TRUTHEAR - TRUTHEAR x Crinacle ZERO:RED

I'm split on it, as long as you don't use the bass boost adapter the reds are closer to the Harmon target. But you lose just a bit of detail. With the bass boost adapter. I'd take the blues every time https://preview.redd.it/xzynydy7g61e1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6adfd76e29fc9619d08efea7d8e44c5c6f1bfbe8

Same here lol I started off with the 7hz ZERO 2 last January then months later made the jump and ordered the Truthear Zero RED and a week later ordered the Truthear Hexa which ended up arriving before the REDs 😂

I'd say the difference between the Truthear Zero RED (55usd) and the 7hz ZERO 2 (25usd), my first IEM, is very noticeable.

Actually the Hexa are noticeably cleaner and has better instrument separation than the REDs, it even feels strange at first being able to hear everything in the tracks, so I'd say they are the "true audiophile experience" and the REDs are more fun sound in comparison. The Moondrop Aria 2 seems like a nice choice as well. I haven't tried them but I have a good impression of its specific Dynamic Driver it uses. The same DD is used on the Moondrop MOCA which I own and it certainly delivers good performance despite Bluetooth limitations, so a wired pair would definitely sound great. Last week my Moondrop ROBIN (same Dynamic Driver as the Aria 2) arrived and I'm kinda confused about the fact it outperforms the Truthear Zero REDs in technicalities.

It's nice to hear your impression of them, given you have experience with other sets. I have been using them since Jan 4, swapping between the ZERO:2, Truthear Gate, Zero RED and Hexa and the Moondrop MOCA. At first I was reluctant about placing them above the Zero RED, and got blasted in the comments for saying they sound better than budget wired IEMs. But honestly yes I agree with you. The ROBIN have excellent sound presentation.

Probably the best IEM under 4.5K RN . Truthear x Crinacle ZERO:RED + Fosi Audio DS2 I’m beyond happy after purchasing the Truthear x Crinacle - ZERO:RED, my first IEM. I’ve been learning about the world of IEMs since 2018, and back then, it was tough to find good ones in India. Thankfully, Headphone Zone has built an incredible community and made it easier to buy IEMs in any price range. The performance of the ZERO:RED has blown me away — I’ve never heard music with such clarity and resolution before. The mids, vocals, and instruments are presented perfectly, offering a listening experience like no other. The ZERO:RED delivers exceptional clarity with well-balanced mids and smooth treble. The bass is tight and controlled, without overpowering the other frequencies. Whether it’s vocals or instrumental details, the resolution is superb, making it ideal for anyone who values precision in sound. Highly recommended for anyone stepping into the world of audiophile IEMs! And pairing it with Fosi Audio DS2 Dual Chip DAC , the end result is amazing .

So many budget iems. I should think you should return them . Only keep one , the one you like. And congratulations, you found your preferred sound signature or atleast you are on the right path. So here me out : Truthear Zero Red will perfectly fit your need

The main difference is , One is over the ear headphone and another one is In Ear Monitor. The sound presentation will always be different . The con of Marshall Major V is , the battery will die someday and the bluetooth technology is still behind wired technology in terms of playing Lossless audio. So wired headphones always give better sound quality . If the battery dies and you need to drive it only through 3.5 mm jack then also you need a dac on that time. On the other hand , Iems are completely different. You can customise or upgrade your iem. Like you can change the cables of the iem to a better 4.4 mm balanced ones , that will provide more power and separation to the music , also if the wire broke or get damaged , you know you can change it . Similarly you can also change the Eartips , for a comfortable ones . For your budget and taste i can suggest a good iem : Truthear X Crinacle Zero Red with Moondrop Dawn Pro Dac . The dac has both 4.4 mm and 3.5 mm output , you can change the cables of your iem to 4.4 mm balanced ones in future , that also give you significant change in overall sound quality or else you can go with HeadphoneZone X DDHIFI Dac , you can get that combo in under 6500 INR. But it all depends on what you need , if you need pure sound quality then invest in iem and a 4.4 mm balanced dac with apple music subscription for lossless streaming . That is an end goal you can achieve on a budget to get superior quality audio. Or if you like the easy nature of bluetooth over the ear headphones , and can sacrifice audio quality and customisability and also durability then go for Bluetooth over the ear headphones. Also note : Some people do say many things are placebo and all , for me and for my ears , i see a big leap when i use an iem with 4.4 mm balanced dac and apple music . I previously used Apple Airpods Pro , and my 4.5k budget iem sounds way better than airpods pro.

I recently reviewed Truthear Zero Red and you can check it in my profile

Whoever found it Comfortable ( for me it is ) , it is a great neutral warm iem .

This is my first iem. And omg i made a fantastic decision. It completely suits my genres and i very much like its tuning . For the price it’s the best for me . But now i am really into Iems , so I recently purchased Aful P5 for 150 dollar in 11.11 sale , so that will be an upgrade and i will still use Zero Red , maybe it will become my office/work iem .

I have APP, my Turthear Zero Red is much much better than APP, so you dont need to spend much, Turthear Zero Red is 50 dollar and it is actually a great iem

Go for Truthear Zero Red , thats a good iem to start from , its pretty neutral.

Crinacle tuned this so it can under cut many iems in that range .

My ear holes are medium , not small not big , Zero Red fits without any discomfort

Yes and also the guy who tuned it , hence the name : Truthear X Crinacle Zero Red .

You have to try and see for yourself . Its not as big as people says . It is comfortable for me

I have both. Zero Red has more imaging , clarity , better stage and resolution. Its best for multiple genres . KZ is a bit more comfortable but i dont like the tuning for critical listening.

I had the same feelings of the Red. I'm not sure why they are rated so highly. Everything you described is how it sounded to me. I returned them a few days after purchasing when they first came out. I even waited some months and tried again thinking maybe my first pair was a bad set since they kept getting great reactions on Reddit. But my second pair felt the same. Retuned them again right away.

This is a late comment, but what would you say is the best basshead IEM for the price bracket the Rhapsody competes in? What I'm really looking for is that subwoofer rumble. I got a little bit of that in my Zero Reds, but it wasn't a very slamming and energetic set.

I stopped reading at "Truthear Zero Red", that trash usually goes for $55-65 and "Bass-forward"? did you ever listen that thing? All HBB collabs are known for their bass but the zero red?. It's $60 for an iem with a cheap cable and cheap eartips, with a gigantic nozzle, how do you tip roll with that nozzle?. It's just one of the worst iems for a beginner and totally overpriced, you can get a better cable and eartips with the Tangzu wan'er at 1/3 of the price. It's 2025 with so many options, at this point it's just a meme of this subr recommending that thing

Get a pair of Empire Ears Odin and call it a decade. For a real answer, I like the Truthear stuff, namely the Reds and the Hexa.

Ive heard really good things about the Ziigat x Fresh Reviews Aretes - Linsoul Audio will be having a spring sale in a couple days too. Currently run TurthEar Crinacle Zero Reds and like them.

Ive been on the TruthEar Crinacle Zero Reds and really enjoy them. Been looking at the Ziigat x Fresh Reviews Arete. Heard good things - just didn't wanna drop $250 on IEMs when I first switched over lol.

Hi everyone! So as the title says I'm looking to buy the thruthear Hexa, because there's many aspects of it that interest me except for one I found out recently, hence why I'm writing this post: I'm a guy that enjoys listening to clear vocals, high male voices, guitar solos, classical music, and because of that I tend to prefer a more neutral tone with a slight emphasis on mids especially upper mids. I tried the thruthear Red for some months and found them too bassy and too shouty in the treble. However even though I don't like bass so much I do really like the rumbling feeling of a sub-bass done right, as I usually say "I like to feel the bass but I don't like to hear it". Therefore I'm looking for a vocal focused clean sound neutral tuned iem, around 75€, that ideally has a metal shell!! (Here's why I'm now hesitant on the hexa, I thought they had a metal body), the metal shell is because my reds fell to the ground 2 times and broke completely, so I want to avoid resin builds from now on. Should I get the hexa? Or has anything in the last years came out that beat it at what it offers, or something that really fits my criteria? Thanks for the help!

Red user here seeking for advice: I bought the reds expecting them to be less bassy (even without the adapter) than they are, to my hears I like how I can feel the rumbling of it, but I feel it greatly overshadows vocals and makes music less clear and balanced as I'd like. On top of it, I use it outside sometimes and found the resin build quite easy to break when it falls. The treble distortion in higher volumes is also very apparent to me, but maybe I'm using the wrong tips, or I haven't found an EQ to my test (I auto EQd it, and tried to mess around but it always feels like I'm making it worse) For these reasons I've been thinking of getting the truthhear hexa, with it's metal build and advertised neutral focused tuning. However I'm seeing great comments about this IEM, so the question is should I go for the hexa or for the blue 2? I like clear vocals, I like to feel the bass more than hear it, and I love upper mids, I really want something that can emphasize guitar solos, rock/classical tenor voices in the high register, the upper middle region of the piano etc Which one do you think would serve me better?

can't go wrong with Truth Ear Reds, just gotta make sure you find the right tips for them as the nozzles are chonk. I was quite underwhelmed at first, took a month to find the right tip to realise how good that are (I have to go down a nozzle size) I can see a few others have recommend the Kefine Klean, I'm keen to try these out. Love my Delci AEs. Only gripe is they sit very shallow in the ear (I'm assuming Klean will be a similar shape), had to get double flange tips to have them sit securely

for me, the real problem of zero red and blue is not their sound but their comfort is the problem. their big nozzle create the pain vacuum in my ears. i end up returned both of them because i can't wear their more than 1 hour.

I have the truthear reds blues hexa gate nova I think the blue 2 is a pass for me feels like a unnecessary addition and release

Either the Cadenza or the Zero Red with fiio btr11 it adds some warmth but not too much.

I personally love my zero red would recommend green light

I have the JT1 and the reds. Fiio JT1 has one awful load of mid bass. So yes Reds are better if you're not into tuning. If you are into tuning then the JT1 are fantastic

IEMs and headphones can't be compared. But Zero Red is better value for money.

Mine too, i tried a bunch till 100$, nkthing beats my red, iit is very immersive and have a profound sound with great texture bass. My other iems got a reference status, they sleep on a iem compulsive bag of my old days, thats my endgame, i dont need more sound quality than red delivers, that being said, i love its balanced tunning, nothing fatigating about it, you can enjoy its pure enchantment for hours to go... If id lost it, or break it, would certainly buy it again, wouldnt try another thing, most probably I simple love it, its my drug when hearing good blues, ambient, lo fi, chill ✌️

Go for red

Yes they are, if A/B test them with other one you will understand its magic. The drivers are high quality, you cant squeeze out that level of drivers low frequency texture on other affordable iems, it has high end drivers, and the Crinacles curve is just great, i need nothing else about quality, its my end game, all i need.

There are different demands on in ear details, like separation, definition, tge high frq brightness... I personally like texture and profound bass with non sibbilant highs. So red is for me

Yes, the sound is subjective. Also, this category of cheap IEMs are kind of: what one has, the other doesn't. In the case of the DZ4, it has a very good middle and treble response, but lacks sub bass. The Zero Red for example is demanding and lacks details. The Artti T10 has planar timbre. For me, the best is the Artti in this category. But you can find DZ4 for a very good price.

That data doesn't particularly surprise me, the zero reds are excellently tuned, solid in terms of technicalities and at exactly the price most people are willing to pay for something like that. I also have the hexas and they are excellent as well.

That data doesn't particularly surprise me, the zero reds are excellently tuned, solid in terms of technicalities and at exactly the price most people are willing to pay for something like that. I also have the hexas and they are excellent as well.

Save a bit more (55 dollars) and get yourself a pair of truthear zero reds if you have big ear canals, if you have smaller ones than the kefine clean or the artti T10 are solid options

Seconded on the reds, they are honestly good enough to be endgame for most people

Iems are a superior form factor for music delivery over buds 100% of the time, the seal allows for actual bass extension and a consistent frequency response, so in all cases yes, id recommend iems over buds. If you want something very well tuned and neutral get 5 more dollars and go for the truthear zero red, if you want something brighter under 50 then the kineras ignitex beast, the simgot ew300 maze and the tangzu yu Xuan hi are also options.

Iems are a superior form factor for music delivery over buds 100% of the time, the seal allows for actual bass extension and a consistent frequency response, so in all cases yes, id recommend iems over buds. If you want something very well tuned and neutral get 5 more dollars and go for the truthear zero red, if you want something brighter under 50 then the kineras ignitex beast, the simgot ew300 maze and the tangzu yu Xuan ji are also options.

I have the moondrop kxxs, and the way the stem is smooth i can not find ear tips to work well with that set, and I despise that I purchased them, the sound is pretty good, not really what I like normally, it seems like it's trying to hard if that makes sense, I did just receive the truthear x crin zero reds and i love the sound. Genuinely love them. Best 55 bucks I've spent so far on headphones.

i could say go with truthear zero red..i know it's a bit overboard but it's a good iem for bass and has some good soundstage or maybe kefine klean for a little sub-bass but has still the detail or the kefine delci for more bass than the klean anyhow the best iems is not from me but from your liking whether it's suits you or not..Good luck finding your first iem!!

the zero red focuses on audio quality rather than your headphones which focuses on comfort. cuz iem and headphone are a totally different thing based on build and tuning.

the zero reds has some good tuning soundstage which is due to its ear nozzle (which is enormous) but if you are saying surround sound i could say every iem doesn't have one(except DSP ones) cuz they rely on eartips and sound isolation.On eartips,you could change them to your liking some may have better surround sound or soundstage and some have better bass which make your sound more bassy(good for steps on games)

yup these are the ones i am talking about.

How big are the nozzles? I had to return the red zero as they were too big for my ears. Currently using chu ii with w3 ii and very impressed still!

Got it. How "large" are they in reality? I could not get my motorbike helmet on with the zero red. Can get helmet on with chu ii with balaclava. Taking off needs practice ha.

Purchase them and love them

Pretty much the same opinion from my end.However sadly a few days ago my red fell and the faceplate and a part of iem broke.Forutnately it's still working so I just used some black tape on it,put it back all together and vibing with it again.Red is seriously fantastically tuned.

I had the truthear zero red but I broke it

zero red's too bassy, KZ sets are more tuned brightly, I like treble to the point where they get sibilant, way more then bass.

yes they are incredibly bad QC wise, I just like the tuning of some KZ or CCA stuff more then the zero red. (Not saying all KZ > zero red)

what sound settings are you using in game? i use the zero reds and find them really great in game. I use natural sound profile, 70% L/R iso and no perspective correction. running them through smsl ad18 amp (just something random i bought on amazon sale, im not an audio genius but it seems good)

I regretted buying my Crinacle zero red for a few days. I thought of returning but now that I’m this deep in I tried to use EQ. It now works perfectly according to what I want. Obviously the seal is also important

Zero red.  Why? Someone liked my review of it and sent me a $250 planar. Then another. Then another.  Then i got an lg v20 for my bday but they canceled the order but they sent the phone anyways.  I spent $55 and got $550 worth of free shit. 

Kiwi Aether $170 usd, people are loving this Artti T10 $75 usd, probably best budget planar MP145 $159 usd, I find it heavy, bulky and the wire doesn't curve over my ear well but I can't complain about the weight, it's built like a tank. People say these were silently revised. I'm not sure what to believe. S12 2024 $199, fixes the sharp treble of the S12 pro but people say S12 pro + EQ is endgame. S12 pro on sale can be had for $80-$120 but is $169 The MP145 is the best one I've used but it's the only planar I've used. It sounds so damn good but I add bass with EQ. It sounds resolving, fast, deep bass, great detail, separation and staging. Just sounds a whole notch better than the zero red. Everything the red lacks the MP145 does well. Comes with 3 different tuning filters, leather pouch, nice cable. It sounds notably different, more transparent, than a dynamic driver like the red. According to how they graph the T10 would have more bass due to having less highs. The S12 looks peaky and I'd avoid it, however, while the MP145 isn't sibilant it's a little bright in the 8khz region. The T10 would be a safer choice and it also has more air on the highest frequencies (18khz, but don't let that be a decision factor - it has more air in the 10khz-15khz range). Below 2khz they're all rougly the same looking. For $75 USD I'm looking at the T10 for myself. https://preview.redd.it/r8zxi4t3hooe1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ee5dffbc5b0d1bd756a650e5acfcdfde098d83f

I have a 2 18 wall. Ive looked for everything outside of beats for years and have come up short.  Iems dont come close but you may want to look at the fatfreq x hbb deuce, kiwi x hbb punch, and theres a guy named phil who makes a "philphone", an open back with bass ($700ish). There's also fatfreq scarlett and maestro mini.  Otherwise the budget option is a truthear zero red with EQ. I just match my zero red to a deuce for my portable bass fix. The headphone with the most bass is discontinued, a jvc sz-2000. With heavy eq it can vibrate a sheet of paper.  Actually look at skullcandy crusher evos. Consumerism sound, probably bloated bass but lots of it. 

I'd worry less about the treble and more about the bass/other things because you can EQ treble in quite easily whereas bass will distort or need less on the pre-gain which lowers volume in general. S12 pro can be a bit hot on the treble. Nova can sound unnatural as it has less body and has sub focus. Hexa is a good all-rounder but not particularly bassy. You want a V-shape. Sparkly highs, lots of bass. That's pretty much what a Harman tuning is. Nova with EQ seems to be that but I haven't heard it. The Nova adheres to the Harman target pretty much better than anything out there. Try EQing your reds to a davinci using PEACE and APO on PC. Really changes them. I have a red. I find them too mid-focused, lacking bass weight and they sound narrow. To EQ my reds on my phone with a 10-band EQ I do: +6@31, +3@62, +2@125, +1@2khz, +2@4khz, +2@8khz, +1@16khz, -3db gain. It just shifts the focus from the mids to the bass/highs slightly, making them more exciting. When I hear something with mid-focus is just sounds grainy and wooshy like an old radio, lacking excitement. Reds aren't particularly airy. Try a Nova!

I have both. The M20X is super "shitty" sound in that it's so damn boring - it's possible that my previous audio source couldn't drive them well but they're 47 ohms and I was using a phone. They're not exactly great. Are they that bad? No, they're pretty neutral. You can't really fix it with EQ to make them enticing for music. It's great for cheap neutral-sounding when mixing audio or using with electronic drums but for anything else, music, movies and gaming the zero red is MUCH better. I wouldn't even consider the M20X unless it came with an electronic drum kit. At the $60 range you could also consider the moondrop space travel for TWS or the CHU 2 for vocals or kinera abyss... a 7hz zero 2. Lots of choices but the zero red is super solid IF you don't mind the nozzle. M20X is def nothing special in terms of music playback. I wouldn't say the m20x needs an amp. 47 ohms isn't that high. You can get to a decent volume without an amp... just nothing LOUD. They're 96 dB/mW, which isn't too great.

Add the delci, T10, zero 2, zero red, S08, chu 2, gate. I haven't heard it but the hexa is "light on bass," but I heard they're excellent otherwise. Personally I would get the T10 or S08 because they're planars. I have a zero red, gate, chu 2, zero 2. In terms of out of the box sound I find the Chu 2 to be the most exciting and lush and the most comfortable (it's absolutely TINY). I found gate too bright and the zero 2 kinda weak in note-weight but all of these things are "well tuned". If bass is your thing the zero red with some mucking around with PeaceAPO on PC (like matched to a singularity) absolutely *delivers.*

First was zero red. I use it every day. Gone through 2 cables and use dunu tips. Excellent iem.  Im curious about the t10. 

Tangzu xuan nv Zero red is massive Hexa bass quality is worse than 20 dollar iems

Just got a pair of Zero Reds and I’m more then happy!

My other IEMs are the Hidizs MP145, KZ PRX and ZAR, Rosefinch, Zero Red, Zero 2, and ancient Ety ER4S. I mostly just listen to the Punch, MP145 and ZAR for portable. I love classic rock the most like Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Beatles, Dylan, Zeppelin, etc. But I listen to everything, love classical and jazz, and EDM and Hip-hop and bassy pop, soul.

I love the Ziigaat Odyssey, clean and balanced yet still strong mid-bass punch and sub-bass slam. Totally immersive experience, a true pleasure with special sauce tuning. More modest entry level would be the 7hz Zero 2. Decent but not spectacular, it's balanced with good bass. Also there's the default Truthear Zero Red and Blue 2. I have the Red, which is neutral with bass boost, again decent but not too exciting.

I'm interested but going to wait for reviews, even though I suspect like most previous Crinacle collabs there will be an intense wall of hype that doesn't necessarily reflect the reality. I have all 4 of the Crinacle Zeroes and don't really listen to any of them as they are all just "OK", but in each case I have at least one other IEM that I prefer in some way. The main thing that interests me about these though is that the Blue/Red are both very close to something I'd listen to a lot, were it not for the massive nozzle. My thoughts on them all: * 7Hz Zero - for this tuning I prefer the original Chu, other than the crappy fixed cable. Chu sounds more resolving. Both have issues with some treble grain so I don't think either is objectively better than the other in that respect. * 7Hz Zero 2 - sounds a bit blunted to me, for this kind of warm tuning it feels a bit too "safe" and I find the QKZ HBB beats it in every way other than looks. * Truthear Zero (OG Blue) - Was innovative in some ways but it's actually only about 70% target-compliant not "full Harman". The HBB Khan is basically the same IEM made slightly better (jftr, it literally *is* the same IEM, from the same factory, with a different faceplate and tweaked tuning - I believe even the drivers are identical). * Truthear Zero Red - This one stands out in that there still isn't anything with quite the same tuning around the same price, but I find it pretty meh in terms of technicalities. It causes far too much ear canal discomfort without a sufficient payoff to be worth it, so I basically gave up on trying to listen to it. I have enough other IEMs at similar price of just above that are better such as the Artti T10, Kefine Delci and Dunu Titan S - in fairness to the Red, none of these were available at the same price point when it released and none of them has quite the same tuning. Closest thing to a direct upgrade I have is the Juzear 41t, which is nearly 3x the price and has [venting problems](https://old.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1insj4z/some_thoughts_on_the_juzear_clear_and_myer_audio/). From what I've seen of the Blue 2 graphs, it sits somewhere between the OG Blue and the Red. The tweaked eargain is similar to the Khan, but it takes bass in the opposite direction, which looks more like the Red. It's also been said by some people that the Aoshida E20 is "the Khan with a smaller nozzle" Although personally I don't hear anything like that. It's a lot more neutral, so that's another comparison I'd like to see as it may be quite similar. In fact out of these, the E20 graph is the one that looks the most like the Blue 2. Now that Crinacle has his own IEM brand, I wonder if these will be the last ever Crinacle collab? What's interesting is that despite all the effort to make the nozzle smaller on these and Crinacle himself clearly acknowledging that it was a problem, people who have tried the 3 new CrinEar IEMs say that they all have huge nozzles.

The Audio Technicas are more of a bright-leaning v-shape. The Red is a warm/bassy neutral. The Red has huge nozzles so isn't a particularly safe choice for a first IEM, it can cause a lot of people discomfort or pain, because the nozzles are so big, unless you happen to have above-average sized ear canals. I would recommend starting even cheaper and get the KZ EDC Pro as a first IEM, because you can find it for about $5. It's a mild v-shape tuning so it's not so far away from neutral that it's going to be missing too much anywhere, and it's not overly boring either. It's small and should fit most people's ears without any problems. Once you've spent a while with something like that, you'll have a much better idea whether to stick with that, spend more money on a different IEM, or buy a pair of over-ears. And while you can get a fairly good IEM for $5, you cannot get a good over-hear headphone for that price. Over-ears are a whole different thing to IEMs. Some people hate having their ears covered (and it causes more issues with heat, especially in summer). OTOH, some people hate having something in their ear canal. It's best to figure out which type of person you are, or alternate between them both at different times to minimise fatigue.

OK, but it's not uncommon for people to have issues with the shell size on the Zero / Zero 2 and its pointy edges. And it's 4x the price of the EDC Pro. That's why I recommend the EDC Pro for someone just starting out who doesn't know much about what they're looking for. If it turns out to not be for you, you're only down $5 not $20. And that's very unlikely to happen for comfort reasons. There are very few IEMs out there that are as small and ergonomic as it, irrespective of price. Plus the sound quality of the EDC Pro is at least competitive with all the other sub-$20 recommendations including the Zero 2. Which one is best is largely a matter of preference, but nobody knows their preference until they've tried at least one IEM.

Solid post, thanks for sharing! Gave me some ideas to upgrade my existing setup. I have the zero red as well but it was my 5th pair. Didn't find it impressive compared to my other IEMs. Without comparing though it is a decent set and definitely an upgrade from TWB.

If you don't have a narrow ear canal , you can't go wrong with the truthear x crinacle zero reds. Another new iem to consider is the tangzu Yu Xuan ji, semi open back iems for around $50 bucks.

No, the reds does have ear tips included ,no need to purchase additional eartips

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.

So are these good if I were someone that prefers more treble? I like my Truthear Crinacle Zero Reds (though the nozzel could be smaller, they hurt after a couple hours) but I really prefer the Treble setting for my wireless Nothing Ear (2024) IEM's. I like rock/metal but dislike bass drowning out everything else.

Cara para 70% das pessoas que vieram de fones comuns, vão preferir o D13, ele é um fone com bastante graves, o Zero Red é bem neutro, provavelmente, você vai odiar um ea500, um Titan s, um Heyday, que são frios e analíticos.

Se tu comparar o gráfico no squiglink você irá ver a diferença entre o Timeless AE e o Zero Red, pô, não tem como tu chamar o Timeless AE de neutro, o Heyday possui bem menos graves que o Red e o Timeless, bem menos mesmo, sua fonte deve estar zoando seus fones

The Reds are so good for music, like crazy good for the price

Kiwi Ears Cadenza's are the best I've heard for Music only. I preferr them over the t3+, Zero red's, EW300 adn even Hexa's.

If you can use equalizer software in your use case scenario the smartest thing you can do is honestly to just buy the Truthear Zero Red and use squiglink to create an eq to jm-1 for it. The Zero Red has very low distortion, smooth treble and no group delay issues. Its a great candidate to use as a template for eq and it cost only 55$. All other sonic qualities like separation, clarity, etc. are just frequency response/tuning. Spending more money on iems just gets you a different out of the box tuning. Be aware that in terms of sound iem's are basically just hardware eq.

If your audio source is coming from a PC, I'd suggest the KZ PRX. Great planar sound, But it does require more power to run them, which your PC will provide. But between the two choices above, definitely the Zero Red. It's a decent sounding, dual dynamic driver IEM. I own a pair. If you're more into bassier tunes, like EDM, then maybe the Zero Blue. I don't own the blues, but my other dual dynamic driver IEM is my Castor Bass Pro. It's more V shaped than the Zero Red. And to me, better for EDM.

thank you. people say the ew300 is better but idk. I have a truthear zero red but I thinks it's so boring and the vocals can be quite shouty sometimes

Beautiful setup you got there, congrats! I’m a bit further down the rabbit hole as I started with entry level ones (Chu 2, Zero 2, GATe) but upgraded recently to the RED. Waiting for the upgraded cable to arrive, in the meantime the GATe’s cable is just fine https://preview.redd.it/ndz2f2sys35e1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9067996897e9b48c51f8bc034f4516e9dc4b017c

While I feel it’s an improvement over the Chu 2/Zero 2, the RED’s fit is not for everyone and I wouldn’t recommend it as a starter IEM unless you know there’s a possibility of comfort being an issue. And the good (and bad) thing about this hobby is that there’s something new every week so there’s plenty of choices. I haven’t tested them myself but many say the Kefine Klean is an absolute steal for around the same price as the REDs.

It’s ok if you don’t love them, not because they’re so hyped everyone has to love them. I like them a lot, but, in my experience, nozzles are too big (as many had pointed out) and can’t wear them for more than a few songs. Sound wise, it’s the same, tuning doesn’t have to appeal to everyone, that’s why there are too many options, fortunately.

I only have the red ones and those are much flatter. I can't compare with blue ones.

they are complettely different i mean thats v-shape vs flat discussion. standard rules apply.

simgot iems are all variations of bright tunings, with each upgrade offering better soundstage, technicalities & detail retrieval. so ew200. EM6L basically has the best soundstage, technicalities & detail retrieval under $100.

Maybe the tuning isnt to your liking. TBH I have the red and it doesn’t get a lot of use, some say it’s great for online gaming. I prefer the hexa a bit more. I got the blue2 recently and that’s a pretty good harman tuning. My main iem i use a lot atm is the simgot ew300 hbb. Pretty great for the price. It has a more planar sound to it though but bass is tight and punchy.

i got my first iems today as well, went with truthear crinacle zero reds tho, and they sound way better than my last pair of earphones

I did this when I first got my ccz emeralds, I used to use the KZ zsn pro Xs and I thought it was not that different, but after a week or so and I tried my old KZs and I realised a massive difference. I also did this when I got my zero Reds with the same results.

For some reason i find my kz zsn pro better than the red i have them both 🫠

EM6L, but imo there's no meaningful difference between the good ones even if they sound and stage very differently. I can hear the same things with a Zero Red, G1 or even KZ Libra and get used to the sense of distance etc while the bad ones make it hard toake out where the sound is coming from.

I recommend Zero Red instead. Certainly the Zeros are the best of those though not the easiest fit for all. Forget the gaming headphones as they are bad value.

EQ settings are relative to frequency response. It's like asking how much should I add salt to fries without the information if they're already saltes. The question is what kind of a tuning is ideal for metal and as a metalhead at least in my youth I find that a very interesting question. Preferences matter a lot as well and someone who loves the sound of one IEM maybe just hasn't heard something better yet and can't imagine what the improvement might be. The best tuning for metal I've heard so far with maybe fifty IEMs and some EQ on top was Oluv's mainstream preset for the Free Pro 2's. Really fun yet clean bass and you could push the volume really high without any fatigue etc. Gave me chills with a lot of metal music. With IEMs I have to say I haven't found anything excellent yet and actually KZ Libra (balanced) is easily on of the best for that and costs $10. The bass is pronounced, but much cleaner than the measurements seem to imply. The straight rising bass boost might be the reason instead of a bass shelf. Old but gold would be a Tin Hifi T2 Plus as it really pushes vocals pleasantly forward and has that big energetic feel to it. Not detailed etc at all, but really enjoyable. IEMs I love otherwise like Zero Red, Hexa, MP145, Timeless, B2 Dusk, Dusk DSP just don't impress me at all with metal specifically and I would take the Libra over probably all of them for that. You can make an EQ preset for the Chu to match KZ Libra on the AutoEQ website and elsewhere. Give it a try if you want.

Get the zero reds

Thanks! I'm still new, got my first iem (zero red) yesterday but I'm exploring early. Btw, how can I make sure I inserted it correctly?

They are amazing! I'm using the small tips. Without adapter, i love the sound

these iems are amazing, i still use them as my daily driver, the nozzle does take some getting used to, but now they are very comfortable. I previously had the moon drop arias snow edition and those were a bad experience, i was under the impression that i didn’t like iems all together until i decided to give them another shot with these, i love the zero reds

those particular headphones will also need an external AMP. which will add to the cost. overall i would say go for the truthear zero red, but if you like extra bass go for the zero blue 1 or 2

the truthear zero is a better choice .

no? the bass is definitely better on the truthear zero blue og, imo it is better

not twice as much but i believe that paying that extra price gives you far better experience. using truthear zero after using kiwi ears cadenza feels like a massive upgrade. the sub 20-30 dollar market is just not that good considering if you pay 10-15 extra. you get a far better iem

A pair of wired, something like a Zero Red iem. Bluetooth latency kills my vibes, sorry

Try EQing them to the LMG 0.6 Target and adjust from there. As a Zero Red owner, it really improved the experience. EQ the Upper treble using a High Shelf prese. If you want, I could send you the preset I use.

Using the truthears red as in right now. It's decent for SP games but I recommend adding a portable DAC or just use the bass+ add-on to add a bit of boost on lows

Not the truthear, I bought the Zero Red and have been extremely disappointed. The treble hurts my ears. Saw so much praise for this, I think I'm the odd one out. I will never touch Truthear again. Looking for a new iem.

have the crinnacle red version of these - extremely good iem's I love them

Not a big one. I haven’t tried the blues - the reds are just a slightly modified version through crinnacle - he has a video on them if you are curious. Supposedly “better” but they are realistically extremely similar. The reds do come with a 10ohm dongle, which is supposed to boost bass, so something interesting to try. and combined with their tuning - if they are at pretty much sane price which they are supposed to be- get reds :).

There's plenty of advice out there on ones to try, but put the STAX SR L700 mk2 and Sennheiser HD800 on your list. I just tried out one of the new gen IEMs and it's incredible how far they've come in the last few years. The Truthear Crinacle Zero Red or whatever it's called is so good. Simple design with 2 dynamic drivers. Paired to a tiny little JMC DAC dongle with incredibly low distortion, it's a fantastic pairing! Just need to get some better eartips, the IEMs are quite a tight fit.

k i got them yesterday, and they're good!

yeah, they're a noticeable upgrade, and in comparison, the apple earbuds sound very tinny but I'm not really an audiophile

ok I understood "bass" and "ear" and "red" which is about it

yeah

Zero Reds don’t have mics. You can buy a cable with a mic and change that on any IEM. It’ll still be shit compared to a dedicated mic or even laptop or TWS mics which have complicated onboard processing.

I got the Zero Red, Hexa and Zero 2 as well. Hexa is my favourite among them. Haven't tried the Aria.

Zero blues > zero red

Fun hobby - enjoy discovering IEMs man! I had a blast with using my first couple sets of IEMs (wan'er and zero red) and I hope it's an awesome experience for you too. After buying a few more I decided to grab a pair that was a decent jump up (went to ie600 ultimately) so that I wouldn't feel the urge to keep buying the new hyped set and it's been great. Always helpful for me at least to see the reminders on this sub to use my gear to listen to the music rather than the other way around.

Fun hobby - enjoy discovering IEMs man! I had a blast with using my first couple sets of IEMs (wan'er and zero red) and I hope it's an awesome experience for you too. After buying a few more I decided to grab a pair that was a decent jump up (went to ie600 ultimately) so that I wouldn't feel the urge to keep buying the new hyped set and it's been great. Always helpful for me at least to see the reminders on this sub to use my gear to listen to the music rather than the other way around.

I'm also not trying to hijack OP's post, but since I've also been looking at these two iems I thought it would be appropriate to ask this question in this this thread. I'm worried about nozzle size; I have the Truthears Zero Reds and they are a bit too big for my ears. Could someone tell me how big the nozzle size is for these two and if it's anything like the Zero Reds?

My second Truthear IEM, guy with glasses was cooking something special when they made Red, its still a wholly unique sound for the sub $50 market even today. Can't get enough of Neutral with a Bass Boost goodness that it has

If they can't fit the Zero Red no way in heck will they be able to wear the MP 145.

Hello, What IEM guys are you using for c2? I was using Truthear Zero Red but difficult to ear steps, currently usonf Truthear Gate and they are ok for a budget iem. Looking for a new pair with the best image and detail t pinpoint positions. Currently looking: - Simgot EM6L - Simgot ew300 - Supermix 4 Trying to keep in 100 euros range. Thank you :)

yes definitely. I didn’t think the supermix 4 sounded much better, but the highs were much more aggressive. I played for 1/2 hour and was in pain. It’s very difficult to review CS. Thanks to Amazon.es, I tested them all... I ordered them, tried them for 1/2 weeks and returned them. I also had the Zero Red, gate and hexa but the order for me was em6l, ew300, tripowin, red, supermix, hexa and gate.

I play cs2 only… My journey was Red Zero, Gate, ew300 and now the absolute best and for me perfect (tested supermix 4 too) are the Simgot Em6l. Perfect imaging, steps, the perception of distance is incredible.

I prefer my Truthear Zero Reds over the $900 custom Ultimate Ears IEMS I bought in 2006. For the quality we are getting now, $65 is insane budget value for 2025 dollars.

Get the crinacle reds or blues or the simgot ea500lm The others, especially the aria 2 is pretty much outdated. Good but outdated . Edit : what do you mean by "Bass focused ones"? Do you mean the punch of bass you can feel? Or the clarity of the bass? Or the bass that doesn't distort the other frequencies?

Yeah, I was one of those searching like crazy for good iem for music and gaming Then, I just bought my zero red and have been awesome for both lol

Addition: I have compared the Zero Red to the HD600, the Reds perform pretty well in terms of sound stage(~45%), imaging is really good for some reason(~60%), separation is not that good, the sounds often overlap and mushed together, especially footsteps and explosions. I'd say the Reds is about 2.5 IMO( I've only tested the EM6L and Sonus, so it might be a bit off)

I still listen to them every once in a while, but not very much since I got the Castor Pro (Bass). The Zero Red is still a good set, I just don't know what value I would put on it at this point after hearing some great budget sets since I got it.

I really like the bass on the Hydro/Trio/Vader. Especially when it's boosted for Hip-Hop/EDM music. Once you boost the Zero Reds up enough the bass sounds pretty good as well. Wyvern Abyss bass also gets decent when you boost it. Unfortunately I don't have a disposable income so I don't own 20 different $100+ IEMs :( I do have my eyes on the 7hz Legato for a future purchase, which I heard gets really good bass.

Truthear Zero Red are great for that price range.

I borrowed my friends red and unfortunately my ears hurt because of the nozzle. But when my ew300 came it felt like it's just air. And  comparing a side by side. the ew300 is smaller than the red and maybe comfortable with your full face helmet?

just to add to this, kz castor silver is TxC Zero RED when u use the UUDD config same goes for Castor Black/Bass being the TxC Zero blue. The drivers used are different but ive tried all four they have similar gaming performance. I know Fresh reviews wont put this on video as he doesnt do KZ but ill say u can kinda keep the KZ castor bass close to (a few notches below) Truthear Zero Blue in the gaming dept

My first IEMs were the Hexa, the Zero Red, the Arrti T10. Hexa was way too boring, Zero Red was more fun but muddy, the t10 was the best of both. Yes it looks like a hearing aid, but it's the best $50 I've ever spent.

I daily drive truthear zero reds and find them slightly better than my gen 1 airpod pros. Better instrument separation and slightly less warm. Probably doesn’t help you a whole lot but you can use it as reference.

The pros have a more thumpy like subwoofer rumbling bass. The reds have bass like if you heard a bass drum get hit by a kick pedal in front of you. Im not a big Coachella attending bass head so I appreciate and prefer the cleaner and more neutral bass presentation the reds have. And if you find the reds lack bass, use the included bass boost impedance adapter, tho you’ll find the sound gets a little warmer

Yes tips can quite impact your experience, especially one that will give you personally a great seal. For example the Spinfit W1 gets recommended a lot but to me it tamed the bass uncomfortably. While the Dunu S&S gives just the right balance. No, cables will not impact the sound, unless the cable you're currently using is faulty. The Zero Red sound softer might be because it's a bit harder to drive, though you have a dac/amp so that's weird. Recommendation wise I'd say you need to try out Planars, their detail retrieval are top notch. But hmm you might be sensitive to treble. Give the Kefine Klanar or Artti T10 a try either way. They're the best entry point for Planars.

The Reds are definitely soft in the high end, but I don’t think it’s made well. It’s still raunchy at the upper mid, but the treble falls off way too soon. Zero air in the sound. Waiting for the Artti R2 in hopes that it would sound warm but airy/extended.

I recently wrote a big text about how I modified my Zero Red which you can find on my profile. They're great at stock otherwise, enjoy it! :)

*The following content are the thoughts and impressions I got whilst getting my first pair of IEM’s as a complete novice to that world. It's primarily aimed for rookies like me.* [Final result](https://preview.redd.it/3gzwk7omyo4e1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4614a589c88c35fc14236cfc1c5565f39d47f386) # The specs * **IEM:** [Truthear x Crinacle Zero: Red](https://truthear.com/products/zero-red) * **Eartips:** [SpinFit W1](https://spinfit-eartip.com/#/product/productdetail/104) (SM) * **DAC:** [UGREEN DAC Smart-chip](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32853581172.html) (Type-C to 3.5mm) * **Cable:** [OpenHeart GoDazzle Red 8-strands](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007427913683.html) (0.78 2Pin B) * **Case:** [OpenHeart PU Leather Case](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004366919118.html) (Big) * **EQ:** [Poweramp Equalizer](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maxmpz.equalizer) ([oratory1990](https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets/)) * **Player**: [Poweramp](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maxmpz.audioplayer) # Usage With cold weather approaching, I needed a new pair that would work well with a cap. I mainly listen to classic rock, vocal-focused music and electronic genres. I intend to use the IEMs almost exclusively with my smartphone. # Background When my no-name Bluetooth earbuds started acting up, I decided to give chi-fi a chance. It seemed like a low-risk, high-reward opportunity. For context, I’m by no means an audiophile. My humble desk setup features the [Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX](https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-sennheiser-hd6xx) paired with an old Objective2+ODAC. For noise cancellation, I rely on my trusty (discontinued) Bose 700, which are still great for tuning out the world when needed. # In-ear monitors I started digging around Reddit and YouTube, looking for some direction. Naturally, I came across channels like [Gizaudio](https://www.youtube.com/@Gizaudio) and [Crinacle](https://www.youtube.com/@crin), whose recommendations eventually led me to the Truthear x Crinacle Zero and Truthear x Crinacle Zero Red. Since I was after something fun and warm rather than pure neutral, the Zero Red felt like a good match for me. My first impressions were great, I loved how compact they looked and was instantly a fan of the black-and-red color scheme. The inclusion of multiple eartips, which supposedly influence sound performance, felt like a sweet bonus. The odd-looking leather case was a nice touch as well. However, I was a bit disappointed by the cable, which felt thin and flimsy. There was also a 10Ω impedance adapter meant to enhance the bass, but I just didn’t like it, as it looked a bit fragile. I tested a few of eartips before settling on the smaller ones, plugged the IEMs into my phone using my Ugreen DAC, and gave them a spin. I was absolutely blown away by the sound quality, these budget IEMs far exceeded my expectations. They sounded way better than I had imagined, and the hype around them turned out to be completely justified. They delivered incredible value right out of the box. I spent hours enjoying them and quickly fell in love. Naturally, I found myself back on Reddit and YouTube shortly after, browsing how others were using their pairs. This sparked a nagging thought that I hadn’t yet unlocked the Zero Red’s full potential. And I was right. # Upgrades These IEMs already offered incredible value for the price, but there were a few areas that could use some improvement. Funny enough, the cost of upgrading these three components ended up being roughly the same as the Zero Red themselves. However, considering it was a smaller amount and the fact that these upgrades could be reused for future gear, it felt like a worthwhile investment. **Eartips** People aren’t kidding when they talk about how large the nozzle is. At first, I didn’t notice, but the discomfort became more apparent the longer I used the stock eartips. After some research, I found many recommended options like the SpinFit W1, SpinFit CP155 and the Tri Clarion. I chose the SpinFit W1 at SM, hoping a slightly larger size would improve the seal, as I didn't want to lose the bass. Putting on the new eartips was initially frustrating, taking almost an hour to get a proper fit. However, the effort paid off. The comfort and sound quality, particularly in the mids and soundstage, improved significantly. The premium feel of the Spinfit W1 eartips was a stark contrast to the cheap plastic stock ones. This is definitely a must for every Zero Red owner. [image src: SpinFit](https://preview.redd.it/8sqrpd7gxo4e1.png?width=968&format=png&auto=webp&s=c806bc3a025f582d99838601944903ca5d991439) **Cable** The stock cable on the Zero Red was a major disappointment, feeling flimsy and cheap. I was surprised more people didn't mention this online. I guess I should have had lower expectations, considering it was a budget product. Determined to improve the setup, I began researching affordable replacement options. I focused on reputable brands like [OpenHeart](https://openheart.aliexpress.com/store/5883019), [Tripowin](https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-tripowin.html), and [NiceHCK](https://nicehck.aliexpress.com/store/5380078). Since I wanted to maintain the Zero Red's red aesthetic, I sought a cable that complemented its color scheme. While I initially considered the NiceHCK red cable, its silver accents didn't quite match the overall design. Having had positive experiences with OpenHeart in the past, and having heard that their 0.78 2-Pin B version was more compatible, I opted for their red cable.The cable arrived from AliExpress and immediately impressed me with its sturdy build and significantly thicker gauge compared to the stock cable. This upgrade not only enhanced durability but also elevated the Zero Red's style. I was so pleased with the transformation that it inspired me to replace the cable on my Sennheisers as well. [left: 0.78 2Pin A, right: 078 2Pin B. image src: AliExpress](https://preview.redd.it/xihm7jcjwo4e1.png?width=1177&format=png&auto=webp&s=3e93488f161222fbb50e7e62c6cf162c04597b7f) **Case** The included leather case for the Zero Red, while not bad, was a bit too soft to provide proper protection. I wasn't actively seeking a replacement, but during Single's Day, I saw an opportunity to purchase a new case while shopping for a replacement cable for my Sennheisers with OpenHeart. Based on reviews, I opted for a larger size to ensure it could accommodate both the Zero Red and my DAC. It came home and whilst a bit bulky, it was worth it considering how sexy it looked. [image src: AliExpress](https://preview.redd.it/9jwls396xo4e1.png?width=1166&format=png&auto=webp&s=e07fe04501020589405860c07af33f703251f4eb) # Equalizer After replacing all the physical components, I thought I was done. That was until I came across an interesting video where Crinacle mentioned he almost always uses EQ, no matter which IEM he’s listening to. Fine then, if it’s good enough for Crinacle, it’s good enough for me. As an Android user, I quickly searched the Play Store and discovered the PowerAmp Equalizer app. What stood out to me was its ability to assign specific EQ presets based on the connected gear. This meant that every device, whether wired or wireless, could benefit from enhanced audio output. My search eventually led me to the subreddit r/oratory1990, where I found Harman and oratory1990 [target profiles](https://www.reddit.com/r/oratory1990/wiki/index/list_of_presets/) for all my audio gear. The subreddit also provided detailed info on how to configure the parametric equalizer within the app. I wasn’t aiming to dramatically alter the sound since it already impressed me. Instead, I wanted to fully unlock my IEMs' potential. And that’s exactly what happened. The changes were subtle but noticeable, resulting in a more balanced and refined listening experience to my ears. It turned out to be another low-risk, high-reward upgrade that truly delivered. It sounded amazing, another of those musts. # Source These IEMs had already exceeded my expectations, but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to see if improving the media used would make a difference. I decided to try the Poweramp player on a trial basis and sourced a lossless version of one of my favorite albums: [*Band of Gypsys*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Band_of_Gypsys) by Jimi Hendrix. Typically, I listen to music on Spotify, so I conducted an A/B test, comparing Spotify’s highest quality settings to a 16-bit FLAC version. I performed the test late at night, alone in a quiet room for optimal focus. The differences were there, but they required careful attention for the music to stand out. Hoping for more noticeable results, I switched to a different genre and played Daft Punk's album [*Discovery*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_(Daft_Punk_album)). The outcome was similar, slightly improved sound quality, but again, it required concentrated listening to appreciate the subtle enhancements. # Future improvements I think I’ve taken my Zero Red as far as they can go, there’s not much left to improve. Maybe a superior DAC like the [MoonDrop Dawn Pro](https://moondroplab.com/en/products/dawn-pro) or [Onix Alpha XI1](https://shenzhenaudio.com/products/onix-alpha-xi1-dual-cs43198-portable-usb-dac-amp) could push things further, but I’d rather save that money for my next pair of IEMs. I’ve already got my eye on a couple of promising potential upgrades: the [MoonDrop Blessing 3](https://moondroplab.com/en/products/blessing3) and the [Tanchjim Origin](https://www.tanchjimaudio.com/product/origin). That said, there’s no rush, as I’m genuinely very content with the Zero Red for now. That didn’t stop me from picking up a few more eartips during Singles’ Day on AliExpress, though. I ordered the SpinFit CP155 and Tri Clarion eartips, but I haven’t had the chance to try them out yet. # Closing thoughts Hell of a journey to squeeze every ounce of magic out of my Zero Red, ladies and gentlemen! They were impressive right out of the box, but after all the tweaks and upgrades, they became truly exceptional. The most transformative improvements to the sound quality came from the Spinfit W1 eartips and using the Oratory1990 target preset with the PowerAmp Equalizer. As for the difference between 320kbps and 16-bit FLAC, it was too subtle for me to justify switching from Spotify to a hi-fi service like Tidal, especially since my listening habits are chaotic and often on the go. The leather case and upgraded cable, though purely vanity upgrades, gave the IEMs a stylish, premium look that feels like they belong in a higher price bracket. I'm very pleased with the results. https://preview.redd.it/z5rbe41tyo4e1.jpg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=444d31888577515b89580087d70ddce3c756cd51

leave all of them buy the zero reds

I agree with what you said about comfort, it was suggested that if you get Zero Red, you should go one size down with the ear tips, so if you already use size S, Zero Red might not be worth the trouble for you.

it's good by itself, but not an upgrade over zero red

Zero Red has the biggest nozzles on the market but I'm 80% sure they would fit everyone with foam ear tips

I can't stomach replacing them that often, so I will typically push it a bit, but at 6-9 weeks they really do become hazardous to continue using.

Zero Red are good if they fit. M20x are just garbage

I’d go for a zero red tbh instead of either

Same boat as you. Glasses, etc. still like my HD650. I’ve had various cheaper iems. Salnotes Zero, blon bl05, kz zsn, truthear zero red, salnotes dioko. Favourite for gaming/every day is the zero red, followed by the zero. But it’s mainly a fit thing, I use them with a modmic kimura.

Right now I have the truthear zero red, I feel like they are good enough but idk

op, I have the Truthear: Zero Red and Truthear Zero: Blue, and they both fit my ears just fine. as for gaming, the blue is good for fps, rpg and action games where the extra bass and treble is nice to have. while the reds are good for rythim, strategy and turn based games as those have good sound tracks and vocals that the red's can take advantage of. hope this helps.

well I already have my zero red for harman neutral tuning and blue(og) for harman bass+(but lost it) so I guess I'll go for the blue 2 for the trinity, better cable and more foam tips. thanks for the advice tho.

Dw, I am cool with foam. In fact, it is nice that I get 4 foam tips instead of 1(on the zero red).

man, those s ranks having prices >= $1000 is really hard for a budget baller for me... also a rank's prices > $200. also nice microphone. anyways, looking at the rankings, man it's hard to see my daily driver (Truthear zero: red) in c tier. tho I will agree that the Truthear zero: blue(I also owned this for a while but it was stolen) is better in fps games due to having a higher bass and treble tuning than the red. I would normally just recommend the Truthear zero: blue for fps and action while the Truthear zero: red for more casual open world rpg, sanbox, turn based, etc. but the Truthear zero: blue2 just released. It is basically the Truthear zero: blue (in sound profile) but with 4 sets of foam ear tips and 3 sets of silicone tips(instead of 6 sets of silicone tips and one set of foam tips), a better cable than the Truthear zero: blue & red, and has a smaller nozzle than both the Truthear zero: blue & red. if you can afford the Truthear zero: blue2 (kinda the same price as the Steelseries Arctis 1 in my country but could be different from your area), you should definitely try them. tho at the end of the day, the biggest advantage of Iems to headphones are form factor and price to performance.

Truthear Zero: Blue. Sadly it was stolen from me. I do have her big sister, the Truthear Zero: Red and been using those since.

For starters, CCA Is kinda V-shaped, that means lots of bass + very energetic treble. The problem here Is most options you picked have Nothing to do with It. Truthear Zero Red Is very balanced and neutral so they will sound boring at first when compared. Cadenza Is a bit similar but more refined, bit of you find the intensity of the bass on the CRA good, you might find the Cadenza Lacking the bass área, there Is also ew200, Is also energetic, but despite It being a technical upgrade over the CRA, It has a very, very foward treble and, again, bass might be not enought, Delci are very good and Safe in sound, bass Is the main focus, but might not be as energetic as the CRA. No idea on the Oriveti tho, never hear of It. I would personally pick the Delci as most other picks have one or another possible problem over Delci (reds big nozzle, bad Fit/ cadenza Lacking bass or being too shouty/ ee200 having too much treble intensity). If you want something like the CCA CRA bit better, check the Juzear Clear Tho.

This is my First formal IEM Pick Mega Guide – "Revamped" (Last Updated: January 2025) PART 1 Oh well… here we go again. And this is going to be LARGE, so buckle up, this is a part 1 because turns out reddit wont let me publish this much text in one single post, so yeah, ill link the Part 2 right here: * [For part 2 Click - HERE -](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1f332k3/the_iem_pick_megaguide_part2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) # UPDATE: Now i also have a Sub $100-ish list if you want to check it: [https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/OXgg8IsbYi](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/OXgg8IsbYi) /---------------- # Gaming Update: As quite a lot of people asks for gaming options, I’ll make this update marking iems with performance rakings from the "WALLHACK TIER LIST" of Reviewer Fresh Reviews, who is known for recommending iems for gaming use, just be aware that this does not reflect my opinion about each IEM nor does it ensure that you will have an excellent video game experience just because the iem is listed. The Fresh Reviews system gives letter grades where “S” is the best grade, going down from S-A to C+, where C+ means that they are the minimum for video games. I will mark the IEMs by putting the score besides the name: "( FRS: “Mark obtained”)" (FRS = Fresh Reviews Score), example: Zero Red (FRS: C+), if you don't see this mark, it means that Fresh Reviews did not consider it for gaming, or didnt review the product. /---------------- **So, lets continue with part 1:** Some people might identify me already, I’m one of the redditors in this sub that’s usually giving recs and trying to help people left and right, things doesn’t always work, but I hope that I’m being of some help. So yeah, I finally gathered the will to do a proper post about this, I’ll try to pour everything I know after around 4 years of checking reviews and trying around more than 27 different iems (mostly under $100).   ***BTW, IF YOU SEE SOME GLARING ERROR, ANYTHING THAT JUST DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT, PLEASE LET MY KNOW, IM DISLEXIC TOO, SO YEAH XD, THANKS FOR THE FUTURE HELP.*** \----- # CONTENTS: Part 1: * Where to buy? * List of mostly recommended iems under $50. * Reviewers List. Part 2: * FACs (Frequently Asked Concerns lol – I recommend you to read this one first if you are a newbie). * Final extra details. Now, remember that I’m just another person, I have preferences and some degree of bias towards some sets, especially ones that I own, my intention is not to tell you “You should pick this”, but rather to point you out to a clearer direction as to what you might like or need. This info is not “absolute” as preferences and music library plays a huge role on the experience, but at least I hope I can make this decision less complicated for you. \----- # Where to buy? So, first, I don’t know what store you are planning to use but most common recs for buying are: * Mostly free shipping Stores: Shenzhen Audio, Amazon, and alsoAliExpress, but with ali, you need to pick the seller carefully, I have got 3 iems and some cables from there without any problems, but it isn’t as safe as Amazon and Shenzhen could be. * \- * They usually charge shipping Stores: Hifigo, Linsoul. I would recommend the free shipping Stores better since, besides free shipping, I have had less problems with them (in my very personal experience) and they usually do as much as possible to help their clients, however, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have problems with each store, sometimes life sucks and online stores do too, so always be careful when ordering online, specially check sellers on AliExpress Also, when buying, remember that if you wish to have a cable that comes with a mic, since IEMs don’t always come with one, especially around $50 and above, you need to specially pick the option of having a cable with mic when selecting the IEM for purchase if the options is given. \----- # Usually recommended IEMs under $50 If you don’t feel like reading or you have some IEM experience, skip or ignore the “FACs” part, HOWEVER, if you are new to this hobby, I recommend you to check that first, it could help clear your mind about a lot of questions you might have. ***The price in brackets is the original base price of the IEMs.*** ***Purchase links disclaimer:*** The links included are affiliate links, but make sure to check vendor reviews when you make any AliExpress purchases. The links have no influence on which IEMs are recommended or picked for the list.   # ----- # BASSY IEMS IEMs that their key point Is the lower end of sound, more Rumble and/or bass punch/kick, if you want some good bass, check this one, there will be iems from bass heavy to balanced, but overall, picks that have an elevated bass area, even if that also comes with some extra treble. * **($16) KZ Castor Bass enhanced edition (Black colored):** An IEM with a heavy, but still somewhat clean, punchy and rumbly bass, that can have the amount of bass and treble adjusted with switches, can have some more treble energy than QKZxHBB, but bass is very prominent, so vocals do get a bit overshadowed and might feel lacking intensity, recommended mostly for electronic music or bass heavy genres like hip-hop or R&B, not really recommended for vocal centric music genres like rock or ballads, Works for gaming, but bass might be too distracting. Nozzle is on the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mt6hFPl) * \- * **($17) KZ Castor Pro:** A small upgrade to the Castor bass OG, a bit more Rumble, a bit less punch, it is overall better than the OG Castor, but also comes with a larger nozzle. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKmDf4B) * \- * **($20) QKZxHBB (FRS: B-):** A lot of rumbly bass with decent vocals, altough it can sound muddy for some at fist, is mostly for those who really like a lot of inmersive bass but also still want enough vocal and treble detail. Works for gaming. Nozzle slightly on the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msetV8R) * \- * **($50) Truthear Zero (blue) (FRS: B-):** They are actually balanced sounding, bass, vocals and treble all are very energetic, but this IEM was made to have very clean bass, like a mini “subwoofer” effect, and that’s the main focus of It, although their nozzles (the part of the iem that goes into your ear canal) are some of the biggest on the market, if you happen to have small ear canals, or you are looking for comfort, they could hurt or not fit well when using them (the biggest nozzle from this list). Usually recommended over the Zero Red for gaming, from the less bassy picks in the bassy section. You should consider using a dongle DAC if the sound is too quiet with them. If you happend to have fitting problems, check the Spinfit CP155 eartips, could help a lot, but those tips get streched kinda easy and can fall out of the nozzle, so do take in mind. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOGUNun) * \- * **($24-34) BLON BL03:** Great hard hitting bassy IEM, a lot of Energy and intensity with enough intense treble, biggest downside Is that Fit might not be great thanks to their particular shape and short reaching nozzle (the nozzle might not be large enough to enter properly into your ear canal), the nozzle itself is on the smaller side. Not a bad pick, works for gaming, but a bit outdated. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqDowxp) * \- * **($50) CCA Rhapsody:** THE Castor bass upgrade, better techs, some more clarity, all in all, a great bassy package for the price, but shell is VERY large and nozzle not so smaller, so, if you have small ears, then maybe this is not the best pick, nozzle size is in a middle ground. Works for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMQ1ytz) * \- * **($35) BLON Z300:** A very specific pick since they are just somewhat bassy, they could sound balanced for bassheads, and muddy for non-bassheads, the bass works better with well produced/mixed files, for poor quality tracks they might lack punch, they are decent for vocals, but might feel a bit on the background. They are decent for an inmerssive bassy sound, and have pretty good resolution and detail, also, sound direction is good, if you like ASMR, those are good bot a bassy relaxed replay on a budget. Should work for gaming, nozzle is pretty small, should have a comfy fit. If you want clarity and cleaness is not the best option. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrDU1eF) * \- * **($50) Blon JOJO:** this one is like a more bassy, aggressive QKZxHBB, techs are just decent for $50, but because of its quantity of bass, aren’t the best for clarity or detail. Might work for gaming, not really recommended, best for bassy music genres. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mOT3o83) * \- * **($37) CCA Trio:** This ones comes like a small upgrade from the Castor Bass, if you feel that Castor bass would be too intense, might as well go for this one, this is more of a bassy V-shaped or balanced set, but with the ability to increase the bass or treble just like the castor. should work for gaming. Vader Balanced is a good alternative if you find it cheaper. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPAIXdp) * \- * **($31) KZ Vader Balanced:** Energetic bassy V-shape-ish sound with a less "Harman-style" approach (less obvious clean-cut bass, some warmness on vocals), so it has a bit more body, but not that much, mostly a bit less V-shaped CCA trio, a good alternative to it. Decent techs for the price, get whichever is cheaper. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m05R5aF) * \- * **($50) INAWAKEN Dawn Ms:** Warm, rumbly, a bit thick, bassy V-shaped iem, could feel slightly less technical than other iems, but clean-ish sound still, relaxed upper treble but a bit foward lower treble (shoutiness warning), warm-ish vocals, pretty good bass performance. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKp2ac3) * \- * **($25) Tachjim One (has DSP/Type-C option too):** A bullet style earphone that has a focus on Mid bass over sub bass, it’s somewhat V-shaped and energetic, a bit foward on the lower treble, and it has a bass that should work better for rock genres since it gives energy to drums without making the sound way too bassy. Could work for gaming, but being this mid-bass centric, wouldn’t recommend It. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPULWWP) * \- * **($22) Tanchjim Tanya (DSP):** Another bullet style, the only reason I’m mentioning only the DSP version (Type-C cable connection) is because this one would pack a very good amount of bass, while keeping it reasonably clean, slightly better than Castor bass in that specific regard, but keeping an affordable price over other picks like Trio or Zero Blue. Could work for gaming, still similar problem to Castor. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKWofm3) # -- # BALANCED IEMS Section for more balanced and somewhat neutral IEMs: (For clarification on what’s “neutral” and what’s “balanced” please check the FACs) * **($19) Tangzu Waner:** a slightly rumbly IEM that has a lot of vocal qualities, with a close-to-neutral and pretty balanced sound, great for long listening sessions, not great for directional sound/gaming in my personal experience. A very versatile starter pick, but bass area can come as a slightly muddy at first, so, better for people that like some bass presence and nice body on male vocals. Nozzle size is in between, not too big, not too small. As a side note, some people say they work for gaming, i dont find them particularly good for that versus other options, your call. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0Z0EQr) * \- * **($30) Tripowin Vivace (FRS: B-):** A nice slighlty bass leaning iem that has good technicalities for the price, almost performing above its price range, a very safe sound overall, on of the safest sounds on to pick from the list. The best cheaper allrounder starting point under $30 and arguably the best gaming pick under $50. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKx3o0L) * \- * **($38-44) Sgor Luna:** While it’s a planar, it doesn’t exactly compete with other planars around this price, however, it’s a very cheap good option to try a planar driver, plus you can pick them bundled with a dongle dac which should take care of your amplification needs. As far as technical performance goes it is decent for its price range (which is around $40) but the best part is that it is like a less intense Simgot ew200, it might have an edge over them technically speaking, but the tuning of the luna doesn’t make it too obvious. It has a better bass quality and presence, making it a pretty decent and very safe pick for the price, as long as you use a dongle with them OR a DAP with decent amplfication on the 3.5mm conection. *PROBABLY THE SAFEST PICK AROUND $50.* Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKynQSJ) * \- * **($19) Truthear Gate:** A correct and pretty balanced iem, similar to waner but with a tilt to female vocals and treble, also, bass might sound slightly cleaner than waner, but just a bit. Should for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0ebw6r) * \- * **($25-30) Kinera Celest Wyvern (Abyss/black, Quing, Pro) (should had a Type-C option):** the 3 verions are around the same, pick the most appealing to you. Tuning is similar to waner with a bit of more overall energy on vocals and presence on the bass, maybe a tilt to female vocals too, and slightly cleaner in the bass. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrlZ1Ij) * \- * **($20) Simgot ew100p (There is a DSP/Type-C variant):** Another similar one to Gate and Waner, maybe an inbetween from gate and waner, but all in all, a very decent, balanced set, slightly more treble energy than other models, nothing too much. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqIAQHH) * \- * **($19) Moondrop Chu II (There is a DSP/Type-C variant):** A pretty balanced and clean IEM, detail is nice, and they are a bit more forward on the female vocals and treble than Waner, still not too intense, another great starting pick, especially for people that do want to hear some bass, but don’t want it to affect the rest of the sound much. As a heads up tho, these are especially known for having problems with humidity and moisture because of its metal shell. Works for gaming, nozzle on the smaller side, should have a comfy fit. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK6uRmj) * \- * **($25) 7hz Salnotes Zero 2:** A more bassy leaning version of the Chu II, the second safest allrounder performer after Vivace for any kind of music genres under $30, a good gaming replacement for the Vivace too, nozzle is slightly on the larger side. This one is not on the bassy side since it has less bass than most of the other Bassy picks, around the same as the Zero Blue, but without any fancy “subwoofer” approach. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mqKyRcR) * \- * **($35) Kiwiears Cadenza:** A more energetic version of the Tangzu Waner, with a more v-shaped approeach with extra sub-bass and female vocals, overall good performance if you like that energy in your music, however, bass isn’t like super strong or super punchy, is there, is nice and has some presence, but it isn’t the focus of its sound, works well for ballads or rock style music, with some extra versatility for some electronic music, not recommended for bassy music genres like hip.hop or R&B tho. Watch out for sensitivity to 4Khz peaks, vocals in general might come as shouty for some people, I wouldn’t recommend it for people looking for bass quality, as the vocal energy can get in the way for enjoying them,. Works for gaming, nozzle leans to the larger side. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0ZUrDt) * \- * **($40) Simgot EW200 (FRS: C+):** a somewhat neutral IEM that intends to be balanced but actually has a lean on the vocal an treble side of sound, so there Is more clarity and you will perceive more detail on the sound, but some people might feel that the treble can be a bit too intense, bass is there and has presence, but Is not the main focus. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0hfYft) * \- * **($55) Truthear Zero (red) (FRS: C+):** this is a bit more expensive version of the Truthear Zero blue, It has the same build quality but the sound Is a bit more balanced and less overly energetic, it works well with more music genres. The IEM comes with an adapter to increase the bass quantity to Zero Blue Levels (in stock it has less amount of bass), but It also shares the big nozzle of the blue version. Usually less recommended for gaming over the Zero Blue. Recomended to use a dongle DAC for amplification, to get te Best performance out of them. If you happend to have fitting problems, check the Spinfit CP155 eartips, could help a lot, but those tips get streched kinda easy, so do take in mind. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMrjPcX) * \- * **($50)** [Kefine Klean](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/7PVWrvBEU2)**:** A good balanced sounding set with a small bass lean, great techs for the price and a decent fit with an average size nozzle, all in all, probably on of the best picks on the list if you have $50, want the best performance and don’t know what to pick. ***I must mention that some people have encounter situations of channel imbalance with their sets, it could be the filters unscrewing or just not being properly put on on the first place, check that if you have any problems, also, be careful with humidity since its a metal shell, and if you have any actual problem, please do contact the store where you get them from for help with the issue, or the people at Kefine for direct Help*** Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msWNk9V) * \- * **($15) Tangzu Princess ChangLe:** A mild V-shaped bullet style iem that would be pretty versatile for most music genres but technicalities like resolution, soundstage and instrument separation (check FACs if you don’t know what these means) are slightly worse than most other sub $20 options. Its price and comfort is pretty good still, a good gift option, wouldn’t recommend it for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mNZJZK7) * \- * **($10) KZ EDC Pro:** Very cheap yet good sounding iem, some less technical than its $20 peers but costing significantly less, the cheapest yet best starting point to test what iems have to offer, however don’t expect the best build quality, also, some people find the treble a bit too intense. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrXq3FN) * \- * **($16)** [TRN Orca](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1cbec6e/trn_orca_consumer_pov_review/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) **(should had a Type-C option):** This is another pretty nice, inexpensive pick for people on a budget that doesn’t know what they like and cant spend too much money, Orca is a metal shell iem that has a kinda V-shaped tuning but with a lean on the bass, however, thanks to its 3 tuning switches, you can adjust the sound to either something kinda bassy clean like the Chu2 (switches Down Down Up – DDU), to a very V-shaped bassy tuning similar to Zero 2 (UDU) to a very bass heavy sound somewhat similar to QKZxHBB or Castor Bass (DUD - works particuarly well when amplified with a dongle dac for a somewhat "subwoofer" feel). They also gain some extra resolution when amplified with a dongle dac. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msqEjYX) * \- * **($55) TKZK Ouranos (FRS: C+):** This one might show the similar shouty vocals than the Cadenza could have, but it is kinda the direct upgrade from them. It has a noticeable more punchy bass, but it’s very balanced with the rest of the sound, very prominent upper mids, intense in the note weight -the weight the sound hits with- and has very good techs for its price, slightly better than Truthear Blue and Red, but would recommend to get it discounted below its $55 price. Overall great if you like vocal forward leaning sound, specially female vocals, it has a bit less aggressive treble that EW200 might had. Not recommended for bassheads at all, as bass quantity will let you wanting more. Should work for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMsadP9) * \- * **($50) Tangzu YuXuanJi:** Decent techs for the price, bright leaning sound, focus on vocals and treble over bass. Around in brightness to the ew200, open back design doesn’t do much for the sound, controlled amount of decent quality bass, and fairly good technical performance. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mPz7wQn) * \- * **($30-40) TinHifi C2 OG/2025:** Very balanced sounding, enough of everything from bass to treble, good alternative to the Vivace, with a vocal focus + slightly less boosted bass. Good technicalities for the price. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKfH9Jd) * \- * **($30) Twistura D-Minor:** Somewhat V-shaped energetic set with average technicalities for the price, nice accessories that comes with a dongle dac, if you feel that it lacks bass or needs more bass try the different tuning nozzles. Basic but complete starting point pick. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mtr7wKB) * \- * **($50) Celest IgniteX Beast:** Balanced but slightly bright leaning (focus on vocal and treble) set that performs as its price point, semi-custom shell that can fit either really good or not so good depending on your ear. Decent techs for the price. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_m0Luh8J) * \- * **($30) TRN Conch:** This is a risky pick for the price, is better to get it on sale. The biggest upside are the accessories it comes with, is like an upgrade combo of a nice interchangeable connections cable, some decent eartips and a metal box, that comes with some extra iems included. The thing with the Conch is that it comes with interchangable nozzles, but just 1 of the 3 is useable for most people, the red nozzle, as the other 2 have a pretty forward and intense treble. The Conch has a V-shaped kind of sound, its somewhat similar to the ew200 but with more presence on the bass, which packs good punch, rumble and texture, and its also pretty clean; vocals are just fine, not that natural sounding iem, but also not bad; the treble Is energetic with some peaks of intensity, not the most refined but not super harsh, so your mileage may vary, just dont pick them if you are sensitive to treble. It works fairly well for rock genres. The nozzle is on the smaller size, however, because of the weird shape of the shell of the iem, its possible that the fit wont be the best for you, since its like a bullet style earphone, with just a cylindrical weight at the end that has very little support in the ear, so, keeping them in while moving too much could be a problem. Again, its not too bad, but it has a few “buts” to consider before buying it. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK0gJK7) * \- * **($70) Artti T10 (and other planars):** I know the T10 stock price is around $70 bucks, but in some sales in AliExpress, and with new customer discounts, you could find it closer to $50 or even less. The main reason why I mention this one is mostly to talk about Planar iems, those are know for having good overall performance in sound and techs, but that also comes with a not so cheap price, and the need for some extra anergy from a dongle DAC to work the best. The T10 has a somewhat balanced, slightly V-shaped sound, that has just enught bass, but some people could use a bit more, overall excelent quality of sound when properly amplyfied. Build quality is also fairly good. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKBFQ47) * \- * **($50) KZ PRX:** Mild V-shaped energetic planar, technically-wise competes with its planar peers but for a reduced price, however, it needs some good amplification, you should also get a better cable, 4.4mm cable with a dongle that has the connection, if possible, would be great. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ms7AueR) # -- # BRIGHT IEMS Now for more "bright" IEMs: Bright IEMs are more focused on vocal clarity, and especially treble intensity and details of the sound, they are not for everyone since most of the time the bass Is quite controlled and don’t really have much presence. * **($23) 7hz Salnotes Zero (Originals)(There is a DSP/Type-C variant):** Pretty detailed, vocals do take the main stage while bass it’s pretty tamed, still being plenty enough for it to be musical. The most sub $20 IEM recommended pick for gaming thanks to its price, performance and clarity. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mK0Lu71) * \- * **($39) TKZK Wave:** A very technically competent pick, borderline neutral sound, with a clear yet small emphasis on treble, boosted enough for a detailed replay, the bass is clearly very reduced, but you can still hear some of it, dont expect much bass rumble. The bass might be too little for gaming. Check it out here: [Linsoul.](https://www.linsoul.com/products/tkzk-wave?srsltid=AfmBOopjxSmV08WMQvk-Rl0f6qiqRi0A-7hiIFV35tn3Q_6sqzbao6Ht) * \- * **($16) Tachjim Zero:** slightly more mid bass than the TKZK wave, slightly less overall technicalities, but in accordance with its lower price, similar focus on vocals with less treble. And, as it’s a bullet style it should be a comfy fit in your ear. Bass might be too little for gaming. Check it out here: [Linsoul.](https://www.linsoul.com/products/tanchjim-zero?srsltid=AfmBOooqEkFsn3ddSoCxeNxxA9ZhUqALVc7TAQVwn-j-wvSlP4B-8t5f) * \- * **($21) Tangzu Waner SE (Studio Edition):** A slightly brighter, but also cleaner Waner, with some more energy on vocals and treble, nothing else special other than the memory foam ear hooks in the cable that might or might not help with comfort. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mMI8dSb) * \- * **($30) Ziigaat Nuo (FRS: C+):** A more bass energetic Salnotes Zero OG, the focus is on vocals and especially treble, but it doesn’t overlook the bass, has good performance for the price, but not a safe pick for people with treble sensitivity. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mKr0NOF) * \- * **($40) Moondrop Lan (FRS: C+):** This could be a small upgrade from the Salnotes Zero original. A very decent build quality and technically competitive for the price, it has a nozzle on the small side just like chu 2, so should be very comfortable. The sound might have around the same to slightly less bass than the Zero OG, but, it will also have slightly better vocals than it, besides that, they are pretty similar, good if you don’t like much bass and you just enjoy a treble focused sound, but not with an overly intense replay. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mO5eyD5) * \- * **($60) 7hz Sonus (FRS: B-):** This one might be a bit out of budget but you can find it for less than $50 on a sale. Sonus Is said to have pretty good technical performance that is above its price range, however, the biggest downside it might had is that the sound could not be as "cohesive" as it should because of the dual driver implementation, that means that some parts of the sound around upper mids and treble might sound somewhat slightly separated from the lower mids and bass, most people don’t find this as a glaring problemm but you are warned. Of course, bass is reduced, but around the same as the Zero Original, this would be more like a direct upgrade, and should work well for gaming. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mrnxgiR) * \- * **($40) Tanchjim OLA:** A bit outdated for the price, but still the special pick if you want to know what “neutral” is actually supposed to sound like, pretty similar to the Wave but it has almost no noticeable Sub-bass, in favor of a very clean sound reproduction, it has some mid-bass to it but mostly for getting that specifically neutral sound, and has just enough vocals and treble intensity for the sound to be correct and very natural. This is not a pick that is recommended for daily use, but if you love vocals and clean instruments, this one is still a great choice, although technicalities might be slightly below average at this point. Check it out here: [AliExpress.](https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_msI48If) * \- So that’s It, those are some of the best IEMs to pick for under $50, there are more that I didn’t mention and it doesn’t mean they are bad, is just that these are the most commonly known to be good and considered that most people would probably enjoy. Also, there aren’t many KZ or CCA options here because there are already some better options for similar tunings. Besides, KZ and CCA accesories and quality control is not from the best, and they have had other problems in the past like possible silent revisions of iems (changing drivers or tunings without prior notice) so they dont give me enough trust to recommend them so easily. Any question just Let me know. Notice that I do own or have owned some of the IEMs mentioned, but most of these recs are made by checking and comparing various Reviews from different sources. # -- # Reviewers List The purpose of this is so you can check the opinion of various people that had already checked a good bunch of other iems so you can have a wider perspective of what you might deal with, don’t take the word of just 1 or 2 unless you are sure they share your exact taste in audio, ideally use them just as a reference, compare any already owned iems with their opinions to see where their preferences stand in relation to yours, DO NOT trust only one opinion just because you like it better or the reviewer just sounds more knowledgeable. * HBB (YT Is called: bad guy good audio Reviews).\* * Paul Wasabi.\* * Super Reviews.\* * Jays audio. * Audio-in Reviews.\* * Gizaudio (Channel now run by ATechReviews - New Channel TimTuned). * WhatsNew. * SuperChonk.\* * Audio Amigo.\* * AndyAudioVault. * Acho Reviews. * Tone Deaf Monk. * Prime Audio Reviews. * Akros. * Ian Fann. * Hobby Talk. * Vortex Reviews. * AV Atmos. * Joyces Reviews. * Lumerion. * Honest Audiophile (I find him to be very biased by his own taste in sound, but it’s good to have every single second opinion in this case). * Joshua Valour (More headphones but still) * Kenneth Tanaka (this Is More for TWS/Blueetooth earphones) * Dan's audio Review (mostly for IEM sound comparation).\* \--- * *And please, do not take Sharur seriously, he Is trolling most of the time.* The names marked with a “ \* “ are the ones that are mostly well known and somewhat generally respected by the community and I. There is also the Legend "Crinacle" but he stopped doing "serious" reviews, i wont explain his lore, but if you find a review of an iem from him, especially in his "Crinacle" channel, he is also very respected, but he also sells iems now, so he has a lot to gain from you buying some sets. Now timmy, original host of Gizaudio has joined Crin into his Store Channel.

When It comes to relaxing listening sessions, actually some bass Is needed, really, most of the Energy an IEM has Is from the mids/vocals and treble. So i dont see anything with less bass being much better for that. Still, yeah, Waner might be a good pick, Its really Smooth and innofensive, Its just that bass has still a good amount of presence in the sound, thats why It Is relaxed despite having some less bass than Zero 2. If you do wanna upgrade for something more chill, maybe the Z300 could be a good pick, you see, It Is already bot that much more bassy than Zero2, plus, really the bass Is going to be as aggresive as your music Is, but at leas i never found z300 super strong or super punchy, also, It should have a more comfortable Fit since It has a smaller nozzle than Zero2. But thats just if you want to spend a bit extra. If not, them now that you explained better, yeah, Waner Is a totally fine side-grade. Just take in mind that, since you are used to something more energetic, maybe Waner will sound more dull and lacking bass at first listen (Is a thing that happend to a lot of people, to me too), Waner Is pretty balanced in sound for most people, so what happends Is that anything more bassy can make them sound like lacking some bass, while anything More treble foward can make them sound too bloated and bassy. So just a heads up on that front, might wanna give them a bit of exclusive listening time, without switching back to Zero2. For the record, i got my pair of Waner when i also has the Truthear Zero Blue which Is a lot more energetic, and Waner sounded a bit "lifeless", had to only listen to It for a few hours to really find out Its actual sound, now Is one of my favorite IEMs even over some more expensive sets. A good similar alternative to the Wan'er could be the Gate, with just a bit more noticeable reduced bass than Waner.

Afaik Is not bad at all but Isnt anything that special tho, Is in the balanced side of things. For pop and EDM It depends on how much bass you would like. If you are more into EDM than pop and like a lot of bass, castor Bass could work, QKZxHBB would be the average good pick. If you like more pop than EDM. Then QKZxHBB fot a bassy replay or Salnotes Zero 2 for and overall good amount of bass but not too much, should work good for both. Now, if you are looking More for Clarity and dont want that much bass, Salnotes Zero 2 would be the safest pick, second by Chu2 with slightly less bass presence, but anything around Waner, but specially Waner (Thanks to Its balanced yet bassy sound) could work aswell, specially for vocals and overall pop. If you like a bassy sound and can go a bit higher in budget, CCA trio could also be a very good pick for both.

From all the list? for cheap, usually the Salnotes Zero Original is the one recomended, followed by the Salnotes Zero 2 if you want some bass, and the QKZxHBB if you want extra bass. Now, the all the list and price range, the truthear zero blue is usually recomended, however it has a pretty large nozzle so might be uncomfortable in your ear if you dont have large ear canals, in that regard, a new entrie on the list, that i hasnt updated yet is the Kefine Klean, that would be the safe Fit alternative nowadays.

Not that much actually, but people seem to find the bass performance of the Wyvern a bit better, and, overall, wyvern is a bit more balanced between bass, mids and treble, while cadenza is a bit more leaning into the bass area, what some find a more "warm" sound. So yeah, between the 2, you might aswell pick based on looks.

Some models do go under the radar, but yeah, well, QKZxHBB is a pretty good, pretty warm representative set, do take in mind that vs gate and klean it will sound muddy at first, so, if you dont want that, maybe something a bit more balanced but still warm like the Tangzu Waner could be a better choice if you dont want to kinda just pick them up to leave them unused if you didnt like it. As for bright iems, maybe the Salnotes Zero Original would be a bit better idea, but if you do can find the Tanchjim Zero still (the original one) is also a decent reference.

I have Klean, have used Cadenza And Zero Blue Original, and stock, none are that great for what you specifically want. That said, if you are planing on EQ, i really think Klean would be the pick here, however, that is as long as you dont live on a humid city since klean struggles with humidity a lot, you can always use silica gel packs when storing them but still... If you do live in a humid country, and are planing to EQ, ill recomend either the Sgor Luna for safe-ish overall pick after the Klean (which you could possibly even like stock) and specially because you can get it bundled with a dongle dac if you need type-c conection... Or the Truthear Zero Blue 2* as long as you either use it always with EQ, or with the impedance adapter on, and as long as it is in your price range on your country of course. Also, a warning that, if you know you have small ear canals, those can be a but uncomfortable since they have quire a large nozzle, they are the smallest nozzle one from all 3 Truthear Zero models, but still quite larger than average fitting size IEMs like Waner. So yeah, Thats about it for stock $50usd-ish picks, i must say that there are other (on paper) pretty overall good options like T10 but i am not mentioning them because for your specific use case they could be "problematic". Now, my next best pick, if you want to save money, want a similar tuning to the Klean minus the possible humidity struggles and with a more overall good fitting nozzle size than most other iems, there is the Tripowin Vivace, I have both Klean and Vivace, and Vivace is basically a "mini-Klean", and overall small but notable downgrade, but still quite good performing. specially $20 cheaper for like 70% of the performance. i personally cant recomend cadenza because i found it significantly shouty, and if for me Waner was OK shoutiness-wise, then you'll have Higher risks with it, Klean could also feel a bit shouty tho, but given you will be using EQ, it also has better bass performance than Cadenza so is still the better pick even if more expensive, and for $5 less than cadenza you vivace anyway. Waner 2 also seems to be a very good option so far if you want cheap and with good accesories, but is still a fairly new iem tho, With EQ it likely would do better given than original waner is a beast for EQ, but dont really expect a performance upgrade with that one tho. So yeah, that would be what i would recomend so far based on what you asked. i also have a review posted on the Kefine Klean here on reddit if you wish to check it, is on my profile or hyperlinked in the name of the Klean in the list itself here in the post. Anything else, let me know and ill see if i can help.

Well, if you are ok with EQ them T10 should be fine, if you would want stock bassy tuning, (especially) Letshouer S08 or Kefine Klanar could be good picks. Kiwiears Melody Isnt bad but it has a good bunch of energy on the treble, Shozy P20 Is another pretty decent pick, if you find It on sale (seems to be discounted on linsoul), It Is a bit more centered on mid-bass and also has some treble Energy but not as much as Melody. So yeah, thats the options that come to mind, especially the S08, Kefine has some less vocal Energy. You could also go for any driver, or a hybrid if you just want still good performance but with a very good sound without actually sticking to only planars, for that, Kefine Delci (a Dynamic Driver (DD) or specially Simgot EW300 (a mini planar plus one DD and one pIezoelectric driver) could work just as fine for you.

QKZxHBB Is going to be a bassy, a bit relaxed sound experience, while being somewhat energetic, the bassy and warm sound also helps with vocals to feel More personal, great if you are into hip-hop, EDM or bassy genre and want a good punchy bass but doesnt want It to be too much. Trio in the other hand might me slightly better in overall sound performance since Its a bit more expensive, also, It has an approach of a more clean bass despite It being also bassy, plus you have the switches to adjust the sound, so, overall, less warm, More energetic. Both are versatile in their own ways, but trio Is More energetic with extra bass, while QKZxHBB Is more bass focused, with enought vocal and treble Energy. Pick whatever you feel fits better with your music library.

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.

For me personally (truthear reds -> moondrop dusk), it was about a 10% ish improvement. It was a subtle but noticeable difference, but is it really worth the price increase? I'm not really sure tbh.

Hey all, First of all, very noob here without any idea of what sound signature i like. To give you some context, i've had several KZ low cost IEMs in the last years, always used mainly as monitors for live gigs. The last KZ ia had was the KZ ZS10Pro which i liked a lot for music, because it was so exciting. The issue was that the treble was sometimes piercing (annoying) with also not enough Bass, as i recall. Last year i've decided to sell my KZ and to upgrade to the **Truthear Zero Red**. Well, first impressions with the sound were not great AT ALL. Perhaps my ears were a lot used to other signature and the Reds sounded just wrong in terms of musicality.Truth was that i ended having to EQ a lot but could never get the enoyment i was searching. They were of course better with great bass quality, very relaxed highs but something was wrong when listening to vocals in Rock genres. Like, i had to increase volume just to get more pleasure from the vocals, but other instruments were just to much at that point. Sounded (still sounds) that the music is not right upfront. So, as you can see i'm totally lost, i need EXCITEMENT (without piercing treble), instrument separation, detailed highs and nice Bass also for movies. I know the soundstage can be a bit like a gimmick but if i could get something a bit more "airy", would be great to give more perception of space. \- > I use the IEMS mainly for PC now, so movies and music (Rock, Metal, Jazz, Classical, Funk). Usually with vocals. \- > Budget - Less than **150USD !** \- > Thinking getting one of these (need opinions!): SIMGOT SUPERMIX 4, LETSHUOER S12PRO , TRUTHEAR NOVA, TRUTHEAR HEXA, SIMGOT EA1000 (but exceeds budget). Thank you for the help yall!

I don't need more bass than what i have with the Reds

I have Truthear Zero Reds and got a 2pin cable from KZ that "terminates" into USB-C. I've also used the apple 3.5-to-USB-C dongle which also works great. So you should just buy a cable or dongle to supplement whatever IEM you decide to buy. If you plan on using them on an Android device you should be aware that there is a bug affecting some phones where dongles and USBC cables don't reach full volume. The work around is to use an app like USB Audio Player Pro and enable "Use USB DAC" under "USB Audio Tweaks".

Nope they're harder to drive. The low impedance just means that sources with higher output impedance (crappy sources usually have a high output impedance) will absolutely destroy the frequency response. Watch crin's video to see some graphs to show what i mean

It's extremely exaggerated on this IEM in particular. My zero reds sound like they have a 20db bass boost when plugged into my laptop's headphone port. Sounds fine on any dongle.

I really liked the Zero Red's, especially for DJ'ing bass heavy edm, but seeing the treble boost on these makes me think these wouldn't be great for long listening. Being tuned for foam tips to reduce the treble also makes these not really suitable for my needs. Thanks for the review!

artti t10. if your budget allows, t10 pro and mangird tea pro. truthear zero red are great as well if the thick nozzles fit your ear. when it comes to sub bass it is vital to find the right tips for your ear, so budget for that as well

Hey, I'm not debating your experience, but the Zero Reds are anything but small. The body is average size, but the nozzles are long and fat. I have pretty big ear canals and still found them uncomfortable. You may be the only person who has written that the Reds are a good fit for smaller ears! :)

Neither. The Crin Red is overrated and has long nozzles that can cause fit issues. The ATH-M20x is hot garbage. Piercing, grainy treble, bloated bass. A V-shaped mess. Poster below is correct, too. IEMs are a MUCH better value in your price range. For less than $60, I recommend either the Kefine Klean or Artti T10.

Yep. Boggles my mind how many people in this subreddit still recommend the Crin Red and Moondrop Chu as staples of the IEM world. Yeah, they WERE staples -- maybe a year to 18 months ago. Both have been passed by like hitchhikers on the side of the road by models released in the last year or so. You can do SO much better for the same or less money.

New to the world of iems and daps. Watched some YouTube vids for recs and decided to try a few pairs out for my new dap. Really liking the hexas and the aria 2s reds are great as well they all sound nice. It's cool listening to the same song but different pair and hearing different stuff stand out. Think I got a problem though cuz I still have 4 more pairs coming in the mail lol 😆. Wanted to try a few lower end pairs and then maybe buy something more expensive.

Yeah for the price they sound good definitely. I think they were a bit more bassy then the hexas and arias but still had detailed sound didn't find them muddy. That being said I definitely rank them hexa/arias>zero reds>zero 2. I was listening to earth wind and fire September to compare the IEMs and some gorillas and I found the bass more pronounced then the other IEMs but I found the other 3 more enjoyable. Still I enjoyed the zero 2s but need some more time to test them but that's my initial thoughts.

Out of those 4 pairs I really like the fit of the arias but all fit my ears fine. The arias are alot smaller than the hexas and zero reds and I find them the most comfortable. The zero twos are also 2nd smallest and fit very comfortably. At least out of these 4 the smaller ones seem to fit better / be more comfortable for me.

New to IEMs but really like the reds. Bought my friend a pair and he loves them. Got him hooked on IEMs now.

Well I mean the zero red and hexa are more known for being a solid package of both excellent tuning and decent technicalities, not just pure technicalities. That said, I'm interested in your list of iems more technical than hexa

Re: 1, I personally think the <$30 7hz zero 2 is a much better deal than the >$50 truthear zero red, even though they both target the same signature.

Zero red or kiwi Zero red has a size issue else it's grear

I prefer the CCA Trio only because it’s more comfortable for me. The REDs are still excellent though.

I own the Truthear Reds and I’m personally happy with them. You can read a review on them here: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/truthear-zero-red.26525/reviews

Second this. IEMs are great if you can sit in one place and listen to them. They will last you a while that way. For everything else including gym and travel, TWS is the way to go. I use aTruthhear crinacle zero red at home and a one plus buds 3 everywhere else.

There are so many, but the standard "try them" sets seem to be: Tangzu Wa'ner (2), 7hz Crinacle Zero 2, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Truthear Zero Red, Truthear Hexa.

Out of these the Zero red (personally I prefer the blues over the reds, regardless they are both good). The Zero 2's are good for the price, I havnt tried the KZ's

EW300, Zero Red is more neutral but it’s great if it fits, Cadenza, original S12 is around $100 and is a V-shape though more bright than warm Ziigaat has some options worth looking at as well like the Cinno and No

Over ear wireless: JBL 710 BT from Harman's webstore for $35 on ear: KSC75 with IKF Y3 headband and Yaxi pads (you end up with two pairs: one for sound quality and one for running) in ear: Truthear Zero Red (Truthear Hexa if more) intra-concha: Dunu alpha 3 (over budget a bit, sorry) overear open back: Samson SR850 (with oratory1990 preset) gaming headset: Philips SHP9600MB (I think it costs less than without mic now) Closed back headset: one of the Hyperx Cloud models No idea if they're the best for the money for sound specifically, but they're reasonable picks IMHO. Comfy, decently made and likeable. With discount codes for each store and from the platform, you should be able to get them in your budget.

I'm proud I own the most recommended truthear x crinacle zero red 😄❤️

He mentioned in his post that the Blues favor bass, whereas the Reds are closer to a neutral sound.

(The school year is about to start so I’ll be mostly off Reddit, but I want to leave my standard advice to help newbies.) Best is subjective. The IEM world has so much variety and your enjoyment would depend greatly on personal preference. What’s great for one person could be trash for someone else. In my opinion, the best way to approach this hobby is to sample numerous sets of various tunings. Try not to blind buy one set, using most or all of your budget, based only on recommendations. You may end up wasting money in the long run buying expensive sets with tuning you later realize you don’t prefer. Think about your tuning preference. Do you want a lot of bass (warm sound)? Or do you want more treble (crisp/bright sound)? Do you want something balanced (middle ground)? Or do want something with a bass boost with a treble boost (V shape)? If you want a boost in upper mids (vocal forward)? If you really can’t sample first, and can only buy, I recommend starting at the low end, then upgrading from there. This is my cheap starter collection (take note, I'm treble senstive, so some of my classifications may be a bit skewed)… * Bassy - Tanchjim Tanya DSP or QKZ HBB * V-shape - 7hz Zero 2 * Balanced - Moondrop Chu 2 (good for smaller ear canals) * Vocal forward - Tangzu Wan’er * Treble leaning - 7hz Salnotes Zero (original) or Truthear Gate * Treble focused - Moondrop Lan NOTEL: Most of these sets have a slight v-shaped tuning, the ones I've specifically noted as v-shaped have a more pronounced v-shaped tuning. If you can’t sample, most newbies favor V-shaped or balanced IEMs. If you have a little more money to experiment with here are a few that I've tried... * Bassy - Blon x HBB z300 * Warm to Bassy - Celeste Wyvern Black * Warm - Kiwi Ears Cadenza * Warm V-shape - Kefine Klean * Warm leaning - Truthear Zero Blue\* * V-shape - Truthear Nova * Neutral - Truthear Zero Red* * Slight treble lean - Truthear Hexa * Treble leaning - Simgot EW200 and Simgot EA500LM *thick nozzles, not recommended for narrow ear canals. (Update: I haven’t yet tried the Kefine Klean, Simgot EW300 or the Truthear Gate, but they’ve been recently lauded as amazing sets.) If you have a lot more money to experiment with... * Bassy - AFUL Explorer or iKKO OH10 * Neutral-ish - Tangzu x HBB XuanNV * V-Shape - Sennheiser IE 200 or Dunu Titan S2 * Vocal forward - Dunu Kima 2 * Treble forward - Letshuoer S12 Borrow or buy-try-return. After sampling various tunings, you might be surprised by what you like and don’t like. I’m not a gamer, but IEMs that I’ve seen recommended in this sub for gaming include the QKZ HBB, 7hz Zero 2, Tripowin x 0diBi: Vivace, Truthear Zero Blue, the Truthear Nova and the Simgot EM6L. If you're a musician, you may want to take a look at the v-shaped Sennheiser IE 200, since they're a manufacturer with crossover appeal between the music world and the audiophile space. You might read about DACs in your research. In the budget space you might not need a traditional DAC. An Apple USB-C dongle is good enough for most cases (get the US version). Avoid plugging into a PC sound card or motherboard. Those are most often low quality and noisy. I get hate on the sub for this part, but if you can, you may want to be wary of KZ or CCA - same company. They don't have the best reputation due to a history of shady practices. Why? [Here’s](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/s/HnDD8Ndc4F) my comment in another thread. At $5-$15 range, KZs can definitely be worth it (if you don’t get a defective set). At around $20-$25 though, there are lots of great IEMs from more reputable companies (like the ones listed above). Welcome to the IEM world. Enjoy your journey!

I’ve been completely happy with the Zero Red, so I haven’t explored more expensive options. Maybe the Letshuoer S12. On the budget end, to my ears, the sound of the Chu 2 is a bit similar.

I hate to use the word “better”. The sound of the Red is more on the neutral side. I’d say it’s a fuller more balanced tuning, so it’s hard to compare.

For audio production, I personally wouldn’t use anything less than the Zero Red. The closest to me at the price point would probably be either the Chu 2. Then slightly more expensive might be the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. If you haven’t chanced upon it yet, [here’s ](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1ei7lp2/newbie_advice_for_what_is_the_best/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) my standard advice that may help you find the answer you need.

In one sentence, the Klean is a great IEM with good build that offers different tunings with good accessories. The sound of the Klean is neither offensive nor is it boring. It offers a natural sound that may appeal to a lot of people. If you want a slightly brighter tuning, use the black nozzle caps/filters. If you want something a tad more balanced, the white ones are the way to go. The Klean comes with 3 pairs of standard silicone tips as well as a nice low profile carrying case. The cables are decent, but not fantastic. Good for the price. How do these compare with others in the price range? I might like these more than my Zero Reds. They’re natural, but not boring (the way the Zero Red can sometimes be). They’re slightly brighter and have a bit more detail than the Wyvern Abyss and the Kiwi Ears Cadenza. This set kind of reminds me of the Singolo, but with better accessories and a lower price. One thing I’ve discovered is that the nozzle tips have the same threading as the Moondrop Chu 2. So you can pop out the Chu’s filter and go filterless with the Klean. This gives a very bright and airy tuning. With great sound, good build quality, decent accessories and multiple tuning options, the Klean is a winner for me. I bought this myself at a discount, but even at full price, it’s definitely worth it.

Not dumb. It’s just a matter of taste. There is no “better”. This hobby is all about preference. Maybe I prefer the Klean now because it’s new to me. I still reach for my Reds though.

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.

Cloud 2 is kinda terrible. I used it for a bit for gaming where I needed a mic. But I recently tried using it with Dying Light, and it literally hurt my ears when Rais started talking. I don't know if sibilance is the right word, but it was literally painful to listen to. I've used things like Truthear Zero Reds for gaming, and they were fantastic, though the nozzles are a tiny bit too big for me. But even Salnotes Zero 2 are probably better than Cloud 2. I never realized how bad it was until I tried better stuff.

I 100 % agree with your assessment. I read so many articles and posts praising the Reds so they were my first purchase and... I just don't hear it. Disappointed 100%. Tip rolling did improve the sound but it was still unsatisfying. It was just so... bland. I then bought Celest Wyvern Black for $25 and wow, what a difference. So clear, punchy bass, and in overall, a great sounding IEM. This led me to purchase the following: Celest Relentless, KZ PRX, KZ Zenith, and Kiwi Ears Aether. All sound amazing. While some on the list are more expensive than then the Reds, PRX (planar) and the aforementioned Wyvern are cheaper and both are leaps and bounds better than the Reds

The Zero Red's are very good but be careful the nozzle was very large and made it very uncomfortable for me to use for long listening sessions

Truthear Zero Reds with a Fiio BTR13. It's just awesome.

TE Zero Reds, great mids tonality IMO

when i got my reds i had similar issue i just couldnt figure out why they weirdly sound worse than my tangzu waners but i trusted all the reviews and the hype around it went onto the web to figure out why and decided that eartips might be the issue and bingo it was i got spinfit cp 155 eartips and oh my lord i cant keep em down and always excited to listen to them. I have also paired them with the kiwiears allegro mini dac and amp and a 4.4mm cable but by far eartips have made the most difference highly receommend cp155 eartips for the reds as they are made to fit the iems with wider nozzles.

I honestly wouldn't recommend this particular IEM for only gaming as it doesn't offer bright-neutral sound signature. You'd have to manually set its EQ for it to be at least decent enough for gaming. And we know typical people wouldn't even bother how EQ works or even set it up. It would also be such a waste if you don't use it for music for majority of its use. But hey, OP, you do you! Man, I wish I could borrow for both my ears to experience what heaven could sound like. For people out there wanting a more budget friendly IEM that is also decent for gaming, I recommend [Truthear × Crinacle Zero: RED](https://shopee.ph/Truthear-X-Crinacle-Zero-RED-Dual-Dynamic-Driver-IEM-Detachable-Cable-Earphones-In-Ear-Monitors-i.182669784.22275441537). It's really great for single-player games and decent enough for any competitive titles for way cheap. I still prefer an open-back headphones such as the [AKG K612 PRO](https://www.akg.com/headphones/professional-headphones/K612PRO.html) (if you could find one for around ₱10K) or [Audio Technica ATH-R70x Pro](https://shopee.ph/Audio-Technica-ATH-R70x-Pro-Reference-Headphones-i.15328948.2497363776) as they offer great soundstage and imaging than most IEMs which is what you really want especially if you are a competitive FPS gamer. However, it's great to see Filipinos owning IEMs these days. It's really comfortable and seems to be better than any Apple's offerings in terms of price to performance ratio. Both my [Moondrop Chu 2](https://shopee.ph/Moondrop-CHU-II-2-Dynamic-Driver-Aluminum-Alloy-Shell-Detachable-Cable-Earphones-In-Ear-Monitors-i.182669784.23874972612) and Truthear × Crinacle Zero: RED paired with my [Qudelix 5K](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088F7C976) are a beast in terms of listening music. I'm currently eyeing the [SIMGOT SuperMix 4](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4KV87ZC) for my next purchase!

Not OP, but I find zero red boring. If I were to choose between zero red and cadenza, I'd pick cadenza all day. Zero red is kinda lacking in the upper end, makes it sounds boring for me. And the nozzle size is huge.

At the top of your budget, the em6l gets recommended a lot. I tried it and it performed pretty great. I use the SM4 now, but that's mostly because I was using them for music and wanted more bass. Otherwise, tripowin vivance, Crinacle Zero red/blues all get recommended quite often for gaming. I used the reds for a bit and they worked well, they were just uncomfortable for me since I have smaller ear canals and wasn't aware of tip rolling until after I returned them.

I used the em6l for a bit, but thought it was lacking some bass, so I went to the supermix 4s, and I've been pretty happy with them. I'm not a sweat or anything, but been using them for overwatch, valorant and Apex for multiplayer comp titles, and an assortment of other multiplayer fps games and am thoroughly pleased. That said, I also have used the Truthear Crinacle reds, and outside of them being uncomfortable I would have stuck with them. I do think the SM4 and EM6l are a bit better with their imaging, but the price jump doesn't match the performance increase. I also have the salnotes Crinacle Zero 2 and would throw them in the same spot as the more expensive Truthear reds in terms of soundstage/imaging, though my gaming time on both of those is pretty short compared to the em6l and SM4

I'm the same. My Zero Blue and Red both sit and look pretty but the nozzles are my big issue. Can handle them for a few hours but not much longer. Castor Bass is much more comfortable for long listening sessions. *Edit Zero blow to zero blue. Lol

You might want something leaning towards neutral tuning if you find the zero 2 V shaped. Check out the zero red. Tho it's around 60 usd and has huge nozzles.

Ended up buying some Truthear Zero REDs recently, which are really good. Looking at getting Kiwiear Orchestra Lite next, but still not completely decided. I was gonna buy a pair of DT1990s, but I feel like IEMs are more my taste in that price class.

It all depends on personal preference, I personally prefer the Yu Xuan Ji as I prefer its balanced tuning. But I am sensitive to bass which is probably another reason that I prefer them. The Zero Reds I found to have a more developed bass sound with good treble but I was hoping for more mid clarity. The IgniteX I personally don’t have any experience with but after a quick search it seems that they have a sizeable V-Shaped curve with a punchy bass. I have seen some people say that the IgniteX’s treble was a bit too bright for them. Again, all of this is personal preference and based on the music you listen to. You can’t go wrong with any of these options, but to the vast majority of people I think the Zero Reds are going to be their choice!

no mention of staples like Wan’er, Gate, or maybe Zero 2 for the low budget end. Aria 2 is outclassed by newer releases and the cadenza isnt even 50, its 35 and should be in the higher end of the low budget end. No mention of other mid range staples like Crinnacle red/blue, artti t1, ew300, and especially the hexa which should be close to your pref. Even the Titan S is outdated with the Titan S2 and other competition stated High end is plagued with the same issue, lack of explanation and choice Honestly, the list is outdated and you would be better off just going to r/iems and looking at their list or doing your own research

I have been eyeing this iem for the past month but I am hesitant buying it blindly. Sadly, in my country, there are no physical stores where I can sound test before buying. Are they good in terms of detail retrieval, layering, soundstage, and female vocals? My music preference are usually korean ballads, pop songs, soft rock, and classical. Lastly, does pairing it with CX31993 dongle enough to maximize its potential? If not, are there any budget dac alternatives you can recommend? I am also planning to pair it with spinfit W1 eartips. My past iems are: Moondrop Aria -> Truthear Zero Reds, if that helps. Thanks!!

Technicality wise, Truthear Hexa is the best out of those options. Clear vocals, detail retrieval, no sibilance. However, it's not for everyone. It can be boring and "not colorful". If you want a safe bet as your first IEM, I suggest the Truthear x Crinacle zero: red. Considered as one of the best iems under $100. Great tonality, smooth, well-tuned, and accurate. Downside, the nozzle is bigger than common IEMs so fit can be an issue. Others also find the bass a bit lacking but for me, it's adequate.

its the zero red's for me

I’m very happy with the Red sound but I’m not happy with the comfort. I think I have big ears (size L tips from the Red box and Clarion Tri) but it’s really tough to get them to stay in my ears consistently. They don’t hurt at all and have a nice weight but they are chunky. I have an Artti T10 Pro on the way because it is supposedly closer to the Reds than the original T10. Both are outside your budget but they might give you some more to research. Edit: trade war made the Reds too expressive anyway. They sell for 97 CAD today and I paid 60 CAD a month ago!

The Highsenior MEGA5EST s. Started with the ZERO Reds and the AFUL Magicone as my entry drug. After getting hooked on IEMs I decided to skip the next 3 priceranges and risked going all in. Never looked back. They are awesome!

Hi guys, I was recently convinced to try iems and got the crinacle zero:reds to give this iem hype a shot without breaking the bank. And holy sh*t, i was shocked, how much soundquality you can get for the price! Now I'm hooked and looking for some more more serious entry into the hobby. Taking the zero:reds as reference, tho I like a lot about them, they are still too v-shaped for my taste. In some songs (about 1/3 of the music I listen to), the sub-bass is too prominent, the vocals a little too thin and to much in the background. And I'm quite sensitive to harshness in the upper Mids (which sometimes is a problem with the reds) and highs (thats mostly alright with the reds). I would love some more body in the mids and a little more instrument separation. Which iem would you guys recommend in the 200 - 300$ price range ( or maybe below, but a serious upgrade)? Two ideas I got up till now: iBasso AM05 Tanchjim Origin The iems will be driven by the iBasso dc04pro for mobile use and the smsl raw-mda 1 on my desktop. Thanks for your recommendations and ideas!

Hey guys, thanks again for your ideas! After researching your suggestions for some hours, I decided to put three IEMs on my bucketlist for Black Friday. The Cadenza 4, the ER4XR und the Origin with the Aful performer 5+2 and the BGVP DMA making the honorable mentions. But they aren´t easily available in Germany and I won´t risk buying on ALI Express in this price range. By the way, I got my SMSL Raw-MDA 1 today and it´s awesome! In comparison to the dc04 pro and my old Scarlett-Audiointerface, it elevated the Zero:Reds easily by 1 or 2 Levels in terms of soundstaging, instrumentseparation and clarity, while maintaining a balanced and neutral tuning. Tho my mentioned problems with the REDs are still there. Sometimes overwhelming sub-bass (example: Soulive - one of my favourite Funk-bands, the organplayer plays the basslines on the organ with his feet; the organ-bass ist simply too loud...) and too thin female voices. So I´m looking forward to trying your suggested IEMs!

I can vouch for the zero red. A little over 50 though. It can occasionally be a tad hot in the upper mids but is generally really well behaved and still feels dynamic despite not having so much energy in the bass and treble. I hear nozzles can be an issue but hasn't been for me. They end up fitting kind of shallow but because they're so light it turns out very well for me.

Yep. It's neutral. For someone like me it sounds fairly exciting without being intense. You can always add a bit of V EQ too as I do occasionally. But it's a very well performing neutral at a great price. Great bass quality too.

Red is a pretty true neutral. I think they're great for the price but it's not surprising some people don't like the tuning. I didn't think the accessories and build were really lacking at that price either.

With the adapter they're definitely warm. Without it they're neutral. Still more warmth than the old meta since the lower mids aren't scooped, but the bass is reserved. And I think the bass quality is pretty exceptional for the price. But everyone's ears are different and I can't really expect you to have the same experience. I also prefer a more natural timbre and am treble sensitive, so v shaped responses aren't my go to most of the time. But I'll occasionally add a bast boost and even a treble shelf to the reds for certain genres or when I want more excitement. But a nice, linear neutral is my baseline and these do that very well while still sounding pretty dynamic and not too thin, imo. Edit: I also don't think the dual drivers were advertised with the intent to just be warm. They're chiefly there so that the bass frequencies have a crossover in a specific area so that when you add an ohm adapter you get a bass boost in a specific spot. Which is why they're sold with the adapter. Plus the benefit of being able to tune a clean bass shelf at a specific region for the stock tuning.

You might try the truthear zero red. I've only tried them once but the bass was very satisfying, even on the stock mode. It includes an adapter that adds even more. The rest of the response also feels smoother and more musical. Also cheaper than the Aria. I just ordered myself a pair today.

FWIW, I'm new to this and wanted to start with a couple cheap options to get a bassline on what I like. Got red zero about a month ago as my first iem and was really blown away by the quality for the price but after a couple weeks I realized I wanted more bass. I listen to mostly edm with the then hip hop second. Grabbed the Kefine delci and I keep finding myself wanted to sit down to listen to them everyday. I'm loving them. I tried pretty much all the tips they came with and found that since the delci seem to insert shallow it helped to have the largest size with the narrow opening and they sit shallow, seal well, and have amazing amounts of bass. Now I have a better idea of what direction I want to go in higher price ranges and have a great affordable iem that I'm not scared to lose or break if I were to use them on the go. Great purchase.

This is not a good IEM Idc if I’m gonna get hate here but KZ is known for buying positive reviews. It’s not because this is a V shape sound signature necessarily this is a tuning that’s not even doing the V shaped signature wrong. Klean is a good choice so is Truthear zero red. I wouldn’t risk again by going with Simgot that one has brighter treble.

Yeah there are so many options but for around the 50$ the Truthear Zero Red are kind of a reference point and have amazing value but the nozzle size is a bit girthy and is not for the faint hearted beginner ears unless you’re daring. Other than that for lower there’s Moondrop LAN with smaller metal body and good tuning and Tangzu Wan’er for people who prefer vocal forward mid focused sound and 7hz Salnotes Zero for a more powerful good bassy sound with good extension only for 20$. There’s a very good Simgot IEM which I’ve heard praises a lot but can’t remember the name. There are many other options that are just as excellent depending on your preferences in sound signature and design and what not.

Yes, something similar happened to me. The first impression I had with my pair of Zero Reds was that the sound was really muffled and dark, but it turns out was the insertion depth and the eartips, I spend some days finding the correct insertion depth for my ear, the right eartips for good seal, and also bought a cheap dongle dac (Cx31993) as I was plugging them directly to the headphone jack of my phone. Now they sound right, with detail, and punch in the bass. They are really neutral, very good for vocals, but they don't sound muffled or with low detail. Maybe your setup, or maybe they just are not for you.

Hello, so sorry for being an audio noob but how and where do I put all that EQ text you added at the end of your post? I just got a pair of the reds and they have been truly disappointing and I’m really wanting good audio like I got from my headphone. I feel like the audio is quite muddy and it only picks up like 70 percent what my headphones could.

The Zero red are solid, do be warned the nozzle size are very large on them, so if your ear canals are a bit on the medium to smaller end they can get very uncomfortable. They do have really good Bass and sub-bass, but in terms of detail retrieval, especially in the upper end they're not as good as some other options. They still are a very solid pick though Simgot EW300 - $56 on sale w/ amazon prime, and are an incredible IEM for that price. Has 2 nozzles with a bit different tuning. ($56 version is the one with the 3.5mm cable) Tangzu YuXuanJi - $50, but not on amazon so you'd have to wait for shipping Kefine Klean - $49 on amazon, and some other places The apple dongle (as long as it's the US version, EU version is under powered) would drive any of these without issue.

Waner SG Jade, they just sounded so bad to me. A close second would be the Truthear Zero Red's, they don't sound bad, but I don't like the tuning at all. Also the nozzle size is too large and hurt my ears after a very short amount of time, even if I did like the tuning that was a Nope factor.

Zero reds are also insanely good with eq

I decided for the red ones because I love the color but the reason is the same but most for music

Thanks, Mainly the color, and was a choose because saw a video about them and good reviews on Reddit

main reason of the purchase was the red color and the second the waifu hahahah

I like the KZ ZS10 Pro X, Moondrop May, Letshuoer D13 and simgot EA500 for fps gaming. The zero Red has Very poor performance on FPS games for me, too much bloated Bass and bad Sense of directions.

I had the exact same experience with the zero Red, I still hate It to this Day. It is seriously lacking in every aspect. Build is bad, horrible confort, shitty cable and Very underwhelming sound. I still cant figure out Why they are so well regarded. And I vonsider myself and audiophile, I have many dacs, amps and a While collection of iems ALL the way from $10 to $300 and the zero Red is one of the most disapointing iem I ever owned. The worst parte is that for some reason, people here Will try to Gaslight you into thinking you're the problem. They Said to me that I Was not used to proper "neutral" sound or that I Was not giving It the correct ammount of amplification, anything other than considering that the Red is not that good. I suggest you look into Kefine Klean, Letshuoer D13, Fiio FH3, Simgot EA500 or something else in that range. Im loving the FH3 and Klean. The Klean is everything I thought the Zero Red would be.

I have been messing around with them for a few Days now with every gear, tips and setups that I have and they Just havent "clicked" for me. Too bad, I was hoping they would become my Go to for a warmer sound.

Não amigo, o Timeless AE e o Heyday soam quase exatamente iguais e nenhum dos dois tem o som abafado e gravudo do Red. Os gráficos podem dar uma noção geral do som, mas nada supera realmente escutar o fone em si. Tenho todo tipo de fonte aqui e o som é consistente, não é uma anomalia do Dac/amp, simplesmente achei que o Zero Red não entrega tanta definição pelo preço, não é um som ruim mas fica pra trás com tranquilidade.

What cable is that? Also, never got the chance to try the hexa, but unfortunately I disliked the zero Red so Much that made me lose faith in Truthear to be honest. However I truly share the sentiment of going back to a trusty good Old pair of iems. Even after trying "better" more expensive stuff.

Kefine Klean obliterates the Zero Red

Adding onto this: Truthear Zero Red: is good in terms of L/R isolation but its verticality isn't good at all(as in, you won't be able to distinguish whether something in above/below you: in terms of fps games). Speaking from experience. Tangzu Wan'er: I don't own these but I have read a lot about these sets(do take my word with a grain of salt). They sound really good but they aren't for gaming. As for the rest, they seem really good for gaming. Do keep in mind that Hexa is neutral in terms of sound signature but still works really well for gaming.

What's worth noting is that the Zero Reds are considered to have a pretty big nozzle size, uncomfortably so for a lot of people. The Castors are also kinda chonky when it comes to shell size. I got both and I can't say I've ever had issues with the nozzles on the Reds, even with the medium ear tips and listening for 8+ hours and I haven't had any issues with the fit of the Castors either. Although, I wouldn't consider myself to have small ears so, if you think your ears are pretty small, the size of the Reds and Castors are something you should take into consideration since they are generally thought to be pretty big IEMs and you should probably try them out before purchasing them.

I just bought the Thieaudio Origins last week and absolutely love them. They have a completely full range bass feel and the bone conduction adds a little something to it that I have a hard time explaining. I can definitely tell it’s there as it feels different than my other IEMs. The others in my collection are Aful Performer 5+2, Truthear Zero Red, Oriveti Lowmaster, Moondrop Variations, Sennhesier IE200. For bassy music the Thieaudio is my go to.

I also tried to like mine. I kept and tried to like the red's for 28 days before returning them. I really really tried, but it was always bland, and bassy/smothered. Then, I went for the MP145 (warm, punchy bass, fun, detailed, ss-s-ss-soundstage). The stark contrast between the two... wow (except for the size).

Zero Red. Returned it last year. Tried to like it. I gave it 30 days for it to grow on me because they were hyped A TON, but they were just too bland for me in the end. Also, the large nozzles had my ears sore after 1hr+ despite them fitting.

I don't recommend truthear hexa. From personal experience it's too cold and clear for me. I personally like more warm and more bass like the truthear zero reds.

Truth reds. Legit dildo for ear. Sound was okay but literally grapefruit in my ear

Have both Zero red and blue with an aftermarket Tripowin 4.4mm cable on the blues which I do prefer for more accuracy

I own the truthear reds. I listening to metal, rock, busy tracks. Would s12 2024 be a good upgrade???

* Results.. let's start from down to top ........ ∆ The Crin Zero Reds.. -Good loudness, meaty bass but sometimes there is something off about it.. like... always.. -With trying every possible resistor: 10 ohms - more balanced bass to treable not enough rumble though, 220 ohms - quiet and clean, 47 ohms - boomy, 150 ohms - kinda quiet and clean, 39 ohms - bassy and kinda loud, 56 ohms - boomy and kinda loud, 82 ohms - bassy clean and kinda quiet, 75 ohms - boomy kinda loud and kinda clean, 15 ohms - loud and boomy, 33 ohms - balanced with good rumbles. -Can take some EQ, a lot of amp -It looks Informative .. ∆ The Aoishida E20.. -I think it competes with HEXA in treble speed and details, especially when the music is like salty twinkles. but just a little bit behind. -Similar openness like how the Tangzu Wann'er is, yet it's unlike it in loudness despite it's only 12 Ohms.. -Really quiet without amp I wouldn't listen to it unless I have to... like if I've got a headache or something.. -Tapping the vents.... results are unnoticeable. -liked how much power it can receive without timber changes.. that where it knocked out HEXA and got louder than it while feeding the kinda same sparkle. -there is a limit to the good rumble, despite Amping and EQ. -2DD, yet no good effect with resistors? -Can take some EQ -Stage is phenomenal.. like.. how could it be this huge? even when taped no changes to stage It looks Beneficial .. ∆ QKZ HBB.. -Louder than the Zero Red ,but kinda less meaty bass however much nicer sparkle, yet the same thing.. sometimes there is something really really off about it even more than the Red. -You can relax listening to it with some kind of music, just rest you back and good night, there you go. -Can take EQ, a lot of amp -it looks a scare and a greed .. ∆ Truthear Hexa.. -Smooth sparkles everywhere. -Stage is like a helmet around your head, yet you can pin point everything. -Fast track those sparkles please.. from left to right. -Do not lose that note, there you've got it. -Did i hear this before? -Why I can't touch the Bass region on EQ it goes from quite deep bass to BRRRFFF -Amp limits -Flip only one of the two (2 pin connector) you get the only beautiful IEM out of phased (kinda limited to Jazz and Classic), stage becomes WIDE like out of this world. .. ∆ Sony MDR-EX800ST -What a name. -Loudest -EQ freak.. (Try EQing it to.. APX SE, Deuce, Sony M9, 24/7 downloading wavelet from squiglink, etc..) don't forget to tune the % of the EQ on wavlet -AMP IT.. high gain please.. BASS ON -Tape the vents.... who did plug in the subwoofer? -Ears became itchy from that shaking. -Its so loud and clear, -Am I here? -should I shake my head? -Can I plant the Hexa inside these 16mm, please fast track the sparkles! -it is getting warm, ear wax is melting. -stage is a huge tall airport lounge, can be reshaped with EQ. quite mouldable. -Nausea? this is enough.. will enjoy them later. -Forget how it did sound without EQ clearly, all the other iems are cute toys to this. let's buy more toys just to see how it grew up oh no, that Aioshida just got close to my soundstage. is that Beryllium in the Aioshida toxic if it gets warm and vapour inside my ear or loses some of its particles flying around my ear canals? it was kinda clear the Sony MDR-EX800ST is still The BEST. then (it's a tie between Aioshida 20, and the HEXA), then (its a tie between the Red and the QKZ HBB) Thank you All! Goodnight.

While I found 7hz mindblowing years ago, nothing in twice or 3 times the cost of the 10 options ive tried has presented significant improvement. The Zero Reds, on the other hand, caught me completely by surprise, outstanding sound. We all know this is just my opinion.

Supermix is not yet a year old, I remember the hexa and zero red were already being recommended 2+ years ago. This might be a factor.

What sounds good then probably sounds good now, but I agree to an extent. I've got a shortlist of iems cheaper than the zero red and hexa, iems that outperforms both in terms of technicalities at a cheaper price.

TBH I enjoy my KZs more than my Zero Reds, the Zero Reds are just not loud enough for my taste.

On a bicycle - shokz (although I have ridden with IEMs before, not very safe but it was nice to block some car noise). when I was taking the bus for a few months I used the noise cancelling overears (WH1000XM3), but the ANC has started giving me headaches so I just use Truthear Zero Red with a dongle or Fiio BTR5.

I'd say the Zero Red, Hexa, EM6L, and CKLVX are the ones that are really good below $200. None of them sound similar to each other but they all have a place to my usage of them.

Buy the Truthear x Crin reds: if you ever buy another set of IEMs it will be out of boredom instead of necessity.

I have never used the JT1's so I can't answer that. But as far as my feelings on the Red's: I am sure that there are better IEMs, but I haven't found them and there is no way that they are not 2x the price ... And while I am an enthusiast, I am not about spending more than a week's worth of food on something that I can kill by dropping in a puddle. I have other sets that I enjoy, but they are all variations that I compare to the Red's. Like one set has got clearer voices and an inline mic, so that makes it better for calls than the Red's ... But outside of lyrics being clearer, the music sounds anemic compared to the reds, and I only use them for calls. Or another set has got thumpier lows than the Red's, but the highs are not as good as the Red's and they don't fit as well. The Red's are GOAT grade because nothing else offers the same combination of sound quality, fit quality, and price quality ... The Red's are my baseline & I compare every other piece of audio equipment I have to them.

They might be better but keep in mind that reds are more engaging and fun while hexa is neutral

hey i have just picked up the truthear zero reds (yes the colour is not just for aesthetics they sound a bit different) and i am genuinely amazd how good they sound for music but much more amazed by the imaging you can pin point any intrument and also any footsteps or similar audio ques. though it was my first iem and i have sadly realised that iem's cause my ear canals some very noticable discomfort after an hour of usage

also the truthear zero reds go on deals from time to time so you can find one under 50 and get yourself a good mic and create a complete setup for under 75 usd

Thanks, I was looking for a comparison between those two regarding gaming, and your review hit the spot! I will get the RED's

Yeah I got them about 2 weeks ago and used them for a bit. I didnt like the stock sound (kind of flat, a bit muddy, as if i was listening through a phone speaker), but after tweaking the eq a bit, i got them to a sound profile that I really enjoy. I used a hyperx cloud 2 for many years now and I can say, that I got the eq to almost match them in sound, which I was pretty impressed by. Speaking about comfort, as everyone else says they are not the best. I am using the foam-tips which are included in the box and I feel like i have to push the tips in real deep for the best sound-experience, and that starts hurting even after 20 minutes. Also maybe its just an issue for me, but I have to constantly push them back into my ear as they slip out a lot. I am planning on buying spinfit w1's, maybe they can change something. But overall for gaming and listening to music they were pretty good. Almost no difference to my hyper x cloud 2 after adjusting the eq. As of right now, i would not buy them again, as I kind of went back to using my hyper x cloud 2 again. Lets see if the w1's can change that.

I would add handling noise, durability, impedance/sensitivity, comfort as well. You're not looking at a typical home audiophile stereo chain, another reason studio headphones often are not that popular for music listening. I'm also surprised to find most musicians are in an entirely different area of the market, typically the more is more mentality Since you seem to have more experience, what would you recommend for a practical daily driver? I'm happy with my Zero Red for unfocused listening and Massdrop+ when I am giving a bit more attention, but it would be nice to have a more neutral option. The Red/Blue are a bit on the uncomfortably bulky side for my ears

The rate of diminishing returns has increased the last few years. Way better in average, but budget has been revolutionary jumps versus incremental at the higher end. $20 IEM - Truthear Gate $50 IEM - Truthear X Crinacle Red $140 Closed - Hifiman Sundara Closed Back $200 Open - Sennheiser HD6X0 lineup $230 Closed - Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X Those are my general value recommendations. Beyond the Hd650 I think is less value and someone should have a baseline idea of what they personally want to change or improve.

iv got smallish ears and have to use the small nozzles in everything. in sayin that i cant guarantee my suggestions will fit you so make sure you can get easy return/refunds from where you buy the iems i personally own and would recommend are the zero crinacle reds (£50)....the KZ castor (extra bass version) (£25) althrough you can get the KZs dirt cheap on ali express if you dont mind the wait....its important you make sure you get the extra bass version through if you live in the uk or have a 2nd hand store in your country (CEX in the uk) you might get a pair of 7hz timeless around £120 which are my fav iems and have amazing sound quality. i suggest only buying A or B grade i personally wouldnt buy C grade 2nd hand. nothing (a) earbuds are also really really good sound quality but they dont have super high overall volume...still worth buying imo for sound quality and they just feel and look like quality...have a decent companion app too....(£90 new but i got mine £60 second hand) lastly if your planning on getting into iems a qudelix 5k is a must have purchase. most people that use iems will have a qudelix or something similar with the qudelix most recommended....its £100 but worth it. its basically a small dac/amp bluetooth device that has 100s of pre made equaliser presets made by famous youtube/reviewers of headphones and iems etc who know there stuff. although your free to experiment with it yourself. it doesnt look like much,its just a tiny lil black box but its packed full of features to experiment with your sound through its app worth noting through as far as i know it does NOT work with earbuds you have to be wired up to it althrough AI chat tells me it does but il be damned if i can see how to connect it lol

i'm a poor guy from a poor country that cant afford custom molded ears, so I will recommend two kinda cheap ones that I love: [KZ AS 16](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005962508871.html) (it's a really good and reliable one with a great price point, but has a boost on hi-mids that i personally don't like (this boost is really great for singers tho) [Truthear ZERO:RED](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005589274277.html) (this is my go to, pretty plain and clear sound. kinda of a hi-fi and higher end feel)

How’s the sound quality from those dac? I also have an iphone and the reds, and looking for a dac which will kot hamper the apple music’s quality! Enjoy the reds brw i totally loved them

Yeah the losless music is fabulous, so this truthear reds +dac are they good for Apple Music??

Wow nice im gonna get this then

I have been looking for someone who have tried and tested this and luckily you were that fellow😬😁

i was about to say THIS. Amazing very close to flat headphones, i am so happy with them. Also you can hear the low end properly unlike famous overhead headphones that people use.

I've just upgraded from the EW200 to these. The EW200 are much more bright - not much bass on them at all. But they're both a great option. It just boils down to if you want more or less bass and what sort of music you listen to etc.

I'm intrigued. I just purchased my first pair of iems and I chose the reds. About a week after receiving I purchased a fiio ka3 dac and started a tidal free trial. They are so much clearer than any Bluetooth earbuds I've ever owned. The reds are a neutral sound (I'm very early in this game so I have no real idea what that means) and I use the adapter to boost the bass. I'm happy with the sound but I do wonder am I missing something?

I went from Salnotes Zero to this...it was a massive upgrade in every aspect for a small cost. Now I just need to find eartips that can reduce outside noise for wearing it in a train.

I bought it last month. I upgraded from Moondrop Chu to this. I'm happy. It fits well and sounds good!

definitely the truthear zero:red. it has amazing tuning and it sounds so good

Yeah, the zero:reds have nice bass and sounds warm

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

Just to add, I wont be able to use my Zero on work because it doesn't have a mic. And I don't want to spend money just for that.

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!

I am still deciding if Im going to sell my zero. Im really disappointed with the sound quality despite the price

Hey, I haven't tried any of it in band prac. We will resume our band activities next month. Prolly 2nd week of January 2025. I will post right away in this thread after testing both. But so far, using both IEMs in my PC for sound test, Zero has flatter response compared to KZ ZS10 that's V-shaped. So I'm assuming in a band practice with monitors, I'll hear all instruments better in Zero. This is still an assumption. Still have issues with volume tho ;/

If the fit works for you, my favourite below 80 USD are the Truthear Zero:REDs. Nicely neutral and versatile for your varied music tastes, with the option of an impedance adaptor to add bass if needed

I personally use a pair of Truthear Zero:Red paired with the Apple dongle. Blocks enough noise for me to enjoy the music.

I've purchased a couple budget IEMs over the past few months as I introduced myself into this hobby. I started with the 7hz Salnotes Zero, then got the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red, and most recently the Simgot EW300 DSP. I have been listening to all kinds of music from various genres (mainly different EDM, rock, and a few others). I have also been using them for gaming as I previously use the Steelseries Arctis Pro. The difference in sound and the shear level of detail I hear in the music is remarkable. I have been trying different ear tips for the EW300 as I find the fit to be not that comfortable compared to even the Zero:Red which I think are quite large for my ears and stick out quite a bit. I love the sound of all of them but the profile for the EW300 is just great. I got into EQ a bit to see what all the hype is about and started AutoEQ to other IEMs I have been interested in. Doing research on everything, it has become quite an obsession I must admit. I understand the graphs and enjoy being able to visualize sound. I'm still learning about DACs and why they are important. I plan in the future to get another IEM that is more economic than the EW300 and have been looking into the ZiiGaat Odyssey as well as the Xenns Mangird Tea Pro. I set my EQ for the EW300 to match the Tea Pro and the sound is just that much better. The bass is clear and punchy and the miss and highs are detailed and accurate. There's not much of a point to this post. I'm not looking for information or suggestions really. Any information is always great, but I more just wanted to say thank you to the entire community for making this hobby one that is enjoyable and easy to get into. It has become my new obsession and I plan to stick with it for as long as I live. Music is my life and without it I'm sure I would be lost in this crazy world.

Honestly they are all good for rock and EDM. Each has its own benefit. I haven't really used the Salnotes zero as much as the others but the zero red definitely has some kick to the bass for EDM which is great. The EW300 is no slouch in the bass department either but I believe the addition of the planar and PZT drivers make the mids and highs a bit more clear and concise which I really enjoy. Especially for drum and bass which needs to have a bit of bass and tremble to sound as good as it should

I had the zero red and replaced it with the Klean, I wont ever come back again. The black nozzles answers the boring treble and uppermidrange of the reds. if ill compare it Red is a like person slacking and the klean is like an active person. its has a fun. and engaging sound. I mainly use my performer 7 but when i changed the nozzle to black arguably its somehow close to how my performer 7 sounds but ofcourse its more technical than the Klean.

And that ungodly dent on your hair after using headphones!! I moved to Truthear X Crinacle Zero : Red. It's pretty amazing!

Nice. I'm enjoying the reds as my first Chi-fi. But it does get a little muddy when there's a lot going on in a song.

Yes I am loving the sound profile, drums sound great with the hats, and high notes don't cause any fatigue..

I’m in the same boat mate there are hundreds of new brands I seam to find every google !! It’s a bit overwhelming I just paid today for the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED I have know idea how it will turn out . Like you I have heard the kz something 10 pro was recommended but have read good and bad reviews going round in circles. There are heaps of reviews out there for audiophiles but have yet to come across reviews for musicians specifically ( bass players )

I just received these last night ! I’m impressed The first song I listened too was save me by (Marcus king) And I noticed what people are saying about separation of instruments. I have a 10 year old pair of custom ultimate ears ue7 pros I have used for on stage playing bass in a church band have been on the hunt looking into new iems maybe ciems again since 10 years ago i never heard of half of these brands kz , truthear, moondrop, simgot…. And others I took a punt on these zero reds and it’s kinda opened a new world if im honest For work as a tv cameraman I have always gone to the local store to pick up some $80 sennheiser earbuds if mine die or I loose or break mine Never again ! I will be on here asking you guys what I should buy . I guess on that note ( I can see how this would be my new drug) what else has impressed you all after the zero reds around the same price ish? I will use them the next time to play bass at church and see how they stack up to the ue7 ‘s

i bought the red a month ago, this set are amazing

I bought a modded ps vita and wanted iems for that and got zero reds and low and behold I preferd them over my dunu falcon pros so much that I bought mangird tea pros for my main setup, zero red are truly amazing if you like the tuning.

I just got mine about 20 days ago as well. I'm enjoying them with tripowin grace cables and jcally jm20pro dongle. Needs abit power from amp DAC to power it so a dongle would be sufficient. Get a change of ear tips like a spinfit w1 or cp100. It makes the iem sound better with proper seal. I'm enjoying them alot so far. Sound is a very subjective matter as you, me and many others hear differently. You may be able to hear higher frequency and may be treble sensitive or you don't like harsh bass. You should go to an iem store to test before you purchase. Once again it depends on what you enjoy. You can go check out jays audio on YouTube cuz I think he has really good insight and recommendations.

Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED IEM. They measure very well. Better than a lot of the studio headphones that people use https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/truthear-x-crinacle-zero-red-iem-review.44865/ And they're only $55.

I bought the Reds with 3 others because I couldn’t make the decision. The reds are my favorite. I’m looking into something like the Crinacle Dusk next. That is just a big jump in price.

It's less about being worth the upgrade if you already own one of the other sets, to me at least. I find that the question is more about just spending the little bit of extra money to begin with if it's within your budget. If it's not then an upgrade would also be out of the question either way, so that's not the focal point. As you said, the Cadenza just take EQ really well and have solid technical performance for their price, so even if you don't enjoy the tuning, they can be a really good deal. From there, newbies can easily play around with different signatures and AutoEQ other IEMs onto the Cadenza to get a fairly good impression of what they enjoy. I consider the Cadenza to be a great starter IEM for that reason and would argue that if you're looking to eventually upgrade or expand your collection, they are a top notch recommendation. Where I agree with you is that they are not ideal as a standalone one-of product. As part of an arsenal or as a first entry point they can shine but if you're only ever planning on one "do-it-all" IEM, then the 7hz Zero:2, Tangzu Wan'er and (as much as I dislike them) KZ Castor Pro are better in that regard. One last thing too, and this is a very minor criticism: Since you mentioned the Truthear Gate, which are considered very treble forward and the sharpest sounding non-KZ IEMs in their price range, I think it's a moot point to argue about the perceived sharpness of the Cadenza, especially given that a simple tip-roll can solve that issue entirely. I agree that the problem exists, I just wouldn't outright fault the Cadenza for that when other IEMs that people might be upgrading from had even sharper treble, even with better tips. Still, the default upgrade path here would go through the Truthear Zero:Red, not the Cadenza for most people and I'd levvy a lot of the same criticism against those as well (nozzle size -> stock tips, good technical performance, minor price difference to other entry level IEMs). I think it's more of an issue with ultra-budget and budget IEMs just not being all that different from one another and the most notable differences only coming once you invest more, which many people want but can't do. Then they opt to make marginal upgrades and end up disappointed at the lack of a difference. It's more of a customer behavior issue, not a product issue inherently if you ask me. Other than that, great stuff, appreciate the attention to detail.

How do you compare them with the Truthear Zero:RED? I found it very similar, but a little more bassier

I was listening to them until last month, when my Kefine Klean filled up this sound signature with more refinement in treble and also more comfortably in the ears. But it's still a great iem, I'm waiting for the announced Zero:RED 2.

1. Dan Clark Audio E3 2. HD 650 3. HD 660S2 4. Moondrop KXXS 5. Truthear Zero:RED 6. Sony WF-1000XM3 All about what's expected, I generally prefer accurate midrange and slight forward 2-4khz unlike a lot of others. Love extended sub-bass but generally find IEMs worse than my over-ears. Interested in trying the Softears Volume S sometime.

Hello everyone, I am currently looking for IEMs between 180-250 €. From what I've heard for now, regardless of my personal taste, the following seem interesting: * Kiwi Ears KE 4 * Truthear Nova * LetShuoer Cadenza 4 * Tanchjim Origin * ZiiGaat Odyssey My favorite IEMs so far are the Truthear Zero: Red. My most expensive ones up to now were the Kiwi Ears Singolo, but they didn't fit me at all. They always slipped out of the ear canal a little when I wore them, so the sound didn't hit properly. They were only good when I really “pressed” them into my ears with my fingers - but even then, I preferred the tuning of the Zero Red. Can you recommend IEMs that are a similar sounding improvement to the Reds in this price range? Thank you in advance for your help!

Do you think I will like the Odyssey when I loved the Zero: Red? Currently, I'm wavering between the Odyssey and the KE4. I've heard one Reviewer say that the KE4s are very comfortable, and he had the same problem with the Singolos I had, so I'm hoping they would fit perfectly.

just got my zero reds like last week, first iem experience, same boat as you, mainly gaming, and otherwise pop and kpop, it's amazing, i absolutely love it, games are super fun on it and music is even more fun, i literally sit around listening to music now on this doing nothing, before I always used to use music as a background, it's very good, I came from hyperx cloud 2 to this, massive upgrade, but I do have to buy a standalone mic now...

Westone has been around for a very long time, before when Shure SE846 was at it’s prime. They haven’t changed much and neither have the prices for their all BA IEMs that don’t perform up to today’s standards anymore. We have far more resolving IEMs with safer tunings for less than half the price. There are still people who like the Westone house sound however. Their QC seems to be good though unlike most chifi. I want to recommend the Truthear Zero:Red ($55) and see if that’s what you’re looking for.

1.) Headphones > IEMS in most cases when it comes to spatial awareness. 2.) If youre still considering buying IEMS, try the ff: -Simgot Em6l ($110) -Truthear Hexa ($80) -Truthear Red/Blues ($50) -Tangzu Waner ($20) Dont go over $110 if you'll be buying IEMS purely for gaming. And I also want to add that the Truthears nozzles are bigger compared to the others, so if you have a small ear hole, be advised. The only pros I see with IEMS are +No head dent (yay) +Lighter +Easy to bring anywhere u go

i’d go for the crinacle zeros (red or blue) and the hexas honestly. great for the price

Love my 7HZ Zero:2s. The Truthear Gates and Tangzu Wan'er are the other two cheap cheap options I would look into. Truthear Zero Red or Blues would be good if you want to spend closer to $50. Most of the KZ options are out of date with the speed of the Chifi IEM market. You can get better for the same price. Any of the Shure and Sennheisers are overpriced compared to what's coming out of China. I wouldn't even bother personally.

Zero Blue or Red with one of the nozzles that make it sound like Blue BUT beware of wide nozzles, might be uncomfortable Moondrop LAN BUT beware it's rly heavy because it's steel Moondrop SSR 0 bass

I have 3 options: 1) Tripowin Vivace (around $30 - a reviewer I trust (fresh reviews) basically non-stop praised this pair for FPS games, in fact he has this thing called a "wallhack-certified list" which all my 3 options are there btw and this is the highest one. unfortunately the accessories with it are shit but it's $30) 2) Truthear x Crinacle Zero Blue/Red (around $50, red is slightly more expensive. blue has more bass, red is more balanced but comes with an impedance adapter to boost the bass. many pro players use this pair, notably most of the g2 roster. the issue with this pair is that the nozzle size is quite bulky and so is the shell, so if you have small earholes, it might be slightly bulky 3) Simgot EW200 ($40, my current pair, love this piece of shit, made of metal and feels like a tank yet also light, sound is slightly more towards treble but I bought a pair of eartips which kinda makes it more on the bassy side and tames down the treble. also being a guy with small ass ears, this pair is extremely comfortable) tldr: #1 is from what I heard the best, but #2 & 3 are really good as well, #2 is being used the most in pro play, in fact I've never seen #1 and 3 used as of rn

I believe NiKo is using a pair of Truthear Zeros, which are great for hearing footsteps

Personally I like the Trio and the Vader Balanced over any of the Truthear Zeros. You can get the Trio or Vader Balanced for under $30, and with a good cable from KBEar, you will still be under the price of the Zeros, and have better overall tonality, without the oddball shortcomings of the Zeros. I still feel, personally, that the Zero Blue is better than the Blue2. But I am in a minority for this opinion.

Moondrop chu 2 or Tripowin vivace + some cheap dongle is my rec , something like truthear zero is a little bit better

I have had both of them plus my current ones of the Shure 215 SE Pro. The bose ones were definitely my favorite. They were so comfortable and the sound was amazing. My dog broke them after about two years. Now I can't find a pair that isn't crazy expensive because they are discontinued (at least can't find them in canada) The truthear ones I am not sure if I got a defective pair but the sound was really muffled regardless what I did with my sound settings. I only used them for about a week. They were alright for comfort. Then I bought the shure 215 pro and I found them really good. They were really close in sound quality to bose. They are pretty comfortable too because they are really light. I ended up buying a second pair to have as a back up. They aren't as expensive as the bose either but I think they are a really good option. I know a few pros use them but I can't remember which ones

No problem. I think it's likely I just got a defective pair of truthears. You can order them both off of Amazon though and just return the pair you don't like too

Plus 1 for this, was basically gonna say the same thing. In the spring I ordered a pair of $50 IEMs on Amazon (Truthear X Crinacle Zero’s) because I wanted an alternative to my A40TR’s, I liked over ear headphones but wanted the option for earbuds sometimes. I’ve legit never worn my A40s since the first day my IEMs got here. For like 1/6th of the price they are so much clearer. Don’t get me wrong, the audio in this game can suck pretty bad, nothing is gonna magically make audio from nothing (never gonna hear someone mantle no matter what you use 🤣) , but the sound cues you do hear are crispy through my IEMs and muddy through my A40s.

Aful Explorer, or any other lower pinna gain set. Truthear Zero (og), the other side of the coin for me, shouty and harsh.

Truthear Nova if u can get a promo to 100$ or Truthear zero's ( blue or red both good for 40$/50$) Don't get em6l - they are good in only comp games (you can hear the footsteps , directions etc but for me its sounds off, have a muddy feel) , Nozzle - issues (falling apart ), super smooth nozzle causes tips to pop out

Not convinced on that. Is it cool? Yeah. But like a 20$ truthear zero really isn't that bad as is. If the monarch was 200$ I'd buy it again

Your experince has some similarities with mine. I also started with the Zero (1) but it broke, so I got the Chu 2. Found the Chu 2 too V-shaped for me. Next, I got the SGOR Luna, which is like you getting the EW300. Both clearly V-shaped tuned IEM's with similar flaws. I love the Luna but it was just too V-shaped and I felt like I was missing out on the mids and vocals were distant (they never go too busy though since they're plannars). Then I got the 7hz Sonus in an attempt to save from spending for the Hexa. This was 90% there for me but it got really fatiguing ang unnatural after a month. Too "in-your-face" sound. I finally got the Hexa's and have been using them for over 2 months now. The way you describe them is almost exactly how I would too. Cheers.

You mean truthear zero? They are perhaps more neutral sounding, when I heard "dans audio reviews" yt channel. Suprisingly enough the most bass you can get from the cheapest, qkz x hbb, they of course doesn't have the best technicalities, separation, or soundstage, but vocals are clean and bass is there. Something more polished would be the Tri x Hbb Kai, but its too shiny and perhaps also out of stock. They are so cheap, that they cost less then the foam buds, and the bass is there. O course dont know if the bass clarity and separation would be enough, but I was quite surprised how good it is. Perhaps they lack in other areas bu defenitelly not in the bass area.

I love the sound of the Blue 2’s, but I tried the Tangzu Fudu, Kiwis and 7hz - the only reason I’m considering others is because they feel so much better in my ears. But the sound signature has been better on the Truths by far

Truthear Zero. Some people prefer the Zero Red’s as they have a little more/smoother bass but the originals are just as good imo and reds are a few more bucks.

It’s the same earbud, I left out the crinacle to keep it shorter

Ive been rotating between the kz castor, tripowin viviace, and truthear zero. Castor for bass and vivace and red just based on what im feeling. But I do feel like the vivoace is a little bit better

Sgor Luna at below $30 is a great option. Truthear Zero at around $45 (2 DD) is a great starting point. It has plenty of bass quality and quantity (one driver acts as subwoofer, the other handles mids and highs). T10 (single large planar driver) is awesome too, but it isn't great to look at. Planar bass packs a tight punch. It's different than bass from dynamic drivers though. At around $65-$70 (on sale): S08 and Aful Explorer. I've been using the 7hz zero on the road while maining Truthear Zero at home. I have Dioko for when I want brightness and that planar sound. Recently I went shopping for something new and ended up with: 1) KZ Castor Bass (good bass, fun, connector for KZ Az09 pro bt adapter). 2) Waner 2 (to try the new release and for Sancai tips) 3) Letshuoer S08 (expecting this dark planar to be my new main IEM. Also has a bunch of accessories I wanted). 4) Aful Explorer (similar to S08 in sound signature but with different, multi-driver tech). Plus I like its shell design. Have fun with your pick.

I have castor bass, wan'er 2, truthear zero, nicehck f1 pro, S08, and Aful Explorer. Of all of them, I love the Explorer the most and it's my current fave. The bass is awesome, mids and highs are clear. Fits very well. Cables and case are super high quality and just awesome to use. Go up a little bit and wait for sale. I got mine for ~$72 with coins in the recent spring sale.