KZ - QKZ x HBB Khan

It really depends on each people ears and taste in music. Basshead or normal people usually like v shaped iem, even if it's cheap one like qkz hbb they gonna pick it over 64audio u12t for example

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

**QKZ HBB:** Has more bass compared to Castor Pro, but comes with slight compromises in Mids and Treble. In certain songs the bass tends to mask the vocals. The Treble is smooth for some, but it is on the darker side. **Castor Pro:** Has Bass and good sub bass rumble and it is one of the sets that maintains a balance in everything. It has Sub bass, mid bass, decent Mids and resolving Treble. For me, this is the jack of all trades set under 20 dollars. Most bassy iems tend to sacrifice on mid bass punch to maintain the Mids. This does provide that mid bass punch but at a cost of harman-ish Mids.

Will you plug them directly to Dualsense? Be aware there will most likely be loud hiss everytime the sound plays. Mostly noticeable when navigating through dashboard for example but not noticeable while playing a game actually I have qkz hbb and tangzu waner and both do the same. Only on dualsense.

Might as well get the teas as you will have the itch to see what’s better… speaking from experience as I’ve gone from Qkz hbb to supermix4 to…. Probably tea pros or siigaat crescents

It seems the Chu 2 is a highly regarded iem here, well if you go outside your comfort zone, I mean see outside the box there are many better budget options to consider, here 7hz Salnotes Zero 2 is a slightly more bassy version of the Chu 2, a good allrounder Blon Z300 is basically a very balanced set with good sub bass and a clean unspicy treble, comes with a decent 4.4mm balanced cable  QKZ xHBB is my fav budget basshead, it can produce immersive reverberating sub bass rumble with the right matching eartips (Spinfit CP100 for me), it also has good soundstage and imaging, with clean vocal and treble clarity too The KZ Saga is a rare KZ with a very well balanced neutral tuning, not lacking or boosting any part of the frequencies, with the right matching eartips it can qualify as an budget audiophile quality basshead, especially the bass version CCA Trio can be considered as a small upgrade from the Castor Bass with less overwhelming bass intensity and a more balanced set with a clean un-muddy sub bass focus Truthear Zero (blue) are mostly balanced sounding, with good imaging and soundstage, has good bass punch and texture

Sound signature always makes up 90% of how good an IEM sounds. If the sound signature already isn't to your liking, chances are you wont like the rest of whatever the IEM has to offer. The quintet is an amazing IEM for the money, I owned one for a time, but it was a little too bright for me so I ended up not using it much. You probably just enjoy the heavier bass of the QKZ in this case, an IEM I also used to own but sold off to my friend because I didnt like how much bass it had. Notice the duality here? SInce you prefer more bassy sets, you may end up liking more expensive bass heavy IEMs like the kiwi ears x HBB punch, punch audio martillo or Thieaudio Origin. With that said, diminishing returns begin very early in this hobby. You may find any of the IEMs i mentioned above to be nicer than the QKZ but not by much. The chifi scene has been lowering the price barrier for high end audio and its only continue to get lower as time goes on

Tanchjim Bunny DSP version for sure. At that price it’s a no-brainer. Though I’d EQ it with a bit more mid bass to match Bunny non-DSP version. QKZ HBB is a classic (I have one) but resolution is lacking a bit.

i have 2 dirt cheap iem use for gaming kz castor bass boost and qkz hbb, but i use qkz for fps game, e.g., on cs2 dust2 im on mid ramp i can hear both connector and A long double door footstep.

? 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).

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.

I tried ranking my IEMs a while ago. It gets harder to say after the top 3, but those are: 1. Simgot EA1000 2. Letshuoer S08 3. QKZ HBB Not a lot of correlation between price and ranking. The Variations is my most expensive IEM so far, but it's ranked a lot lower down because of the bass tuck and comfort reasons. It does have the best treble, but the EA1000 is comparatively about 98% - equally resolving, just not quite as smooth. The EA1000 has much more correct-sounding bass. It's only real flaw is the slight cool tilt to the midrange, which I would change if I could, but it also doesn't bother me. Everything else about the EA1000 is basically endgame for me.

Well I rank them #3, so IDK what else you want me to add. For context I own about 50 IEMs, up to and including the Variations and quite a few in the $150-300 bracket.

I would say that the QKZ HBB and the Truthear Hola are two of the best examples of tuning to the driver, and they both sound similar except the HBB has more bass overall. They both make the same sacrifice: you don't get tons of detail/resolution in the treble. But if you have a cheap driver, you can't do everything, so it that's a pretty sensible trade-off to then focus on making everything else about the tuning really good. And in both of those cases they really pulled it off. I think the HBB is actually slightly better than the Hola in that the Hola is quite tip-sensitive and the stock tips it comes with are terrible. Plus it's discontinued and they replaced it with the Gate, which isn't as good. Hola is better if you want that same warm blanket of sound, but a bit more neutral.

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.

Yes. The HBB is just a very warm & relaxing tuning, but it's also good for focusing on other things, because vocals are a bit less forward than usual. The OH300 is very similar but more vocal-forward and has very immersive soundstage.

I like the S08 a lot, but it's quite tip-sensitive and the bass quality isn't the best for its price. It lacks detail/texture, especially compared to S12-like planars. It's a warm, dark sound with very intimate soundstage. More of a relaxing set than a high-volume, high-energy set. I don't rate the Explorer all that highly because the eargain makes vocals sound veiled, but they are also quite sibilant. That only gets worse with more volume. So far I haven't found any eartips that fix it. Other than that it's really good though and definitely the sort of tuning that would scale well were not for the sibilance, which may not be a problem for some. Haven't heard the Odyssey. I haven't found the perfect set for this purpose yet. The closest I have is the Ikko OH10, which is my main walking-around IEM. It's not perfect though as the treble can be a bit strident (with some sibilance too, though less than the Explorer). It's easily fixed with EQ and it can be fun to stick a 10dB bass shelf on as well, but for the most part I prefer not to EQ, so I'm still looking for something with no flaws. I bought the Explorer hoping that would be it, but was disappointed. I prefer the OH10 because while I do notice the flaws, but they don't bother me as much. On the budget end the QKZ HBB scales really well. The only reason that's not my walking-around IEM instead of the OH10 is for that use-case I prefer a bit more vocal forwardness. The HBB has set-back vocals, but very natural timbre (albeit the overall tuning is definitely warm & bassy, so *everything* sounds a bit warmed-up). The Ikko OH300 is a really nice mid-budget set as well (sometimes goes on sale for around $40 which is a bargain IMO). It's somewhere in between the OH10, HBB and S08. Bass is punchier than the S08, imaging is more holographic than the other two (close to S08 just not quite as sharp), less strident than the OH10 and more vocal-forward than the HBB. It can't compete with higher-end sets on resolution though, that's where it shows it's a budget set. It also can't quite get to the same levels of bass quality as the OH10, which is deep, rounded, punchy and textured all at the same time (with the right tips anyway; it can be a bit slow/muddy with the wrong ones).

For the ones that get recommended there's a noticeable difference. Usually good $20 IEMs will have some limitation, like good tuning but lack extension, or vice-versa. The good $80-ish ones will have both. Around $200 you typically get a bit more refinement, but diminishing returns are definitely a thing. For a first IEM, the good ones in the $20 range are excellent and nobody will notice a difference compared to starting at $80 without having the chance to compare them directly. And even then, it might take a while before they have the listening ability to tell the difference in a comparison. The main thing about the $20 IEMs is that the good ones have a very specific signature and do one thing well, but maybe not everything. For example the QKZ HBB does warm and bassy better than anything I know of under $200, but it lacks treble extension. The 7Hz Zero is the exact opposite of that. The Chu 2 is probably the most balanced option and has the most premium look & feel overall because it's metal & comes with a decent cable & a nice carry pouch. It can have some issues with condensation because of the metal shells, so it needs a bit of looking after, especially in humid environments.

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.

It's very well regarded. Some reviewers slightly prefer the Tanchjim Origin, but I skipped that one because some other reviewers say it's more of a downgrade or sidegrade from the Oxygen, which I already have. The EA1000 is definitely in another league technically when you compare it to 1DDs like the EA500LM, Kato, Oxygen, Dunu Falcon Ultra, etc. Even the reviewers who prefer the tuning of one of the other 1DDs acknowledge that the EA1000 is ahead on technicalities. The Origin is the only one out of that list I haven't been able to hear and compare myself. I also haven't heard the stupidly high end ones like the SoftEars Twilight, but that one interests me, to hopefully try in the future. Oh also I keep forgetting that technically the EA1000 isn't actually a 1DD, it's more like a 1.5DD because it has a passive radiator. Most people group it together with the rest though and it's unclear if the passive radiator actually contributes anything. I think it *might* because the bass on the EA1000 is pretty unique too. If I had to pick from the ones that are true 1DDs, in terms of enjoyment I'd rank them OH300 > Dunu Titan S > Kato > Oxygen, but in terms of "technically-the-best" it goes Oxygen -(tiny difference)-> Kato -(big difference)-> Dunu Titan S -(big difference)-> OH300. Also worth calling out the QKZ HBB for being stupidly good for what it costs (about $15). It's roughly my #3 favourite IEM at any price, but maybe drops down to #4 because of the OH300 (I haven't decided if the OH300 completely replaces the S08 or not). The HBB is just very unique for it's super laid back, warm tuning, so I can't see it ever leaving my collection.

Kefine Klean if you can find them in budget (they're generally right around that price, depending on sales etc.). Otherwise KBear KB01 or the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. The KB01 is a 1:1 clone of the Cadenza, so choose based on price/looks. They sound identical. Failing that I'd go for the Chu 2 as IMO they sound the best in that price range and have the best build & accessories (only the Klean is ahead of them). But they do need a bit more looking after than most IEMs and can be prone to moisture issues if not kept dry between uses. I've also heard good things about the Bunny DSP, but haven't heard it myself. The fact it's plastic makes it lower maintenance than the Chu 2, but it won't look or feel as high quality. They do have them on Aliexpress, but it's possible they don't ship to your region and that's why it's not showing up. Sometimes Aliexpress search can be a bit weird so try googling it with "site:aliexpress" (you need to add .com to that but I don't want to get caught in the spam filter). That will sometimes help with finding listings that Aliexpress decides not to show for some reason. If you get a "not found" error that normally means it's not available in your country. Also another one that's not on your list but is excellent is the QKZ HBB. It's a very warm, laid back tuning. Quite bassy, but not energetic bass, just really warm. One of my favourite IEMs at any price, because there isn't really much else tuned like that. It's not as good and all-rounder as the others, but I think it might suit the genres you mentioned quite well. I like it for background listening because it pushes vocals back a bit (without making them sound muffled or unnatural) so it can make otherwise distracting music sound less distracting. It also volume scales really well if you decide to crank it up (just don't damage your hearing doing this!)

The 7Hz Legato has the *most* bass, but most people EQ it because out of the box it sounds pretty muddy. I returned mine for that reason. If you want to EQ then the Aoshida E20 is a cheaper option, although the build quality is quite cheap compared to the Legato. Still, could be a killer combination with a Qudelix 5K if that fits in budget (or the Legato as well but that's getting even more expensive). In that price range the Aful Explorer probably has the best quality bass out of the box. Also, one of my favourite IEMs is the QKZ HBB, which is only $15. It's not as resolving as the Explorer, but I prefer it because it has more natural-sounding tonality. Vocals on the explorer can sound a bit muffled and sibilant at the same time, although it's an excellent IEM in every way other than that. Also the Ikko OH300 which is like a more vocal-forward version of the HBB, with exceptional imaging/layering - and it's only $50 (maybe 40 if you can find it on sale, but they all sold out for several months and I'm not sure if it's back on Aliexpress yet, just the Ikko site at RRP). In terms of ergonomics the Aful is miles ahead of the rest. The Aoshida is probably the 2nd most comfortable. The Legato is nicely built but it's quite large. The HBB and the OH300 are both a bit chonky and cheap feeling, but still fairly comfortable in the ear - they just stick out a bit (don't feel as large as the Legato but all are quite wide).

IMO, the QKZ HBB is the best of the three, but they all have a quite different "flavour" so it depends what you're looking for: * The Rosefinch is the most "basshead" with the most sub-bass (rumble). The downside is it has very peaky treble which can limit how loud you can comfortably listen to them, although to an extent that depends on how sensitive you are to mid-high treble. * The Castor Bass has the most punchy, aggressive, hard-hitting style of bass, with the least sub-bass of the three. Overall pretty well tuned with some minor issues in the treble but nothing as bad as the Rosefinch. * The HBB is more of a very-warm, laid back sort of tuning than a true basshead tuning and has the most natural timbre with fewest tuning issues. But it also volume scales very well, so you can turn it up quite loud if you want without any part of the tuning causing issues - just be careful not to damage your hearing if you plan to do that.

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.

If you want to try something underrated, the Ikko OH300 is one of my favourite IEMs that seems to have flown completely under the radar. It's very warm/bassy, with exceptional imaging/layering. I won't say it's without tuning flaws as it has a couple of minor issues, but it's incredibly addictive to listen to, and great value for around $40. I listen to it more often than most of my more expensive IEMs. Another great value one (but maybe not as underrated) is the QKZ HBB. The HBB and OH300 actually sound very similar, except that the HBB has very pushed-back vocals, while the OH300 has them slightly forward. The HBB doesn't have the same sort of imaging/layering as the OH300. But it is only $15 and also one of my all-time favourite IEMs at any price. If you want soundstage then the original Simgot EA500 (the silver one, not the LM) is a bit underrated as well (although it did have a brief period of mega-hype). It is *bright* though, and can get a bit fatiguing. It's basically a mini EA1000, which is my overall favourite IEM. The EA1000 improves the bass and smooths out the treble so it's no longer fatiguing, but still very resolving. The EA500 is actually a tiny bit ahead on soundstage & imaging just because of the extra treble. These are both great soundstage IEMs in different ways. The EA500/1000 sound very open and spacious (at least by IEM standards). The OH300 sounds a bit more intimate, but the extra bass gives a "sound blanket" effect and it excels at depth/layering rather than width & overall sense of space. Of course it's important to bear in mind that imaging and soundstage aren't the same thing, and how people perceive soundstage is related to their own HRTF. So especially with IEMs, it can vary a lot from person to person. Reviews of the EA500/1000 do seem to mostly agree about them sounding more open than most IEMs though. I haven't seen many reviews of the OH300 and most have been very surface-level. TBH, I almost put it in a drawer and forgot about it after giving them a quick listen on the stock tips (I bought a few IEMs in the sale and 3 turned up at once, so the one that caught my attention at the time was the Aful MagicOne). It was only a month later when I decided to try some other tips that, perhaps by sheer luck, the first ones I happened to try sounded amazing. I've never bothered trying other tips on them. I should probably check at some point in case it turns out that they only sound that good with perfect tip-matching (something I find to be the case with the Letshuoer S08, which is the only IEM I've heard with better layering than the OH300).

The main difficulty is finding one you like. I also have a $15 favourite, which is the QKZ HBB (IDK about as an only IEM, but it's one of my favourites out of a collection of about 60 now). But I don't much like the Zero 2. So YMMV. Same thing applies regardless of price - what sounds natural to one person might sound odd to someone else, because everyone has a different HRTF. Spending more isn't automatically better, although you do usually get better drivers (up to a point).

The biggest problem with these is that the nozzles are absolutely massive. One of the most over-recommended IEMs (along with the Red) given that most people will find them somewhat uncomfortable and potential painful in many cases. The tuning and technicalities are just OK in the current market. Send them back and get something else. The question then is what to get. You're used to a very bassy signature so you could go for something similar. The QKZ HBB is really good and has a warm/bassy signature, so that might be a bit closer to what you're used to and should be an upgrade in terms of sound quality (they're one of my favourite IEMs at any price and they're only $15). Or you can go with a different tuning, but bear in mind that you'll want to give it maybe a week of not listening to anything else to let your brain adjust. If you want something more "clean" sounding but still with a decent amount of bass (won't be as much as the Sonys) then maybe try the Kefine Klean, or if you want to spend more there's the Aful Explorer (although I personally find vocals don't sound great on that one, despite everything else about it being really good). I wouldn't spend time trying to adjust to the Zeroes though, because they'll just continue to hurt your ears and could potentially cause an ear infection. Don't try to struggle through if they are hurting your ear canals. I've done that and it takes weeks of not listening to IEMs at all to recover from the ear canal damage.

You could just add a 10dB bass shelf with EQ to any of the IEMs you already have. Most of the cheap basshead IEMs sound pretty crap without EQ anyway (including the Legato, it sounds pretty muddy without EQ). The QKZ HBB (not the Hades) sounds good without EQ, but it's not *that* much bassier than the Explorer.