KZ - EDC PRO

People might disagree, but I personally think that you should not use "flat" or "neutral" IEMs for production, esp if you go in longer sessions and want to "preserve" your ears for longer. To properly hear the sub and low-end with all the details, you would have to listen quite loud on neutral/flat sets. And should there be any emphasis on vocal or treble, it's gonna be both fatiguing and possibly harsh and resonant in highs. Lately I'm using two sets mostly - KZ EDC Pro and Artti T10, with KZ being the one to do heavy lifting in this case, and Artti to cross-check and have a final reference of the mix. But what works for me, might not work for others, so take it with a grain of salt.

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.

Just blind buy several ultra budget IEMs (you can get like maybe 5 for $100/100+), youre bound to have one or two or more that that will be good for you. Then when you learn your sound profile tuning/preference you can later on buy a more expensive one. One rec I can give you is the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. Another really cheap one that just dropped with good tuning that has good reviews is KZ EDC Pro for just $12 (under $10 on Aliexpress). All the IEMs are cheaper on Aliexpress but its a gamble tho cuz Aliexpress likes to use these cheap ass fake couriers like UniUni etc.

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.

Kiwi Ears Cadenza prolly maxes out your budget provided. Warm set but not that detailed (40 USD) KZ EDC Pro is still quite good right now. U-shaped and quite balanced across the frequencies (12 USD) Truthear Gate is also quite a great choice with its cable too. (25 USD)

I'm not really fond of the prices on Shopee but I'd say go for options coming from Feigu Audio. It's actually cheaper buying from Feigu on Shopee than Lazada (my go-to platform). I'd say go for Chu 2 for a safer pick. Wan'er if you want something a bit more detailed but you lose bass rumbles/presence, assuming you don't mind. Anyways, here are my 2 other suggestions outside your options: KZ EDC Pro - very nice, balanced sounding for cheaper than what you're looking at right now. Get them now while it's not tampered with yet. QKZ x HBB - something for more bass, very warm/bassy/ambient set. KBear Rosefinch - less rumbles than the QKZ x HBB but more detailed Truthear Gate - the cable (best of what you're looking at and what I'm offering right now) is very nice for this and the sound is quite balanced.

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.

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.

Don't sleep on the KZ EDC Pro boi, budget banger, check it out bruh

Mine are coming in a few days. I normally don't get KZ sets anymore, but it was $5. That's unbeatable value.

I got them from Shopee (SEA online store) Review TL;DR: They're way too underpriced for how they sound. It's a safe listen. A good balanced set. I recommend buying them now just in case KZ silently retunes them.

It's always subjective, but to me, it has enough thump to be satisfying.

I mean your comparing a multidriver iem though. Ive had kz edc pro and castor. Even though the castor is kinda worse tuning than edc pro. Theres more details because castor have 2 drivers and i thinks thats helping it out

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.

My beloved edc pro

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.

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.

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.

yeah this earphone just buy it!!! its cheap

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.

For IEMs I have two extra recommendations. Juzear Clear is a proper V shape IEM, bass is powerful and will satisfy most bassheads, treble is elevated but doesn't sound bright because of bass counter balance, midrange is recessed but still listenable, highly recommended for EDM and not recommended for vocal, original price is $50 but you can usually find it for around $30 on AliExpress and sometimes a bit lower, one thing to note is that it has big nozzle (6.7mm, iirc same as Zero Red) so not for small ears. KZ EDC Pro is a recently released IEM by KZ, it's $13 on Linsoul but you can find it for $5-6 on AliExpress, build quality and accessories are befitting of the price but sound quality is shockingly good, balanced sound that is surprisingly clear, I found myself preferring it over my Wan'er and Wyvern Abyss. There are also the SGOR Venus and Adonis which seem well rated but I don't have them. For purchasing IEMs I generally recommend AliExpress because it usually has the cheapest price during big sales and you can get crazy deals with coupon and coin discount especially supercoin, it's possible to get something like Tangzu Nezha for $250 after tax if you save enough coins. AE's return policy used to be questionable but they really stepped up in that regard this year (probably to compete with Temu), I have returned like a dozen items in the past few months and had no problem so far. Ideally you want to buy items with Choice tag as shipping and return are handled by AE themselves, but there are reputable stores on the platform as many big stores like Shenzhen, Hifigo, or Linsoul also sell on AE. As for reviewers, HBB is a controversial reviewer but has numerous collabs (even more prolific than Crinacle) and his preference target is quite popular. In-ear Fetish is Z Reviews' second channel specifically for IEMs and Zeos is quite popular with several collabs, he is quite generous with his ratings so if an IEM gets low score from him it's probably not good. Vortex and Super Review are two long time reviewers and are relatively popular. Audio-in Reviews is part of the Gizaudio team alongside Timmy (Gizaudio's main guy) and recently ATechReviews. Andy Audiovault is also pretty well known though usually for his dongle reviews, he is the one who brought attention to the Onix Alpha XI1 DAC, unfortunately he recently decided to stop his dongle review series. Akros is personally my favorite reviewer but his reviews are not for everyone as they are significantly longer than average (30-40 min is normal) and he likes to go in detail including graphs, but his comparisons are unmatched as he has one of the biggest IEM collections among reviewers including some obscure IEMs no one else mentions, if there is an IEM you've never heard of Akros is the most likely one to have a review on 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)

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.

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.

The new lineups from kz have been pretty well received, EDC Pro, Libra Balanced, Castor Bass. The edc pro is the newest one so i rec that and it is less likely to have gotten a revision already. I do like the Libra balanced the best out of the three tho.

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

here's my in depth review for those who wants the most out of this IEM. [https://www.reddit.com/user/Natural\_Brain215/comments/1faaqox/my\_review\_on\_the\_kz\_edc\_pro/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/user/Natural_Brain215/comments/1faaqox/my_review_on_the_kz_edc_pro/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)

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!**

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

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.

You are the one that Is not understanding, every single option im giving you Is "gold", the only difference Is the sound, every single option i have mention to you Is very good, there Is no "better" or "Best" besides what sound you enjoy more which Is hard to tell if you havent tried any IEM, go for QKZxHBB for some extra bass and thats It then. Idk what you expect me to tell you, if you want a "this Is the Best" you arent going to get It because i dont know what you like, and i dont have much reference for It. Besides, if It wasnt Clear the last Time, EDC pro Is as good as any other $20 IEM despite being cheaper, thats the reason why i also was recomending It to you, if It wanst, i would have Made that clear to you already my dude.

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.

Because its KZ. They have a lot that is underrated. But I tend to try things for myself instead of being swayed by people parroting the biases of others with no actual experience. For example. The EDC Pro matches or beats most of this boards favorite $20 anime girl pretty packaging IEMs imo. But they'll never know to tell me I'm wrong, because its KZ.

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..

Try out the KZ EDC Pro as long as you can buy it below 10 usd. You might like it more than its price suggests.

In my experience with the stock Starlines the EDC Pro come with on Valorant, sounds cues that come from a medium distance sound as if they were coming from up close, sounds from long distance sounded as if they're medium distance, etc. Directionality is not bad Was resolved by using DUNU S&S eartips though

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.

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

1) For the money, the new KZ EDC Pro is one hell of a good IEM. The sound quality for $5usd is ridiculously good. 2) Hidizs MP145.

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!

WI​​th EQ you can hear all the sounds in a music if you tune both cheaper and expensive iems to neutral. But things like bass texture, vocal clarity, vocal smoothness, note weight, how pronounced the details are co​mpa​red to main foreground sounds etc depends on driver quality.. i own ​KZ EDC PRO and CCA CRA. Both budget sets and tuned to neutral by my ear. CRA has geeat technicalities than EDC pro . Difference is worth an upgrade (only if EQ applied) .. Also things like eartips make huge difference..good difference. I heard that cable makes difference but i didnr try that ( budget issue).. SO WHAT I LOOK FOR IS GOOD CHEAP DRIVER AND GOOD FIT.

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.

In a band it won't matter if you have a well eq'd set if there isn't good isolation. This means trying different eartips, especially foam eartips for isolation. I'd start with KZ EDC pro with foam tips 

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

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.