waner sg studio. I really like the kz edc pro for the 5 I paid.

KZ hasn't really fallen and instead it's probably the opposite. They have improved their tuning and frequently get recommended in the sub $100 iem realm. Vader, Vader Pro, Castor Pro, Zenith, AM16 etc are all very good IEMs for their price.

So.the total cost will be 3k + ,also how the bass edition is good? The whole sound will feel kinda boomy because of that extra bass I tried that in fps shooter but the granade and firing sound is masking the footsteps I find that the castor pro silver is more accurate but the only issue is the weight

I tried the kz Castor pro silver it was really amazing when I played apex , I can hear everything with the distance I can hear fights going on over the mountain enemies exact distances , i didn't paired with any dac But Lil bit confusing while playing games like Marvel rivals and small map games but we can easily tune it The only problem I felt is the weight the weight was horrible it starts paining after 1 hr so keep that in mind

So far im still on my first iems (castor pros) so im jot sure where they deepness wise compared to others but i can see the want for that deep of a fit

Just got the castor pros this morning, and goddamn are they incredible. The last pair I used was the moon drop chu II. And they are miles ahead.

I've got a couple pairs of KZ Castor Pros and that's all I need. Better than the cheap stuff I'd otherwise buy from Walmart.

I recently bought a KZ Castor Pro (improved bass) as a secondary set for gaming and some movies/tv/youtube. To my ears, out of the box they sound great, and is even better after turning on some of the tuning switches (i have 1 and 2 on). It was meant to be a “secondary” set but ended up being my daily driver currently. Never really did a deep dive as to why people avoid it but I’ve read some comments about their QC issues on youtube.

Yes, I have looked over the Castor Pro Bass for quite a while now and I'm completely fine with the pricing, I might just get two instead of one since I simply cannot decide which one to get lol The ZVX PRO seems nice due to it's price to performance single DD and I've heard a lot of good things about the Castor Pro Bass Both are the same price which is why I'm thinking of getting both at this point. I'm fine with EQing stuff either way so the easier they can handle it the better, driving them is also not an issue since I'm using an LG V20.

I currently use kZ castor IEMs and I've found them to be decent. Not too fatiguing and you don't need them loud.