
7Hz
7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2
Budget gaming pick, but poor cables and polarizing bass.

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KZ EDX series/ KZ Gale/ QKZ AK6 for budget options. Crinacle Blue for mid range experience. Personally I'd just buy whichever is the cheapest available among the first 3 options I've mentioned https://www.reddit.com/r/PakGamers/s/KGOvMVL7XW
KZ EDX/ Gale don't have any tuning switches. Gaming IEMs are supposed to be strong with the mids & highs so harsh sounds such as gunshots will be loud, sometimes uncomfortably so (as I've already mentioned my experience with the QKZ AK6 pros but never felt the same fatigue with Castor/ Castor Pros) Sound tonality however is highly subjective & preferences will vary from person to person, if you think Crinacle Blues is what you want, go for it.
I would recommend kz castor silver(4k) or kz gale specifically for gaming(5k for type c variant). Don't get an edx pro for 3k it's not worth it at all. Another option is the gk kunten. Don't buy from temu or AliExpress tbh. Buy from a local seller. I can the contact info of the guy I bought my kz castor from if you want.
Among those og cadenza is the best all rounder with kunten and wan'er 2 red lion closely behind If you're fine with more neutral sound kz edz/gale might be good alternative in this price range (good all rounder iems)
Super cheap: KZ Gale (~$5 but you'd probably want to add the QKZ T1 cable on for another $4-ish). Better build quality: EPZ Q1 Pro (~$35) or Tin C2 (~$30). Neither is strictly speaking neutral, but neutral IEMs don't exist. These are "neutral-ish" and tuned quite similarly with a balanced, slightly brighter tilt (which is what you need for soundstage & imaging). They all have good instrument separation as well (which is different to imaging). The C2 probably has the best separation & imaging, whereas the Q1 Pro probably has the widest soundstage. The C2 is fairly tip-sensitive and probably the brightest out of the box, with the stock tips, but you can tone that down if you're prepared to experiment a bit with aftermarket tips. The Q1 Pro is probably a bit safer otherwise.
Stick to 1DDs (single dynamic driver) to run off old hardware, because they won't change frequency response if the headphone amp isn't great, and while Apple stuff is usually better, older stuff isn't always that great. For around $5 on sale you can get the KZ EDC Pro, although recently I have been preferring the KZ Gale (the EDC Pro is bassier, the Gale sounds more resolving). Both come with crappy cables so you'd probably want to upgrade that. The QKZ T1 is good and cheap. Fits the Gale but not the EDC Pro. For the EDC Pro, basically any KBear cable (8-core or 16-core, the cheapy 4-core ones are passable, but nowhere near as good) with a standard 2-pin connector. There's also the incredibly over-hyped GK Kunten (also made by KZ) but while people were getting those on sale for around $2 (and that's why there's so much hype) the price has gone back up to normal now, so whether or not you can find one under $10 will depend what regional offers are running. I'd say they're perform about the same level as the Gale, so look for whichever one is cheaper or you prefer in terms of looks. The tuning is slightly different, but they're nearly identical. Both are QDC so both will work with the QKZ T1 cable. There's also the KZ ZVX Pro which I haven't heard myself, but apparently is the exactly same IEM as the Kunten (same driver, same tuning), just in a slightly higher quality all-metal shell, and now that the initial sales have passed, it's usually cheaper. So that's another potentially good option. QKZ T1 cable again. Unfortunately under $10 pretty much all your options are made by KZ, who are a slightly dodgy company, but their QC has improved a lot in the past couple of years. If you prefer a bassier sound and can stretch to around $15 or so, the QKZ HBB is excellent (QKZ are not related to KZ). Unfortunately it also comes with a pretty crappy cable, and once again the QKZ T1 is the solution.
My kunten is still stuck on custom/postal service but just looking at the graphs and reading reviews i already kinda regret the Artti T10 tbh i rly hope Kunten will sound worse but let's see i'll update soon.. KZ i tested so far: D-fi (no switch), ZVX, Castor Silver, Carstor Bass, Libra X, Gale, ZSN Pro 2, EDC Pro, EDX Pro and PRX, KZ-like iems QKZ HBB and Sgor Adonis and non KZ ones Moondrop Chu 2, Truthear Zero Red, Tangzu Fudu, TRN V10 Pro and Artti T10. The KZ that i liked the most "stock" was Libra X it was very clean neutral and "correct" sounding but the bass was lacking while a EQed PRX with -2dB 8Khz and -10dB high-shelf on 10 Khz+ was insane good sounding and no worse than my EQed Artti T10 but the right driver died on me with only 5 months, i can confirm QC and build quality of KZ is kinda crap (brittle QDC connectors, exposed tunning filters) but as long as i'm paying less than a cheap meal for them it's fine cuz even if Kunten last me 6 months i can buy 9x Kunten (i.e: 54 months) with the price of an Artti T10 and idk if the Artti will even last 1 year!
KZ Gale(3.5mm version) is a less bassy EDX Pro 2 with a little more treble air. Sounds like a mild Vshape. I like that it can handle both male and female vocals well, and just a pretty versatile set overall. When facing off against my personal budget GOAT, the Tanchjim Bunny. The Gale holds up well except in subbass and treble extension, and poor isolation. On paper it has more rumble than the Bunny but it's not very textured and satisfying, and the treble rolls off sharply so I'm missing a little bit of airiness. The Gale does have a slightly more natural timbre though. I think it's fine considering 1 is $10 and the other is $20, but that's why my Gale is not really being used right now. I used stock accessories for everything, but the QKZ T1 is pretty bang for buck. I like it more than the KZ upgrade cable.
Not that it's not being honest, but you start seeing a cycle: when the Saga came out it too was being glazed, then faded into obscurity rapidly, being outshone by the ZVX Pro and the Gale. Now the Kunten is being called a better Gale and ZVX Pro. Many operate by new=better except for the really niche KZ tunings. I'm just more doubtful now after falling for the KZ Gale, KZ PRX and KZ Zenith hype now. Those were not bad IEMs, but not as groundbreaking as the people in that thread made it out to be.
Same I prefer the Gale! But this has better subbass and isolation.
I did fall for le hype train. Now I'm getting on the NiceHCK Tears train before it even starts, trying to find something to defeat the Bunny. Great take btw, I agree with your comparisons at least for the ones I've tried like the Gale and Bunny.
Idk about gaming but they sound great albeit lacking bass quantity and treble extension. Idk why Kunten was being shilled but these weren't, they are evenly matched, just for different preferences.

7Hz
7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2
Budget gaming pick, but poor cables and polarizing bass.

AFUL
Explorer
All-day comfort, warm sound, but lacks clarity and detail.

KEFINE
Klean
Budget gaming, but harsh treble and moisture issues.

TANCHJIM
Bunny
Unique app EQ customization, but odd connector port design.

ARTTI
T10
Detailed sound, great value, but fit issues for some.

Ranked #1
Kiwi Ears - Astral

Ranked #1
Simgot - EM6L

Ranked #1
Drop + Etymotic - ER2XR

Ranked #1
KZ - Castor Pro (Harman Target with Improved Bass Version)

Ranked #1
KZ - Castor Pro (Harman Target with Improved Bass Version)

Ranked #1
TRUTHEAR - Hexa