KZ - ZS10 Pro 2

Interesting, why do you think they suck? I’ve been using KZ’s ZS10 Pro 2 with my 7th gen and they slap.

I have been using KZ (knowledge Zenith) in-ears and never had any complaints. I am currently using the KZ ZS10 Pro2 and am very happy.

I got ZS10 Pro 2 for ₹2021 on AliExpress

You probably already received your pair by now but sound is very subjective. I enjoy these iems a lot and love the tuning. i typically listen to EDM, K-pop, J-pop, R&B, Classic Rock and Metal. These iems are good enough for me and i’d say they are good for their price. They are very mellow for me and very natural sounding. I LOVE BASS and these have good enough slam for me but I wouldn’t use them if I am craving bass lol. I use my Thieaudio Hype 4 if I really want big, deep bass without it bleeding into the other frequencies. I also own Moondrop Dusk (yes the Crinacle collab), Moondrop Blessings 3, Thieaudio Hype 4, Finalaudio A4000, and on the lower end of the price bracket the Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro 2. My personal rankings for my IEM collection (from best to worst): Hype 4 = Dusk > Blessing 3 > Daybreak > Finalaudio A4000 > KZ ZS10 Pro. Daybreaks are good for their price range but I wouldn’t say they punch above their weight. The ones i ranked ahead are more than double the price of the Daybreak so it makes sense why my rankings are like that but if you have the money for the Daybreaks then I would say go for it and keep them and if you don’t like the tuning then just return them and maybe save up for a more expensive iem? Also just an FYI, I am pretty new to the IEM scene as I used to mainly collect and use Over-ear open back headphones (I own the Sennheiser HD800s, HD600, HD6xx, AKG K712 Pro, Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, hella Koss Porta Pros, and hella Grados). So you can take my say with a grain of salt since I am fairly new to IEMs.

Surprised ZS10 Pro2 isnt on this list. They are by far one of the best IEMs for like $50.

I use it for Tarkov, they are great! They have 4 different sound profiles to pick from. I use Profile 2 on mine.

KZ ZS10 PRO 2 I just bought them 2 weeks ago and they are very good for the price of $50.

These arrived today and have to admit they sound great. Very smooth and not sibilant.

As others have suggested, KZ has several models (I recommend ZS10 or ZS12 Pro X) that cost peanuts and they outdo most big brand IEMs up to like.. 500usd price range. You might need to get better foams for them, as depending on model they may not come with any.

Oh, i also have a pair of Zs10 pro 2 but i think they are weird and never use them. Zs10 and zs12 pro x sound way better to me. But with zs12 pro x u also get the switches

KZ Audio will have you set for anything that isnt sold out arenas, and would suffice even there lol and wont cost you a whole lot. If you want the real deal, then get custom molds. But with like.. 50usd and potentionally adding better foams on them you can manage perfectly fine. I use KZ ZS10 Pro X and ZS12 Pro X. I also have ZS10 Pro 2 but I dont recommend those. That said, I'm a bass player first, but I have literally no interest consider something like Shure that costs 3-10x as much, has less hardware and at best sounds as good as the 50 buck pair of KZ. Of course when you start to go into the expensive range of Shure they likely pull ahead, but by that you are also paying a minimum 10x as much.

ZS10 Pro X and ZS12 Pro X are both much better than Pro 2, which was a pretty bad misstep from KZ. But yeah definitely try KZ.

Yeah, My go-to is also ZS12 Pro X. Followed by ZS10 Pro X and Pro 2 is only for emergencies😅

I went from more expensive stuff to KZ ZS10 Pro X (and Pro 2). And still recommend them to most people at most levels. Ofc theres better stuff if budget is over 500€, but below that theres not much better stuff. Most likely will have to get aftermarket foam tips for them, as they dont usually come with any. Good seal is paramount to hearing bass

Comply memory foams. I have two pairs (Pro X and Pro 2). For bass I prefer the Pro X for some reason, even if the Pro 2 has those tuning dip switched. The other pair uses comply and the other pair has foams I took from my old Mackie IEM

+1 for kz. Mine is 5 years and still going good. Easy available on amazon

First of all: I am not an expert in hi-fi. I'm just a simple man who was looking for good IEMs, and this is only my subjective opinion. The IEMs I was looking for should cost between $50 and $150 and should have balanced, lively bass with pleasant treble that does not tire the ears. So far, I have tried many IEMs and tested them on my PC and smartphone without any additional devices. No DAC, no amp. It was important to me that they were ready to use right out of the box. For me, good sound is when it is carried by lively bass and deep frequencies that guide you through the music, especially for drum and bass and metal. Low frequencies, and especially bass, form the basis of a good listening experience; that's the primary purpose of why I prefer hi-fi headphones, to get into it. My rotation: **≈ 50$ IEMs which I tested:** LINSOUL TANGZU Wan'er LINSOUL SIMGOT EW200 MOONDROP CHU II LINSOUL 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 KZ Castor LINSOUL KZ ZS10 PRO 2 LINSOUL KZ ZS10 PRO X **≈ 100$ IEMs which I tested:** LINSOUL SIMGOT EW300 ARTTI T10 Pro TRUTHEAR Hexa Surprisingly, only two of the IEMs I tested impressed me with their overall bass reproduction. I couldn't decide between the KZ PRO 2 and the ZERO BLUE 2, but in the end I chose the BLUE 2 because it offers the best overall package. For me, the ZERO BLUE 2 is simply badass right out of the box. These were the only IMEs that had this deep sounding I was looking for. https://preview.redd.it/fm66t5fl5uef1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87099e1c617e96b62bb51f28fe01520ebe96a0c6 https://preview.redd.it/pyn3x43m5uef1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=721c67332e8f8dd3db7ed8ac6e948c098e174871

First of all: I am not an expert in hi-fi. I'm just a simple man who was looking for good IEMs, and this is only my subjective opinion. The IEMs I was looking for should cost between $50 and $150 and should have balanced, lively bass with pleasant treble that does not tire the ears. So far, I have tried many IEMs and tested them on my PC and smartphone without any additional devices. No DAC, no amp. It was important to me that they were ready to use right out of the box. For me, good sound is when it is carried by lively bass and deep frequencies that guide you through the music, especially for drum and bass and metal. Low frequencies, and especially bass, form the basis of a good listening experience; that's the primary purpose of why I prefer hi-fi headphones, to get into it. My rotation: **≈ 50$ IEMs which I tested:** LINSOUL TANGZU Wan'er LINSOUL SIMGOT EW200 MOONDROP CHU II LINSOUL 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 KZ Castor LINSOUL KZ ZS10 PRO 2 LINSOUL KZ ZS10 PRO X **≈ 100$ IEMs which I tested:** LINSOUL SIMGOT EW300 ARTTI T10 Pro TRUTHEAR Hexa Surprisingly, only two of the IEMs I tested impressed me with their overall bass reproduction. I couldn't decide between the KZ PRO 2 and the ZERO BLUE 2, but in the end I chose the BLUE 2 because it offers the best overall package. For me, the ZERO BLUE 2 is simply badass right out of the box. These were the only IMEs that had this deep sounding I was looking for. https://preview.redd.it/fm66t5fl5uef1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=87099e1c617e96b62bb51f28fe01520ebe96a0c6 https://preview.redd.it/pyn3x43m5uef1.jpg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=721c67332e8f8dd3db7ed8ac6e948c098e174871

I got the ZS10 Pro 2 recently as my first set and have been loving them.

KZ ZS10 Pro 2 does V shaped pretty well, mids still there for sure, not crazy V shaped. Simgot EW300 is a rly solid pick.

I got them sub-$40, and in terms of getting a v shaped, kinda edgy, bright leaning shimmery sound without congesting guitars/drums and without being bass-light, these don't really have competition at their price point imo, especially in the 1100/1101 tuning, where while you do sacrifice a bit of richness, you also decongest the sound.

Wan'er is a safe pick, zs10 pro 2 can get a bit spicy/hot but also a bit more airy and more engaging. ZSX Pro looks a bit lacking in bass and bright, though the upper mids/lower treble looks better than ZS10 Pro 2, maybe good if you use eq and boost the bass, otherwise I think it'll probably be too bright. Castor pro idk much about it it looks like the bassiest of the bunch, ppl seem to like it.

edc pro, zenith, cca rhapsody/trio, zs10 pro 2 and cca hydro are all competitive.

Hi thanks, I had the kz zs10 pro 2 before was happy but when the volume of the iem amp goes beyond 70% the bass becomes boomy. Hence I went back to my shure.

I have the "sequel" of those (zs 10 pro 2), and tried them in cs2. They're not bad at all, and pretty decent at pinpointing footsteps. As dacs go, you don't really need one for low impedance iems such as those as far as I know. I also heard there's some games that don't go well with iems, maybe siege is one of them? Didn't look into it much tbh.

I'm in pretty deep and I still keep my zs10 pros hooked up and ready to go.

I have well over 1000 spent on iems now lol and I've bought the kz zs10 pro and pro x multiple times I like it so much lmao. I probably won't use it after recently getting my fatfreqs but I gotta say something about the zs10 just slaps right man. I've gifted these to people and they always are shocked. Id say don't buy some of their other models knows for having pointless crossovers but that's about it.

My first experience that got me REALLY into music was the kz zs10. I could hear all the drivers and the music had seemed so much fuller, but now when I compare them to a better iem like the dunu davinci which isn't considered highly technical the zs10 just sound like a handful of speakers all playing the same song where on the davinci the crossover is done so well that it sounds like there are very special drivers for each instrument all played together like an orchestra. Not just a lot of noise on top of each other. Had I never upgraded I could have died happy with my 50$ iems instead of having spent 1000's of dollars on audio Too late though

Agree. Zs10 pro 2 ( uppose to be upgrade ) are crap.Too bright and harsh heights. Vocals sound weird to me. Also overhiped to me are Castor Bass,HBB ''gaming'' collab. I have KZ Castor,QKZ x HBB ( these 2 are the crappiest ) Vader,Zs10 pro,PRX,and CCA Rhapsody. Rhapsody are the only ones that are good for me as a bass head.NIce sub bass rumble,punchy mid bass,present vocals,no harsh or piercing heights ( like zs10 pro 2),Decent wide soundstage.THey just sound good. Took me a while to make them comfortable,was about to give up on them. Definitely i recomend them for a basshead They need short steam eartips ( i shorten the stock ones ) to make them usable for 6,7-10 hours.Otherwise they push too much in your ear canal and cause pain due big nozzle. I ordered some eartips that suppose to work with them ( **Zhulinniao Zhu Rythme** ) but they are in transit and i didn't try them yet. I'd give them a try if u are a basshead.THey are good.

Agree. Zs10 pro 2 ( uppose to be upgrade ) are crap.Too bright and harsh heights. Vocals sound weird to me. Also overhiped to me are Castor Bass,HBB ''gaming'' collab. I have KZ Castor,QKZ x HBB ( these 2 are the crappiest ) Vader,Zs10 pro,PRX,and CCA Rhapsody. Rhapsody are the only ones that are good for me as a bass head.NIce sub bass rumble,punchy mid bass,present vocals,no harsh or piercing heights ( like zs10 pro 2),Decent wide soundstage.THey just sound good. Took me a while to make them comfortable,was about to give up on them. Definitely i recomend them for a basshead They need short steam eartips ( i shorten the stock ones ) to make them usable for 6,7-10 hours.Otherwise they push too much in your ear canal and cause pain due big nozzle. I ordered some eartips that suppose to work with them ( **Zhulinniao Zhu Rythme** ) but they are in transit and i didn't try them yet. I'd give them a try if u are a basshead.THey are good.

Interesting. I took apart vader and i did not found any part number on them. Same with my zs10pro2 no part number on any components. Do you know by any chance if A30019 are superior to 31736 used in Rhapsody and zs10pro2? On paper both use the same ba but zs10 have piercing high notes,not the same case with Rhapsody so i assume the tuning is done on the circuit board. Also i think those ''silver'' wires have a role also,otherwise won't make sense to use coper and silver wires ( Rhapsody ) I swapped on my PRX those silver wires with thicker copper ones and i have the impression the bass is a bit stronger ( could be just on my mind ) Also there is a chance to remove hot glue with some chemical or something.Heat could damage the driver. In Vader they used some glue that got dissolved by acetone but in Rhapsody they used hot glue so no chance to disassemble them unless i find a way to get rid of that ho glue.

Same here, after the pro 2's arrived, I can't get enough of listening to music. The only problem I have is with the tips, after a while they fall out of my ears. What tips do you recommend, guys?

Kz ZS10 pro 2. I started with the zero 2 and these have as much bass as you could want plus more separation and wider soundstage so it doesn't always sound middle of your head.

I don't like full bright as I can't listen long. These don't do that to me. I think dip switch 4 reduces high end as well if needed. I also run foam tips if that makes a difference.

My first purchase was the zero 2s. Just got the zs10 pro and man what a difference. More bass than you could need, I turned my switches down to just 1. Super detailed and much more spatial.

Listening to the zs10 pro 2’s right now (I got them yesterday) they sound good for the money second set of kz I’ve owned solid choice but there are probably better for the money out there, I liked the semi open aspect because I use them for gaming and like to hear my voice and not feel like I’m in a bubble

I own these, and i don't think it's semi-open in a meaningful way. It doesn't have total passive isolation but all things being equal it doesn't seal better or worse than other similarly priced IEMs. With the right tips for your ears you can get a pretty good comfortable seal, but I don't perform so I don't know what a performer would need.

I just got some custom IEMs from 64 audio but I'd been using the KZ ZS10 PRO 2 for a little while. They're pretty commonly recommended as a cheap but decent option. They work okay with the Comply foam tips but they were still too big for my ears and a little uncomfortable. Bass response is okay but you'll need packs with good headroom if you don't have a cabinet on stage.

That's good to know, I've only tried the pro 2.

I fully support the Pro 2. With some EQ they can sound even better.

I bought the KZ ZS10 Pro 2, they're fantastic! You'll need to eq them though. I'm so happy with the bass produced in these iems.

I use KZ ZS10 Pro2 with some KZ XZ10 for wireless. Really nice audio for the price

I’m using mine with KZ ZS10 pro 2. I connected them to my pc and to my iPhone and they both have the same static ground noise. This can’t be normal right ?

I’m wondering if it could maybe be the custom sound profile switches that the zs10 pro 2. I’ll try fiddling with those switches to see if they make any difference.

i have the kz zs10 pro 2 and they are just meh i heard the planar ones were better

I love my kz zs12 pro x. kz zs10 pro 2 is bit warmer than zs12 pro x. i dont think you made a mistake. you'll love it. if it's with tuning switches then keep all of them on. and might consider foam ear tips over regular ones.

get kz zs10 pro 2. you'll be happy and satisfied.

kz zs10 pro 2. you can also add a kz m2 type c cable. The dual mic on ot super good than any other cables you might see.

yes zs10 pro 2 is semi open back. but isolation is quite really good. i own kz zs12 pro x both iems have the same looks just zs12 pro x is all metallic. the noise isolation is good. the semi open back on iems are not like open back Headphones so no need to worry about noise isolation. some iems which truly works like open back Headphones are kz zenith (i have this) noise isolation is still good when playing music but otherwise you'll be clearly able to hear the outside world. others are epz p50 which is kinda new and the latest kiwi ears septet. can't say about these two.

I am in the same boat. Have been using hybrid iems only, for for almost a year now (KZ ZS10 PRO X, ZS10 PRO 2 and now EW300 HBB). Since I really like the shape and fit of KZ items, I am on the edge of pulling the trigger for the PRX, because I would like to try the planar set. Seeing that it's getting good reviews I don't know if I should pull the trigger on them...

Im a big Pink Floyd fan too, Im really enjoying them using the KZ ZS10 Pro 2.

I have the ZS10 pro 2 for listening to music in the evening when the wife has gone to bed and the ZSN Pro 2 I use while working.

Im pretty happy with the KZ ZS10 Pro 2, listening to lots of metal with them.

Im a huge metal fan. There is such a diverse range of sound quality and production with metal music that no IEM will suit all. Im quite content with the KZ ZS10 Pro 2 for metal, the 4 switches for changing tone really helps.

Hi, I am also new to the hobby. I think at the end of the day, if they sound good to you, then that's what matters. It's definitely hard that you can't hear them side by side. I settled on a pair of Linsoul kz zs10 pro 2's. I've seen some mixed reviews but I'm happy with them considering the budget range I was in.

I almost bought the first pros, but decided for the 2's since they are allegedly better in a few areas

No problem. I'm happy to help! Also, not to confuse you further, but you can also consider ZS10 Pro 2 from KZ solely for gaming. I've seen a lot of Youtubers who claimed to be trying out IEMs for the first time based on recommendations, giving it high praise. As for music, many didn't like it because of KZ's classic boosted treble. My advice would be if you don't want to be bothered by EQing (which I do recommend) is that you can buy different sets with different tunings for different purposes. Or just buy one good expensive set with great technical performance like the Simgot EW300, then create different EQ profiles for different use cases.

I have ZS10 Pro. They are very easy to drive. I think these sound like proper V's with a lot of sparkling. I like how they sound but I wish they had more bass.

To be fair, the ZS10 Pro 2 don’t measure as poorly as 95% of other KZ iems do, but KZ has done so much to destroy their own reputation, it makes sense why people wouldn’t want to recommend them. They’re also $55, so the “but they’re crazy cheap, not everyone can afford better iems than KZ” argument doesn’t really work.

I have both the ZS10 and ZS12 Pro X, also significantly cheaper than the hydro but trust me it’s a significant upgrade over the ZS10, and the ZS12 also has 1 BA driver inside the nozzle, dedicated solely for the mids which even the hydro lacks

ZS10 Pro is an amazing IEM to step into this foray and trust me it is all subjective. I also own the Zero 2 and ZS12 Pro X. While I also really like the Zero 2, it’s a milder V shape than the ZS10 Pro. So they both have uses in my music genre preferences. You’ve made an excellent choice for now, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Then later you can also experience the Zero 2 or waner in your collection as well

If you really want more details and technical performance go for the ZS12 Pro X. The ZS10 Pro 2 has harsher treble yet less details and technicality than the ZS12. Also, the ZS12’s BA driver in the nozzle is dedicated for Mids only, while the other 4 BA works for Trebles. Overall this one offers amaIng technicality. Get the Tuning version for more flexibility

I'm using exactly what you mentioned, ZS10 Pro 2 + XZ10 adapter. I got them about a month ago, and the left side suddently has the vocals/highs very muffled. Tried with the cable, on another device and same thing. KS Qc is horrible, my previous KZ ZS10 Pro stayed with me since august 2020 ultil last december, and now the Pro2 with barely a month of use has leaked adhesive onto one of the drives. I'm going to try to disassemble it, and spray some contact cleaner and hope it solves the problem lol.

I am using KZ ZS10 pro 2 , just changed eartips for more comfy ones

Да я не спорю лучшим их я и не называл. всегда найдется модель дешевле и лучше полюбой вопрос времени ) Как будет нужда попробую другие бренды. лишь говорю что к моей паре вопросов нет. сравниваю с xm4 sony, airpods pro, steelseries игровые. на их фоне за свою цену они хороши

I just got KZ ZS10 Pros 2, they are my first IEMS and im blown away with how good they are https://preview.redd.it/q2aayr9i0inf1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5dc44de6309b84ea989f35002b96a3a467aebf4f

O ZS10 2 é um fone bem neutrão, pra mim até chato. Os outros ainda quero ouvir. Mas aposto que as diferenças são bem fraquinhas.

Yes. I used to own the KZ ZS10 Pro, then moved to QKZ x HBB, TangZu Wan'Er, and the KZ Castor Bass. And honestly the QKZ, Tangzu, and Castor Bass outperforms the ZS10. I haven't heard of the 7hz Zero:2, but I would put the Tangzu Wan'er over the ZS10 all day. It sounds cleaner, and better resolution. Although the tuning of the Wan'er isn't for me. It lacks the bass that I'm looking for. I think from the 3 that I mentioned earlier, I would go for the QKZ x HBB just for it's bass quality (I still think this is unique from the budget price point), the TangZu Wan'er if you prefer a more "balanced" tuning, then the KZ Castor Bass if you prefer a V-shape, fun sounding budget IEM.

I currently own both the TangZu Wan'er, and the KZ Castor (Bass), and *used to* own the KZ ZS10 Pro 2. I think you should get the TangZu Wan'er. It fits all the things you're looking for. Balanced sound, clear details, and separation, better comfort, and no need for a DAC/AMP. And I think it also fits your music library of old J-Pop, and a bit of Classical. Although I wouldn't consider the TangZu Wan'er "FUN TO LISTEN TO". I just find it *okay*, not entirely "boring" but I just don't find it as fun and lively as the KZ Castors.

I've got both the ZS10 Pro's and now the Pro 2's. The Original "Pro 1" is noticeably "sharper" on the high end and also feels a little more "tinny" and "screechy" to me. I will say the Pro 1's are noticeably louder than the Pro 2's. I have to hit my volume up button a couple more times on the Pro 2's, but they're still plenty loud and I can't even use them on full blast. The Pro 2's definitely have a much nicer balance, probably due to the ability to manually EQ them. I have all four EQ switches set to "ON" so this is Bass all the way up and then Treble reduced by 1. The Mids are also cleaner and punchier on the Pro 2's. I would say Bass is fairly similar between both models, but perhaps a hair punchier and vibrant on the Pro 2's, but that could be placebo for me. Overall, definitely prefer the Pro 2's. I've got both on my desk and I don't seem to want to put anything else in my ears besides the Pro 2's.

I've got both the ZS10 Pro's and now the Pro 2's. The Original "Pro 1" is noticeably "sharper" on the high end and also feels a little more "tinny" and "screechy" to me. I will say the Pro 1's are noticeably louder than the Pro 2's. I have to hit my volume up button a couple more times on the Pro 2's, but they're still plenty loud and I can't even use them on full blast. The Pro 2's definitely have a much nicer balance, probably due to the ability to manually EQ them. I have all four EQ switches set to "ON" so this is Bass all the way up and then Treble reduced by 1. The Mids are also cleaner and punchier on the Pro 2's. I would say Bass is fairly similar between both models, but perhaps a hair punchier and vibrant on the Pro 2's, but that could be placebo for me. Overall, definitely prefer the Pro 2's. I've got both on my desk and I don't seem to want to put anything else in my ears besides the Pro 2's.

I have the wan’er and am currently using them as I type this. I use them every day at work in fact. Great iems, but I definitely find them better for bassier songs where as the kz zs10 pro 2(which I also use daily at home lol) are better for more higher note songs in my opinion. The pro 2’s are WAY brighter in the highs than the wan’ers are. I would recommend them both but if you’re looking for something to bring out really bright crisp kids and highs, definitely go for the pro 2’s, if you’re looking for more base/mid the wan’ers are better

I definitely do, after a while it just becomes too much for sure. Usually when that happens I just take a break but if you’re worried about fatigue I would go with the wan’ers. I use them every day for 8 hours a day and find they have perfect tuning when it comes to fatigue. Both are really nice though for sure. If kz is still shipping the pro 2’s with the really stiff non braided cord, I would definitely upgrade that, but other than that they’re both extremely solid

Linsoul KZ ZS10 PRO 2 my recommendation for 1st IEMs to try out. autoeq.app them and they are a great pair of IEMs.

Plunge audio for me, they sound so incredible but I alo have a kz Zs 10 pro 2 that a I use occasionally.

Nice, I have the cheaper KZ version of the CCA hydros, the ZS10 Pro 2… before the quintet that was my fav gaming IEM… great detail for the price IMO.

The ZS10 Pro 2 are one of my favorites, both in design and sound ✌🏾 https://preview.redd.it/b9kr63sespyf1.jpeg?width=6944&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2a129590e21732700427c025ef7a9330ff8301a

Thanks bro, I bought to try and sell 😁 only then have I had the opportunity to go little by little looking for one or some that I like So far my favorites are the Castor Harman, Vader HR and the ZS10 Pro 2. And which ones are your favorites or which ones have you been using? ✌🏾 https://preview.redd.it/miwmgezoxpyf1.jpeg?width=9248&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a416eccdeadf077e90c1e5d95b08d54ca1d2bdd

I've recently looked into KZ ZNA, ND PLANET and KZ ZVX PROs They all seem like good options to me since I was quite content with basic ZVX as I tend to EQ usually but which one would you recommend? I tend to switch from ZS10 PRO 2 to ZVX from time to time as I like the clarity, details and soundtage of ZS10 PRO 2 and the deep saitisfying punch of the ZVX I was looking for something that would combine these two into one and hope to not muddy up the sound People have recommended AFUL explorers but they're quite a bit over my budget hence I'm curious which of these would be better, I was even debating on Aoshida E20s as well If you could recommend something else I'm all ears (no pun intended).

I have the old KZ 10 pros, have used them for years. They're great for live use, never had a single issue. I play with others who use the more expensive/"pro" Shure and Sennheiser in ears. They're not exactly night and day, or noticeably better or worse. I'd say the mix matters more than the monitor. Unlike another commenter who says they're too bassy, I actually boost the bass on my mix, for thumping kick and bass. Helps me lock into the drums, and a big gliss perfectly timed to a kick is SATISFYIN'. I started with a Behringer P2, but the clip was... Just so bad. It wasn't until I got a Rockboard HA1 that I realised the P2 also sounds bad. The HA1 costs less and blows the P2 out of the water. Loads more clean headroom before the built in limiter kicks in, and the limiter is much less noticable and pumpy. All in, the KZ and HA1 are under £100 and sound great for bass.

Mine did too, nearly returned them, then I jammed some Samsung earbud tips on them that sealed to my ears way better and then a full spectrum of sound came alive. Definitely play with the tips, how deep they're in your ears, twist them a bit, etc.

Go with in ear monitors "IEMs". They deliver the sound right to your ear drums, seal out external noises, are very lightweight, don't mess up your hair, don't make your ears sweat, I could go on and on. KZ 10 Pros are a budget option that piles of people use and recommend, including myself. Oh, and I drop them near daily on the concrete floor by accident and they've lasted 1 year so far.

I’m following the trend of IEMs as a gamer of Black ops 6. I started low budgets : KZ 10 pro, Chu 2 and QKZ x HBB. Then I decided to try the famous Truthear Zero OG. The reasons: 1. I don’t like headsets on my head and hair. 2. The trend hype Compared to a gaming headset I have less boom subwoofer immersion effect. But I have a more clear sound for sure. Regarding footstep and space visualization, I’m not sure is really better. To be honest I’m starting to thing that my Koss KPH40 is not the best compris. Is there something I’m missing here or you are gonna say that I need to access the next level of IEMs to understand. Are the Moondrops Dusk to next level and I would feel it? Am I going to get long and beautiful bass immersion ? Or should I actually just go back to gaming headset like Ace zone ?

Mmh I have also those KZ but the gun shoots sound like paper 📄

I have Kz 10 pro (they are bad and no bass), the Chu 2 ( I love them but miss bass in game) and just got QKZ x HBB ( no amazed by the bass and unclear sound). I’m tired of trying cheap IEMs I need to verify if I can get similar results as with a good gaming headset. I want to be get loud and rumble bass and good immersion.

I have the KZ 10 Pro. Love it them.

I'm using both KZ ZSN Pro (Desktop) and Pro 2 for my everyday use. For gaming, I think I've read that Salnotes Zero and Simgot EW100p are good. Pero nasa personal preference pa rin yan

First time I feel like living with deaf ear when I tried chinese IEM for fun. It turns me into audiophile for a while. KZ EDX then ZS10 Pro, now Zex Pro. First two less than rm100 on shopee. Got other brands with match quality sound and price but only tried KZ. Tried alot of ear/headphone at same price range. Meh. Even airpod/buds hardly match with details I used heard to.

I wouldn't say so. I have the zs 10pro x and had the zs 10 pros with some other shittier KZ models. I still think these were the most thought through. The new slop they make feels like a way to pull as much money as possible, KZ ZS10,12,69 pro, x, extra, ultra. Just fuck off. Same opinion about other brands, moondrop, 7hz.....

KZ ZS10 Pro. Great gateway, but rapidly surpassed. The wax sealant melted in one of the units, completely eliminating the bass. Got chucked in the end.

Hah, yeh, I've read that they've ceased using a wax sealant, so that particular issue should be resolved in more recent models.

I have used some pretty expensive setups in the past, like £400+. But, I recently picked up some Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro for £40-ish and they’re as good as any of the well known branded ones I’ve tried, obviously a fraction of the price. In fact so good that I just use these as my main IEMs now rather than just a cheap backup/spare. In terms of tech, you’ll need something to get the incoming monitor signal to your ears. This can be simple or as complicated as you need. Could be a single channel dedicated IEM amplifier pack (such as Behringher Powerplay P2), or could be a small personal mixer. A personal mixer allows you some flexibility, if you want a click; or control of your own vocal levels; or something just for your own ears mix. For example, I also use a butt kicker stool for tactile monitoring. With a personal mixer, I can split my kick, vocals and click for my own ears, and route the kick alone to the butt kicker so I have control of those levels separately from any monitor mix the engineer sends.

Yeah I find those with regular bass (non-enhanced) works well for gaming, too much bass and it becomes unbearable for me. So far from what I have, I find KZ ZS10 Pro and KZ ESX works well for gaming though I still prefer speakers.

https://preview.redd.it/hy8h2esd91te1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e244416df0e81d07055713bbb0632d0a0be0bbd1 Hey all, I'm pretty new to the hobby and just wanted to share a quick impression. I’ve been switching between the KZ ZS10 Pros and the Aful Performer 5s for a few weeks now, and honestly, I keep reaching for the ZS10s more often. I mostly listen to bass-heavy tracks and female vocals, and to my ears, there's not a huge difference between the two sets in those genres. From my perspective, the KZ hate feels kind of overblown. For the price, I think they punch way above their weight. I’m planning to grab the DUNU Braindance next. But if it doesn’t offer a meaningful improvement to my (probably plebeian) ears over the ZS10s, I think those might end up being my endgame. 🤷‍♂️

I’m actually a pretty big fan of kz so far. I have castor pro bass edition and kz zs10 pro, and so far I’m loving both of them. My mind was blown at the quality of both, especially for the price. I’ve only had both for a little over a month, but as of right now. I’m a fan 👍🏻

I have castor pro bass edition and love it, I’m somewhat new to the iem community as well. I’ve been switching between my castor pro and kz zs10 pro for the last coulple of weeks, love them both. Welcome aboard the iem train. 👍🏻

The budget IEM recommendation is usually the KZ ZS10 pros. I got a set recently on sale for $40, but they’re typically $50 on amazon. Get some better fitting tips and they’re really solid for the price. They’re 5 driver and have a ton of low end. Almost too much honestly. I haven’t gigged with them yet but compared to the ultimate ears set I usually use the UEs sound much more balanced. I think the KZs might get boomy/muddy, but we’ll see. A lot of people like and recommend them. In both cases the headphones I have are universal fit, not custom molded, so finding the right tips is very important. If you don’t have a good seal on your ear you get a ton of external noise and end up having to crank the volume on the IEM which can just cause more problems, or they’re falling out all the time and you’re losing your monitor. When I first started using IEMs we all had the shure psm systems with the SE215 headphones. They’re fine. Like you said not the most robust bass response but they worked well enough for me. That band eventually split and I got away from IEMs for a while. Got back into using them more recently with some of my other projects.

I have a pair of the KZ ZS10 pros as well as some ultimate ears and had some Shure SE215s in the past. The KZ are definitely hard to beat for the price, but I found them very boomy and bass heavy compared to the others. Like same mix or same music the KZ had huge bass where others would sound balanced, but if you’re mixing for the KZ or want that bottom end that’s not an issue. For the price the KZ are absolutely hard to beat. The xvive wireless stuff, similar hard to beat for the price, just watch your frequencies. Some friends who use them regularly have run into interference issues as they work on the same frequencies as WiFi. One of my bandmates used xvive wireless mics which have been flawless, but I’ve run into the interference issues with my mixer/tablet connection. It can be frustrating when it happens and you can’t fix it live.

For years, my audio journey was anchored in the vibrant world of Chi-Fi IEMs—budget-friendly gems like the KZ ZS 10 pro, Moondrop Arias to Multi kilobuck killer - Monarch mk2/3, Mest, QDC VX. These in-ear monitors delivered thrilling soundscapes with their bold price to performance value, punchy bass, and sparkling treble. Yet, curiosity led me to the Westone Mach 80, a flagship renowned for its clinical precision and studio-grade neutrality. The transition wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a paradigm shift—a rediscovery of what music could be. Build and Comfort: From Plastic to PrecisionMy audio journey and experience, while impressive in sound, often felt utilitarian in build—oversized shells, hefty cables, and fit that demanded frequent adjustments. The Mach 80, by contrast, felt like a bespoke instrument. Its SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT (Yes in Caps), ergonomic design, molded from lightweight medical-grade resin, disappeared into my ears. The over-ear cabling and deep-seated fit provided a seal so secure and isolating like a Custom IEM that subway commutes became silent even without music playing. Westone’s decades of expertise in pro-audio ergonomics shone through; these were IEMs built for marathon listening sessions, not just casual use. Sound Signature: Chaos to ClarityThe first listen was… jarring. Gone was the bombastic bass slam or the polished midrange bloom. The Mach 80 greeted me with a stark, unapologetic neutrality. Bass was lean and taut, not thunderous. Treble was detailed but never sibilant. Mids? They weren’t “forward” or “recessed”—they just were, pristine and uncolored. It felt like swapping a neon-lit carnival for a sunlit art gallery. * Bass: The Mach 80’s 8 balanced armatures delivered bass with surgical control. Sub-bass rumble in electronic tracks like Jacques Greene’s “Feel Infinite” was textured and articulate, not bloated. Double kicks in metal tracks retained their speed but lacked the visceral “thump” I’d grown accustomed to. This wasn’t a deficiency—it was accuracy. The Mach 80 revealed how much of most of the iems was bass boosted. * Mids: Vocals and instruments emerged with startling realism. On Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why,” her voice floated with breathy intimacy, free of the midbass bleed that muddied my Chi-Fi sets. Acoustic guitars on John Mayer’s “Neon” showcased string plucks and finger slides I’d never noticed—a masterclass in microdetail, its surgically incredible! * Treble: Cymbals on TOOL’s “Pneuma” shimmered without piercing, and orchestral highs in Holst’s “The Planets” retained their airiness. The Mach 80’s treble wasn’t “exciting,” but it was ruthlessly honest, it’s very very smooth to listen. Soundstage and Imaging: From 2D to 3DThe Mach 80’s soundstage felt expansive and holographic, a stark contrast to the intimate, head-filling presentation of my Chi-Fi collection. Listening to Hans Zimmer’s “Blade Runner 2049” soundtrack, synths swirled around my head with pinpoint placement, while the decay of reverb tails in a jazz club recording felt almost tactile. Instruments weren’t layered—they occupied distinct spaces, like actors on a stage. The Adjustment Period: Learning to Listen AgainFor days, I mourned the loss of “fun.” Tracks that once felt anthemic now sounded restrained. But gradually, my ears acclimated. The Mach 80 didn’t impose its personality—it revealed the recording’s personality. Well-mixed tracks (think Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories”) became transcendent, while poorly mastered songs laid bare their flaws. This wasn’t an IEM for mindless head-bobbing; it demanded engagement, rewarding critical listening with revelations. The Chi-Fi Rat raceNowadays everyone is chasing the best of the best while many companies are releasing new items week in and week out, and we often forget to slow down and appreciate music more. And often with massive waves of iems releasing we often overlooked some of the brands that do not come out new model very often. Conclusion: A New BenchmarkThe Westone Mach 80 isn’t for everyone. If you crave bass heft, WOW factor or euphonic coloration, it might underwhelm. But as a tool for understanding music—for dissecting mixes, savoring acoustic textures, or simply hearing your favorite albums anew—it’s peerless. The is the most resolving IEM I have ever heard in any price range and I have heard a lot; and it’s redefined what I expect from them—and from music itself.

The KZ-ZS10 Pros were my first iems and they rock!

Shure SE215s are a safe entry pick because they’re reliable and built to last, though the sound quality isn’t mind blowing. They’re popular for a reason though, for live use. KZ does make good budget IEMs. The ZS10 Pro and CRA+ get good feedback and might be a better value. Soundbrenner Wave is more of a wearable metronome than an in ear monitor, so it won’t help you hear yourself on stage. If your main goal is comfort and being able to hear clearly, focus on fit and noise isolation no matter which brand you choose. A good seal makes a bigger difference than people think.

Guitarist here. Full wireless IEM rig for our foldback. I have a few ZS10 Pros as backups, but I vastly prefer my Truthear Hexas. I honestly think what musicians really want, almost always, is neutral balance, which KZs are not exactly famous for. Never the less... - KZs are cheap. Some musicians splash crazy cash on gear, but there are so many bits of gear you need that IEMs aren't high up the priority ladder. - Musicians have mixers. I have access to all kinds of parametric EQs and other adjustments, I can make anything decent sound good with enough effort. - ZS10 Pros are much better than the Shure SE215s, for example. We started out on those because they came with our IEM wireless gear. The 215s are a reliable work horse, but they sound terrible compared to a lot of much cheaper IEMs these days. I think a lot of guys are just running what their systems came with, and from that position KZ is very good. - Marketing just worked. I don't know if it was truly grassroots stuff or if this was an intentional marketing campaign, but a lot of musicians forums and subreddits have been talking about KZ for the last year or two. Word got out, and many jumped on the band wagon. They're wrong though. I think Hexa or other more neutral IEMs would go in a lot more musician's ears if they knew about them. 🤷‍♂️

They are worth it. Especially if your entire band is using them. Allows you to hear the click, and you can adjust what instruments and parts you want to hear more of.  I have a pair of KZ ZS10 pros. You can get them on Amazon. Not terribly pricey and well worth it for bass. 

I’ve been using a set of KZ ZS10 Pro’s on gigs for the last 5 years. Original cable but comply tips. If they didn’t sound good I would be using something else by now.

IEM’s on a budget Linsoul KZ ZS10’s. 5 drivers with good bass response. They punch well above the price of under $50 on Amazon and are widely used by gigging bassists. Wireless system go for the Xvive U4, again way better than the price would suggest and very popular with gigging musos. For pedals your on your own, it’s a saturated market and your favourite probably doesn’t match the guy in the other band on the bill.

The mix into your ears is the important thing, get that right, so you can hear the whole band mix, not just the bass, then you should be ok. I use an Xvive U4 wireless system with KZ ZS10 Pro buds. Never had a problem hearing the bass.

Double ups for the KZ10 range. Insane quality for price, but can be a little harsh at high volumes

So I have my KZ ZS10 pro for a year (going 2 years next month) bought it for work purposes. It's my first IEM since my KZ Zs3 broke on 2018. Got it for $25. Using it like just once a week. Very seldom use. Just this week, I bought Truthear Zero:Red for almost $55. Planning to use it for my band for live performance vocal monitoring. So I tested both just today. I am kind of disappointed in Zero's sounds bcos it's muddier and has lower volume compared to KZ. KZ's vocal output sounds brighter, louder and livelier. Zero on the other hand, sounds good if I did not test the KZ first. I read a lot of bad reviews for KZ but I think ZS10 pro wins this. Now, I want to put my hopes up that I did not waste money for Zero. Haven't tested it in band practice to check if we sound good on live. I'll test both IEM and will get back to this thread. And please. Put my hopes up that I did not waste money on this :( lol

Hey all! I tried the zero:red just yersterday and I was surprised how good the sound quality is compared to KZ ZS10 pro. I very much like the response of Zero as it is more balanced than the ZS10. ZS10 hi freq kinda hurts my ears in hi volume. I tried it with my click tracks and played drums too and FOR ME, I prefer the ZS10 for clicks esp my click sounds are high freq so I can feel my ears ticking (lol) For Zero red, I felt fatigue on my ear after using it for 2 hours. The nozzle is too big but my ear can handle it but not for long. Didnt feel any on KZ I am in a metal band btw. Hope this review helps!

AirPods Pro 2 for the most part but I will bring a pair of my cIEMs or a pair of ZS10 Pros for if I need to work with a wired connection

I have both, and I agree with you 100% Not a musician so idk about using them live and such. But i can say the KZ ZS10 Pro are my back up IEMs. The Zero red are sitting in the box till i find a use for them. Probably will sell them cheap or as a beater pair if my kid needs headphones.

KZ ZS10 Pro, they were far better than the old JBL T110 I used years ago but I hated how sibilant and harsh the treble was to my ears. At the time I didn't know much about EQ or audio as a whole, and I wasn't aware how sensitive I am to high frequencies. Now I've been using the Kiwi Ears Cadenza for almost two years and I love their warm, laidback tuning.

Moondrop chu 1st gen, kz zs10 pro. I’m listening now more on kz. Less bass than chu but they are fun sound and make me fell more „inside” music. Guitars and drooms sound awesome but sometimes bass is so hard to notice that i think they’re are broken but on other songs i feel it 🤷‍♂️ planning to buy something better but too much options and i can’t decide and no rush. After all ipod is not high end device but i like using it :) cant stand all this android DAP x)

Don't sleep on a good set of IEMs for gaming. I picked up the KZ ZS10 PRO's and I will never go back. There are decent options at every price point so look up some reviews.

thats why i got rid of my zs10 pros, though the foam eartips did completely eliminate ear discomfort from pressure, the treble was painful

the kzs10 pros showed me the potential of chinese iems, but honestly wished i started at the chu2's or wan'ers. people should honestly just buy a 50-100 usd budget iem because all these more budget friendly options are just bad and most of the time get forgotten by upgrades in the future

this right here. i replaced my 20$ ear buds with $40 iems and i can actually hear the artists singing her own back up now. i have heard things i never heard before in songs i have listened to hundreds of times. its nice to be able to squeeze those extra drops of juice out of that old lemon. almost feels like a remastered song sometimes

Story is I never heard of iems and was using 20 dollars baseus Bowie ear buds and thought I had something good for the price. Then my nephew told me to listen to his kefine kleans and I was shocked. I did research and bought the zs10 pro and a 10$ DAC dongle they are almost as good. I'll probably eventually get the kleans.

The zs10 pro. The lack base and I had I get a DAC dongle. Id recommend the kefine kleans cuz my nephews says he doesn't hear any static when the volume is very low. I hear some in the zs10 pro and the Dac removed 80 percent of it or more. But Im literally just listening to music on YouTube videos not even a paid service.🤣🤣

I use that exact setup, P2 and KZ10 Pro. I'm extremely happy with it.

It's amazing, way better than wedges. Get some [KZ10 Pro](https://a.co/d/7StYSGv), they are fantastic and an insane deal for the price.

That's fucking true. Im using this kz for creating music and to Hear all types I'm just speechless. I also use them for many different games (fps and story game) I forgot to mention that I also use a digital sound card which, according to my own research and with my own ears, is the best and worth it. Is DTS:X and is better of all Dolby

I have the Arctis Gamebuds and it's fantastic on 2.4ghz. Never bothered to game on BT since latency will always be much lower over 2.4ghz dongle than BT. I've gamed for 6+ hours on my X on AC power and I still had plenty of juice left on the Gamebuds. Sound quality on the Gamebuds is awesome and I just set up the EQ. using my iPhone - the 2.4ghz dongle is configured for 1 EQ (for whatever game I'm playing these days), and BT is set up for another EQ (for music and calls). Plug the dongle into whatever laptop I'm using and it just works, no pairing or config needed. Aside from not having multipoint BT, I really enjoy the Gamebuds and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them if you're looking for something for gaming and everyday use. If you don't mind going with a wired IEM, it's worth considering the Linsoul SIMGOT EW300 DSP as it comes with a USB C end. And doesn't cost a fortune. Decent sound isolation, but not noise cancelling. can wear them for hours. Upgraded from Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro which isn't bad but uses a 3.5mm jack and frees up a USB C port. Both have mics as well and work great with iOS, Android, WIndows, MacOS, Bazzite :)

I use my Kz ZS10 Pro iems that I got for playing at my church. Zero issues with them other than being slightly more involved to put on than headphones are.

All power to you, your ears are the best judge. Braindance and performer 5 both have less bass than zs10 pros so what made you choose those options?

Thank you for the list. I currently own KZ ZS10 Pro, not super happy with em. I'm now looking for a good IEM for watching movies and is stuck between buying Blon x HBB z300 or Kiwi Ears Cadenza, any recommendations?

My first IEM was the popular-in-my-circle KZ ZS10pro. I never liked it - the highs were harsh/spitty and the low end seemed lacking. A few weeks ago I took a chance on the KZ ZEX, and it’s been my go-to. Things feel and sound right, finally. Iirc, I paid $80+ for the first set, and perhaps $20 for the current set. I may buy a bunch of sets just to have them on hand…but I’ve got a set of Truthear Zero Blue 2 on the way. I may decide I’ve been wrong. Or it may verify my choice. Time will tell. I’m a 35+ year pro live sound engineer helping guide people into the world of in-ear monitoring on stage. I feel we’re in a bit of a special place right now as far as this technology goes. Don’t get hung up on price, OP: if they sound good to you, that’s enough. Good is good.

There is new kit out every year that supposedly advances the state of the art, but you should not discount older models which will tend to be more affordable, and may even outperform. I’d also caution about paying premiums for celebrity endorsements - unless you are intimately familiar with their preferences and your hearing is significantly similar to theirs, you’re just putting money in their pocket to try to influence your purchasing decisions. More often than not, that money is better spent on better sealing eartips and a better cable. I started with KZ ZS10pro ($40-50?) then upgraded the cable ($10?). Now over a year later, I’ve just bought their ZEX ($20) and recycled the cable and am impressed with the bump in sound quality. Regular memory foam eartips are what seal off the outside world so I can hear the IEM itself. Also, Amazon pricing is higher than AliExpress, so shop carefully. You have waited this long, so what’s another week for shipping?

For old J-pop, classical, and hip-hop?, Tangzu Wan’er, my friend. Smooth tuning, nice vocals, and enough detail to catch those background strings and classic beats. The ZS10 Pro's got punch but might be too shouty for the gentler stuff. And the 7Hz Zero:2? Clean and technical, good for hip-hop layers but might lack a bit of soul for J-pop vibes.

I have the ZS10 pros for about a year and they have seem to wear out around the connector part and it’s to the point when if I’m chewing food it’ll cut all audio to my left earbud every.. single.. chew… so I ordered some Kiwi Astrals 🤙🏼

My first ones were the KZ ZS 10 Pro and I had a similar experience. The sound wasn’t pleasant at all. I went to a friend and tried his FiiO something’s. And in the End I got Sennheiser IE 300s. Those were so muffled that I decided to get the IE600 which are absolutely everything I hoped them to be. More recently I have also gotten the IE200 which are much cheaper and sound 90% as good as the IE600. I recommend the IE200 to everyone in a heartbeat.

Kz ZS10 Pro. Have since found much better.

I have the same ones, they work great for the price.

I have the original KZ ZS10 Pro ( not the KZ ZS10 Pro 2). It’s almost the same as the 2 . From my personal experience anything that’s bright will be fatiguing. You cannot get both crisp details , highs and long listening sessions in 1 IEM. You have to one or the other. It’s in these cases you would want to go for another IEM. I have a Hexa (bass neutral) for long listening sessions, ZS10 Pro for the details and highs and a Nicehck F1 pro which is balanced.Depending on how many hours I am listening to I pick one or the other.

Absolutely not! [I own a pair](https://imgur.com/lZfOReM) as well, and I adore them! They sound reallly good, so clear. The only negative comment I have heard of them came from a friend, he told me that the cable wear out really fast. I have mine since last november, and well I do take good care of them but as you can see in the photo, which I took a couple of minutes ago, they're still as good as new! I hope you enjoy them! Also, they're not that expensive so in the future if you feel like upgrading, now you have a reference. In my case, this is my second pair of KZ iems that I buy, and I'm really happy with both adquisitions, so now I trust the brand, so much actually that yesterday I bought the wireless KZ Carol Pro (I'll get them in a pair of weeks I guess) which I plan to use at the gym. I mostly use my ZS10 Pro for my commute, and I think you will enjoy them too!

So I have to say that I got these IEMs about five days ago, and my previous experience was limited to KZ ZS10 Pros, and Crinicle Zero Reds. These IEMs are downright amazing, the imaging is so detailed compared to what I have listened to before. I also have a pair of old school HD-580s and I really like them more! I was using a HiBy W3 II to power them but that craped out, so I'm awaiting a replacement so I fired up the schitt stack using the modi/magi 2's --- sounds amazing! I paid around $70 USD for my set so, I don't think I can go wrong. Using the stock tips, darkest color. The bass is amazing, you can really tell how controlled the frequency bleed is and definition of these IEMs. I seriously don't think I will need to upgrade for now!

Recently got the KZ ZS10 Pro and was in a similar spot ‘tip I used some third party ear tips, the SpinFit CP145. Suddenly they became something decently enjoyable. I’d suggest you try some other tips if you haven’t already

I’ve used ear buds, then iems for ages. However, my first chifi iems, and obsession started with the KZ ZS10pro. I was amazed by the detail and resolution. So much so, that i tried very hard to overlook the brain piercing sibilance that came with it. However, in the end it became too much and i had to swap to a set of Blon-03’s. Thus began my journey into upgrading chifi iems. I think I’m onto my 9th “upgrade” since then… I don’t use the KZ’s anymore but still have them.

Exactly. I agree with subOP tho. They are not that fun, the original tuning is with no bass at all where it should be plenty. Depends a lot on the song. One EQ later and it's decent. My old kz zs10 pro have a lot more fun, pretty good bass. But letshuoers have A LOT more details, there is no competition there. Sometimes i think whether more expensive supermix 4 hybrids or aful explorer wouldn't be the better choice for me. Even s08, which are now cheaper.

I used the Vic Firth SIH2 - their isolation was unmatched so far but the audio quality is really bad and they were sitting so tight with glasses that I immediately got headache after wearing them. Went back to my IEMs KZ ZS10 Pro with memory foam tips - less isolation, more comfort and way better sound quality.

I have used KZ ZS10 Pros until the cable connections disintegrated, then I bought a set of Trurhear Holas (now discontinued, Gate is the successor). Both much cheaper than the SE215 and both sound better. The SE215 are a muddy mess, definitely not worth the $100. The ZS10 Pro's sound is V-shaped, they have much more treble than the Shures so they were immediately much clearer. Can be too sharp and fatiguing in the upper-mids / lower treble if you have sensitive ears. The Truthear Hola were even cheaper than the KZs (like $20), but they sound the best and most balanced of the three to my ears, insane bang for buck. Isolation wasn't great with the stock silicone tips, but swapping them for foam ones did the trick.

KZ-ZS10 Pros are what I use and I absolutely love them. I bought 2 pairs a couple years ago because they were so inexpensive. I wasn't sure how long they'd last. The first pair are still in use and going strong. They go through a TASCAM Model 24 and the quality is excellent! I think I paid around $25 for each pair but now they're a little more expensive at around $50-$60 on Amazon. But still well worth that value I think!

Well, I've got a KZ-ZS10 Pros that I really like. AND I bought a 10' extension cable for them as well. I use the 10 footer because I run the in ears over the curtain rod in the bedroom my kit is in so they never touch the floor and I can just leave them hang when I'm all done. And 10' + the in-ears cable allows me to move around the kit a little bit if I need to adjust anything and don't want to pull my in-ears out.

Forgot to answer that last of your question. They sound amazing and I thought that would be a shock. But really, the shocking thing now is, I bought 4 sets of them back when they were only $20+ a set because I bought the one set to try out and like I said, they sound amazing. But I kind of figured they wouldn't last long because they were so cheap. So I liked the one set I tried and bought 3 more sets just to have as replacements for when the first ones finally died on me. But you know what, after 5 years, that first pair still sound as good as they did when I bought them. I think that because I have them hanging on a curtain rod, they're not falling on the floor or being knocked around on a desk. They just hang on that curtain rod and they are safe from any harm i think. These are great little in ears and even though the price has gone up on them a little, I think they are still well worth the $35-$40+ you're paying for them now for real.

KZ ZS10 Pro is what I use. I bought them a few years ago. They were cheaply priced. I bought a pair, loved the sound and how they felt. But I thought, because they were only $24 a pair, I was skeptical about how long they would last. So I bought 3 more pairs. I still have those 3 pairs I bought and they are still wrapped in original packaging. I'm still using the first pair. So they were inexpensive but very very good quality. Still are.

If you're trying to hear your drums through the interface, then you've got something setup wrong. I have a mixer now so I have all of my audio coming into channels 1 & 2 (L & R) from the computer then the other mic inputs go out to my in ears (KZ ZS10 Pros) That may be the difference. I do have some KZ ZST In Ears that were a little bit uncomfortable. But the ZSN Pros with the larger ear nubbies (which you should have gotten a littl pouch with different sized nubbies in it) fit perfectly in my ears. They came with no nubbies on them. I pulled 2 medium sized ones out and they weren't quite right. So I swapped them out for the largest pair in the package and that's what I've been using ever since. Now, as far as hearing your drums through the in-ears. Yeah, I do kind of hear them under what's coming through the in-ears themselves. But it's not distracting me at all because it's all real time so what the interface is picking up, I'm hearing it as soon as I hit the drums. I probably can't help you with software or device settings especially if you're using Windows or Mac (I use Linux) but essentially it's the same I think. you have to select the interface as your output device. This lets you record direct to the computer. I also am plugged directly into the mixer so I'm hearing everything (drums and the music I'm playing along with) going directly into my ears in real time. So, you may have a switch off or main volume knob too low or something because if you're going direct to the interface with headphones, then you should be able to hear the mics. You shouldn't even need a computer to hear the mics if your in ears are connected to the interface. I had a Behringer 1820i (8 port interface) and I was able to hear everything through hat interface just fine. Even the music I was playing along to. I set the main volume for that on the PC. Then that fed into the interface in the audio settings and I could control the volume for everything going to my ears with the interface. It's been a while since I've used an interface so I honestly couldn't tell you how I set that up unfortunately. But, getting the audio from the PC to the interface through USB should be easy enough as long as you have that USB Device setup properly and the volume levels are up high enough so you can hear them okay.

I've been using KZ ZS10 Pros for the past 3 years. When I bought my first set, they were like $10 a pair. I was never interested in sticking anything in my ears. But I figured, for $10, I'll get a pair. I loved them. Even with the cheap rubber tips (they were soft and comfortable inside my ears and that meant a lot). A couple weeks ago, I bought these... https://a.co/d/7UxWaDR These are awesome! Highly recommend them. They come in 3 sizes. Small, Medium, and Large. They feel like they aren't even in my ears. Really neat and they keep loud sounds out. Perfect for drumming.

I can definitely vouch for the KX ZS10 Pros as well. I started using them when they were only $12 USD. I bought one pair, liked them so much, I bought 4 more pairs to have as backups and I'm still using the first pair I bought That was about 4 years ago... These things are amazing sounding! I run mine through a TASCAM Model 24 which is right next to my computer. But I run them up and over a curtain rod behind me. This way, they're hanging up when I get done with them. I basically pull them out of my ears and let them lay against the curtains. I never worry about them falling on the floor and getting dirty. They're always right there in reach behind me when I sit down to play. Recently, I bought a box of [these](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09L7F73YC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1) and they're FANTASTIC!!! They cut out the sound around you so if you have your drums being played back through your mixer or interface as I do, then you can mix the drums along with the music you're playing along to and not hear the noise outside in the room. They're perfect for noise cancellation which means better hearing protection. They come in different sizes (small, medium, and large) to fit your inner ears. You just need to know how big your ear cavity is. You can usually tell with the in-ear pieces that come with those ZS10 Pros. Usually, whatever ones you like from their pack will correspond to the foam sizes. I HIGHLY Recommend them to drummers!

I’ve got a pair and absolutely love them! They deliver great clarity with controlled, punchy bass that doesn’t overpower the mids — a real all-round performer at this price point. If you're looking to upgrade, the KZ AM16 are a great buy. They are exclusively made up of balanced armatures - 16 on each side. Despite being BAs they deliver punchy bass - there is a balanced and also a bass enhanced version on offer. [https://kz-audio.com/kz-am16.html](https://kz-audio.com/kz-am16.html) Otherwise, Crinacle’s IEM ranking list is a great resource when exploring new options: [https://list.hangout.audio/iem/?tableMode=true&sort=alpha](https://list.hangout.audio/iem/?tableMode=true&sort=alpha)

Just got my KZ ZS10 pros and they’re absolutely amazing for the price.

Makes a great deal of difference. These are the ones I use after lots of recommendations on here. Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro

And they sound on par with cheaper Shure IEMs

They honestly sound way too good for the price

The kz zs10 pro 2 are better than 215s imo.. they come with the memory foam tips and have 4 selectable eq settings to boost or cut high and lows. I have several variants of their zs10 pros and all work great to this day after a few years. Couldn't fathom dropping the money on the shures. Buy 2 or 3 pairs of kz off ali for the price of one set of 215s depending on the day.

If you're on the cheap. Kz zs10pro and any of their variants are prretty damn good compared to 215s . I bought several pairs off aliexpress for the price of a single set of 215s. All of them still work fantastic after a few years of use!

If it's gaming... Usually the ones that are good are those that have 3BA or more(based on the list of top 5 gaming iem post). I have the kz zs10 pro, they're very detailed with footsteps. Can easily distinguish all directions. Though the treble is kinda fatiguing, i had these for 3 years and next week im probably gonna get my kz am16 a full BA iem. It's cheaper than the zero:red... I totally do not know if it can be called an upgrade. Personally i have been looking for a post about kz am16 vs zero:red for a week but in the end i decided to get the kz am16

Kz zsn. It did so well... The 2nd was kz zs10 pro, it is the start of the abuse. I liked it more when i haven't discovered iems above the $20 price range

Easy to drive iem. From kz i picked 2 options, kz am16 balanced and kz zs10 pro. Im more inclined on the am16, you can see the detail just as well as the kz zs10(though you need 2 volume bars higher, so around 50% vol). It is not as shouty and fatiguing and they're very comfortable. The comfort for 'me' comes from the short nozzle and resin material on the am16, compared to the nozzle length of ks zs10 pro which have been a bother to my ears since i am nozzle length sensitive. I have the kz zsn too, and i get the same problem with the nozzle. Sound wise they're all solid iems. Kz am16 bass and sub bass are monstrous though, in a good way. Though not to the point of wowwing bassheads. The sound signature is nearly the same as kz zsn on the graph too, a warm v shaped slightly musical iem. Compared to the kz zs10 pro which has more treble detail and airiness, and less musicality. In conclusion a direct upgrade from kz zsn pro has to be the kz am16(sound wise). That is if you don't find the short nozzle, and shell being close to your ears is a problem then it's a good option. And more to add, the shell size is big and weighs a bit more

You're trying to find a more energetic tuning and soundstage. Sounds to me like you're trying to find something more 'fun'. If it's that, the kz zs10 pro is not it. Not for comfort listening, it is more analytical than musical. They're good option still

For $50 you could've gotten the kz am16 balanced. These rn are the best chifi full BA i can claim. Sounds way better than kz zs10 pro

Majority will recommend the simgot ew300 + jcally jm06 dac dongle combo for gaming. All is good i think. I have the kz zsn, kz zs10 pro, and kz am16 balanced. Kz zsn is not good for gaming, treble sounds muffled making the footsteps sound in games a bit quiet. Kz zs10 is pretty good for gaming. In the end, my advice is to get newer iem releases preferably from year 2024+

My first IEM was also the ZS 10 Pro and it really wasn't comfortable, but I forced through and my ears got used to it. Then I bought the EW300. And oh, God, it was like a sip of cold water in the middle of the night. Way smaller, didn't hurt my ears anymore, the metal housing felt premium and had weight to it. The tips and cable are miles better. Bonus: it comes with a carrying case, so no need to worry about breaking those 2-pins. Soundwise it still keeps that v-shape which you said you like and an even another bonus - it comes with tuning nozzles to change the sound up a bit. Not much of an audio geek tbh, I'm sure there are people more competent about audio itself than me, so I can't really comment on sound.

Another vote for the KZ ZS 10 Pro. I’ve had mine for about six months and they’re great. They’re wired IEMs, so they plug in just like regular headphones. I use mine either just into my phone for quick & easy metronome or to play along to music, or into my Focusrite 18i20 for recording.

I was impulsively writing "yes, you absolutely made an error", then I stopped. Why? Because I think you never go wrong if you buy something and that helps you understand what you like and what you don't. The 7Hz Zero 2 and Wan'er would probably more refined in terms of overall tuning, but the fact is that you may like the ZS10 Pro as well. Listen to it, then buy something else when you're ready on when you feel something is not sounding right to your ears with your ZS10 Pro. Best judges are your own ears

First, you probably feel the zero red muddiee because it is a more Neutral iem, while this KZ is more V-shaped, but likely vocals on the Red are fuller, all that said, for your use case it sure isnt the best pick. besides, the lack of volume is lack of amplification, they will do a bit better with a dingle DAC. If you happend to need alternatives, Check the TKZK Ouranos and the Kefine Klean.

Excellent post. I've done pretty much exactly what you've detailed in this post by myself. I started out knowing pretty much nothing and picked up the KZ ZS10 Pro because it was reviewed well on youtube at the time. I now know that I absolutely despise that type of tuning. After picking up another few sets in the 20-50 range as well as the hexa and playing around a lot with EQ, I've finally settled onto a sound signature that I prefer for extended listening sessions. Just recently picked up the aful explorer and it's everything I could have wanted from an IEM. Incredibly comfortable and not at all fatiguing for me as someone that's quite sensitive to treble, while still giving me all of the details I want out of the highs. I don't foresee myself wanting to upgrade for quite some time now. My current finances honestly can't justify going into the 200+ market and even then I wouldn't even be sure the improvement over the Explorer would be worthwhile. Sure I could have probably afforded a $300 IEM with the amount I've spent so far but I would have been completely blind buying and would have likely ended up with something I like less than my current setup.

Most of my band members use Shure 215. I had a KZ ZS10PRO for a year and I thought it was a bit too harsh for live but sometimes the harshness is what gives you the energy for a better performance. As a singer, I can say that what I hear with the IEM affects drastically my performance. I also don't know the reason for the KZ ZS10 to still have such popularity between musicians when there are so much different choices now.

I had both (Kz zs10pro and the reds) and I preferred the zs10pro. The Reds were much better technically but I could not wear them without EQ and for me that was really annoying...

Same here! I bought the Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro off Amazon for cheap. What EQ software does everyone suggest I use? I bought them specifically for sim racing/gaming.

I have all 3. I definitely prefer the wan'er 2 and zero 2 but the kzs don't sound bad by any means. Especially for your first IEMs you will probably enjoy them a lot. My first pair of iems blew my mind with how good they sounded for how cheap they were. The nice thing about this hobby is the entry level is so cheap you can try out a few IEMs and find a tuning you like and explore other options. There are some great entry level IEMs I still listen to even owning 500 dollar sets. I'm still pretty new to IEMs but I've tried like 16 sets in 3 months. I went kinda of nutty with buying and trying IEMs. I've always been into audio gear and collecting headphones but now I love IEMs way more than headphones to be honest. I do have pairs of headphones I love but for the value IEMs bring they can't be beat.

Yeah this. I have the Linsoul zs10 pro. Around 50.00 1 DD 4 BA iems and they sound amazing in my opinion. I've also bought the moondrop chu II and they sound really good too for like around 20 bucks.

The best choice under $200 is KZ Audio. They have several that work fine for bass. I have a set of ZS-10 pro that cost around 50. My main IEM set is a lot more expensive than that, but the KZ work absolutely fine for me and they are a lot better than anything the big brands offer in the sub 250 range.

Try a pair of KZ ZS10 pros which are currently on sale for $40 on Amazon, so a very low risk to see how you like the concept. I’d also suggest the optional foam tips for extra isolation. I use these for home practice and recording. I can’t use standard headphones for long due to my head size, and I typically wear glasses.

For an acoustic kit the first step is isolation headphones like the Vic Firth cans or basic IEMs. I’d highly recommend Shure SE215’s for that, or KZ ZS10 Pros which run about $50 on Amazon but they’re a Chinese product so lord knows how much they’ll cost by the time you read this. I’ve used both and the Shures have better isolation, and come stock with foam tips whereas you have to buy them separately with the KZ’s. Besides that you’ll want to get a dongle to connect a phone or iPad to standard headphones. Usually $10 or so. I’d also get a headphone extension cord if using IEMs since they’re only designed to reach your pocket/belt and you probably want the device sitting next to you. The Vic Firths have a long cable. With that you should be able to play music at a safe volume and hear the kit’s noise behind the hearing protection. This is exactly how I practice most of the time. If you want to hear the kit better you’d need a small mixer and a room mic to provide what the hearing protection is eliminating. That can be done with a basic analog mixer and a dynamic mic like an SM57.

The KZ's braded cord sucks royal ass and I had to glue my tip connectors back on after they disassembled. If you're gigging the SE215's are substantially better made and they're a better product even if they don't have all the fancy features. And I noticed they isolate substantially better even using the same foam tips. The 215s have a design that nests in the earlobe/concha rather than hovering over it so they function more like a fitted set of IEMS.

For inexpensive IEMS the KZ ZS10 pros have a better high end and low end than the 215's, but don't block as much noise even using the same foam tips since they don't fully nest within the earlobe. Keep in mind IEMs are tools and not prioritized for listening enjoyment, and you'd probably need to spend a fair amount of money to get something that has good attenuation and sounds really good. I've used the 215s and the KZ's a lot and far prefer the Shure model for better noise reduction and build quality.

try reading reviews muna :-), most of them are very detailed & technical. baka rin hindi mo gusto yung timpla nila. afaik Moondrop isn't for bass heads, i own 2 & mas trip ko pa yung tunog KZ zs10 pro ko.

goods yung KZ lalo na for bass heads. yung di ko lang gusto is yung build kasi nagtutunaw yung glue on the run & the cord quality is bad, but the mic is good & pwede gamitan ng bluetooth adaptor like az09

KZ ZS10 Pro have been great for the last year or so I've been using them. The ZS12'S are out now so I'd take a look at those.

Guys I found my dad’s old collection: Audio-Technica ATH-CKS1000LTD (Limited Edition), ATH-CKS99, Sony MDR-NC31E, and the most exciting one for me — the KZ ZS10 Pro with detachable cables!

I used shures for years and loved them. Got a pair of these bad boys on Amazon just to have as a back up and now use them full time and use my 400 dollar shures as a back up. https://a.co/d/3abIz9F

I’m no connoisseur, but I’ve got a pair of KZ ZS10 Pros and Zero Reds. Neither of them satisfied my need for hip hop bass. Then I picked up a set of Kefine Delci AEs from AliExpress. I’m sure there are bassier bois out there, but I’m loving them so far. Dunu S&S tips.

This is the way. I've been using IEM for like 20 years now, with pretty good ones for like 15 years. I still bought these KZ when the chifi-hype really kicked in. Didn't like them at all compared to my UE900 or Etymotic, but how would I know if I don't try things? My UE900 have been broken for 6 or 7 years now, but I never replaces them with IEM in that price bracket. One thing is that I like Hexas way more already and don't need to pay more, but it's also fun to explore. Before I pay 400€ again I'd rather buy a bunch of 20€ IEM, like I did with the 7Hz Zero, even if they're worse than others I own. I still have to try Wan'ers and the Bunny, I think, I never tried planars as well, stuff like that. It's a hobby, and everyone should do whatever is fun to them within that hobby. There's no "wrong".

KZ ZS10 Pro daily IEM, "Okay" sound, but terrible Vocal and Upper trebble they fit in my ear so good, one of my favourite fitting iem

You’ll want something with extra drivers than. The KZ’s are way more bang for the buck than the Shure SE215s or even 315s. You can get a set of KZ ZS10 Pro headphones today for under $50 on Amazon, and they blow the 215s out of the water. I know because I have all of these. I keep the 215s as a backup in my stick bag, but use the KZs first for my primary in-ear setup. I leave the 325s and the 425s my brother gave me at home so I don’t lose them or have them stolen. I do recommend getting an extra upgraded cable (which is also super-inexpensive) for the KZs.

Diminishing Returns hits faster with iems in gaming. But best Iems I have tried in the $125-175 would be the Kiwi Ears Aether or if you're comfortable with using AliExpress you could get Ziigaat Odyssey for $160. The KZ ZS10 Pro is not really that good, plus I wouldn't recommend KZ as they provide a really cheap cable and no accessories for the same price you could get something quality like the Kefine Klean or even a Kefine Delci AE.

If you can save up a few extra bucks and grab the Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro. They are a 5 driver unit. 4.4 stars out of almost 19,000 reviews on Amazon. Ranked #1 with a 10.0 on other buyers guides. They are $45 on Amazon. I just purchased some and added an after market cord which ran another $17 but for around $60 it’s a great set up.

This right here! I just got my first set of IEM’s and they’re a budget set but I am so incredibly happy. I will probably replace these with the same ones when the time comes. I have always LOVED music and I can hear so much more in my music now than ever before. There is definitely a noticeable difference. Maybe not between $50 IEMs and $300 IEMS, but between $10 ear buds and $50 IEMs there most definitely is. For those asking, I am using the Linsoul KZ ZS10 pro. Also purchased the Tripowin Zonie cable. It’s much more comfortable. $60 for the setup and WOW.

I have had the KZ 10 Pros and KZ ZAR’s and they have been great for the price. Maybe someday I will size into customs but for now the KZ’s are great

I really like my Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro and Final VR3000 for gaming, although I don't much experience with IEMs THESE both seem pretty good to me. Would you care to share your thoughts on the EW300 compared to these two and/or your thoughts on gaming with the EW300. Thanks

IEMs are just glorified earbuds. Custom IEMs have custom moulds that fit your ears specifically, they are very expensive. There are inexpensive IEMs available that will get the job done. I personally use KZ-ZS10 Pros, **specifically with foam tips**. I then wear a pair of hardware store earmuffs over the top of my ears for further isolation. Imho, the IEMs aren't enough to adequately protect your hearing, so wearing the earmuffs ensures you get as much protection as you can. I'd advise against letting "half your ear" hang out to hear the drums, you're just going to get more hearing damage in one ear than the other. **Always wear hearing protection while playing drums!** If you're really struggling to hear yourself when playing along I'd recommend you purchase a small diaphragm condenser microphone and a cheap mixer / audio interface. You'll be able to run both the microphone picking up the drums and your music into your IEMs and then adjust the volume of both.

I have the KZ ZS10 Pros and I really like them. Nice bass without being too crazy and they work really well with FPS games. I play a lot of COD/Warzone, Fortnite, XDefiant and The Finals

Kz zS10 pro is better for gaming too

Absolutely not! Just start with the ZS10 Pro and see how you like them! Are there better IEMs out there? Definitely! But there will always be better ones to chase… just enjoy the ones you have and see what your preferred sound signature is. And then you can always decide to upgrade to another set of IEMs, right? Enjoy your purchase once they arrive 😁

Those are what I use also.

I converted the rest of my band to KZ ZS10 Pro IEMs. They are higher-end KZs but still under $50. It is crazy that Shure can get away with charging $300.

I’ll probably get flamed for this, but it’s true: I’ve had Shure 215s for a while and they’re fine. Heard so many good things about out the KZ ZS10 Pro that I recently bought some. In MY opinion, the KZs sound like shit comparatively and aren’t nearly as comfortable.

I mainly use the original Earpods. There is some nostalgia that makes me continue to like it. Plus, they store much better when you wrap them around your iPod. But I also have some Kz Zs10 pro

I disagree that everyone needs to be on IEM to be worthwhile. That would be ideal, but I’m the only one using them in a loud rock band. Even with cheap IEM (KZ ZS10) and Comply foam tips, I get some attenuation of the stage volume and don’t need a loud vocal wedge.

Another recommendation for the ZS-10s. Excellent performance for the price, I wouldn't consider spending more after having these in hand to be honest.

Another vote for the same. Try out the different tips that come with it, and if you want more isolation than the stock tips do, try some foam (Comply or generic) tips. They definitely make a difference, but to me, are less comfortable. Still worth it for what I do (on acoustic drums; I use other IEMs that I've got for my ekit at home - not as good, but good enough for practicing).

DT 770 pro’s imo are the best over ear headphones. If you want something with better noise cancelling, you can also try the Vic Firth SIH3’s. I’ve yet to find a good pair of IEM’s under $200. I tried several. I guess if I had to choose one it would be the KZ ZS10’s but the sound quality is nowhere near the DT 770 pro’s. But the KZ’s will also offer better sound isolation if that is important to you. I would put the Vic Firths in the middle. Isolation not as good as the KZ’s, but better sound quality for sure just not as good as the DT’s.

I think this is highly personal and depends on what kind of sound you prefer, as an anecdote, I had the KZ ZSX (Terminator) and loved them, then I lost them during a business trip and I saw many reviews claiming that the ZS10 pro where even better, so I replaced my ZSX with the ZS10 and felt disappointed as those had a less analytical sound and I felt I was missing a lot of detail on the high frequencies, but many people feel that the ZSX are harsh and sibilant on the higher frequencies, so again, depends on your taste.

I have those as well, the 425s are more natural/neutral, closer to the source. The ZS10s definitely add a lot of bass which sounds great and helps especially for us drummers. 

I practice with my 425s with earmuffs over them so I don’t really notice the lacking bass honestly. If I ever start playing live again I’ll probably buy a new pair of KZs

I considered those just bc of that as well, but ended up going with the KZ ZS10. Curious, is the case the only anime graphic they have on them?

First, you need some proper ear protection- ANC headphones or earbuds like Air Pods are better than nothing but the general consensus is that they should be used with either protective earbuds or cans. Adding even the cheap little foam buds to your current setup will help protect your hearing. Steps 1 & 2- get yourself some IEMs like Shure 215s or ZS10s (or whatever you find and like) with foam tips- they will provide protection even unplugged for practicing or whatever and you can connect these to your phone to listen to tracks or a click while you're practicing or to a computer or mixing board to monitor yourself while recording. You'll likely need a headphone adapter since phones no longer have headphone jacks. Steps 3 & 4- I have a Behringer P2 which allows you to pull the XLR cable from your stage monitor and put that signal directly into your ears. It has an amplifier in it so you can adjust the volume as you need. I use this for rehearsals and gigs where our usual wireless IEM system is unavailable. There are other models that do the same thing at other price points. Beyond that you're looking at wireless IEM systems which are a way more expensive and complicated bag of worms.

I've listened to Band-Maid on my Westone UM Pro 50. They're 5 driver IEMs and cost almost $600. They're what I use when touring or playing live. I also have a pair of KZ but model ZS10. They're my backup if the Westones go out. Actually very good for the price. I've listened as I do with all music on various things depending where I am or what's close by. I have several sets of studio monitors with one pair costing over $3000. Plus Various headphones. IEM's and studio monitors are okay to listen to music but are really not the best for that. They're designed for different purposes. Monitors are for getting a mix to sound good on a variety of speakers, headphones, earplugs & even devices like TV, phones, cars, etc. The best for me is regular speakers. I have some Epicure Model 180 made I think in the 1970's. High-end Hi-fi speakers. Everything sounds better on them. The IEM's have better instrument separation.

If you're not getting custom moulded, use foam tips for better insulation (and bass). Shure 215 or KZ ZS10 are commonly recommended IEM's - but equally important is what you connect them to. Your pack MUST have a limiter built in. That will make a sound mishap be a wow - that was unpleasant, instead of WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, and ringing ears for hours/days/life. I use a Behringer Powerplay P1 (and KZ ZS10), but would prefer something like the LD Systems HPA 1 pack who has an extra 3.5mm aux input for a click/other you don't want to go into the mixer.

KZ10’s all day. Affordable and legit for regular gigging use. I’m on year 2 of mine and they’re great.

KZ all the way. I own a paire of Shure 425 which are much better than the 215. I also own a pair of KZ ZS10 which are cheaper than the 215 (not to mention much much cheaper than the 425). The KZ sounds MUCH better with more bass than my 425. The Shure are back ups now.

Yeah from a Hi Fi perspective the 425 are probably better but as you say, for us drummer, having bottom make so much sense. I love my KZ but after maybe 6 or 7 years, I feel they just lost some bottoms, I'll order a new pair soon.

Hey everyone! I'm currently using the Sony WF-1000XM4 TWS, but I've been facing battery drain issues lately. Before this, I had the KZ ZS10, which I absolutely loved, but unfortunately, it got damaged a year ago. I'm now looking to purchase a new **IEM under ₹10,000**, and here are my preferences: 🔹 Type-C with DAC support (My phone doesn't' support earphones without DAC) 🔹 Microphones 🔹 Multiple sound drivers 🔹 Balanced sound signature 🔹 Good build quality and minimal size (something like in the attached image) Would really appreciate your recommendations! Thanks in advance 🙌

The sound quality of KZ zs10 is better compared to wf-1000xm4. xm4 sound is bass focused and it has recessed mids and treble. The KZ has a v shaped signature with decent details on mids. However, the treble in KZ is a little harsh on the ears(at least on my ears), you might need to EQ it a bit or you will feel ear fatigue. PS: I was using a KZ ZS10 old model, don't confuse it with the ZS10 pro.

currently using the KZ zs10, its pretty good for the price

KZ ZS10 (or AS10 if you want more bass) are among the best budget IEMs. Get aftermarket foam tips for them and you're good to go!

Absolutely worth it. For not only live but also recording and practicing. Here's an amazing 5 min video that'll explain it all: [https://youtu.be/ihif-XEL6XQ](https://youtu.be/ihif-XEL6XQ) . Two very important things to know about these are: 1. Drivers is what you're looking for. The more drivers the better the sound. Most people here are recommending the ZS10s and I'll echo that; they have 5 drivers and cost \~$45. 2. You will then need a Personal in-Ear Monitor Amplifier to power them. You connect a TRS cable to the main source and you're set. I use the Donner EM1. There's tons out there for \~$45 as well.

[KZ ZAX](https://a.co/d/g0fbtrr). I started with the Shure 215 and it had NO bottom end (atleast not to my taste). I even tried our keys player's Shure 425s, and still meh. The KZ ZS10 were so-so, and probably get the job done for vocalists or guitarists, but I still wanted more bottom end. Once I bought my ZAX, I knew I was in my happy place (short of spending a boatload for custom IEMs). I also added the [Linsoul IEM cable](https://a.co/d/fjRmnac) to upgrade the cable. I greatly prefer the feel of silicon, but if you want the best seal just add some foam tips, and you have some *killer* IEMs that will tickle your eardrums at an appreciable cost.

Admittedly from Chifi - got into them during E1001, Whizzer, KZ ZS days and started going down the rabbit hole of "oh this sounds rich, that sounds smooth this neutral that soundstage". 15-20 pairs in, I just got tired of 'chasing' the best sound for the best price because there is always something new and new =/= better. I also worked through dozens of DAC dongles and finally just went TWS for practicality. In hindsight, nothing got me feeling as pleased as my bl03 with foam tips. They sure aren't the the universal best, but to me the sound was so smooth and relaxing. Occassionally I take them out and listen to them at home. But when I'm out and about, I just use my Nothing Ears. But secretly waiting for them to die on me so I can justify a pair of Technics. By the way it's like this with a lot of different hobbies. It's a tiresome cycle but the joys must be worth it for people to do it over n over.

I'd be surprised if the transmitter/receiver would make a huge difference--then again, I run mine wired so I'm just guessing. I used Shure 215s as my earbuds for a couple hundred gigs--they were fine. I see these often put down, as they are single driver and relatively cheap, but I had no complaints. I play keys and sing and while I don't need super clear bass (which may require more drivers), I do appreciate clarity. The fit of your earbuds makes a big difference in quality and how much isolation you get. I've had to try different types and sizes of tips until I was happy with them. I tried a custom IEM pair, didn't like them unfortunately. Bulky and singing with them was terrible. Tried 5 driver KZs, didn't like them (too harsh and bright). Now I use Sennheiser IE 400 pros, they are single driver but it's some kind of different tech from traditional. Sounds great, small and light. I use the largest size comply foam tips that fit on them. Another thing that improved my monitor mix was being able to go stereo. That way I can pan guitar more to one side, keys more to the other, and have vocals in the center (these are all mid-range channels that tend to obscure each other).

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