QKZ x HBB - QKZ X HBB (Original Single Driver)

I have 10-ish different models in the 10€ to 150€ range, mostly for PUBG and about 3000 hours in the game. Here are my top picks: - Tripowin Vivace 35€ - Simgot EM6L 120€ - Truthear Crinacle Zero blue 60€ (need AMP&DAC) - QKZ x HBB 20€ In that order. For other games, the Simgot and Crinacle Zero jump higher. The next ones can do, but not competitive: - Moondrop Quarks DSP 15€ - 7Hz Salnotes Zero 25€ - Apple earpods 3.5mm 20€ - KZ Zex Pro Crn 40€ Can't recommend for PUBG: - Moondrop Chu 25€ - Brainwavz Omega 15€ I recommend checking Fresh Reviews on Youtube, he checked many pricier models...

Okay! I am new to these. I have been using a **QKZ X HBB** since **2023**. Just got this as a recommendation at that time never looked into the details. Now I want to learn more and buy my 2nd pair of IEM. What's the difference between a Non-Planar and Planar? Google said Non is Fast and Detailed. And Planar is high-resolution and detailed. Is that it? I mostly play FPS Game and **QKZ X HBB** was really good for the footsteps for me. The music quality was good for me too currently I am looking for something that's warmer ig? more heavy overall. Please help me out

Mas maigi dun ka magtanong sa r/iems dun din ako nakakuha ng suggestion eh, qkz x hbb nabili ko around 600 pesos lang, lakas ng bass, perfect sa mga nilalaro ko na pang cinematic.

Been using QKZ X HBB, sobrang lakas ng bass, got it for 600 sa blue app, yun daily driver ko for games

Gamit ko ngayon qkz x hbb around 600 pesos ko nabili. Sobrang lakas ng bass.

Well, I own it and disagree with this. We shall see what others say. Its a pretty commonly recommended inexpensive bassy iem.

I just recently picked up one of those because it is so often recommended and I got it super cheap. It does have a nice tuning and a lot of bass, but the bass was very… soft & poofy?… and I didn’t really like that quality about it.

Well, I do agree with the trash cable part of the comment in reference to QKZ x HBB. I disliked that cable more than any other stock cable I’ve come across and couldn’t replace it fast enough.

Yeah, those stock eartips… 😖 This was the first IEM where I noticed huge rather than just subtle differences with different ear tips. When I first listened to these out of the box I thought they sounded awful. No bass and the rest was screechy. I thought, what in the world? Aren’t these supposed to be really bassy and relaxed? What is this screechy mess? It took a minute for my brain to kick in and think to try different ear tips. When I did, it was a whole different sound. I mean, they’re still budget ear buds and it didn’t make them sound like something top of the line or anything, but they did finally sound like they were supposed to sound.

I definitely notice a difference. When I pick the QKZ x HBB and put them on, I usually think, hey, I really like these. But if I then switch to one of my higher end IEMs (and we’re only talking $150 - $300 range; I don’t have anything that cost more than $270), I immediately think, oh my, what was I thinking? I still like the HBB’s tuning, but the other IEMs are just so much better in how everything is presented - tighter, cleaner, clearer, more precise. So yeah, I think there’s definitely a noticeable difference between $20 IEMs and $150+ IEMs, and even between $20 and $50+ IEMs.

**KZ Saga Bass Edition:** If you want bass, alongwith no compromises on Mids and Treble. KZ Saga is overall the best due to its superior tonality. You can listen to various genres unlike the others. **QKZ x HBB & Rosefinch:** Strong Sub bass, warm vocals, lacks details in treble. This is great for Hip Hop, but might not enjoy other genres. The same goes for Roseflinch. **KZ Castor/Castor Pro:** Castor has more Mid bass, punchy bass. Decent rubble. Thin mids, shouty treble. Castor Pro is more balanced, it's the best of both worlds, KZ Saga has better tonality, but Castor Pro has slightly better technicalities. It's very EQ friendly. https://preview.redd.it/0vpgb08z7r8e1.png?width=2400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d12b0acf442af8984f685492e0f7fe1c82a41e8 KZ Saga is overall best imo, due to how it's tuned.

If your budget is tight, and you only want Bass QKZ x HBB is what you need. If you want Bass and open up other genres aside from Hip Hop, KZ Saga is good at that. Saga has more bass and tonality than Castor Pro, but Castor Pro has slightly better technicals.

If we are talking about a fun V-shaped sound like Castor Pro, that excels in Bass, mids and treble, I don't think there's any other good contender. Castor Pro is really a specialist. The other options are QKZ x HBB and Rosefinch, but they have bad mids performance. The bass often bleed into the mids. Sometimes masking the vocals.

The QKZ x HBB were my first iems. I still use these because I enjoy the warmth and punchy bass for EDM tracks and occasional immersive gaming. And the build quality is nice too: hard resin shell and metal framing. https://preview.redd.it/cdmba49ft3se1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=17b825476a5f10f60d43cd50114213945fbb8481

Knowing how well these roundup. My monarch mk3’s get here today. Im going to glue my reds since the right piece indent ear snapped so the cables slide off(w chifi) and compare. Ill compare varistions dark saber b3 since those are the iems I own. Also if you want a beater set that way warmer and more body. QKZ x HBB is identical to the red for 19$

For just purely bass check out the QKZ x HBB.

Is "so" generic that I haven't found another active reviewer whose tuning I like as much. To be honest, I don't know much about HBB. I blindly picked up QKZ x HBB a long time ago and liked the tuning so much that I tuned some of my IEMs to this setting (via Squiglink tool).

Even cheapo QKZ x HBB is very well tuned for bassy music.

As an enthusiast of QKZ x HBB I cannot concur.

So many different IEMs and headphones have passed through my hands (and ears) over the years, but I still come back to these little darlings very often. Yes, they sound much better with EQ - my favorite setting is Hot Monster Output vis MSEB in Hiby R4. The stock cable is terrible quality, but QKZ has a nice looking and flexible gold cable for a few dollars, shown in the picture. The stock eartips are meh, I prefer to use CP155, or TRI Clarion. I have had IEMs that costed 30x more then these, but if I want to just have some fun and headbang to my favorite tracks then I grab QKZ x HBB. Not every type of music sounds good on them - I don't recommend them for symphonic music, or where there are many instruments (due to small soundstage), but for metal, electronic, or ambient they are great. Is there an upgrade path for these IEMs? Something that would be similarly tuned but a bit more detailed, with maybe a bit more soundstage?

Apart from all the drama about KZ that happened a while ago, I think Castor Bass are great budget IEMs. As for which one is better - for the music I listen to, I definitely prefer QKZxHBB. In Castors, if you turn off all the switches, they are better for movies and games. Music also sounds good in them, but so far I haven't found anything that gives me more pure joy than QKZxHBB.