TinHiFi - TinHiFi C2

Hey are quite aggressively v-shaped. In that price range I'd go for the Tin C2 instead, which is a more neutral-ish U-shape and you can also tame the slightly zingy upper treble with Spinfit CP-100+ tips, if you find it is too much. It's also much higher build quality than the EW200 which has quite thin, flexible metal faceplates. I'd go with the older one, not the 2025 version, because the old one is cheaper and has a more neutral bass shelf. The 2025 has more sub-bass though, so you might want that; it's still not an over bloated level, just sounds a bit more v-shaped, but it's only about 1 or 2 dB different at most.

If you really need the mic, I think your only option is the Kinera Wyvern Pro, which is around $25-ish. The IEM is OK, but it has a big dip in the treble, which might affect imaging (hearing where sounds are coming from) so that may not be ideal for gaming. If you don't need the mic, Tin Hifi C2 is a better IEM. I don't use them for gaming, but I can confirm they are very good for music. They are also approved by GadgetryTech for gaming - no full review yet, but he gives a mini review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XynoXDaYCmY&t=2422s He's got the 2025 version there, which I believe is about $40 but there's also the older one which is about $20. I have both and the difference between them is tiny. The 2025 has a tiny bit more sub-bass and sounds a bit "fuller", but the older one is easier to get close to a reference neutral sound with the right tips. The shells and everything else are identical, both are great IEMs. You can also buy a separate upgrade cable with a mic. This [KBear one](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000272626428.html) is cheap and the mic is OK. Whether the mic will be up to your quality standards IDK, but it's a basic inline mic and not the worst one I've ever heard. You could probably get that KBear mic cable + the original Tin C2 in your budget. The Wyvern comes with a better mic, the C2 is a better IEM.

It's not 100% flat neutral (but nothing is in that price range), more U-shaped, but the Tin C2 is very good. It gets closer to neutral with Spinfit CP-100+ tips since those roll off the extra upper treble that they have, leaving it as pretty neutral with a slight bass boost. But they have very clean, well extended treble that IMO puts them quite ahead of the 7Hz Zero or Zero 2 for technical performance. Similar to the Simgot EW200 but that's a lot more v-shaped. Also the C2 has the best build quality out of any of those. The older one (which is now around $20) is closer to neutral than the 2025 version, which has a bit more sub-bass and sounds slightly more v-shaped. Both are very similar though. You probably wouldn't know there was a difference if you listened to them a day apart rather than A/B them side-by-side. If you want more of a bright-neutral with flatter bass, the Moondrop LAN is pretty good (around $40).

I wouldn't list the QKZ Hades, as it's pretty universally hated, unless you specifically mention that it's a *very* niche tuning most people don't like (even most bassheads). And even among people who like it at all, it's generally a one-genre set. I'd strike the Juzear Clear off the list because it appears to have [really bad unit variance](https://old.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1insj4z/some_thoughts_on_the_juzear_clear_and_myer_audio/). I still recommend it for the cable if it's on sale for $20, but only if you really want that cable (it normally costs about $15-20 on its own). It's not a highly recommended IEM anyway, it just had a brief period of hype as a basshead IEM. Rarely gets mentioned nowadays. Neither of my two units are true basshead sets (and one is quite bright), so clearly some golden units went out to reviewers. The Blon BL03 ii hasn't got particularly good reviews. It seems to be that if you care about tuning, the original is better. The new one has 2-pin but it has all the ergonomic problems that plagued the original, so I don't think it should be recommended at all, with maybe a nod to the original as being a classic if people are able to pick one up cheaply. I don't think the KBear KB02 is worth recommending unless you specifically want to know what a BC driver does, in which case it's the cheapest way to get one. I got one for that reason. It sounds pretty bad. All the reviews point out the same issue - there's some weird "springy" resonances, especially noticeable with spoken word. It also makes everything sound like you're listening through a cardboard tube. It's just weird, not good. Audio Amigo and Paul Wasabii both have good reviews btw, I agree with pretty much everything they say about them. I don't see the Tin Hifi C2 mentioned on your original list or the new one. That's a 2025 version out recently. I have both and they are both excellent. Lots of reviews out there, but fewer for the 2025 version. I'm not sure if the old one is being discontinued, but it seems to be still for sale for about $20 while the new one is closer to $40. The difference between the two versions is quite subtle. The Moondrop Starfield 2 got pretty universally terrible reviews. The Juzear 41t and the Flame are the same IEM, so I'd put them on the same line - the flame just has a different faceplate. I have the 41t and it's good aside from the annoyingly bad venting, but I'm hesitant about recommending it for the reasons mentioned in my post about the Clear. Since it's a hybrid it really *should* be fully vented and I now consider this an engineering flaw rather than "just the way it is". Every other manufacturer seems to be able to vent their hybrid IEMs properly. The 7Hz Timeless probably shouldn't be on the list because it's very outdated nowadays. It's only a classic because it was the first reasonably-tuned planar, not because it's good by current standards. It was still an early and not-very-refined version of a formula that's been iterated on continually since then. The AE is better but less widely reviewed. The 2 seems to be getting good reviews but I believe it's closer to $300.

Kz Edx Pro. I spent 2 months with it and bought the Tin hifi C2 at the time.

In this price range, everything performs the same. comfort, design, and wear does more than the actual IEM's performance. And these options aren't even the good performing ones they're a step behind in the tuning and when there's not a good tuning you're not getting the proper performance. Check out the Tin hifi line-up I think it's the C2 that has a better performance than anything else in the price bracket.

I use primarily budget IEMs. My on-the-go pair is usually my Chu 2s or Nuos. I do also occasionally use the LANs. At home I use the Kefine Kleans. The other sets I have include the Hexa, Delci, and EW200, and the THifi C2s. The Kleans provide me with clean and accurate male vocals while still sounding natural which is really what I'm looking for in an IEM.

Tinhifi c2 mech warrior, great build for the money, and really clean sound.