KZ - QKZ x HBB Khan

qkz has great soundstage for the price, waners are mid when it comes to soundstage, chu II above average, gate above average, tripowin vivace is best for soundstage under $30 but for a bit more you can get Klean which is all around a lot better, only under $30 I can recommend are Bunny(just not for gaming obviously) and Zero Ultima, same like Bunny just bullet style with non-detachable cable

If I have a truthear gate and kefine klean and wanted to try some other sound signatures will the qkz x hbb (warm) and tanchjim zero (bright) be a good choice? i see no one is talking about the upcoming tanchjim zero ultima.

I have kz, salnotes, qkz, trn and blon. I'd say my fave is the blon, sound quality and fit is perfect for me.

Qkz x Hbb But if you wanna get something really bassy 7hz legato although 100$

Qkz x Hbb But if you wanna get something really bassy 7hz legato although 100$

The bass has more texture and tremor is well done between these 2

The bass has more texture and tremor is well done between these 2

Funny you should say that, because I’ve found them to be the most tip sensitive IEMs I’ve had. With the stock tips there was NO bass and the rest of the range sounded harsh and shrieky. With the next set of tips (Tri Clarion, I think? I can’t remember now) I could hear the bass but it just sounded so soft and poofy, like cotton balls being thrown at my ears. Finally, with the 3rd and 4th set of tips I’ve tried there was quite a turnaround and I’m seeing why people like these. I’m really enjoying them now. With all my other IEMs, tips have just made tiny differences in the sound and I’ve changed them around more to find the best comfort than anything else. But these - oh, man, was there a difference!

Is this an upgrade from qkz hbb. The hbb to me sounds dark muffled with treble roll off and with a bloated slow bass. The bass shelf in the graph seems similar. Are they similar sounding? 

Agreed, they are complete shite. Will never buy a HBB collab again

I have the hbb x kinda lava.. and while it’s great, for having an added bass boost compared to the ej07m it still lacks in the low end for me.. so I’ve never been too curious about the punch.. tho I do know it has a big bass shelf.. I really wanna try the zempire audio ze51b.. have you checked them out..? I imagine it might be the best bass experience..

? These don't sound like the BL03, but they definitely aren't lacking in bass, especially not midbass. You most likely aren't getting a proper seal, or maybe you got a faulty set. I would actually say that the CCA CRA is one of the most BL03-like IEMs, although the BL03 is better. The overall tonality is quite similar. The HBB is much warmer, with less of that sparkly upper treble that the BL03 has. The only other one I've heard that's a bit like the BL03, but a bit bassier and not quite as resolving, is the Tripowin Piccolo. It also has a more normal fit than the BL03. It's pretty good if you find it on sale - it's not so well known because it was way overpriced at release into a very competitive market at the time. If you're looking for something that sounds *exactly* like the BL03, you pretty much need to stick to the BL03 itself. There's a new version just been released with a 2pin connector. They changed the tuning slightly but I haven't heard it. Not many reviews yet. HBB says it's good, but his review is a bit hand-wavy.

They definitely do **not** sound like that normally. That's the complete opposite of how they sound. I have two pairs of HBBs and they sound identical.

It's very good. The Zero 2 is borderline neutral (but definitely warm tilted) whereas the HBB definitely has more bass than neutral. But it still sounds very natural. It's relaxing & non-distracting at low volumes, fun at higher volumes. BTW, if your Zero:2 doesn't sound warmer than the Wan'er then there's probably something wrong with it, you didn't get a good seal with the tips, or you have a Zero 1 not the Zero 2. If you're looking for a punchy style of bass, none of these do that. They're all the relaxing, warm style of tuning, just with different amounts of bass & low mids.

I would recommend the HBB over the coffee bean. I have both and the CB is more v-shaped and a bit grainy. I like the shells with the rubber fin though. Other manufacturers should steal that idea.

Yeah, the coffee bean isn't worth that sort of money. I think I paid about $12 for mine and consider them "OK" for the price. Certainly not one I'm rushing to recommend to everyone. If you really want one just for the looks or whatever, add it to your wishlist on Aliexpress and look out for it popping up in Super Deals. $12 was after coupons, but those sales are at least once a month anyway. The HBB however punches well above its weight for tuning. You mainly get what you pay for in terms of looks :) I've got mine on $10-a-pair Azla eartips and $60 Hakugei cable. Planning to customise the faceplate eventually. It's my 3rd favourite IEM at any price and probably the one I listen to the most overall. The S08 is maybe creeping up on play time and they have a similar-ish sort of sound, but the S08 is a lot more vocal forward and energetic. The HBB is more laid back, so it's good for background listening. The HBB also has better quality bass in some ways (though the S08 is much more resolving, as you'd expect).

How long have you had the HBB? I didn't like them at first but they're now one of my favourite IEMs. They really need some brain burn-in. It's possible that just doesn't work for everyone, but I hope you give them a proper chance before giving up on them. I don't find them particularly tip-sensitive, so how they sound is just how they sound. But I do think you get used to how bassy they are after about a week, and then they start to sound a lot more natural. It's like you're always *aware* that they have more bass than they should, but it stops sounding wrong and any sense of muddiness goes away. I haven't heard the Hades though, so if you mean that one... yeah from what I've heard one has no redeeming features at all. I'd like to try it at some point just for a laugh, but not if they insist on keeping the price at $50.

Those are bullshit and probably mostly fake reviews by a competitor. Find some reputable reviewer(s) you can trust and whose opinions align with your own, as everyone hears IEMs a bit differently. This is the one that made me consider trying the HBB. Wasn't convinced at first, but they're now one of my favourite IEMs at any price (and I have about 60 IEMs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swejkFpZfBM The HBB has a very particular style of presentation though. It's warm and relaxing, although it also volume-scales very well and can be fun if you turn it up a bit. If you want a really hard-hitting style of bass, the KZ Castor Bass+ is better, but it's overall tuning isn't as good as the HBB & it especially has some issues in the treble (though you may not notice at first). Also the Castor doesn't have much sub-bass so it's probably not what you're looking for. The KBear Rosefinch has *tons* of sub-bass, but it has much bigger problems with treble tuning and can sound quite harsh if you try to turn it up at all.

The HBB is one of my favourite IEMs at any price. It's just really well-tuned, so the driver isn't being pushed beyond its capabilities. It's still a cheap driver though, and you notice it in terms of resolution. If you want to compare something that's similar-but-better (in a way) see if you can listen to the Aful Explorer and notice how much more textured the mids and treble are. I suggest that one because the tuning isn't a million miles away from the HBB. But I actually prefer the tuning of the HBB (vocals sound a lot better on it), so I'm not recommending you go and buy one as an "upgrade". Just see if you can listen to one to satisfy your curiosity. And if those differences aren't something you care about, there's no point in chasing them - just stick to an IEM like the HBB with a tuning that you like. On the one hand, there *are* differences as you go up in price (to a point) especially when you get different driver architectures. On the other hand, diminishing returns are very much a thing, and more expensive does not automatically equal "tuned better". Also, if you like the HBB and fancy something a tiny bit different, give the Ikko OH300 a try. It basically sounds the same as the HBB, except that instead of having vocals pushed back, it's more vocal-forward. That's pretty much the only difference. It's not some subtle nebulous thing like "more texture" or "resolution". It just actually presents music in a slightly different way. It's only about $40 as well and also one my absolute favourite IEMs. There are other things it does slightly better than the HBB and some places where they "trade blows" depending on the mood you're in - but whether or not you'd notice those I don't know, so I won't list them, they're all quite subtle.