KZ - EDC PRO

People still recommending the crin red as a beginner iem is crazy. The crin Red is overrated, overhyped and with some many options in the market is definitely overpriced, the only useful thing of the entire package is the white tips. As someone said in a comment below, if you want to try an iem just buy the KZ EDC PRO it's like 5 dollars in Aliexpress and the kbear 08 eartips works well with it, at least for me.

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

Have: *Using a dac btw *Chu 2 and Kefine Klean are prone to sound damp/loss due to moisture getting trapped in the metal housing. If it happens let it air out or put silica gel next to it. -Kz edc pro(cheapest option; sounds better than my salnotes zero & chu 2 tho unreliable qc) -Salnotes zero(great budget option; clean layered sounds and a bit bassy, plastic housing not really bothersome quite reliable tbh, stock cable sucks tho, my running/jogging iem) -Moondrop chu 2(clean layered sound and neutral tuning, my preferred choice; metal housing, great stock cable, my travel iem) -Kefine Klean(a bit better sounding than every iem i have, best build quality, metal housing, great stock cable, my gaming iem) Currently eyeing: Kinera Celest Simgot ew300

yep finally got it after many people recommend it, bought it for gaming and the metallic sounds from guns in PUBG became unbearable... can't return it, but good thing it's cheap and autoeq exist. eq to harman target and it's my beater sets until it's broken in gaming.

KZ EDC PRO IEM Wired Earphone,... https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DHSFHZZ1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share ( these are the basic ones for 1k but if your budget is good then pick some good one but KZ is a good company.

Really? I don't game with mine, feels like the bass is overwhelming in CS2.

Edc pro. Great budget balanced iem.

Nope. Those concerns are overblown just because of incidents from a couple of years ago. The edc pro is consistently good with no known defects. I've owned several dozen kz iems and even gave away 6 KZ Dawns (like edc pro but with lots of bass) to my teammates at work, and all of them work fine.

Castors are a good choice too. Castor Harman is good; gave it to my gf. Castor bass is a bit muddy, but not too muddy like kbear rosefinch; I use that personally. I personally love the edc pro more because it's smoother with just the right amount of bass, but the Harman is a bit thin for me. But I just re-read your genre of choice. I saw you like J-Pop. If that's the case, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Tangzu Waner (the original ones that came in black, white, jade, and blue colors; not the studio version or the waner 2). Tangzu waner is specialized for making vocals, specifically female vocals, pop. Wan'er is known to make Stay With Me and Plastic Love sound good. Great with YOASOBI too.

Yeah at this point they are outclassed even by KZs own edc and edx lines. They are still ok at their price points. But they are no longer the top budget, iems like they were 5 years ago. If you don't have an aliexpress account at this point, you can snag a edc or edx for 2 bucks thanks to the welcome deal

No aliexpress screws you at this point. Otherwise you would get the kz edc pro or the edx pro.

G1 has to be my most disappointing buy of the year. Treble is just awful. Plenty of iems with better positional audio that sound much better. I would steer clear. If looking for a V shaped sound the KZ EDC pro is better, still a fun V shaped sound but overall better tuned, and if you want a step up from the G1, but like the metal build and small form factor, the Kefine Klean is a great option.

\-KZ EDC Pro is THE bang for buck pair of IEMs. Period. I wouldn't say they're the best in the sub $20.00 category (not by a long shot), but you can get a sub $20.00 pair AND the KZ EDC Pro, usually for the same $20.00 if you use discounts. You can have them as a spare pair of IEMs for Every Day Carrying (EDC) and leave your better, more expensive IEMs at home. \-The best KZ planar by far are the PRX, and they're around $30.00 (or less) on AliExpress. They're harder to drive than the ARTTI T10 Pro or the Sgor Luna, and the included accessories suck (except for the ear tips, they're quite good for my ears), but they're easy to recommend if you can get them at a(n even better) discount and have a better spare KZ-QDC cable around. https://preview.redd.it/4z7dggtk58df1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=45eaf3a592ad7051b936bbe578e22cc9bffd5dae

If you need good noise isolation you should try Etymotics. But get them from Amazon or somewhere in case you need to return, because the deep fit can be problematic depending on your ear canal shape (I found them painful). The ER2XR is slightly above your budget at around $100 IIRC, but it's worth a look. That's their entry level one with more bass (ER2SE is the same but with flat bass). Ignore driver count. That's mostly a marketing tactic by KZ, but their IEMs tend to be a bit shit and they have a pretty sketchy track record with various things (fake drivers, paid-for reviews, etc). Some of their models are supposedly good for the price, but it's hard to recommend them except for complete beginner level stuff to just try out an IEM for under $10. Spending any more than that with KZ is taking a bit of a gamble. That said if you want to just get one that's really cheap to try out, the KZ EDC Pro is usually under $5 and it's actually not bad. It's a balanced, mild v-shape tuning that leans towards a bit bassier. It won't give you the same levels of sound isolation as Etymotics, but it will give you a good idea of what to expect from most typical IEMs, as most of them have about the same levels of noise isolation. It's only Etymotics and some of the other pro-oriented ones (that I have no experience with) which have much higher attenuation specs than typical audiophile IEMs. Pretty much all KZs have slightly grainy treble, which would make them unsuitable for production work, but if you're talking about live mixing then it shouldn't matter much. I don't DJ, but from friends who do, I believe a v-shape signature is what they prefer, so they can track the bass and percussion more easily for beat-matching.

Not really in order, as different tunings: * Moondrop Chu 2 - mild v-shape, great IEM * QKZ HBB - warm/bassy, great IEM * Blon BL03 - fun v-shape (but the fit is terrible) Bright neutral has a few options - I prefer the original Chu but the crappy fixed cable lets it down. The 7Hz Zero is a bit better in that regard, but I don't think it sounds quite as good. Arguably it's better to pay the extra for the Moondrop LAN for this signature because it's the best one until you go up significantly, but OTOH it's also kind of overpriced for what it is (I think it's around $40 normally, but it's basically just a Chu 2 with less bass). The 7Hz Zero 2 is OK as well but I personally find it a bit of an overly safe middle ground between other, better IEMs. Like the QKZ HBB, if you want warm but don't want to go quite that warm. It's probably the one that's the closest competitor to the Wan'er, as a better all-rounder. Although I find the Wan'er has a stand-out feature in its vocals while being weaker elsewhere, but the Zero 2 doesn't have a single stand-out thing it does better than anything else. It could maybe get the award for the okayest $20 IEM, as it doesn't do anything bad, but nothing stands out as particularly good either. You also have things like the KZ EDC Pro as probably the best beginner IEM, for around $5. It's very close to the Chu 2 but a bit bassier and slightly less refined in the treble. Probably more comfortable than the Chu 2 and less prone to condensation issues. The KZ Castor Bass, around $15, is good for a really hard-hitting bass tuning, although it's not an all-rounder and the tuning is a bit grainy.

The Audio Technicas are more of a bright-leaning v-shape. The Red is a warm/bassy neutral. The Red has huge nozzles so isn't a particularly safe choice for a first IEM, it can cause a lot of people discomfort or pain, because the nozzles are so big, unless you happen to have above-average sized ear canals. I would recommend starting even cheaper and get the KZ EDC Pro as a first IEM, because you can find it for about $5. It's a mild v-shape tuning so it's not so far away from neutral that it's going to be missing too much anywhere, and it's not overly boring either. It's small and should fit most people's ears without any problems. Once you've spent a while with something like that, you'll have a much better idea whether to stick with that, spend more money on a different IEM, or buy a pair of over-ears. And while you can get a fairly good IEM for $5, you cannot get a good over-hear headphone for that price. Over-ears are a whole different thing to IEMs. Some people hate having their ears covered (and it causes more issues with heat, especially in summer). OTOH, some people hate having something in their ear canal. It's best to figure out which type of person you are, or alternate between them both at different times to minimise fatigue.

OK, but it's not uncommon for people to have issues with the shell size on the Zero / Zero 2 and its pointy edges. And it's 4x the price of the EDC Pro. That's why I recommend the EDC Pro for someone just starting out who doesn't know much about what they're looking for. If it turns out to not be for you, you're only down $5 not $20. And that's very unlikely to happen for comfort reasons. There are very few IEMs out there that are as small and ergonomic as it, irrespective of price. Plus the sound quality of the EDC Pro is at least competitive with all the other sub-$20 recommendations including the Zero 2. Which one is best is largely a matter of preference, but nobody knows their preference until they've tried at least one IEM.

As a first IEM, the KZ EDC Pro. Because it's only $5, it's tuned pretty competently and it's more comfortable than than 95% of IEMs, especially for anyone with small ears. People going around recommending things like the Zero Red as a first IEM really annoy me, because for a significant number of people it's just going to hurt their ears and put them off IEMs forever. It doesn't matter how well it's tuned.

All of them are decent for a first IEM, but it depends on your preferences. The problem is, if you haven't had an IEM before, you won't know what your preferences are. You need to start somewhere, so my recommendation is to buy the cheapest thing that's good and focus on comfort first. That's why I recommend one that's not on your list: the KZ EDC Pro. It's got a good all-rounder tuning (a slightly warmer version of the Chu 2) without any of the harsh peaks KZ often have issues with. But also, it's only $7. It's got one of the smallest, most ergonomic shells and smallest nozzles on any IEM. So there much less risk that you run into comfort issues with your first IEM and can focus on listening for a month or two and deciding what you do or don't like about the sound. The main downside of the EDC Pro is that the stock cable isn't great. But you can listen to it for a week or two and if you decide it's going to be your only IEM for a while, just buy an upgrade cable. KBear have a lot of good options that will fit it and the 3.5mm versions can usually be found on sale around $5 (look for 8-core, 16-core, ST12, ST16 - I have the KBear Chord on mine, which is very nice but it's usually a bit more expensive). Otherwise if you're going to upgrade to something else, you'll at least know what you want from a slightly more expensive IEM, and you've got a backup that only cost $7. The other one worth considering using the same logic is the Gate, but the main advantage of the Gate is that it comes with a pretty nice cable that you might want to steal and use on a future IEM. Personally I think the EDC Pro is tuned a bit better than the Gate, but for a first IEM you probably wouldn't notice. The stock tips with the Gate are slightly better as well (Whizzer SS20), but they aren't expensive, and KZ Starlines aren't bad tips either. The price difference is probably more than the cost of the tips + a decent cable anyway. However you can usually find the Gate on Amazon, which gives you 30 days no-questions returns.

The original Edx pro is honestly one of my least favorite IEMs. It’s thin with less treble extension and bass that bleeds into the midsection. This one’s a big improvement in a technical sense but you may prefer a set without a 10k dip.

My beloved edc pro

KZ Edc Pro, I haven't tried anything better for that price.

The KZ edc pro is an amazing budget IEM. Is fun and I enjoy it with different types of electronic music, drum n bass. As well Aful Explorer is fun and tame around the treble with a good subbass. I have the Dunu Falcon Pro as well . Love the great fit cause they are a bit on the smaller side and are sort of an Allrounder and are fun too for jazz , pop, electronic etc. the fit of an IEM is very important and may want to consider it. And not to forget good ear tips which will help you to tune the sound quite a bit. All in all your preferences are important , if you like more „warm“ or more treble in IEMs. I am quite sensitive for sharp treble and prefer a more smoother, warmer sound overall with more subbass. So a lot to consider. Good luck with your first purchase.

These were a surprise... I bought these because I had heard they were good and for $15 AU it was a no brainer to try them out, plus I needed a new set with a mic. Got them today and OMFG are they worth the money. Pair them with a good DAC and they come alive. These will now replace my blon b03 as they blow them out of the water. Great first set or a cheap backup set edit: these are not very good for gaming where directional queues are needed like in CS2 or CS:GO, but work well for other games. I also used the SpinFit 100 tips as I never like the KZ tips even though the new ones are softer

They are worth every $ and the sound is x2 per $

For a cheap set I don’t think anyone will give it a full review. What I am hoping for is that this sets a new benchmark in the race to quality’s cheaper IEMs

It’s a hard one, because if it were more than $40 then I would buy the KZ as pro 2 as form what I can gather it’s got a bigger sound stage, however for $15 … 3 cups of coffee… 1 burger … 2 beers, a bottle of wine … etc you can get a very good headphone. I have the Tenchjim Origin and Oxygen, the Simgot Supermix 4 and compared to those these $15 headphones are not too far off, don’t get me wrong, these $200 + headphones blow the KZ out of the water, but for a fraction of the cost you get at least 70% of the quality. I say buy them, at worst you’ve just shat out that burger

I got them from AliExpress

I’ve only used it for a couple of calls and the mic is on par with the Apple 3.5mm earbuds, which is what I was replacing for calls. The cable does not feel or look like the old KZ from 4 years ago. It’s decent

It’s no good for FPS, directional queues are not as good as the KZ AS 10 pro for example. But for a game like gran turismo 7 or anything where you just need nice sound they are good

Hi, these are OK for gaming, not the best. I tried them on CS2 and directional queues were not that clear. The old KZ AS pro are much better and were my gaming set until I replaced them with the supermix 4. They are good for other games like GranTurismo 7 for example

I agree, however upgrade the tips … I use spinfit W1 on them now, and you get an extra 10% sound quality boost … a good DAC added another 10% Man … this obsession/hobby gets expensive

I’ve never tried or looked into the castors so I don’t know … sorry. The bass is nice and not boosted. All I can say these are good value, they won’t blow you away but they don’t do anything wrong either.

They are not great for audio directional queues especially in FPS like CS2, Valirant. They are good for car games like GT7, Forza though

100% this. The ChU II is very boring. Not much bass, recessed mids, squishy trebles. And they fall out of my right ear, which requires larger tips for a sealed fit, Audio Amigo gives them a "brilliant" rating, and I cannot understand why. Even my KZ EDC Pro sounds far better for half the price. The only good thing about the Chu II is the metal build quality (unless you live in humid areas, then you're screwed)

I agree. I like my Zero 2. Great bassy sound. But I find the EDC Pro's sound to be better. That extra added treble agrees with my sound preference better, without being too harsh. I find the Zero 2's treble to be lacking a little.

this was 4yrs ago lol. and kz edc pro sounds better than almost every stock over ear ive tried including $1000+. btw truthear, moondrop, hisenior also wire their drivers backwards on several iems even if they are in phase with eachother it is still inverted polarity lol. and there is nothing inherently more wrong with wiring out of phase vs all in phase but inverted in a minimum phase system, and only achieving a desired frequency response matters. to that end you can wire drivers out of phase. whereas hisenior, moondrop, truthear and others have models with audible inverted polarity you can immediately tell.

Try finding the cheapest kz edc pro👍

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.

KZ ZVX PRO for 15$ is insane, or like other guy said EDC PRO/SGOR Venus for less than 10$ if u just wanna try ur first Iem.

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

Sold both of them within 2 weeks😆 My head fi signature: Headphones: Fiio FT1, PSB M4U, Corsair HS70, Grado SR60X (rebought). IEM’s: Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, NiceHCK Himalaya, Hidizs MP145, Artti T10, Aoshida E20, Aful 5+2, Tripowin X HBB Kailua, QOA Adonis New, HifiMan RE2000S Pro, Faaeal Iris 2.0, Faaeal Anchestor, Aful Explorer, Hiby digital XOE, TRN Shell(!), 7Hz Five, Kz EDC Pro, QKZ MDR, Kbear Rosefinch, Yincrow X6. DAC/Amplifier: Fiio Q3 MQA, Ifi hip dac 3, BGVP T01s , Olaf dual Bocheng chip dongle, NONAME 4.4mm dongle with Apple C101 chip, Aqua Nexum. Tested but send back: Inawaken Dawn-MS,  Fiio Q11, iBasso DX180, Joyodio Shine, Fiio Q3, Kz X Libra, Fiio JD3, Sony WF-C500, JBL Tune 130NC, Sennheiser HD 650, Simgot EW200, HiFiMan Sundara, Philips Fidelio X3, Philips Fidelio X2HR, Dali IO4, QOA Vesper (DOA), BeyerDynamic DT 900 Pro X, CCA Trio, Beyerdynamic DT 990 32Ohm, HiFiMan Deva Pro wired, Moondrop Kato, Moondrop Blessing 3, Truthear X Crinacle: Red, Tangzu X HBB XuanNV, 7Hz Timeless, Simgot Supermix 4, Tangzu Wan’er SG, Austrian Audio HI-X15, XSL X-One MK4, Sony WH-1000XM5, ThieAudio Hype 2, Owned but sold: SMSL C200, Fiio JM21, Hiby R4, 7Hz Timeless AE, Tripowin X 0DiBi: Vivace, Simgot EW-300, Denon AH-D5200, Artti R1, Aful Performer8, Jabra 75T Active Elite, TRN Conch, Ikko oh300, Fiio FP3, HiFiMan HE400SE Bilateral (China edition), Kefine Delci, iBasso SR2, Koss PortaPro, Ziigaat Nuo, Ziigaat X HBB Arcadia, Ziigaat Doscinco, Ziigaat X Jay Audio Estrella, Ziigaat Odyssey, Ziigaat Cinno, Ziigaat Cincotres, Grado SR60X(rebought), Kiiboom Evoke, Kiwi Ears Quartet, 7Hz Legato, 7Hz Salnotes Zero, 7Hz Sonus, 7Hz Timeless II, Etymotic ER2XR, Fatfreq X HBB Deuce, Blon BL-03 II, Kiwi Ears Crinacle Singolo, Faaeal Poppy, Qkz Cl8, Faaeal Rosemary, Sennheiser ie200, Fiio FH7S, Fiio JD7, Fiio FF3S, Fiio FF5, Fiio FD3, Hidisz MS3, Hidizs Mermaid MS2, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Qkz X HBB, Meze 99 Neo, Moondrop Chu 2, Grado SR325X, HiFiMan RE800 Silver, HiFiMan RE400i, Kiwi Ears X HBB Punch, 1more Penta P50, Artti T10 Pro, Kz ZEX, Kz ZVX, Kz PR1 balanced edition, Kz X HBB PR2 (first batch), Kz PR3, Kz Castor bass edition, Moondrop Chu, Kz Krila, Kz ZEX Pro, Kz LingLong, Kz DQ6, Kz ZS10 Pro X and Denon AH-C620R (Worst IEM ever, possible AE imitation). Sources: Tidal, Ipad Pro M4 13’, iPhone 16 PM Wishlist: Ziigaat Lush, Ziigaat Arcanis, Fiio M21 (on pre order).

I will share my head-fi signature below (it’s long). I have/had most iem’s that are mentioned. I wanted also to buy the DaVinci but it was recommended not do buy them. For example I like the Ziigaat Arcadia (186,-) more than the Punch (449,-). Prices, and even graphs, don’t tell the whole story. It like someone said, most important question is if you enjoy them. Also Doscinco is very good. Headphones: Fiio FT1, PSB M4U, Corsair HS70, Grado SR60X (rebought). IEM’s: Cambridge Audio Melomania 1+, NiceHCK Himalaya, Hidizs MP145, Artti T10, Aoshida E20, Ziigaat X HBB Arcadia , Tripowin X HBB Kailua, QOA Adonis New, HifiMan RE2000S Pro, Faaeal Iris 2.0, Faaeal Anchestor, Aful Explorer, CCA Trio, CCA Hydro, 7Hz Five, Kz EDC Pro, QKZ MDR, Kbear Rosefinch, Yincrow X6. DAC/Amplifier: Hiby R4, Fiio Q3 MQA, Ifi hip dac 3, BGVP T01s , Olaf dual Bocheng chip dongle, NONAME 4.4mm dongle with Apple C101 chip, Aqua Nexum. Tested but send back: Inawaken Dawn-MS, Fiio Q11, iBasso DX180, Joyodio Shine, Fiio Q3, Kz X Libra, Fiio JD3, Sony WF-C500, JBL Tune 130NC, Sennheiser HD 650, Simgot EW200, HiFiMan Sundara, Philips Fidelio X3, Philips Fidelio X2HR, Dali IO4, QOA Vesper (DOA), BeyerDynamic DT 900 Pro X, Beyerdynamic DT 990 32Ohm, HiFiMan Deva Pro wired, Moondrop Kato, Moondrop Blessing 3, Truthear X Crinacle: Red, Tangzu X HBB XuanNV, 7Hz Timeless, Simgot Supermix 4, Tangzu Wan’er SG, Austrian Audio HI-X15, XSL X-One MK4, Sony WH-1000XM5, ThieAudio Hype 2, Owned but sold: SMSL C200, Fiio JM21, 7Hz Timeless AE, Tripowin X 0DiBi: Vivace, Simgot EW-300, Denon AH-D5200, Artti R1, Aful Performer8, Jabra 75T Active Elite, TRN Conch, Ikko oh300, Fiio FP3, HiFiMan HE400SE Bilateral (China edition), Kefine Delci, iBasso SR2, Koss PortaPro, Ziigaat Nuo, Ziigaat Doscinco, Ziigaat X Jay Audio Estrella, Ziigaat Odyssey, Ziigaat Cinno, Ziigaat Cincotres, Grado SR60X(rebought), Kiiboom Evoke, Kiwi Ears Quartet, 7Hz Legato, 7Hz Salnotes Zero, 7Hz Sonus, 7Hz Timeless II, Etymotic ER2XR, Fatfreq X HBB Deuce, Blon BL-03 II, Kiwi Ears Crinacle Singolo, Faaeal Poppy, Qkz Cl8, Faaeal Rosemary, Sennheiser ie200, Fiio FH7S, Fiio JD7, Fiio FF3S, Fiio FF5, Fiio FD3, Hidisz MS3, Hidizs Mermaid MS2, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Qkz X HBB, Meze 99 Neo, Moondrop Chu 2, Grado SR325X, HiFiMan RE800 Silver, HiFiMan RE400i, Kiwi Ears X HBB Punch, Kiiboom Evoke, 1more Penta P50, Artti T10 Pro, Kz ZEX, Kz ZVX, Kz PR1 balanced edition, Kz X HBB PR2 (first batch), Kz PR3, Kz Castor bass edition, Moondrop Chu, Kz Krila, Kz ZEX Pro, Kz LingLong, Kz DQ6, Kz ZS10 Pro X and Denon AH-C620R🤮 (Worst IEM ever, possible AE imitation). Sources: Tidal, Ipad Pro M4 13’, iPhone 16 PM, Hiby R4 Wishlist: Ziigaat Lush, Ziigaat Arcanis, Fiio M21.

Chiming in from the future Incase new folks into IDMs stumble on this Have a music engineering background: I have like -- 7 pairs of IEMs, plus a wide range over-ears, from Beyerdynamics, Sennheiser, Sony, Audio-Technica and more — And pound for pound I think these are an UNBEATABLE value. For $5 (on AliExpress) they sound exceptionally good. I mean, they blow pretty much every TWS earbuds I’ve owned out of the water — and those are 20x the price or more. These have a very pleasant V-shaped sound signature out of the box. They seem to have a slight boost in the vocal range as well preventing vocals from sounding recessed as is often the case with V-shaped signatures. However this *does* result in some vocals sounding a bit artificial in some mixes, depending on the genre. They have great bass for the price — going surprisingly deep without sounding bloated or boomy. Good punch. Songs that have midrange bass or cellos really shine here (ex. “The Curse” by Agnes Obel, “The Equaliser” by The Midnight) Surprising amount width for the price point. However really busy mixes at higher volumes will start to lack some of the clarity you get with higher end sets but that’s to be expected. All in all these are a very easy to recommend set, they sound good to great with most genres. if I were to grab these on my way out the door for the day instead of my higher end headsets, I would not be upset at all. In fact they’re so cheap I bought an extra set just to keep in my travel bag as a spare. Other pros: good cable for the price — lightweight and doesn’t tangle easily. The stock tips are good, and imo comfy out of the box which is rare for me as I have picky ears. I can wear these for long sessions without feeling the urge to “let my ears breathe” like I get with other sets. So tldr: just get them. It’s $5. Less than the cost of a cup of coffee at a lot of places these days. They’re well tuned, versatile, comfortable, and good for both music and other media like gaming/movies. You could literally buy 20 of them and still spend less than a single pair of AirPods — just let that sink in.

kz edc pro is best at that price range im amazed got em today

I would add to this list of fantastic IEMs that cost next to nothing, the KZ EDC PRO. Insane tunning

Bad PR history, and they did have a lot of 'misses' in the past. Some shops I know actively avoid them, not to boycott, but they are reluctant to deal with customer complaints about faulty units, when there is a good to fair chance its the 'fake drivers' shenanigans again. Plus every community need a heel, KZ plays that very well and keeps things exciting. It doesn't help that this community has an aversion to brands that pump out products very frequently, when in reality its a very respectable strategy. It allows non-enthusiasts to figure out their preference at a very low price. Imo recent KZ releases have been really good. I would have been a shill if they actually made shapes that can fit my ear without extensive tip rolling. Gale, Dawn, Zenith, Duet, ZVX Pro, Vader Pro, EDC Pro, all have been hits at their price brackets, and none of these are sets that you will feel pained if you end up misplacing them or damaging them by accident. I haven't tried the Hydro from their sister brand CCA, but some users have praised those sets into the high heavens. I unironically think KZ keeps the industry exciting. Having really respectable sets that can be priced similarly to a fancy meal should keep the other players nervous and honest.

yeah this earphone just buy it!!! its cheap

First cheap IEM, get the KZ EDC Pro. Do not deviate on the naming and get the EDX Pro, it's not as good.

KZ EDC Pro (not the EDX pro nor the EDC not pro). The 6USD wonder. Can easily compete in the 20-25USD category. Otherwise, from the sister company, you can get the CCA Rhapsody, try to get it at around 35USD.

Yeah HBB hype cannot be taken literally, there's a reason why the ND Planet is so cheap, the tuning might be good idk but its technicalities simply cannot match more expensive IEMs considering they must have used a cheaper driver. I actually bought the KZ EDC Pro because HBB hyped it, the EDC Pro has a fantastic tuning on par with IEMs many times its price, but technicality wise even $15 IEMs like the KZ Saga wipe the floor with it.

EDX Pro has ear piercing treble. EDX Pro X has it mostly fixed but everyone I've seen on Reddit suggest the KZ EDC Pro, which is what I went with. It has balanced audio. But those IEMs have bad directional clues, so it might not be as suitable for gaming as a headphone might be

Everyone I've seen [rates the KZ EDC Pro over the EDX Pro and more expensive IEMs](/search?q=KZ EDC Pro vs EDX Pro)

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

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

So I've been thinking about stepping up my music listening game and get a high quality, modern DAP paired with some good Iems (I made a post like this to ask which one was everyone's favourite and the most frequent response was the Hiby R4 so this is what I will most likely go for) and I've been browsing through the community to find what's the most popular budget IEMs that are worth the money and are decent sound quality. These five seem to be the most frequently recommended that I'm able to purchase here in England so I thought I'd ask what everyone's favourite is out of the group and record down the responses as I'm absolutely spoiled for choice and have no idea what to go with! Just for a bit of background information, I've tried the silver Castors, Crinacle Zero: 2s and KZ EDC Pros, the Castors sounded great but were a bit too heavy for me and made me feel a bit dizzy, I didn't get on with the KZ EDC Pros and thought they sounded and felt cheap and the Crinacles are my most commonly used and favourite in terms of both sound and appearance. I like a bass and treble balanced, loud, crystal clear sound that isn't muddy, drowning in bass or tinny and are wondering what would fit best with both the Hiby R4 and my audio preferences. I do apologise if you can't read the titles of each iem in the photo, I've listed them below ☺️ - Simgot EW200 - Kiwi Ears Cadenza - Tangzu Wan'er - Moondrop Chu II - Salnotes Zero (probably my last choice as they're very similar to my Crinacles)

no. the kz edc pro is the good one

The Zenith is the best one by a large margin for me, the Gale would be my second choice (EDX Pro 2 has the same tuning and about 2-3dB more bass, I prefer the balance of the Gale though, both are an incredible value for the price (+/-$8-9)). I have or had at some point the Hydro, PRX, Saga (both), Castor (both), Libra (hi-res and balanced), ZVX, ZVX Pro, Vader Balanced/Trio, ZS12 Pro X, EDC Pro, D-Fi and Polaris, of this sets I like the Saga Balanced the most.

Nice list! You should try the new KZ Gale ($9-10), it solves some of the problems of the EDC Pro, it has less bass and treble is no longer peaky or metallic. Also it uses a damper and grill instead of the usual KZ mesh filter, it might be good for long term durability. https://pw.squig.link/?share=KZ_Gale,KZ_EDC_Pro

I prefer the Gale it has better balance but most importantly the EDC Pro sounds a bit harsh and metallic to me and the Gale has smooth treble, also the gale comes with dampers instead of the usual mesh filter it might be better for longevity and is easier to clean.

Had all sorts of earphones and now I just run kz edc pro with reduced bass to match Harman response

Just gaming? KZ EDC Pro / EDX PRO X should be fine Any CX31993 DAC will be enough

i love it a lot!

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

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

KZs are fine, I myself haven't experience any bad stuffs on my KZs. Only issue is for treble sensitive people as many KZ sets are treble crazy, with exception of the EDC Pro (more mellow and treble toned down, as well as one of their cheapest sets), there are also other non-KZ that also has these bad for treble sensitive people tuning In the end its your own sound preference will tell what you like **Before** you definitely buy your first IEM watch this [**video**](https://youtu.be/tdmXjBlgVxo?si=kNLxejchE9sgzW6y) from Sevensoul Constanza and go to our Community IEM ranking list, our **AutoModerator** automatically posts it. This will help you on your purchase of you first IEM, and to *avoid wasting alot of money initially*. **Also new in the IEM community?** Recommended to follow these things *before, while, and after* using your IEM. 1. **Buy an IEM case or if you have case for it**, make sure when you are not using it put it there to avoid accidental misplacement or possibly breaking your IEM or the cable, as well as avoid excess dust coming to your IEM. Higher priced IEMs have included case in the box, some are soft cases, some are hard cases. 2. **Put a silica gel packet onto that IEM case**, this is to avoid moisture seeping inside the IEM. It degrades the glue used, degrades the faceplate, sometimes even the design and finish of the IEM. It can also affect the actual drivers inside, which will degrade audio quality. Minimal moisture, happy IEM. 3. **Eartips**, make sure you have the best fit with the best sound isolation to fully experience the IEM. IEM nozzle sizes can vary, so adjust your eartips concurrently on your ear canal. Make sure it fits right and no weird feeling, you can definitely use different sizes of eartips per ear depending on how fitting are them, and eartip bore/hole size can also change how the sound feel. Wide bore enhances trebles and allows more sound from the IEM, narrow bore enhances bass, foam tips cuts the highs and lows, and the texture, material and whatever inside the hole of the eartip can change the sound profile as well. 4. **Cabling**, you are open to get a cable on your choice, with mic or no mic, use it like a fashion statement if you wanted to. But recommended to separate your microphone from the cable, as in-line microphones are usually sounds worse than normal microphones. 5. **Recommended** ***(but not a requirement)*** **to get at a DAC**, will definitely enhance your sound experience. With a much more proper DAC/AMP setup even your in-line microphone will sound nicer. Though because its much better to separate your microphone from the IEM cable, usually its recommended to at least get a USB dongle DAC like the Apple Dongle or for Android, CX31993 DAC + MAX97220 AMP from this [**Crinacle video**](https://youtu.be/a-jlS_OlSUg?si=Zm2oqWqnzwAcRkdO). Anything more expensive than that is mainly just additional features (4.4 balanced, Bluetooth support, app support, parametric EQ, etc.) and not better sound. 6. **Avoid accidental dropping or being too rough with your IEM**, so you won't need to always rebuying another set of IEMs. No IEM will survive if it keeps falling accidentally or being used too hard. 7. **You can EQ** ***(Equalize)*** **your IEM**, definitely you can especially if you want to enhance a specific frequency, or sound experience. **And welcome to the IEM community!**

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

EDX Pro if you want brighter sound experience, EDC Pro and Gale if you want a warmer sound experience EDX Pro is also an older KZ tuning, most newer KZs originally was tuned from the EDC Pro.

EDC Pro is more V-shaped and leaning towards warm-ish. Gale is more geared towards gaming, and has a balanced V-shaped signature. Bass: EDC Pro is slighly bassier than Gale, but Gale would have more controlled and less boomy bass than EDC Pro. Mid bass is slightly highlighted for better footsteps hearing. Midrange: Both has similar-ish experience with the midrange. Gale does have a little bit more upper midrange, making it abit more vocal-focused (akin to the Wan'er) Treble: The new Super Linear driver and uses the new KZ tuning paradigm, less treble level and harshness vs. EDC Pro (around 6-10k) With decent treble extension past 13k, but not as good as higher priced IEMs. Instrument separation and Soundstage: Better vs the EDC Pro, its not as wide or as good as like AM16 Balanced or EW300. For gaming, Gale is definitely better For music or movies, EDC Pro https://preview.redd.it/5be8f0kgutrf1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=7ea1a7e9108985d8bacd328e64d6e3cf2e8c35d8

Kz edx pro is true v shape. Kz edc pro is a warm v shape with less treble when compared. Good for long listens

EDC Pro are the only iems under $10 worth grabbing. All other KZ models suck very hard.

Video Game audio/visual fx designer here. I use my $5 pair of KZ EDC pros, looking to buy some more pairs for different purposes but I gotta find a shop where I can test a bunch on before I make a purchase.

Yup. I have a $7 pair of KZ EDC Pros and a $15 Koss KSC75s that I'll probably take to the grave with me. I'm very resistant to fomo and marketing hype, modding/tinkering is where my addiction starts 💀

What other iems do you own? I have the moondrop chu 2 and kz edc pro (people say both are v shaped with enough bass) but for me both are lacking.

Whats the budget? And by Earbuds do you mean IEMs? For budget IEMs go for **Salnotes Zero/Zero 2** (generally the most recommended for gaming), or QKZ x HBB If you wanna go even cheaper stuff like the KZ EDC Pro (literally 250 pesos) are still pretty decent from my experience, though you might wanna buy some ear-tips along side it since the stock ear-tips were not very good. **DUNU S&S/TRI Clarion** are your main choices. Reminder that proper fitting ear tips are just as important as buying a good IEM.

Out of your 2 choices, get the Gale with the eq wire if you can. It has gaming focused settings. EDC pro is better for music over the zero imo, but I doubt it's a significant upgrade for gaming.

salnotes zero 1 has a clean, bright and neutral sound.. salnote zero 2 has a same tuning with a bass boost and slightly lower upper mid.. which one to pick??? its all depend on what u need and what kind of music in your playlist.. kz edx pro is an old model so its not relevan for today standard but for someone who want iems with a tight budget, go for kz edc pro.. so much better driver quality, doesnt have an agresive v shape like edx pro which make it more balance (especially in vocal)..

just go with kz edc pro if u want the cheapest one.. if ur phone dont have 3.5mm jack, just get the dongle.. if u are apple user, stick with apple dongle.. for android user, the best one that i can recommend is jcally jm6 pro..

Paul Wasabii said that between the EDC Pro and Gale he'd pick whichever one was cheaper and that's usually the EDC Pro. I have only heard the EDC Pro but I would recommend the Gale if you can't EQ or you don't know what sound signature you like. Otherwise you can get the EDC Pro and EQ. Gale vs EDX Pro 2, I don't know. Probably I would pick whichever one was cheaper which should be the Gale.

KZ EDC Pro with EQ. If EQ is not available then KZ Gale or KZ EDX Pro 2 whichever is cheaper because they both are tuned well and they are cheap. If you later decide you want to upgrade, that would set you a nice baseline.

since they made very plenty of iems from tight budget like dawn to more expensive one, we can categorized them to different price pool, me juz got edx, edx pro, edx ultra, edx lite, edc pro & libra balance & i believe they're pretty good for it's price.

different sound profile i guess. edc pro is v shape tuning while castor harman is neutral ish tuning & they have different price range too. edc pro & castor pro bass is the go to if u want bass stuff or juz get dawn for tight budget.

yeah is good start, but kz love to release new iteration & they juz love us to explore (spend more money) with their new stuff. me suggest u can go for new iteration e.g edc pro, edx pro 2 or gale, or dawn for more micro budget basshead. these boys are some of new releases from them that good for starters. me juz start with this noob basic edx. https://preview.redd.it/sfsjxbzkhanf1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=b181b74cabf3e8bd5805f737d9f0349cf24a62c6

Here are some under $15 iems that I think are amazing: SGOR Venus, ND Venus, KZ EDC Pro, TRN MT1 Pro. All are solid, have good separation and a V or U shaped tuning.

It's not nearly as good as the KZ EDC Pro or the Artti R6 which are about the same price, but it's okay.

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.

KZ EDC PRO hands down

Yup first time i tried it was so harsh like bro wtf and not a great gaming set either but yeah the price i got it at i can't complain btw which software you used for EQ?

If it's your first time buying an iem then i would suggest you to save a little more and go for CHU2 cause the EDC PRO is very shouty and it will hurt your ears and trust me i also thought it won't be that bad but it was soo yeah instead of KZ go for Wan'er Chu 2 or Cadenza

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

EDC Pro is probably better for gaming as it has a good boosted lower end and a 10k peak, which ironically the Gale is tuned for gaming and has a dip there and slightly lower sub bass. The EDX Pro 2 is almost identical to Gale apart from 2-3dB in the 20-100 region but matches the EDC Pro’s bass boost. Tbh, you can’t go wrong with any of these for an ultra budget option for gaming/music but would probably pick up EDX Pro 2 or Gale as they’re using the newest super linear driver. Gale has the ‘better’ mic, as it’s a dual setup. Paul Wasabi did a great comparison video between Gale and EDC Pro on his YT channel, would recommend checking it out. There’s not many reviews on the EDX Pro 2 yet but it’s a mix of the other 2 models.

I still don’t know my preference, but I tried a few different iems SM4: I really like it, but sometimes hurts my ear after long use. Vivace: Great Details, great IEM but not enough details. KZ EDC Pro: I loved this especially for the money I paid for it ($1) Tangzu Waner: I didn’t like this :( Can you tell me what iem fit my preference? Thanks!

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

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

Kz edc pro and dongle can be found on shopee just to get started without spending a lot until you understand what you like, follow the call.

Kz EDC Pro, great iem 4$. In some countries its 1$. For me it is better than hola, piccolo, castor and even truthear zero blue

Pretty good for starters. Either EDX Pro X or EDC Pro, which ever one is cheaper. EDC Pro looks better and has a flush 2pin connector.

Kz edc is the cheapest but still quality Iem I’d go Tripowin vivace genuinely punches well above its cost and it’s under your budget.

On the ultra budget I would say KZ Castor/EDC Pro, then Crincale Red of you want more bass around 50$ and around $100 if you like a nice V shape signature the Juzear defiant or Truth ear pure if you want neutral+bass boost around $90.

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