KZ - Castor Pro (Harman Target with Improved Bass Version)

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

I have read...KZ have had QC issues (guess that's the only caveat) My set works as expected. I am getting good bass response from BOTH my desktop dac/amp (Fiio K11 R2R) and off my iphone via a US edition apple dongle. Since you don't mind EQ... some of the planar IEMs out there do play well with EQ. Even the 1st gen stuff... they're not quite sub-35USD range...but they're not prohibitively expensive

I looked at the Artti T10 and the T10 Pro. I decided on the NiceHCK F1 Pro (it was on sale😂😂) Not disappointed at all. I have a set of planar cans...and I was curious about planars in an IEM. Am pleasantly surprised. Hope you get a good set of Castor Pro...I really like mine. The set comes with a tool and diagram for you to tinker with the tuning. Did some time rolling...and settled on DUNU SS tips. Lovely set indeed.

>maybe Something More bassy could be a good pick. What would you have suggested if he had asked for something bassy? I have already used the Kz Castor Pro Bass Edition, but I'm looking to move on from it. Can you suggest iem below $70 to use for longer session music listening?

Hello. I am no means an audiophile and do not have a lot of IEMS tested. Currently owning only KZ castor Harman (Silver) And the improved bass (Black color). If in case i make any mistakes other could correct me. And im only sharing personal experience as a nooby and personal opinion. So since i have switched to the IEMS going to be honest in my personal experience i personally prefer using the IEMS over the gaming headsets. (Only experience before iems was gaming headsets like Corsair virtuoso se, Razer kraken v2, Hyperx cloud 2, and Sony headphones like Sony wh-1000xm3, Sony linkbuds s, Sony wh h910n aka h.earon and some other Sony XB headphones) Reason i wanted to switch to the IEMS was i needed a descent headphones/iems to use with my PC since because of the over ear headphones i had migraines and a lot of of them i had. To the point that i could not play games or even watch the contact im consuming for more then 30 min a day. After switching to IEMS i noticed the sound stage felt a little bigger then the Corsairs i still have and sounded much better with out even using any EQ app on my pc. If being honest i personally doubt that IEMS are leagues a head against higher end Headphones that considered good in audiophile community. Since the IEMS are small there will be limitations. I would even say it would be compering Desktop pc spec against laptop. Similar but not quite. And from what i have read in this group my personal opinion is that the IEMS over 100 maybe even over then 150 have the diminishing returns. If i look at them as a regular consumer then 80% of people might not even feel a big of a difference between iems that cost 150 euros/dollars against any other wireless headphones that consumers buy. But this is only my opinion. So personally since im on a budget i do not see a point buying iems that more then 70 euros (Since im from EU) Becasue a lot of them are definably providing me all i need for musing and playing video games. (Only now considering buying some other options to get a little bit better experience then my KZ castor Harman tuning version) Apologies if i wrote in a mishmash tried to share some experience from a nooby side. And apologies if i have offended anyone.

https://preview.redd.it/9vn2rdkh3n1e1.jpg?width=872&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1dbead2f7930e6cf4dbde1b42fcfd4ff9daef44 Hello everyone. I would like to share my experience with the KZ castor that i own my self right now as a casual gamer. (Further in the info i will reefer Harman tuned- Silver and improved bass - Bass) But note that this my personal experience and opinion. This is my first time writing and small informative review for others. But hope this could help other people of choosing for there needs. As i stated in my original post that i bought IEM for replacing my gaming headset since i had Migraines using them. [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1fehzds/i\_have\_finally\_bought\_my\_first\_iems/](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1fehzds/i_have_finally_bought_my_first_iems/) Over all I'm quite happy with my purchase of the Silver and Bass Castors. But to explain which one is better for gaming would be quite hard. Since I'm not audiophile. But i will try my best to explain my experience. Maybe this information will be useful to other buyers. (Note that there is already released a KZ cast or pro versions for both earbuds at the time writing this post.) Games i have tested them in: 1. Destiny 2 2. Lethal company 3. Hogwarts Legacy 4. God of War Ragnarök I do not play much competitive games so i have not tested them there. The Silver Castor. (Switches setting used Originally UUDD now UDUD) If to explain how they sound then they would be quite fun for there tuning. They would be lightly warm sounding. That allowed me to enjoy playing games with these IEMs. If we are talking about position in games it was actually quite easy understand where everything is and distinguish it. I was quite surprised how these earbuds performed for the games. Knowing that the bass is not that strong (BASS heads would love these) it made the game more immersive for me. I would not say that these would be 100% for everyone. But considering there current price they are really decent for the everything. Especially with there switches that are build in. Since you can adjust them on the fly. The Bass castors (Switches settings UDUD) Well regarding the Improved Bass model is quite popular in the community (Referring to the posts that often pops up of new IEM users). And now i understand why. The tuning actually is considered similar to the Silver version but increased bass. For music listening they are my favorites even compared to my Sony Linkbuds S earbuds. And i often love listening music with increased bass. (I'm kind of bass head). To be fair I'm using them more often then the Silver version. Since i prefer them to watching the content and even for the gaming. I love how the base improves the impressiveness in the games especially for the Single player games. With the settings i have sett i still able to understand where everything is located in the games. Of course other might not be able to enjoy them with the switches settings im using but they give me the bass and the clarity in everything. Conclusion To conclude i would say the following. If you are looking for IEMS for gaming the consider the following : Silvers for Competitive gaming. Since these would have much better clarity and sound stage because of the less bass. Considering that the awareness is the most important in competitive gaming then these would be best choice in my opinion. The improved bass for casual gaming and sometimes Competitive gaming. But of course if the Bass that is what you want then this is your choice. When it comes to the music it Depends what music genre you are listening. On these regard i will not be the best one would explain since i mostly listen to Rock, Metal, Pop, Hip-hop and country music (I know a bit strange combination). But for these genres i preferred much more the Improved Bass version over the Silver ones. For more detailed info about the settings i was using this info [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1f4sgg4/whats\_the\_right\_settings\_for\_kz\_castor\_harman/](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1f4sgg4/whats_the_right_settings_for_kz_castor_harman/) So the credit goes to the person from this post.

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

I've got kz edx EDC prx castor pro improved bass and I'm getting the kz sagas what do u think about all of them?

It will shake your neck. But I can't listen to it for more than 5 minutes at a time. It makes me feel tired and my head starts to go drowsy. But the sound is a miracle for the money. the treble is smooth enough but has enough details

Should I choose this or Kinera wyvern Abyss or Kz castor pro harman for comp gaming

Yep it destroys those but it's quite a chunky iem, the bass edition is not for gaming though it is boomy and we can't play any fps games with those

KZ Castor Pro Enhanced Bass Version (for when you *really* don't want to break the bank)

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.

I am using the Castor Pro Bass version (I just leave all switches up, UUUU)

With Castor Pro Bass and all switches up, I find the bass too overwhelming in games. I still prefer regular speakers for games even though I have quite a few open back headphones like Philips SHP9500 w/upgraded cool gel pads, Philips Fidelio X3 w/upgraded cool gel pads and Sennheiser HD599SE.

Cheap budget bass enhanced IEM would be KZ Castor Pro (Black color which is the bass enhanced version), it is quite popular. It has switches you can play around to fine tune.

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.

Thanks for the review, I have the Castor Bass and Harman and Castor Pro Bass versions, maybe I'll buy the Castor Pro Harman someday

Thanks for the review, I have the Castor Bass and Harman and Castor Pro Bass versions, maybe I'll buy the Castor Pro Harman someday

Do you think it's worth buying Harman Castor Pro? It's on sale now 🤔

I guess for music it depends on your taste Wan er have vocal focus Chu 2 is more fun well balanced and analytical Kz castor pro bass edition is for those who like a lot of bass For gaming I recommend you get the chu 2, it has better sound stage and imaging (I have all those iem btw) it’s my favorite music wise gaming wise and comfort wise (wan er is too big and kz castor doesn’t fit right on me) BUT you should see reviews for all of them and decide based on your taste I don’t recommend the wan er if you think about gaming with it, it’s uncomfortable and fatiguing after some time If you think about gaming over music pick the chu 2 If you like a lot of bass pick the castor If you think about music pick the chu 2 If you think about music but like vocal forward with a little bit extra bass, pick the wan er

Hello, I would like to discuss Kz castor pro, which is getting a lot of attention these days. As you know, castor pro has two versions. The sounds of the two are quite different. I hope this review will help you choose the right version for you. 1. Design Bass: It is gorgeous black, and goes well with dark-colored cables. It is glossy and has a smooth surface. Harman: It's a nice silver, and it goes well with white cables. It's glossy, but not as much as the bass version. Winner- tie 2. Details Bass: It's very detailed in the $15 range. Honestly, it's a level where there's nothing to be desired. This level of detail is amazing, even though it's Bassy. Harman: The details are better than the Bass version. I think it's the best for the price. Winner- Harman version 3. Resolution Bass: handles complex tracks with no problems. You rarely experience difficulties even on tracks that feature a lot of instruments such as rock and metal. Harman: It's a little bit better at resolution than Pro Bass. But it doesn't make much difference. And there's also one problem that we're going to talk about later. But it's also great. Winner- Tie 4. Sound stage Bass: It provides enough soundstage for the price, making it easy to distinguish the location of each instrument. Harman: The soundstage is wider than the bass version. This is something you wouldn't easily expect from an iem at this price point. Winner- Harman version 5. Tonal balance Bass: There are quite a few low notes, but they don't invade the mid easily. Mid note shows off the vocals well with the right amount, but it's not a vocal-oriented balance. High notes, are a significant upgrade over the og version, providing a lot of detail, proper airiness, and dynamics. Harman: It's bright. The lower notes are relatively high and the attenuation is fast. You may not feel the lower notes very much. Mid-tone is not noticeable, either. But it doesn't smear the vocals. High notes are highlights. Full of airyness, they are spicy enough to enjoy. Winner- Bass version 6. musical instrument representation Bass: As a basshead, it handles drums or bass guitars that require deep resonances pretty well. Same goes for cymbals, strings. Overall, excellent instrumental representation in the price point. Harman: The depth of the drum can sometimes be shallow. This reduces the grandeur a little bit. Well, this is one of the few minus points that pro harman has. And the string instruments are a little bit faster than it should be. The expression of the other instruments is great, like other dd iems. Winner-Bass version Add - Switch Recommendation Bass: I prefer DDDD, UDDD. This gives me a good tuning that's close to neutral at the same time, with not too many but sufficient bass. It also keeps the details a little better. Harman: I recommend UUDD. It's still treble head, so it doesn't have a lot of bases, but it does have enough in this setting. Conclusion These two iem are quite awesome for the price. Most commendably, Kz has succeeded in securing both technicality, and musicality. The two versions are quite different in nature, and they are complementary to each other, so having them at the same time is not a bad choice. So What's a better iem? Of course, Harman is ahead in terms of technicality and Bass is ahead in terms of overall musicality. But I think the bass version is an iem that's a little bit more suited to a lot of people's tastes. This is because the tone doesn't get tired of easily, and the tuning is more of an all-rounder. The final winner is castor pro bass. ( Of course, you could also prefer the harman version depending on your preference.) Thank you for reading my review, and any questions are welcome.

I think it's one of the most outstanding budgetiems available at the moment. I prefer bass a little bit more, but both versions are very solid.

Hello, I would like to discuss Kz castor pro, which is getting a lot of attention these days. As you know, castor pro has two versions. The sounds of the two are quite different. I hope this review will help you choose the right version for you. 1. Design Bass: It is gorgeous black, and goes well with dark-colored cables. It is glossy and has a smooth surface. Harman: It's a nice silver, and it goes well with white cables. It's glossy, but not as much as the bass version. Winner- tie 2. Details Bass: It's very detailed in the $15 range. Honestly, it's a level where there's nothing to be desired. This level of detail is amazing, even though it's Bassy. Harman: The details are better than the Bass version. I think it's the best for the price. Winner- Harman version 3. Resolution Bass: handles complex tracks with no problems. You rarely experience difficulties even on tracks that feature a lot of instruments such as rock and metal. Harman: It's a little bit better at resolution than Pro Bass. But it doesn't make much difference. And there's also one problem that we're going to talk about later. But it's also great. Winner- Tie 4. Sound stage Bass: It provides enough soundstage for the price, making it easy to distinguish the location of each instrument. Harman: The soundstage is wider than the bass version. This is something you wouldn't easily expect from an iem at this price point. Winner- Harman version 5. Tonal balance Bass: There are quite a few low notes, but they don't invade the mid easily. Mid note shows off the vocals well with the right amount, but it's not a vocal-oriented balance. High notes, are a significant upgrade over the og version, providing a lot of detail, proper airiness, and dynamics. Harman: It's bright. The lower notes are relatively high and the attenuation is fast. You may not feel the lower notes very much. Mid-tone is not noticeable, either. But it doesn't smear the vocals. High notes are highlights. Full of airyness, they are spicy enough to enjoy. Winner- Bass version 6. musical instrument representation Bass: As a basshead, it handles drums or bass guitars that require deep resonances pretty well. Same goes for cymbals, strings. Overall, excellent instrumental representation in the price point. Harman: The depth of the drum can sometimes be shallow. This reduces the grandeur a little bit. Well, this is one of the few minus points that pro harman has. And the string instruments are a little bit faster than it should be. The expression of the other instruments is great, like other dd iems. Winner-Bass version Add - Switch Recommendation Bass: I prefer DDDD, UDDD. This gives me a good tuning that's close to neutral at the same time, with not too many but sufficient bass. It also keeps the details a little better. Harman: I recommend UUDD. It's still treble head, so it doesn't have a lot of bases, but it does have enough in this setting. Conclusion These two iem are quite awesome for the price. Most commendably, Kz has succeeded in securing both technicality, and musicality. The two versions are quite different in nature, and they are complementary to each other, so having them at the same time is not a bad choice. So What's a better iem? Of course, Harman is ahead in terms of technicality and Bass is ahead in terms of overall musicality. But I think the bass version is an iem that's a little bit more suited to a lot of people's tastes. This is because the tone doesn't get tired of easily, and the tuning is more of an all-rounder. The final winner is castor pro bass. ( Of course, you could also prefer the harman version depending on your preference.) Thank you for reading my review, and any questions are welcome.

Thanks bro. actually when I just got it out of the box, I preferred harman. after a few months of enjoying it, i became more fond to bass.

Technically, I don't think there is a product that outperform pro harman within the price range.

Yes of course.. in my budget list top 10

Castor pro is much better than waner

Still my personal best sub $25 is castor pro bass.

Well, I can recommend most of these.. The quality of sound for the price is the biggest reason. Please refer to my other reviews and the new ones I'll be posting soon. Within $25, the best recommendations are vader high res and castor pro bass.

Vader high res or castor pro harman. Cause you already have basshead

(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 $35~40$.

ChatGPT doesn't analyse the graphs well. Don't trust it. Castor Pro might have recessed mids as compared to Wan'er, but it doesn't necessarily mean that vocals sound thin. The dip was done to not let the bass overpower the vocals. It sounds pretty natural, might not be a cup of tea for those who want more warmth for vocals. Which is risky because it can make the vocals muddy and not as clear. https://preview.redd.it/ehqn61ejb3ie1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=146a458f58798e71c4c9e345db00df5621ea8d24 This is the current standard of mids.

**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.

The OG Castor secondary driver is trash. It was different from the Pro. I'm pretty sure, one driver is decent and the secondary one is sub par on Pro but it's way better than OG Castor. The upgrade was 8mm secondary dynamic driver to both 10mm.

**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.

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

There's CCA Hydro at $125. If you want high end, there's Moondrop Dusk DSP and Simgot EM10 above $350. Although, I would say, get Castor Pro if that is what you like you can invest more in similar tonality.

--- ## 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.

Listen if you bought budget iems or even a little bit more than a budget and you didn't like them there's a cure. castor pro bass! I had an awful experience with the Artti T10, bass was weak,sounds dull,it became distorted on the higher levels.(On acoustic and vocal it's really good but the piercing treble kinda ruins the experience) It's not for hard rock,metal,punk needs. But then I met the even cheaper Kz Castor pro bass and the whole feeling I get is energetic makes you wanna jump around the bass is thumping but not bloated the vocals are clear. as far as budget options go this one is a winner search no more. It doesn't have a case nor a good cable the QA might lack a little but it's really good budget option before your next serious iems. My favorite bands to listen to are Bfmv,disturbed,slipknot, avenged,three days,papa roach,foo fighters, sum 41,simple plan,blink 182,Linkin park. Thank me later🤟🏼

agree, my tws is earfun air pro 4 which was 100$ two months ago, the castor pro is way way better.

KZ Castor Pro Bass - has bass but the other end of the spectrum was a hot mess. KBear KB02 - Having the BCD trigger at any frequency makes it only usable for music. Moondrop Chu - Not having earhooks made them constantly fall out. Moondrop Aria - Straight nozzle with no lip made it so the tips always came off in my ear.

Kz Castor pro bass version. The bass is at a great amount and quite punchy. Not too much. The treble is clean and no hissing at high volume.

I also got the castor pro (bass ed) and I agree with OP, one should get it if you really like V-shaped iems . One of the most bass for buck iems I have ever heard . The vocals are almost muted compared to the lows and highs . The soundstage also is kind of decent which is a welcome suprise in the price range

I have the Rosefinch, love it. Tried Castor and QKZxHBB - bass heavy but not basshead level. Do you tested them both? (Planet and Blue 2)

Castor Pro is def a budget beast right now, thanks for the comparison! I have the bass and it seems like KZ is really trying lately. Its a big improvement over the original in every way to me.

those are fantastic for the price.. i got yesterday the castor pro harman .. really love the tunig is so crisp textured and sound is perceived distant like with more expensive iem

I recently made a switch from the KZ Castor Pro Harman Improved Bass Edition to the Kefine Delci, and I wanted to share my thoughts and observations after spending some time with both IEMs. Below is a technical comparison of these two models from my perspective. KZ Castor Pro Harman Improved Bass Edition: Sound Signature: As the name suggests, the KZ Castor Pro features a Harman target-inspired tuning with an emphasis on bass. The bass is definitely present, punchy, and clean, giving it an impactful low-end response that enhances genres like EDM and pop. The mid-bass feels a bit boosted but stays well controlled without bleeding into the mids. Bass Performance: The bass is the highlight here. It has great sub-bass extension, delivering a satisfying rumble that provides depth in the mix. However, at times it can feel a bit overwhelming for more mid-centric genres. Midrange: The mids are slightly recessed due to the bass emphasis. Vocals are clear but might lack the warmth or forwardness some listeners may prefer. Female vocals especially are slightly distant compared to other IEMs in this price range. Treble: The treble region is decent, with a slight emphasis in the upper mids. This provides some brightness but avoids harshness or sibilance. However, the treble can sometimes feel a little artificial or lacking in air and sparkle. Soundstage & Imaging: The soundstage is fairly wide for an IEM at this price point, but it doesn't quite match some higher-end models in terms of depth and precision. Instrument separation is good, although the bass-heavy signature can occasionally muddle the finer details. Build Quality: Solid and well-built. KZ’s usual plastic construction, but it feels durable enough for everyday use. The fit is relatively comfortable, though it’s slightly bulky compared to some other IEMs. Kefine Delci: Sound Signature: The Kefine Delci offers a more balanced, neutral sound signature compared to the KZ Castor Pro. The tuning is more refined, with a focus on clarity, precision, and transparency. Bass response is more controlled, and the mids are forward, providing a natural representation of vocals and instruments. Bass Performance: The bass on the Delci is tighter and more controlled. It's still present, but it doesn’t overwhelm the other frequencies. Sub-bass is less pronounced compared to the Castor Pro, but it delivers a more balanced and accurate low-end that’s perfect for genres like rock, classical, and jazz. Midrange: The midrange on the Delci is exceptional, with both male and female vocals coming through clearly and with good tonality. There's a sense of intimacy to the sound, and the mids are not recessed at all, unlike the Castor Pro. The overall detail retrieval here is far superior, offering a more natural and engaging listening experience. Treble: The treble is smooth and detailed with good extension, providing clarity without becoming harsh or sibilant. There’s a noticeable improvement in air and sparkle compared to the KZ Castor Pro, offering a more natural sense of space and detail. Soundstage & Imaging: The Kefine Delci excels in soundstage width and depth, offering a more three-dimensional presentation. Imaging is more precise, and instrument separation is superior, allowing you to easily distinguish between different elements in the mix. This is a standout feature compared to the KZ Castor Pro. Build Quality: The Delci offers a premium feel with a more refined and ergonomic design. The materials feel high-end, and the overall fit is more comfortable than the Castor Pro. It’s slightly larger in size but still very comfortable for long listening sessions. To sum up, The KZ Castor Pro Harman Improved Bass Edition offers a fun, bass-heavy sound that works well for listeners who enjoy a more energetic and impactful bass presence. However, its recessed mids and lack of treble sparkle might not be suitable for those who crave detail and clarity. On the other hand, the Kefine Delci offers a much more balanced and refined sound, with excellent clarity, control, and a well-defined soundstage. Its forward mids, controlled bass, and smooth treble make it a great all-rounder for a wide variety of genres. If you’re looking for a fun, bass-forward experience, the KZ Castor Pro is a solid choice. But if you prefer a more neutral and accurate sound with superior imaging and detail, the Kefine Delci is a significant upgrade. Hope this helps anyone deciding between the two! Feel free to ask if you have any questions about either IEM.

Well I only have them Simgot supermix 4… and I’m such a sucker for the harman target so I luv them, the treble is soooo smooth, the fit, the looks I love then. I’m considering a new cable tho.

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.

The bass on the new Blue 2 is supposed to be good if you use foam tips, but has very mixed reviews. The Delci has good bass, but not really basshead levels. The Rosefinch is very inexpensive but is a true basshead set, just not well rounded. More, ti me, a one trick pony. The Castor Pro Bass edition always gets mentioned, but honestly I don’t find the bass that impressive for the hype. It’s there, just not quite what I’d expected. So while not full on basshead, I’d still put the original Delci out there for good bass but not sacrificing the rest of the music. All of those are available in 3.5mm cables. I would advise, however, on a PC is a dongle of some sort. Even an $8 Apple dongle will do. The audio out on most pcs are almost afterthoughts, have a high impedance which can be unbalanced for sensitive IEMs, and pick up too much RF noise off the motherboard.

Lets put it this way my $20 castor pro bass edition sound leagues ahead of my sony whx-3000 headphones $300 Bass and clarity is mostly the different. Bass is intense and clarity is excellent

I’m gonna save this thread for further research. But I listen mostly to electronic music, I’m a bass head. Dubstep included but my real passion lies in psychedelic bass music, Tipper and those adjacent mostly. I don’t produce but I use KZ CASTOR PRO BASS and OMFG they’re fucking perfect. So much bass especially the lows but then the highs and mids are all crispy I love it.

KZ Castor Harman Target with an Improved Bass Version Switch 1 (Low-bass): Focuses on the deepest bass frequencies, adding a powerful "rumble" and enhancing the foundation of the sound. Switch 2 (Mid-bass): Boosts mid-bass frequencies, delivering a fuller, punchier bass response while also noticeably reinforcing the sub-bass for a balanced low-end. Switch 3 (Midrange): While not designed for bass, this switch slightly enhances the lower midrange, adding warmth to vocals and the overall sound.\*\*\*It also cause muddiness\*\*\* Switch 4 (High-end): Brightens the sound by delicately boosting higher frequencies, adding clarity, details, and a touch of sparkle. Optimal Switch Combination: (Designed for Audiophiles Who Demand the Ultimate in Deep, Resonant Bass and Crystal-Clear, Articulate Vocals) Switches 1, 2, and 4(on): This setup provides a deeply immersive audio experience with the deepest, most powerful sub-bass along with wonderful midrange and vocals. It’s the ultimate choice for bass lovers and vocal enthusiasts alike. (tested by Bass & Vocal Audiophiles) Details of the Switch 1, 2, and 4 Configuration: Switch 1: Adds a substantial boost to sub-bass, increasing it by approximately 2 dB for deep, resonant lows. Switch 2: Further amplifies sub-bass by 1 dB, creating a combined sub-bass boost of 3 dB. It also gently reduces mid-bass by about 1 dB, preventing muddiness. Switch 4: Elevates vocals and midrange instruments while reducing mid-bass by an additional 2 dB. This results in a total mid-bass reduction of 3 dB, allowing the sub-bass to shine with clarity and precision. My Preference: I love deep sub-bass and crave excellent vocals and mids. I mostly listen to EDM, PHONK, and chill music, with or without vocals. This setup has been the best for me, and I thought that if it could help anyone else, it would be worth sharing. \*\*\*NOTE: These are the results from my personal experiment with my unit, and they may vary for you. Sound quality changes depend on the DAC you use, as well as your individual preferences. Currently, I’m testing it directly on my PC without a DAC, but I plan to upgrade to one in the future. I’ve only recently begun my audiophile journey, so if anything I’ve mentioned is incorrect, please feel free to correct me.\*\*\*

I have the harman version and the treble is killing my ears. I far more prefer a flat tuning iem than this very V-shaped tuning, because it makes vocals very distant and muffled. My current daily is a pair of 7th Zero 2

Yes it’s great maybe the best for hip hop if you pick the right one My choices KZ edc pro - super budget option 5$ just sounds good overall. Kz castor pro bass (black) - 10-15$ give you that mid bass punch and slam Kz saga bass - 10-15$ give you that sub bass rumble and thump Kz zs12 pro x (with the tuning switches set to Up up down down) - overall amazing bass sound and texture but it’s 30-50$ CCA hydro - the king but it’s 80-100$ My personal pick is zs12.

The ZS12 it’s better than both most likely. The zero 2 is outclassed for sure in every way, the bunny I have not tried. Keep in mind the zero2 and bunny are just single dynamic driver. It means it’s limited in the detail and soundstage it can give you compared to ones like ZS12 PRO X that has 5 extra BA drivers that improve clarity, resolution details soundstage etc. you just have to make sure you like the tuning, and with the version with switches you can adjust it to the perfect tuning for you. I say it’s much better than those 2 sets. If the price is too much go with castor pro bass, it’s very enjoyable as well.

Yeah basically they sound amazing when it comes to bass.

Try out the KZ Castor Harmon Improved Bass edition or the KZ Castor Pro Bass Edition. Affordable, and surprisingly fun to use.

Try out the KZ Castor Harmon Improved Bass edition or the KZ Castor Pro Bass Edition. Affordable, and surprisingly fun to use.

Nice review bro, I personally prefer the Harman to the Bass Enhanced Castor pro

Nice review bro, I personally prefer the Harman to the Bass Enhanced Castor pro

Hi!, actually, the recently launched kz x angelears libra x is an excellent choice for gaming and vocals. But, if you mate are talking about music, with Castor pro (the version more fitted to your lining) you got it!

Thanks for sharing. In my opinion: Castor pro Harman > Castor pro Bass > Saga Harman > Saga Bass. But all 4 of those iems is a no brainer, budget kings! I think the same as you OP, I'm digging all of those bad boys and have the same impressions as you for its characteristics and capabilities.* There is a guy in youtube, Audiocell is his channel, and mates and ladies, he is so full of shit, saying Saga is no great thing and is like the same KZ/CCA products of the past year, and even says Castor pro is the same stuff as Castor og, what a joke...

Thanks for sharing. In my opinion: Castor pro Harman > Castor pro Bass > Saga Harman > Saga Bass. But all 4 of those iems is a no brainer, budget kings! I think the same as you OP, I'm digging all of those bad boys and have the same impressions as you for its characteristics and capabilities.* There is a guy in youtube, Audiocell is his channel, and mates and ladies, he is so full of shit, saying Saga is no great thing and is like the same KZ/CCA products of the past year, and even says Castor pro is the same stuff as Castor og, what a joke...

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

Tried those, using Whizzers now. The Castors are the only ones that I have that don’t really fit well. The 500LM, EW200, Artii R1, & Chou 2 all fit very well

I have the silver ones and am very impressed with them

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.

Yes it is, I had a truthear zero blue which I couldn't stand due to the harsh highs. So I sold it and got the kz castor instead and it was what I was looking for. The bass shelf is around 300hz, which is perfect for hip hop and soul music. Now I'm considering Thieaudio hype series coz of how much I liked the castor.

The improved bass version, never tried the harman one.

Hello, I have a question, between the kz castor pro harman vs bass, which do you like in terms of sound quality! do they have the same sound quality, it just the bass version has more bass, am I correct or nah?

I got kz castor pro (harman) last week, I been thinking if I should get the bass version! btw, I heard og castor (harman) is better than castor pro (harman), is that true?

KZ Caster Pro Bass Improved. Very clean sounded to be for the $9 I paid

I have the Pro Bass Improved version and have been my go to the past month or so. They sound really good for the $9 I paid

If you're buying from a site such as AliExpress, you can always resell them if you don't like them. I've had success selling those IEMs I didn't want to keep after doing so, sometimes even for a profit lol. The price difference between Ali and Amazon is huge. That being said, I should be receiving my Castors next week (both the Harman and the improved bass versions). Paid less than $15 for both, definitely worth a shot!

I mean I bought a pair and I agree with the reviews “they should not sound this good for $30!!” They’re my daily driver for my FiiO X1

Great review! I really like my Castor Pro (Bass) and agree with pretty much everything you said.

Bass is much better on Castor Pro than Saga. I like Saga and use it on Bluetooth regularly, but when I'm at my computer and want to listen to bass-heavy music I reach for the Castor Pro even over the Hydro. I can't decide if I like Castor Pro or Saga more for vocals/treble. They seem pretty close. Both are good choices. What Hydro does with an 8mm and 7mm DD is impressive, but the two 10mm drivers in Castor Pro also deliver a very satisfying sound with better bass. Hydro has better detail, but it's also $100 compared to less than $18 for the Castor Pro.

I only have Saga (Bass) to compare to Castor Pro (Bass). I like Castor pro a bit more but I'm a bit of a bass head. I still really like Saga too though and I'd recommend either. I have Saga (Balanced) coming in the mail so I can compare it to the Bass version.

Sorry, haven't spent much time with the Saga Balanced yet, been enjoying the Vader High Res too much recently XD. From first listen, I prefer Saga Balanced over Saga Bass, but I prefer Castor Pro Bass over both. However, I prefer Vader High Res over all of those for overall sound.

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.

I don't think you can get disappointed by 7hz legato, especially if you can get them at 70$. I'm testing them atm. My favorite iem before getting legato was qkz x hbb, at 10-12$ you just can't beat them. I tried kbear rosefinch, kz castor bass, kz castor pro bass, qkz hades, qkz khan, truthear zero blue. Qkz x hbb and 7hz legato destroys them in the bass department. It's very punchie and rumblie. And at the same time it's clean. Correct tips are very-very crucial when you are looking for good bass. Atm I can't say with 100% confidence what i like more, but I'm leaning to legato heavily. I feel like legato has a bit more bass, with a bit more quality and clarity. The soundstage is definitely wider, and it has more details, thanks to 2 driver setup. Talking about drivers. It's fucking nuts that it has 12mm driver just for bass. And 6mm for everything else. Also it's less shoutier than qkz x hbb somehow. Note that qkz x hbb is already a very dark set for most people. I have very bad sibilant hearing and the legatos sound more comfortable for me. Is it 7-10 times better than qkz x hbb? No. But it's worth the shot imo, not like there's a lot if any sets that are legato alternatives in this price range. Note that they are big, but i don't have any issue with fit. I have yet to receive blon z300, 7hz elua, kz saga bass, kz prx. But i don't think they're beating legato or qkz hbb. Although I'm hyped to hear how planars replay bass on kz prx. Also I'm in the same boat with you. I don't get obsession with clarity. But to each their own. I just think it's a bit forced. Or I'm for real hearing everything differently compared to most people. But none of my friends prefer sets that are cleaner and less bassy.

An older IEM called the QKZ x HBB would be better than the above selection although might not be available. I would rank KZ Castor /Pro (the silver one) top from the 3 At a slightly higher price, Tripowin x 0diBi Vivace would be way better than the above. But if budget is a concern stick to the above, as u might need to change the tips if u have fit issues, further increasing the price.

Chu 2 are very bad for gaming. I've never heard a serious person recc chu 2 especially for FPS games. Chu 2 arent good imo, bad cables, questionable build quality and bad imaging. Both tangzu waner and chu 2 are some of the worst for gaming, i think people who are recommending these have probably never tried multiple iems side by side. If u are playing some easy to track game, like CS2, valorant or something else with good staging then it will work ok but tougher games like Apex etc would give startled cat moments. I'd strongly suggest looking at these (ranked best to worse) * kefine delci ae * tripowin 0dibi vivace * truthear zero blue * kz castor harman (silver)/pro * qkz x hbb some channels like Fresh Reviews might be able to help u: [https://www.youtube.com/@FreshReviewsYT](https://www.youtube.com/@FreshReviewsYT)

The bass version has a more V shape sound, might sound a lil bit sharper than the Silver ones. U could've gotten better bass response on the KZ Castor Silver by using the UUDD config using the DIP switches placed on the back. Both CBlack and Silvers switches change the EQ by a lil bit, check graphs below. I don't think the Castor Bass versions have better staging than the Harmans but it won't be as bad as the Chu 2. If u want something good for Hip Hop, EDM kinda sound, the Truthear x Crinacle Zero Blue was the best choice imo considering ur gaming requirements. Not very sharp so u can play for long hrs without fatigue. A huge mid bass presence which sounds like a dedicated sub woofer and great imaging for the price, it's pin point accuracy is way above it's class. Anyways u can always buy more IEMs; I think ur KZ Castors are a good first IEM! Hope u enjoy them! https://preview.redd.it/5iy7xmhk9qhe1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=858ebab244c369e8e3cc7ff1cf0d189bd4bd410d

So either the sound signature is not to your liking, which probably is the case simple as. Or, as some have said, you don't have a decent seal which leads to most of the sound leaking out. That said, the KZ ZEX is more gimmicky than anything. The safer KZ IEM is something like KZ Castor Pro Bass version. Or another safe ultra budget is Tanchjim Bunny.

100% I would basically just add and test this to my growing IEM collection. Especially now I have owned and tested the original Wan'er SG. Left: QKZ AK6 Pro (previous daily driver) Center: KZ Castor Improved Bass (current daily driver) Right: Tangzu x Headphone Zone Wa'ner SG (tested, decent and amazing sound for its price, but Castor still is a winner for my personal sound feel) https://preview.redd.it/n06vww0aevoe1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=929adbc51920b99189669a3df55df1e5c72da86f

Here's a better shot on my IEM collection, including their wires (only the Castor uses a Jcally cable) https://preview.redd.it/o8pbd3bhkzoe1.png?width=4860&format=png&auto=webp&s=272174ff663d3f3e19b836b44602eb45b097d142 I use medium QKZ stock tips on my QKZ AK6 Pro (left) I switched my Tangzu wide bore small tips from the Wan'er to the Castor My Wan'er now has the small QKZ stock tips (QKZ tips has both small and wide bore, but the Tangzu tips feel much better for my ears, less fatiguing) Later on I might try going for their Sanchai tips. Wide bore/hole = enhances mids and treble, I went for this for my Castor Small bore/hole = enhances bass Wan'er SG sounds amazing for daily use, definitely not super fatiguing, very mellow and light to the ears as well. Though it lacks some mids and treble. For my Castor Black, I use UDUU switches (natural bass and enhancing the mids and treble, creating a more balanced sound) Then I used the Tanzgu small wide bore tips, to enhance the mids and treble abit more. I prefer a V-shaped bright sound signature with some level of warmness, which the Castor Black does deliver on my sound preference.

I am new-ish in the space, but my KZ Castor Improved Bass with a basic CX31993 dongle DAC, it fits my sound preference at UDUU switches and Tangzu small wide bore eartips. Especially that one time I listened to some specific genres I usually listen. But I do also want to test and maybe own other IEMs that is fairly similar to it (upgrade or similar), I might go buy a Simgot EW300 next to test. https://preview.redd.it/ysdxcryow0pe1.png?width=4860&format=png&auto=webp&s=19cac0ada53a5515858cd7237e99f565e52588fb

I have switched years ago when I got a cheapo QKZ CK5 -> QKZ AK6 -> QKZ AK6 Pro. I don't recommend buying these for your first IEM for gaming, even though they are fine for my personal choice. My old headphone was both a Tchibo Closed Back wireless and an old Beats Studio from my ex. Best buy an IEM with an external DAC, and an upgrade cable, silver-plated. I have been using KZ Castor Improved Bass (dip switch set to 1011), replaying old single player games I played like STALKER, GTAV, Fallout series. They sound amazing and I feel like I am listening to a movie than a game. Its fine as well while playing multiplayer games, though I am currently in the process of receiving a new IEM for my collection. Tangzu x Headphone Zone Wa'ner SG (Blue) Just make sure you at least buy a DAC for it, nothing fancy. https://preview.redd.it/isfm0vzj9lne1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=1a25d6faf9d6869c7542167457b643e82a6e3c04

I might end up joining your KZ IEM collection, I am new in the IEM game but is also interested in collecting. First KZ I got is the original Castor Pro Improved Bass, got it few months ago. Its virtually better than my old daily driver, QKZ AK6 Pro. Also waiting for my Tangzu x Headphone Zone Wa'ner SG soon, and eyeing up an EDC Pro and EDX Pro X, maybe a Angelears x Libra X as well. Current collection (as of now): QKZ AK6 Pro (purple+blue) KZ Castor Improved Bass (daily driver) Tangzu x Headphone Zone Wa'ner SG (blue, coming soon) Planned (soon): KZ EDC Pro KZ EDX Pro X Broken: QKZ CK5 QKZ AK6 (purple+blue) https://preview.redd.it/qpdpz6pemhne1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2498fe5741bfa99ee4b1f65020a15f0469bcb8ad

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)

I loved the OG alot, but I prefer more separation of frequencies with details. So I would switch to the Silver Castor. But the Castor Bass is definitely great fun IEM, the Castor Silver is has less muddy lower mids because the Castor Bass muddies tiny bit. Though with the setting of UDUU, its close ish to a muddy free mids

Based on your selections: 7hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 \- A decent IEM overall, tuning is based on Crinacle's preference. If you want to follow Crinacle's tuning and other IEMs then this is the best bet for you. \- This has a weird shape for an IEM, idk if your ear would work for it. KZ Castor Pro Bass (best go for the OG, if small ears, and go for the Silver version much more versatile than the Bass version) \- If you said you have small ears, and still wants to include the KZ Castor in the list, go for the original KZ Castor Bass as the Pro version is abit more larger in both the IEM and nozzle size vs the original. \- Also this is a 2DD IEM, some phones can have issues with lower volume and inadequate power required (small margin of phones). But still easy to drive than a planar or a multi-driver hybrid IEM. \- The both this and the original uses a much more common and smoother IEM shape than the Zero 2, though will be heavier than the Zero 2 having 2 DDs inside. 7Hz G1 \- This is seems a abit more safer tuning IEM vs your other selections, much closer to Kiwi Ears Cadenza or Tangzu Wan'er SG/2's tuning of good sub-bass, and a more mellow treble. \- Some people didn't like the cabling and accessories that comes with the G1. \- Metal case, pebble-like appearance might work for small ears. SGOR Luna \- This is one of the decent planar sets that is at the budget range. Also this is a planar IEM not a DD IEM, so recommended to use a USB-C DAC to power it. \- More leaning to a U-shaped tuning vs the rest of the IEMs of your selection. \- Planars are usually large, therefore its shell might also be large as well. Might not work for some people. Kefine Klean \- Has 2 tuning nozzles for either a warm abit more bassy tuning, and a more v-shaped brighter feel. Has better accessories and unboxing, maybe on par to Tangzu Wan'er SG/2 standards. From your selection, I would either go (personally) \- Kefine Klean \- KZ Castor Silver Or try (smaller or more smoother shaped IEMs) \- Moondrop Chu 2 \- Rosetechnics Aurora Ultra \- Kiwi Ears Cadenza In the end though its your own preference on what IEM you prefer and weigh in their pros and cons. Tbh all of your selection are good selections, just that it depends on your tuning preference, IEM design preference, accessories, and general feel about the IEM. Hope this helps! Also don't forget to at least read my [beginner's guide into IEMs](https://www.reddit.com/user/NinjaSiren/comments/1jil8re/beginners_intro_guide_to_iems/), general guide before, while, and after using the IEM and gaming stuffs. My IEM Collection: https://preview.redd.it/u7hrt5cbdsue1.png?width=8100&format=png&auto=webp&s=143abf7fcc2940c5cf7c29c0048017f201b60a61

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)

Bass-boosted * KBEar Rosefinch \* * QKZ x HBB \* * BLON x HBB Z300 * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Black Improved Bass (v-bass to v-bright-ish) \*\* (\* recommend | \*\* personally I own)

I like the original KZ Castor Improved Bass, and still is my daily driver to this day Might also go buy and try the QKZ x HBB, I already have initially started my IEM journey from QKZ (CK5, AK6, then the Pro) Enjoy what you like and love 👌 Though I am now currently doing a test with the Wan'er SG (as it just arrived, also I know Wan'er 2 is coming, and I have also bought silica packets for these, less moisture) https://preview.redd.it/4zuciio1ogoe1.jpeg?width=4160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebd409ae8297df465174eae4deb71f6cfc09449d

Bassy IEMs: Under $5 * QKZ AK6 Pro $25 and lower (bass-focused) * KBEar Rosefinch \* * QKZ x HBB (OG version) \* * BLON BL-01 * KZ Castor Bass \* $25 and lower (neutral warm) * Tangzu Wan'er SG/Wan'er 2 \* * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 \* * Moondrop Chu 2 * KZ Castor Silver (UUDD switches) $25-60 (bass-focused) * BLON BL-03/BL-03 II \* * BLON x HBB Z300 * TinHiFi C3 Mk2 \* * 7Hz x HBB Elua * Kinera Celest Gumiho * KZ Castor Pro Bass \* * CCA Rhapsody \* * CCA Trio \* $25-60 (neutral warm) * Kefine Klean \* * Inawaken Dawn Ms \* * Kiwi Ears Cadenza \* * Tripowin x 0DiBi Vivace \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss \* * Tangzu YuXuanJi * KBear KB02 * KZ Zenith (UUDD switches) \* * KZ Castor Pro Silver (UUDD switches) Special mentioned * Truthear x Crinacle Zero Blue 2 \* * QKZ x HBB Khan (\* recommend)

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.

I auto Eq mine to Kefine Klean silver, I enjoying it. Bass and treble is good for listening for long hour. I have Harman version.

I have Castor pro harman, and auto eq it with kefine Klean. Perfection.

Just get the black bass improved version. By the price it sounds so nice. U won't regret. I had this than sold it for 7hz zero 2 and regretting it.

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.

If you want full bass punch, get the pro bass, for anything else, probably better go for the Kinera, both have a bit of a big nozzle tho.

If you want bass the 3 best bassy* options are: KZ Castor Pro Bass for a punchy bass and energetic. QKZxHBB for a rumbly and relaxed, inmersive bassy replay. Or Kbear Rosefinch for a big basshead set that has both Rumble and punch, but really focus on bass over everything else. As for which is the more bassy of the 2 options, is ND Planet.

Rosefinch already has the most amount, anything else is not going to have as much bass, if you want at least a bass quality upgrade, you need to likely go to Around $50 if not more brother, but i am not sure if Blue 2 is the upgrade that you are looking for* btw, didnt said Castor Bass* was basshead level, but is still on the bassy side of stuff. And i dont own all of those, mostly QKZxHBB and Castor, but tried similar budget sets around the price range and i have a few friends that do have them and have compared them.

If you want a V-shape then go for the kbear rosefinch, but yet again, everything that i have been mentioning already Is good enought for you, im not sure whats what you are not getting about my comments, also, did you checked the last one? Since you answered two times to the same comment.

While i wouldn't call both bad, people usually recomend Harman improved bass over normal Harman since, for normal Harman, there are a few good bunch of balanced picks already, granted, most arent as cheap as castor Harman, but very few people Is usually looking for something as specific as that, and KZ usually have other better option that they recently made, and thats even cheaper most of the Time, like KZ EDC Pro in this case. Now, castor Harman improved bass, or how people usually call It, Castor Bass Is a very bassy iem, a bass canon, which Is a very hard thing to find for this cheap, so Is a very good pick for bass Centric music, things like electronic music, hip-hop, some R&B, and so on, but Its usually not recomendé for pop since bass can get too overpowering at times, so you either need to crank volume up with an already strong bass, or use the switches, but the problem with the switches Is that they just boost bass or treble área, so you either way will have boosted bass and boosted treble but the mids(vocals) will be somewhat on the background either way, thats why i mostly recomend them to bass heavy music genres. As for Harman, Its just more balanced, energetic, not too much bass, and you can also either boost treble or bass area, but again, for that, you could check thinks like Salnotes Zero2, moondrop Chu2, Tangzu Waner, even KZ EDC pro and so on, Its not like a terrible pick, Is just not the Best in their type of sound, but people can enjoy It as well.

This is my First formal IEM Pick Mega Guide – "Revamped" (Last Updated: January 2025) PART 1 Oh well… here we go again. And this is going to be LARGE, so buckle up, this is a part 1 because turns out reddit wont let me publish this much text in one single post, so yeah, ill link the Part 2 right here: * [For part 2 Click - HERE -](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1f332k3/the_iem_pick_megaguide_part2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) # UPDATE: Now i also have a Sub $100-ish list if you want to check it: [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/OXgg8IsbYi](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/OXgg8IsbYi) /---------------- # Gaming Update: As quite a lot of people asks for gaming options, I’ll make this update marking iems with performance rakings from the "WALLHACK TIER LIST" of Reviewer Fresh Reviews, who is known for recommending iems for gaming use, just be aware that this does not reflect my opinion about each IEM nor does it ensure that you will have an excellent video game experience just because the iem is listed. The Fresh Reviews system gives letter grades where “S” is the best grade, going down from S-A to C+, where C+ means that they are the minimum for video games. I will mark the IEMs by putting the score besides the name: "( FRS: “Mark obtained”)" (FRS = Fresh Reviews Score), example: Zero Red (FRS: C+), if you don't see this mark, it means that Fresh Reviews did not consider it for gaming, or didnt review the product. /---------------- **So, lets continue with part 1:** Some people might identify me already, I’m one of the redditors in this sub that’s usually giving recs and trying to help people left and right, things doesn’t always work, but I hope that I’m being of some help. So yeah, I finally gathered the will to do a proper post about this, I’ll try to pour everything I know after around 4 years of checking reviews and trying around more than 27 different iems (mostly under $100).   ***BTW, IF YOU SEE SOME GLARING ERROR, ANYTHING THAT JUST DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT, PLEASE LET MY KNOW, IM DISLEXIC TOO, SO YEAH XD, THANKS FOR THE FUTURE HELP.*** \----- # CONTENTS: Part 1: * Where to buy? * List of mostly recommended iems under $50. * Reviewers List. Part 2: * FACs (Frequently Asked Concerns lol – I recommend you to read this one first if you are a newbie). * Final extra details. Now, remember that I’m just another person, I have preferences and some degree of bias towards some sets, especially ones that I own, my intention is not to tell you “You should pick this”, but rather to point you out to a clearer direction as to what you might like or need. This info is not “absolute” as preferences and music library plays a huge role on the experience, but at least I hope I can make this decision less complicated for you. \----- # Where to buy? So, first, I don’t know what store you are planning to use but most common recs for buying are: * Mostly free shipping Stores: Shenzhen Audio, Amazon, and alsoAliExpress, but with ali, you need to pick the seller carefully, I have got 3 iems and some cables from there without any problems, but it isn’t as safe as Amazon and Shenzhen could be. * \- * They usually charge shipping Stores: Hifigo, Linsoul. I would recommend the free shipping Stores better since, besides free shipping, I have had less problems with them (in my very personal experience) and they usually do as much as possible to help their clients, however, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have problems with each store, sometimes life sucks and online stores do too, so always be careful when ordering online, specially check sellers on AliExpress Also, when buying, remember that if you wish to have a cable that comes with a mic, since IEMs don’t always come with one, especially around $50 and above, you need to specially pick the option of having a cable with mic when selecting the IEM for purchase if the options is given. \----- # Usually recommended IEMs under $50 If you don’t feel like reading or you have some IEM experience, skip or ignore the “FACs” part, HOWEVER, if you are new to this hobby, I recommend you to check that first, it could help clear your mind about a lot of questions you might have. ***The price in brackets is the original base price of the IEMs.*** ***Purchase links disclaimer:*** The links included are affiliate links, but make sure to check vendor reviews when you make any AliExpress purchases. The links have no influence on which IEMs are recommended or picked for the list.   # ----- # BASSY IEMS IEMs that their key point Is the lower end of sound, more Rumble and/or bass punch/kick, if you want some good bass, check this one, there will be iems from bass heavy to balanced, but overall, picks that have an elevated bass area, even if that also comes with some extra treble. * **($16) KZ Castor Bass enhanced edition (Black colored):** An IEM with a heavy, but still somewhat clean, punchy and rumbly bass, that can have the amount of bass and treble adjusted with switches, can have some more treble energy than QKZxHBB, but bass is very prominent, so vocals do get a bit overshadowed and might feel lacking intensity, recommended mostly for electronic music or bass heavy genres like hip-hop or R&B, not really recommended for vocal centric music genres like rock or ballads, Works for gaming, but bass might be too distracting. Nozzle is on the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mt6hFPl) * \- * **($17) KZ Castor Pro:** A small upgrade to the Castor bass OG, a bit more Rumble, a bit less punch, it is overall better than the OG Castor, but also comes with a larger nozzle. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKmDf4B) * \- * **($20) QKZxHBB (FRS: B-):** A lot of rumbly bass with decent vocals, altough it can sound muddy for some at fist, is mostly for those who really like a lot of inmersive bass but also still want enough vocal and treble detail. Works for gaming. Nozzle slightly on the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msetV8R) * \- * **($50) Truthear Zero (blue) (FRS: B-):** They are actually balanced sounding, bass, vocals and treble all are very energetic, but this IEM was made to have very clean bass, like a mini “subwoofer” effect, and that’s the main focus of It, although their nozzles (the part of the iem that goes into your ear canal) are some of the biggest on the market, if you happen to have small ear canals, or you are looking for comfort, they could hurt or not fit well when using them (the biggest nozzle from this list). Usually recommended over the Zero Red for gaming, from the less bassy picks in the bassy section. You should consider using a dongle DAC if the sound is too quiet with them. If you happend to have fitting problems, check the Spinfit CP155 eartips, could help a lot, but those tips get streched kinda easy and can fall out of the nozzle, so do take in mind. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOGUNun) * \- * **($24-34) BLON BL03:** Great hard hitting bassy IEM, a lot of Energy and intensity with enough intense treble, biggest downside Is that Fit might not be great thanks to their particular shape and short reaching nozzle (the nozzle might not be large enough to enter properly into your ear canal), the nozzle itself is on the smaller side. Not a bad pick, works for gaming, but a bit outdated. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqDowxp) * \- * **($50) CCA Rhapsody:** THE Castor bass upgrade, better techs, some more clarity, all in all, a great bassy package for the price, but shell is VERY large and nozzle not so smaller, so, if you have small ears, then maybe this is not the best pick, nozzle size is in a middle ground. Works for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMQ1ytz) * \- * **($35) BLON Z300:** A very specific pick since they are just somewhat bassy, they could sound balanced for bassheads, and muddy for non-bassheads, the bass works better with well produced/mixed files, for poor quality tracks they might lack punch, they are decent for vocals, but might feel a bit on the background. They are decent for an inmerssive bassy sound, and have pretty good resolution and detail, also, sound direction is good, if you like ASMR, those are good bot a bassy relaxed replay on a budget. Should work for gaming, nozzle is pretty small, should have a comfy fit. If you want clarity and cleaness is not the best option. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrDU1eF) * \- * **($50) Blon JOJO:** this one is like a more bassy, aggressive QKZxHBB, techs are just decent for $50, but because of its quantity of bass, aren’t the best for clarity or detail. Might work for gaming, not really recommended, best for bassy music genres. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOT3o83) * \- * **($37) CCA Trio:** This ones comes like a small upgrade from the Castor Bass, if you feel that Castor bass would be too intense, might as well go for this one, this is more of a bassy V-shaped or balanced set, but with the ability to increase the bass or treble just like the castor. should work for gaming. Vader Balanced is a good alternative if you find it cheaper. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPAIXdp) * \- * **($31) KZ Vader Balanced:** Energetic bassy V-shape-ish sound with a less "Harman-style" approach (less obvious clean-cut bass, some warmness on vocals), so it has a bit more body, but not that much, mostly a bit less V-shaped CCA trio, a good alternative to it. Decent techs for the price, get whichever is cheaper. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m05R5aF) * \- * **($50) INAWAKEN Dawn Ms:** Warm, rumbly, a bit thick, bassy V-shaped iem, could feel slightly less technical than other iems, but clean-ish sound still, relaxed upper treble but a bit foward lower treble (shoutiness warning), warm-ish vocals, pretty good bass performance. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKp2ac3) * \- * **($25) Tachjim One (has DSP/Type-C option too):** A bullet style earphone that has a focus on Mid bass over sub bass, it’s somewhat V-shaped and energetic, a bit foward on the lower treble, and it has a bass that should work better for rock genres since it gives energy to drums without making the sound way too bassy. Could work for gaming, but being this mid-bass centric, wouldn’t recommend It. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPULWWP) * \- * **($22) Tanchjim Tanya (DSP):** Another bullet style, the only reason I’m mentioning only the DSP version (Type-C cable connection) is because this one would pack a very good amount of bass, while keeping it reasonably clean, slightly better than Castor bass in that specific regard, but keeping an affordable price over other picks like Trio or Zero Blue. Could work for gaming, still similar problem to Castor. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKWofm3) # -- # BALANCED IEMS Section for more balanced and somewhat neutral IEMs: (For clarification on what’s “neutral” and what’s “balanced” please check the FACs) * **($19) Tangzu Waner:** a slightly rumbly IEM that has a lot of vocal qualities, with a close-to-neutral and pretty balanced sound, great for long listening sessions, not great for directional sound/gaming in my personal experience. A very versatile starter pick, but bass area can come as a slightly muddy at first, so, better for people that like some bass presence and nice body on male vocals. Nozzle size is in between, not too big, not too small. As a side note, some people say they work for gaming, i dont find them particularly good for that versus other options, your call. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0Z0EQr) * \- * **($30) Tripowin Vivace (FRS: B-):** A nice slighlty bass leaning iem that has good technicalities for the price, almost performing above its price range, a very safe sound overall, on of the safest sounds on to pick from the list. The best cheaper allrounder starting point under $30 and arguably the best gaming pick under $50. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKx3o0L) * \- * **($38-44) Sgor Luna:** While it’s a planar, it doesn’t exactly compete with other planars around this price, however, it’s a very cheap good option to try a planar driver, plus you can pick them bundled with a dongle dac which should take care of your amplification needs. As far as technical performance goes it is decent for its price range (which is around $40) but the best part is that it is like a less intense Simgot ew200, it might have an edge over them technically speaking, but the tuning of the luna doesn’t make it too obvious. It has a better bass quality and presence, making it a pretty decent and very safe pick for the price, as long as you use a dongle with them OR a DAP with decent amplfication on the 3.5mm conection. *PROBABLY THE SAFEST PICK AROUND $50.* Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKynQSJ) * \- * **($19) Truthear Gate:** A correct and pretty balanced iem, similar to waner but with a tilt to female vocals and treble, also, bass might sound slightly cleaner than waner, but just a bit. Should for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0ebw6r) * \- * **($25-30) Kinera Celest Wyvern (Abyss/black, Quing, Pro) (should had a Type-C option):** the 3 verions are around the same, pick the most appealing to you. Tuning is similar to waner with a bit of more overall energy on vocals and presence on the bass, maybe a tilt to female vocals too, and slightly cleaner in the bass. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrlZ1Ij) * \- * **($20) Simgot ew100p (There is a DSP/Type-C variant):** Another similar one to Gate and Waner, maybe an inbetween from gate and waner, but all in all, a very decent, balanced set, slightly more treble energy than other models, nothing too much. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqIAQHH) * \- * **($19) Moondrop Chu II (There is a DSP/Type-C variant):** A pretty balanced and clean IEM, detail is nice, and they are a bit more forward on the female vocals and treble than Waner, still not too intense, another great starting pick, especially for people that do want to hear some bass, but don’t want it to affect the rest of the sound much. As a heads up tho, these are especially known for having problems with humidity and moisture because of its metal shell. Works for gaming, nozzle on the smaller side, should have a comfy fit. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK6uRmj) * \- * **($25) 7hz Salnotes Zero 2:** A more bassy leaning version of the Chu II, the second safest allrounder performer after Vivace for any kind of music genres under $30, a good gaming replacement for the Vivace too, nozzle is slightly on the larger side. This one is not on the bassy side since it has less bass than most of the other Bassy picks, around the same as the Zero Blue, but without any fancy “subwoofer” approach. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqKyRcR) * \- * **($35) Kiwiears Cadenza:** A more energetic version of the Tangzu Waner, with a more v-shaped approeach with extra sub-bass and female vocals, overall good performance if you like that energy in your music, however, bass isn’t like super strong or super punchy, is there, is nice and has some presence, but it isn’t the focus of its sound, works well for ballads or rock style music, with some extra versatility for some electronic music, not recommended for bassy music genres like hip.hop or R&B tho. Watch out for sensitivity to 4Khz peaks, vocals in general might come as shouty for some people, I wouldn’t recommend it for people looking for bass quality, as the vocal energy can get in the way for enjoying them,. Works for gaming, nozzle leans to the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0ZUrDt) * \- * **($40) Simgot EW200 (FRS: C+):** a somewhat neutral IEM that intends to be balanced but actually has a lean on the vocal an treble side of sound, so there Is more clarity and you will perceive more detail on the sound, but some people might feel that the treble can be a bit too intense, bass is there and has presence, but Is not the main focus. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0hfYft) * \- * **($55) Truthear Zero (red) (FRS: C+):** this is a bit more expensive version of the Truthear Zero blue, It has the same build quality but the sound Is a bit more balanced and less overly energetic, it works well with more music genres. The IEM comes with an adapter to increase the bass quantity to Zero Blue Levels (in stock it has less amount of bass), but It also shares the big nozzle of the blue version. Usually less recommended for gaming over the Zero Blue. Recomended to use a dongle DAC for amplification, to get te Best performance out of them. If you happend to have fitting problems, check the Spinfit CP155 eartips, could help a lot, but those tips get streched kinda easy, so do take in mind. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMrjPcX) * \- * **($50)** [Kefine Klean](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/7PVWrvBEU2)**:** A good balanced sounding set with a small bass lean, great techs for the price and a decent fit with an average size nozzle, all in all, probably on of the best picks on the list if you have $50, want the best performance and don’t know what to pick. ***I must mention that some people have encounter situations of channel imbalance with their sets, it could be the filters unscrewing or just not being properly put on on the first place, check that if you have any problems, also, be careful with humidity since its a metal shell, and if you have any actual problem, please do contact the store where you get them from for help with the issue, or the people at Kefine for direct Help*** Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msWNk9V) * \- * **($15) Tangzu Princess ChangLe:** A mild V-shaped bullet style iem that would be pretty versatile for most music genres but technicalities like resolution, soundstage and instrument separation (check FACs if you don’t know what these means) are slightly worse than most other sub $20 options. Its price and comfort is pretty good still, a good gift option, wouldn’t recommend it for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mNZJZK7) * \- * **($10) KZ EDC Pro:** Very cheap yet good sounding iem, some less technical than its $20 peers but costing significantly less, the cheapest yet best starting point to test what iems have to offer, however don’t expect the best build quality, also, some people find the treble a bit too intense. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrXq3FN) * \- * **($16)** [TRN Orca](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1cbec6e/trn_orca_consumer_pov_review/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) **(should had a Type-C option):** This is another pretty nice, inexpensive pick for people on a budget that doesn’t know what they like and cant spend too much money, Orca is a metal shell iem that has a kinda V-shaped tuning but with a lean on the bass, however, thanks to its 3 tuning switches, you can adjust the sound to either something kinda bassy clean like the Chu2 (switches Down Down Up – DDU), to a very V-shaped bassy tuning similar to Zero 2 (UDU) to a very bass heavy sound somewhat similar to QKZxHBB or Castor Bass (DUD - works particuarly well when amplified with a dongle dac for a somewhat "subwoofer" feel). They also gain some extra resolution when amplified with a dongle dac. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msqEjYX) * \- * **($55) TKZK Ouranos (FRS: C+):** This one might show the similar shouty vocals than the Cadenza could have, but it is kinda the direct upgrade from them. It has a noticeable more punchy bass, but it’s very balanced with the rest of the sound, very prominent upper mids, intense in the note weight -the weight the sound hits with- and has very good techs for its price, slightly better than Truthear Blue and Red, but would recommend to get it discounted below its $55 price. Overall great if you like vocal forward leaning sound, specially female vocals, it has a bit less aggressive treble that EW200 might had. Not recommended for bassheads at all, as bass quantity will let you wanting more. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMsadP9) * \- * **($50) Tangzu YuXuanJi:** Decent techs for the price, bright leaning sound, focus on vocals and treble over bass. Around in brightness to the ew200, open back design doesn’t do much for the sound, controlled amount of decent quality bass, and fairly good technical performance. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPz7wQn) * \- * **($30-40) TinHifi C2 OG/2025:** Very balanced sounding, enough of everything from bass to treble, good alternative to the Vivace, with a vocal focus + slightly less boosted bass. Good technicalities for the price. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKfH9Jd) * \- * **($30) Twistura D-Minor:** Somewhat V-shaped energetic set with average technicalities for the price, nice accessories that comes with a dongle dac, if you feel that it lacks bass or needs more bass try the different tuning nozzles. Basic but complete starting point pick. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mtr7wKB) * \- * **($50) Celest IgniteX Beast:** Balanced but slightly bright leaning (focus on vocal and treble) set that performs as its price point, semi-custom shell that can fit either really good or not so good depending on your ear. Decent techs for the price. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0Luh8J) * \- * **($30) TRN Conch:** This is a risky pick for the price, is better to get it on sale. The biggest upside are the accessories it comes with, is like an upgrade combo of a nice interchangeable connections cable, some decent eartips and a metal box, that comes with some extra iems included. The thing with the Conch is that it comes with interchangable nozzles, but just 1 of the 3 is useable for most people, the red nozzle, as the other 2 have a pretty forward and intense treble. The Conch has a V-shaped kind of sound, its somewhat similar to the ew200 but with more presence on the bass, which packs good punch, rumble and texture, and its also pretty clean; vocals are just fine, not that natural sounding iem, but also not bad; the treble Is energetic with some peaks of intensity, not the most refined but not super harsh, so your mileage may vary, just dont pick them if you are sensitive to treble. It works fairly well for rock genres. The nozzle is on the smaller size, however, because of the weird shape of the shell of the iem, its possible that the fit wont be the best for you, since its like a bullet style earphone, with just a cylindrical weight at the end that has very little support in the ear, so, keeping them in while moving too much could be a problem. Again, its not too bad, but it has a few “buts” to consider before buying it. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK0gJK7) * \- * **($70) Artti T10 (and other planars):** I know the T10 stock price is around $70 bucks, but in some sales in AliExpress, and with new customer discounts, you could find it closer to $50 or even less. The main reason why I mention this one is mostly to talk about Planar iems, those are know for having good overall performance in sound and techs, but that also comes with a not so cheap price, and the need for some extra anergy from a dongle DAC to work the best. The T10 has a somewhat balanced, slightly V-shaped sound, that has just enught bass, but some people could use a bit more, overall excelent quality of sound when properly amplyfied. Build quality is also fairly good. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKBFQ47) * \- * **($50) KZ PRX:** Mild V-shaped energetic planar, technically-wise competes with its planar peers but for a reduced price, however, it needs some good amplification, you should also get a better cable, 4.4mm cable with a dongle that has the connection, if possible, would be great. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ms7AueR) # -- # BRIGHT IEMS Now for more "bright" IEMs: Bright IEMs are more focused on vocal clarity, and especially treble intensity and details of the sound, they are not for everyone since most of the time the bass Is quite controlled and don’t really have much presence. * **($23) 7hz Salnotes Zero (Originals)(There is a DSP/Type-C variant):** Pretty detailed, vocals do take the main stage while bass it’s pretty tamed, still being plenty enough for it to be musical. The most sub $20 IEM recommended pick for gaming thanks to its price, performance and clarity. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK0Lu71) * \- * **($39) TKZK Wave:** A very technically competent pick, borderline neutral sound, with a clear yet small emphasis on treble, boosted enough for a detailed replay, the bass is clearly very reduced, but you can still hear some of it, dont expect much bass rumble. The bass might be too little for gaming. Check it out here: [Linsoul.](https://www.linsoul.com/products/tkzk-wave?srsltid=AfmBOopjxSmV08WMQvk-Rl0f6qiqRi0A-7hiIFV35tn3Q_6sqzbao6Ht) * \- * **($16) Tachjim Zero:** slightly more mid bass than the TKZK wave, slightly less overall technicalities, but in accordance with its lower price, similar focus on vocals with less treble. And, as it’s a bullet style it should be a comfy fit in your ear. Bass might be too little for gaming. Check it out here: [Linsoul.](https://www.linsoul.com/products/tanchjim-zero?srsltid=AfmBOooqEkFsn3ddSoCxeNxxA9ZhUqALVc7TAQVwn-j-wvSlP4B-8t5f) * \- * **($21) Tangzu Waner SE (Studio Edition):** A slightly brighter, but also cleaner Waner, with some more energy on vocals and treble, nothing else special other than the memory foam ear hooks in the cable that might or might not help with comfort. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMI8dSb) * \- * **($30) Ziigaat Nuo (FRS: C+):** A more bass energetic Salnotes Zero OG, the focus is on vocals and especially treble, but it doesn’t overlook the bass, has good performance for the price, but not a safe pick for people with treble sensitivity. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKr0NOF) * \- * **($40) Moondrop Lan (FRS: C+):** This could be a small upgrade from the Salnotes Zero original. A very decent build quality and technically competitive for the price, it has a nozzle on the small side just like chu 2, so should be very comfortable. The sound might have around the same to slightly less bass than the Zero OG, but, it will also have slightly better vocals than it, besides that, they are pretty similar, good if you don’t like much bass and you just enjoy a treble focused sound, but not with an overly intense replay. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mO5eyD5) * \- * **($60) 7hz Sonus (FRS: B-):** This one might be a bit out of budget but you can find it for less than $50 on a sale. Sonus Is said to have pretty good technical performance that is above its price range, however, the biggest downside it might had is that the sound could not be as "cohesive" as it should because of the dual driver implementation, that means that some parts of the sound around upper mids and treble might sound somewhat slightly separated from the lower mids and bass, most people don’t find this as a glaring problemm but you are warned. Of course, bass is reduced, but around the same as the Zero Original, this would be more like a direct upgrade, and should work well for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrnxgiR) * \- * **($40) Tanchjim OLA:** A bit outdated for the price, but still the special pick if you want to know what “neutral” is actually supposed to sound like, pretty similar to the Wave but it has almost no noticeable Sub-bass, in favor of a very clean sound reproduction, it has some mid-bass to it but mostly for getting that specifically neutral sound, and has just enough vocals and treble intensity for the sound to be correct and very natural. This is not a pick that is recommended for daily use, but if you love vocals and clean instruments, this one is still a great choice, although technicalities might be slightly below average at this point. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msI48If) * \- So that’s It, those are some of the best IEMs to pick for under $50, there are more that I didn’t mention and it doesn’t mean they are bad, is just that these are the most commonly known to be good and considered that most people would probably enjoy. Also, there aren’t many KZ or CCA options here because there are already some better options for similar tunings. Besides, KZ and CCA accesories and quality control is not from the best, and they have had other problems in the past like possible silent revisions of iems (changing drivers or tunings without prior notice) so they dont give me enough trust to recommend them so easily. Any question just Let me know. Notice that I do own or have owned some of the IEMs mentioned, but most of these recs are made by checking and comparing various Reviews from different sources. # -- # Reviewers List The purpose of this is so you can check the opinion of various people that had already checked a good bunch of other iems so you can have a wider perspective of what you might deal with, don’t take the word of just 1 or 2 unless you are sure they share your exact taste in audio, ideally use them just as a reference, compare any already owned iems with their opinions to see where their preferences stand in relation to yours, DO NOT trust only one opinion just because you like it better or the reviewer just sounds more knowledgeable. * HBB (YT Is called: bad guy good audio Reviews).\* * Paul Wasabi.\* * Super Reviews.\* * Jays audio. * Audio-in Reviews.\* * Gizaudio (Channel now run by ATechReviews - New Channel TimTuned). * WhatsNew. * SuperChonk.\* * Audio Amigo.\* * AndyAudioVault. * Acho Reviews. * Tone Deaf Monk. * Prime Audio Reviews. * Akros. * Ian Fann. * Hobby Talk. * Vortex Reviews. * AV Atmos. * Joyces Reviews. * Lumerion. * Honest Audiophile (I find him to be very biased by his own taste in sound, but it’s good to have every single second opinion in this case). * Joshua Valour (More headphones but still) * Kenneth Tanaka (this Is More for TWS/Blueetooth earphones) * Dan's audio Review (mostly for IEM sound comparation).\* \--- * *And please, do not take Sharur seriously, he Is trolling most of the time.* The names marked with a “ \* “ are the ones that are mostly well known and somewhat generally respected by the community and I. There is also the Legend "Crinacle" but he stopped doing "serious" reviews, i wont explain his lore, but if you find a review of an iem from him, especially in his "Crinacle" channel, he is also very respected, but he also sells iems now, so he has a lot to gain from you buying some sets. Now timmy, original host of Gizaudio has joined Crin into his Store Channel.

well it is, but depends on what you enjoy, Castor pro, the bass version (black color), is a good, energetic and quite bassy set, but not sure what you are looking for?

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.

I wont call the Zero 2 neutral bright, is actually just balanced, and even a bit on the bassy side, if you want a balanced, kinda neutral iem, actually Tangzu waner is closer to that, also focusing on vocals, its a good middle groun, if you want to test bassy, you can either go for the KZ Castor Pro Bass (there is normal and Pro verions, both with bass and harman verions, you want to go for the bass version) to test a bassy V-shaped iem, more energetic, nice punch, and then you can check the Salnotes Zero original for something actually more neutral bright, leaning to vocals and treble. Also, you have alternatives like the Tanchjim Bunny to the Waner, the Kbear rosefinch for a "bass canon", or the QKZxHBB for a bassy relaxed very warm set, for better or for worse tho, there arent that many "bright" options on the budget bracket.

Castor pro Bass edition are hands down the best budget IEM i have ever heard and the shells feel premium and look amazing, pair them with a KZ 8 Core Silver Blue Hybrid cable or QKZ T1 and i think you would be very happy… for awhile atleast ;) https://preview.redd.it/lpsjlre4dhpe1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a29db9ba601f6d19fe386eacefac3452ad06c0dd

For me yeah they’re very comfortable, they’re quite safe i’ve not heard of anyone complaining about them. Though i haven’t tried them with the stock tips only Large Dunu s&s tips. The ones on in the picture.

It would recommend KZ Libra X (silver one) or KZ ZVX if you want something in that direction. Both have fairly balanced tuning and decent bass. Kz castor harman have clean bass that is nice if that what you want. But if you want fun punchy rumbly bass, this aint it. Or get KZ Castor pro bass for good quality fun bass but still not overwhelming like the og castor bass.

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

The castor pro bass is my daily for gaming too. Love them honestly

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.

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.

I recently received the the new Kz Castor Pro's a couple days ago and its definitely a big departure from it's predecessor. First things first, the build. It feels premium just like how the original castors did. I still don't know how they manage to make it feel as good as they do. It feels like your holding a peice of jewelry or something. Size wise, it's considerably bigger than the already chunky Castors. It's longer, thicker, heavier, and the stem goes in deeper to boot. All around, its about maximum of what I consider usable for my ears. Bass: the original kz castors posses bass that'll knock your socks off. It's not necessary the most high quality bass but it's definitely the most bass present iems ive ever heard. I like bass but the original castor's bass was to the point that all your songs felt "thick" and sloppy. On the other hand, the bass of the kz castor pro's are much more manageable and enjoyable (for me). The way it's implemented is as if the song has an emphasis on bass while still respecting the other parts of the mix. The kz castor pro's bass is noticeably less at UUDD then the bass on the original castors at DDUU. the original felt uncontrolled and messy while the pro's feel tigher and more responsive. If I had to compare it to something I'd say that the pro's bass feels like you're listening to a somewhat bassy set of closed back studio monitors. The bass is nice and warm but still not overwhelming. The originals on the other hand, feels like your uncle's Ultima with the 8 inch subwoofer thumping in the trunk. Tho, instead of a trunk it's thumping in your ear canal. Mids: the mids on the pro's are fairly present and noticeably warmer but not as dark as original castors. They feel more present but that may just be because of the lack of bass presence compared to the original. I don't have much to say about it's mids, it's nothing special but also nothing stands out as negative. Treble: Now, this is another big point of contention. The pro's have a sharper V shape sound signature with more recessed mids and a much sharper treble. I would even go as so far to say that when listening to my music at my prefered volume it boarders siblant. The original on the other hand, is lacking in treble and the upper signature sound lacking and empty. The treble on the pro's are definitely more dynamic and energetic as compared to the dark sound signature of the original. Even on UUDD the pro's still sound alot more treble emphasized then the original. The emptiness in the original castors end up making it more relaxed and less fatiguing tho so keep that in mind. Unfortunately, there is a noticable drop in my perceived sound quality. The pro's also offer a much more open and natural sound stage, there's also better sound seperation between instruments and vocals. Compared to the KBear Rosefinches: I would say the pro's are in-between the rosefinches and OG castors. The OG castors being dark and muddy while the rosefinches are sharp and a very heavy V shape. Last but not least, is it worth upgrading? That's up for you to decide bassed on what sound signature you're looking for. It's not a linear upgrade, it's soley a preference thing. Personally, I'm keeping both, the OG's for dumb fun and the pro's for more regular usage. The pro's are inexpensive enough that I don't feel guilty taking them with me everywhere Gear used for testing: S23 with a jcally JM6 pro dac amp. Drop 02 Amplifier and a Grace SDAC. Used tidal and vinyl copies for song testing. TLDR: If you want the most bass possible and that's all you care about, get the OG castors. If you value a more neutral but still bass heavy signature, get the pro's. In my opinion, they're different enough that they both have a seat in my collection.

KZ Castor Improved Bass models have been my favorite around that budget, I may check these out!

I actually bought the silver version without realizing that the color made a difference. I love bass, however because I’m going to be recording vocals and gaming, I think I actually made a pleasant mistake. A more balanced eq is likely better than a bass enhanced version. I’ll keep you guys updated

¡Hola, hermano! Acabo de adquirir también los bajos Castor Pro. Después de usar ambos, si quieres grabar voces, te recomiendo los plateados, ya que tienen más detalle y un sonido más plano. Si quieres un uso más general, ¡elige los negros! ¡Espero que te sirva!

¡Hola, hermano! Acabo de adquirir también los bajos Castor Pro. Después de usar ambos, si quieres grabar voces, te recomiendo los plateados, ya que tienen más detalle y un sonido más plano. Si quieres un uso más general, ¡elige los negros! ¡Espero que te sirva!

Harman bass improved version

After 3 months of use, I can confidently say that if you’re a bass lover, the KZ Castor Pro (Bass Improved Edition) is the best IEM under $20 (2000INR) , and even in the $50-$60 range, there are few options with this level of enhanced bass. Sound & Performance Bass – Deep, punchy, and well-defined with satisfying sub-bass rumble. Mids & Vocals – Surprisingly clear with good separation. Unlike most bass-heavy IEMs, the mids aren't completely recessed. Treble – Bright and can be harsh for treble-sensitive listeners. Poweramp EQ (Android) or Hiby Music Player helps tame it. iOS users, not much luck here. Tuning Preference – UUDD tuning works well for me, but YMMV. Amplification & DAC Used them via 3.5mm jack, but a DAC unlocks their full potential – tighter bass, improved imaging, and better dynamics. Highly recommended! Beginner Friendly? Yes, but only for bass lovers. If you want a balanced sound, try the Aurora Ultra instead. Comfort & Fit These IEMs are big, like most KZ models. Small ears? Expect an adjustment period. I struggled with my left ear for the first 20-30 days but got used to it. Final Thoughts If bass is your priority, this is the best option under $20. Even in the $50-$60 range, bass-focused IEMs are rare. Small ears? Adjusting takes time. Treble-sensitive? EQ is a must. For bassheads, this is a no-brainer. Go for it.

For gaming it's so good. The imaging and sound staging is kinda perfect for games.

Only this is they are huge and heavy, stick out from ears

Just got mine too. Do you have strange reverberation sound after trebble notes?

If you are going to play FPS games, I would suggest against the castor Pro. I have the improved bass version and when I play Marvel Rivals i can hear the footsteps but cant distinguish between left to right. I dont know if it is game specific because when I tried it on a youtube video to test it was clear where the sound was coming from. But the overall sound is great. Its comparable to a JBL headphone I owned( it was around $100) so yeah.

Can't argue with that really. Love my zvx and both castor bass an castor bass pro.

Yeah I enjoy it too. But honestly I can't tell much of a difference In the castor bass an the pro. what's ur switch setting?

I just bought KZ Castor bass improved edition and loving it for both music and gaming. I played CS2, Valorant and Once Human and it perform well sound and sound stage wise. I mainly use hyperx cloud alpha for gaming and music and bought Chu 2 several weeks ago as alternative . Sadly Chu 2 is terrible for FPS gaming. The footstep clarity whether it's coming from in front or behind/ up or down is very bad which KZ Castor doesn't have that problem. I'm not sure about other KZ lineups though as they're notorious for qc problems.

KZ Castor. No bass, shouty, just hurting my hearing

Yes, I meant the Harman version. Their bass is very very lean. The switch adds bass, but it's sound doesn't fit the rest of the tuning. The Castor Bass is much much better.

In the Castor case, there're so subtle differences between configurations, and believe me, there's no a right option only. As a beginner, and with a such decent starting IEMs, my advice is that you explore with them, listen as many of your favourite songs you can, with different switch configurations, and find the most appealing to you. These switches slightly alters the tuning, but are not completely game changers profile-wise.

Mine just arrived and have came in the DDUU... Not knowing what they do I have left it in this configuration? Looking forward to trying other combo's... 👍 I'm glad I found this thread now... 😆

Snap!... 🙌 😁

Try this EQ Graph for Castor Bass with DDUU switch setting. Timber of the instruments sounds near natural. Vocal sounds with good depth. Bass is punchy with moderate SubBass. The sound gets enough space to breathe. https://preview.redd.it/wwh2kk296zld1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7e9a99c675a4b70cf8442e874f7625b1e1f99c7c

I am using 0011 and EQed it. My EQ Graph is rhis: https://preview.redd.it/xc3ajz1r6zld1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=214f0b397c8cecbc5403a894b64403230779adbc

I have Zero 2, Zero 1, Castor Harman, Castor Bass, Waner, QKZ HBB. If you don't want to spend money on the tips and want an all rounder sound with slight vocal forward, grab the Waner. You need better eartips on the rest as the ones included are pretty much garbage, especially both Zeros. Zero 2 is pretty much identical to Waner but trading the vocal centric to be more natural. It has bass but you need to get that fit which is pretty hard or you'll get the same sound as Zero 1 with less treble fatigue. It's basically "if it fits, it's pretty much the most natural iem in this price range. But if it's not, it's probably the worst in this price range as it's nothing but a wonky, hollow iem". Castor Harman is decent if you want to taste how Harman tuning is. It's like 80-90% close. If you want more flavor just grab the bassy one but I have to say it's probably way too bassy so unless you don't mind hearing the bass hit you like a truck I think the harman (silver) is pretty fine. It's pretty clean tuning too, surprisingly. If you want bass but also smooth treble with warmish tuning, QKZ HBB.

And I find 7hz zero 2 to sound a bit muffled but that Castor Harman to have a gentle treble extension. This is with switches 3 & 4 down. 

I've harman version, do you have any suggestions on which switch to turn on?

I had the same question and a wise man said both of those versions comes with the same drivers it's the tuning makes them sound different between 2 versions. I purchased a pair of castor Harman version for a low price on AliExpress sale while ago and also bought some tuning meshes and modded my pair. Believe me or not my pair out perform the castor bass edition it self and sound way superior than the castor bass. https://preview.redd.it/52gnhe64tw4d1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2e4f1fc5597d23e79de255c4e50d8321566c89b

I had the same question and a wise man said both of those versions comes with the same drivers it's the tuning makes them sound different between 2 versions. I purchased a pair of castor Harman version for a low price on AliExpress sale while ago and also bought some tuning meshes and modded my pair. Believe me or not my pair out perform the castor bass edition it self and sound way superior than the castor bass. https://preview.redd.it/52gnhe64tw4d1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a2e4f1fc5597d23e79de255c4e50d8321566c89b

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 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

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!

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.

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. 🧐

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,

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.

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.

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.

I just got my KZ Castor Pro, the Harman target with improved bass version. Here's my quick impression and comparison over the original Castor. [KZ Castor Pro, Harman target with improved bass version](https://preview.redd.it/4vk8n0mjx8xd1.jpg?width=1612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=021a6fed2b01efe4189d57573d1ec67cf5fb0ee1) The KZ Castor Pro is a refined, slightly elevated version of the original Castor. It's slightly larger than the original and features a different driver configuration, now with two 10mm drivers. This new configuration results in a fuller sound, with a more pronounced low-end. [KZ Castor Pro \(below\) and KZ Castor \(above\).](https://preview.redd.it/pufpfxsnx8xd1.jpg?width=1612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1f266c00bb892a5885eef4c4c72b13d5cd9e531) The bass has slightly less impact on the mid-bass but slightly more extension to the sub-bass, resulting in a more pronounced rumble. The midrange remains clear and detailed, with good vocal clarity, especially for male vocals. The treble is slightly more detailed and crisper, offering a more energetic and engaging sound. [On the left is the original Castor using 10mm & 8mm dynamic drivers. On the right is Castor Pro using two 10mm dynamic drivers. KZ placed the low-frequency driver closer to the nozzle on the Pro.](https://preview.redd.it/bohp5g49y8xd1.jpg?width=1612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff4205b5df382b5ec9b3cdfe33655b5c7f15ceb7) [Castor Pro \(on the right\) is slightly larger than the original Castor \(on the left\).](https://preview.redd.it/tj2b0owhz8xd1.jpg?width=1612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7979fa90007c0adbc1b5aaf5d8cc3c37ac1670e5)

And the answer gonna be pretty subjective. If you have a limited budget, then it's kinda redundant. Personally, I prefer the Pro over the original, but not by much.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/D3NUIsUL51 For me, I have no complaints getting the Pro.

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

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.

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.

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 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...

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

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!

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

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

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)

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.

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.

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'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

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

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.

Get ready for the "Why get many cheap iem instead of one overpriced iem?" Comments. 😅 Great collection! Love my KZs. My ZS10 Pro X and castor puch way above their price. The linglong was a great surprise too

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.

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.

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.

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.

It all goes down to either the HBB QKz (bassy, lush and really full) or Castor Bass (energetic, something you could hear at a club). I have Castor and I've demoed QKZHBB. Both Heroes and Villains and Brat sound amazing in Castor while I've found that some older hip-hop records (WuTang, OutKast) sound better on QKZ.

I have both. Zero Red has more imaging , clarity , better stage and resolution. Its best for multiple genres . KZ is a bit more comfortable but i dont like the tuning for critical listening.

If it’s only for competitive games , then go for kz castor bass edition . You will save some money

Follow my write-up to achieve this IEMs *absolute* pinnacle performance. 🎧😎🤌

I really liked the HBB x QKZ set, the KZ Castor bass version is pretty good as well.

I haven't watched the review yet, did he compare them to the Caster Black's? I just got those and I'm enjoying them (in some ways) more than sets 15x the price.

Bass version,Harman version for some reason is tuned to have shit ton of treble.

I doubt it. The only one I ever recommend is the Castor and it's extremely bassy, but with not-great treble. That's the opposite of what you want I think. There are a lot of KZ IEMs though, they bring out a new one like once or twice a week. Most of them aren't good, but you can probably find reviews on Youtube.

KZ Castor has no bass? That's a new one. Did you get the Harman one instead of the black? I have both and even the Harman is quite bassy, but that's not the "correct" one. Anyway if you still have it the most likely reason you aren't getting any bass is the eartips aren't giving you a proper seal.

Yeah, I have both and do agree the Bass is the better one. Although the treble is slightly less grainy on the Harman one, so it's a pity they didn't include that small refinement in the bass version and forget the other version (that's not the KZ business model though).

Castor *Bass version* is atleast mentioned much more often than JD1 x Headphone Zone. I wouldn't know which is best tho. Just don't listen to anybody telling you about KZs history with adjusting IEMs after the initial reviews. They have done that, but not with the Castors.

Just got the Kz castor and the bass edition is probably the best under 10€ IEM I've ever tried.

The castor have a pretty small nozzle

Get the Castor tips and reverse them

I am a beginner audiophile using the KZ Castor Bass Edition and 7Hz Crinacle Zero 2 with a Headphone Zone X ddHiFi Hi-Res DAC Pro and balanced cables. I prefer the Zero 2s due to their layered sound signature, good amount of bass, and comfortable fit for long listening sessions. I listen to all kinds of music. I’m planning to upgrade to the Simgot EW300 DSP Edition soon. What should I expect in terms of an upgrade from my Zero 2s and KZ Castors? Also, do you have any other upgrade suggestions within an $80 budget?

I have the Castor Bass version its pretty good for the price (bit too much bass for me). I use them setting of DDUU or DDUD and wide bore eartips which sort of reduces the bass make them more enjoyable and also helps with gaming.

I do like bass but i prefer it slightly textured and balanced with vocals and treble and I have lots of eartips from other IEMs so i thought lets experiment with it. Now I listen to Castor more often than my other more expensive IEMs.I found the perfect balance with them😁.

Yeah castor bass edition is absolutely vfm. I'm using with UDUU and getting a overall balance sound. Stock eartips are garbage, I'm using tangzu Wagner's stock tips.

Only tried 3 so far. Kz edx pro, truthear gate and kz castor bass edition. Gate had the best treble

Just recently discovered IEMs. The first one I have bought is the kz castor bass improve for 8 bucks. I can only afford affordable ones and i would appreciate it if you recommend a better one under 40$ a planar one would be better

I have the bass version and would not recommend it for competitive gaming since its mids are recessed so its harder to hear the footsteps and voices, also imaging is not anything amazing, but for casual games its nice, they have a very fast and punchy bass that makes explosions engaging, realistically I only use them for music that has the bass as the main focus and these are great for that. The castor has switches that you can use to lower the bass so it sounds like the harman version but Instead I would suggest KZ d-fi, they are even cheaper but sound a lot more natural and have better imaging and less harsh treble, even though they are more boring.

I got the castors bass edition they feel lackluster to qkz x hbb but then again if you want something with a bit of everything ew300 is a no brainer or if you got the cash and you want bass 7hz legato seems like a pretty good choice

The KZ Castor pro or bass edition would be a really good option for this price point. The sound signature is almost identical to tea pros, which are known to be good for gaming. You will not get anywhere near the spacial effects that headphones can produce, but directional audio (called imaging) will be really good. I used to use Castor bass edition for cod and battlefield, and it was good for allowing me to pinpoint the direction in which enemy footsteps are coming from. OP, you'll need to spend more money on, ideally, a hybrid (DD, BA) or planar iem to get the ability to figure out how far away a sound is coming from. The EM6L is known for doing this pretty well, though the truthear HEXA may be more within your price range if raising your budget is ever an option.

Agreed, the cheapest "good sound quality" headphones I can think of are some Koss stuff and even those are around RM140-200. (If OP's priority is sound quality anyways) Some recommendations for OP if he doesn't mind IEMs: KZ Castor Bass edition, KZ EDC Pro, Moondrop Chu II, Tangzu Wan'Er original and SE versions, 7Hz Zero 2 and original versions, and the Truthear Gate. Note that I only specifically recommend those 2 KZ models since the rest of their lineup don't sound as good unless you move up the price bracket. KZ also has issues with deceptive marketing as well with certain models where they switch out the drivers randomly in the middle of the production run. The Chu II can occasionally be found for around RM40-50 in carousell, and if you live in the Klang Valley, starspicker's store sometimes have open box Chu IIs for sale.

They’re not even that bassy and they suck.

KZ Castor Bass edition for $12 Just needs good amp/dac with it

idk when the Indian sellers(headphonezone, conceptkart and theaudiostore) will get them in stock. i already have the castor bass version, not sure if I should get the pro version when it arrives eventually

iv got smallish ears and have to use the small nozzles in everything. in sayin that i cant guarantee my suggestions will fit you so make sure you can get easy return/refunds from where you buy the iems i personally own and would recommend are the zero crinacle reds (£50)....the KZ castor (extra bass version) (£25) althrough you can get the KZs dirt cheap on ali express if you dont mind the wait....its important you make sure you get the extra bass version through if you live in the uk or have a 2nd hand store in your country (CEX in the uk) you might get a pair of 7hz timeless around £120 which are my fav iems and have amazing sound quality. i suggest only buying A or B grade i personally wouldnt buy C grade 2nd hand. nothing (a) earbuds are also really really good sound quality but they dont have super high overall volume...still worth buying imo for sound quality and they just feel and look like quality...have a decent companion app too....(£90 new but i got mine £60 second hand) lastly if your planning on getting into iems a qudelix 5k is a must have purchase. most people that use iems will have a qudelix or something similar with the qudelix most recommended....its £100 but worth it. its basically a small dac/amp bluetooth device that has 100s of pre made equaliser presets made by famous youtube/reviewers of headphones and iems etc who know there stuff. although your free to experiment with it yourself. it doesnt look like much,its just a tiny lil black box but its packed full of features to experiment with your sound through its app worth noting through as far as i know it does NOT work with earbuds you have to be wired up to it althrough AI chat tells me it does but il be damned if i can see how to connect it lol

yeh the castors might not be a v good fit i only mentioned them as a cheap alternative and i think they bonkers cheap on ali express. the zero reds might indeed be your best fit but remember its just 1 suggestion id try google around to try find a good range of suggestions before buying. not sure why your friend saying nothing (a) sound quality isnt good unless he hasnt turned on the bass boosters as they are defo very ''tinny'' without them....my only gripe with nothing (a) is i cant go into brain melt sound mode....they re a very decent sound level but i cant pre amp them the way i can wired iems with a qudelix those 1s just happen to suit my small ears but yours might be even smaller!! and appy cake day too!!

My saga bass enhanced version's right ear gets muted and muffled after about an hour of usage. I have to put them out and wait a minute or two, which I believe is because of metal extending and making pressure buildup. Do yours also have this issue ?

Small list of the ones I recommend for beginners with budget 1. Moondrop chu ii 2. Kz castor (original or pro) if you like bass, pick the black one 3. 7hz Zero Red 4.sgor adonis

You're good, castor black is still way bassier than edc pro, I got both, the latter is just a tad bit more smoother and balanced.

Is the soundstage better than the Hola? My left Hola earbud got damaged, so I'm considering buying a new one. So far, I've only tried the Castor. While it was good, it lacked the soundstage of the Hola.

For me, Wan'er is better than Castors. I've used both and prefer wan'er 8/10 times.

I have been producing with castor for almost a year before it broke and i will tell you how much improvement it gave to my mix. While it is still a cheap IEM it still gives a massive difference compared to cheapy pay at my local market. I think while training your ear is good you also have to take into account what gear you are using. Castor not only improved my mix somewhat but also improved my daily music commute experience. I think spending a little bit will not make you better in mixing overnight but it will at least help your mixing activities much more comfortable.

In that case you're pretty much limited to KZ, or just "ok" sounding 1DDs like the Chu 2 or Zero 2. Castor is $12 and ZSN Pro 2 is $14, those both hit well above their price. You can get D-fi for that much but it's not really any better than a Chu or Zero. If you want a very cheap 1DD I would still get the Tanya or ipviq q-100 which is basically a Cadenza in a nicer shell, you can find that for <$20 on sale. You could probably find a CCA Trio or ZS10 Pro 2 on sale for <$30 too, or get a cheap PR2 and try to EQ it.

Castor

It's pretty bassy, I don't know about gaming but it's good for movies

I am not an audiophile, I have been using the AirPods models for a very long time. I also have the Sony XM4 and nura phone headphones. As you can tell, I like bass. But I used the KZ ZS10 Pro x a year ago and was blown away. It sounds so great, the sound staging on it is amazing. It’s been my go-to ear IEM ever since and I made it wireless with the AS15. And I got hooked into IEMs. I have bought a few more IEMs since, wondering if it can get better than the ZS10 Pro X. I bought the Moon drop Chu after watching Crinicle’s review of it. I don’t get what the fuss is about, it sounds good, but even at peak volume, it’s does not get loud enough, and the fit is horrible for me. I prefer the KZ. Thinking I might like a different KZ, I bought the Castor, the EDX and the Dfi. There is very little difference between them and I still prefer the ZS10 Pro X. I have ordered the moon drop May hoping it will have enough for me to switch. Will let you know when it arrives.

At least those. Depends also on you favoured amount of bass, but Chu 2 (analog), several KZ, TRN etc cheap stuff like Castor. I'd need to remind me self of a bunch by listening again since it's been a while, but Gate just isn't good in today's market. Hola would be.

I did, Castor was good at its price. And I expected the Rhapsody would be a better version of Castor. And ye, good at technical term (clearer, controllable) and reducing bass amount a bit. Castor was not enough to please my taste of bass even though im not the basshead (or i am but not listening to bass so often haha). Btw, i know it was a trade off haha. And ye, Castor nearly had no rivals in this price range. What i did sharing were my first impressions, and im still pleased with Rhapsody.

The Zero 2 is a fantastic starting iem because it is very slightly v-shaped with a slight bass boost. I have them and they a good starting point. I also have the Castor Black, and the configuration you were probably looking for was UUDD. That said, they lack the clarity that the Zero 2 has. The Zero 2 is definitely lighter in the ears, but the stock cable is garbage. Like cables-you-find-on-free-headphones bad. Personally, I put on a pair of Tripowin Zonies on them. Lucky for you, the Zonie comes in pink and would make a MAGNIFICENT match. More importantly, the Zero 2 simply made music fun. Good luck with whatever you decide!

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

Planars are really bad for anything metal, thrash and little lackluster mix tracks from 80s metals, rocks. Any cheap DD is a better option. Maybe Timeless is an exception. My experience with KZ PR2 with even a FiiO KA11 was not so good. My Castor is far better for metal and rock. Fortunately, my current single DD is miles ahead of both PR2 or Castor. For me personally, DD >> Single Planar for most cases for such type of music.

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

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

Another vote for these.

just get the cheap ones.KZPro. they're totally fine. The Shures are kinda shitty honestly. I broke like 3 pairs of those before I figured it out...

I recently went through this process. I use the KZPro. You can find them on Amazon for less than $50. They are amazing.

Yep! Entire band uses them. 100 gigs a year. Quality sound and durable.

I have Drumeo IEMs, SE535, SE215, Moondrop Aria, KZ Pros. I cannot recommend the Drumeo IEMs unfortunately. They are just tuned weirdly. If you get them free, go for it. Otherwise I would get Aria or KZ, if you want to spend, look at Shure.

They have excellent audio quality. It's just that their microphone is shit. Source: I use KZ Pro.

Thanks for the response my man!!! Check out my response to fewell above - pretty much is my exact response to you too! It explains that I do actually have a weird aversion to in ears for home studio daily use lol (I do use in ears live: basic Shure ones and the KZ pro ones). Over ears just feel more comfortable to me and in a strange way feels like a more immersive musical experience. I do actually have those Vics you mentioned which are my daily drivers in the home studio. Their audio and comfort just sucks in comparison to the Sony’s. A pair of over ears that sound as good and are as comfortable as the Sony’s made specifically to also protect ears from drums is a value proposition I would jump at immediately, but to my knowledge no such headphones exist 🤷🏻‍♂️

All IEMs break or get lost or get left behind. I’d much rather replace a perfectly fine pair of IEMs that cost $60 than a pair that cost $1200. That’s personal preference. I personally think that clarity and detail are completely unimportant in a live situation. There are lots and lots of people who will disagree with me. But my hot take is to go the less expensive route If money is an issue. I currently use the KZ Pros and they sound just fine.