Budget IEM (Chit Chat)

[BlackWing1977]

KZ ZS10 Pro (First Pair I bought from Amazon SG during Black Friday Discount)
Hybrid 1DD + 4BA per side
Price $30.10 (Discount at Amazon SG. I bought a 2nd pair at $26.97 and the price finally dip to below $20 at one point. Now about $56.90 at a local Shopee seller, not so common from seller in China probably because it is a old model there are newer model like ZS10 Pro X, ZS10 Pro 2 and ZS12 Pro etc.)

KZ PRX (Planar Magnetic IEM, 2nd pair of IEM after ZS10 Pro)
Planar IEM (Probably a 13.2 mm Planar Magnetic driver inside)
Price $50++ (Shopee seller from China)

KZ Castor Pro (Harman Tuned Bass Improved Black)
Dual Dynamic Driver (Both 10mm) per side
Price $19++ (Shopee Seller from China)

CCA Hydro (Probably most expensive I have ever buy.)
Hybrid 2DD + 8BA per side
Price $130++ to $140++ (Shopee Seller from China. Depending on whether if you choose the one with upgraded cable)

Please take note most if not all of the IEM are shown with upgraded cable and 3rd party ear tips.

Please keep discussion friendly and civil... thank you.

Someone suggested to me best to have a separate thread, dun hijack the older thread. So here we are.

 

[BlackWing1977]

@Rock Hardy @MangoCAT @tuckloong @r3f3r3e @EroNasubi

 

[cosmothecat]

Ok. Support your thread.

At least you put in effort

 

[BlackWing1977]

Ok. Support your thread.

At least you put in effort

 

[cosmothecat]

KZ ZS10 Pro is very good but the ear tip's seal must be very good, then you will be able to get the best sound

A bit of leakage, the sound quality degrades completely

 

[jkohlc2]

can go to the hangout at chinatown and sam audio to test all chifi products

 

[BlackWing1977]

can go to the hangout at chinatown and sam audio to test all chifi products

I think at the moment I might not be looking for another IEM... though the amount of new Chifi IEMs that keep coming out is damn poisonous... going there is like walking into five poison sect of chifi... with little to no poison resistance buff...

 

[BlackWing1977]

KZ ZS10 Pro is very good but the ear tip's seal must be very good, then you will be able to get the best sound

A bit of leakage, the sound quality degrades completely

The bass is kinda lacking compared to all the other 3 iems I have... I am even using Spinfit CP100+ L tips... so it is not a seal problem... really is the DD inside cannot have the same kind of bass.

The bass is closer to the Planar KZ PRX but PRX have a bit more thump to it.. ZS10 Pro seems a bit thinner in the quality.

But what I scare is the nozzle small... as the ear tips feel a bit loose over the nozzle.. maybe when my Dunu S&S tips come in I can test again.

But even with the bass a bit lacking, overall the audio quality is still very enjoyable though.

 

[potatohead]

if you still wish to spend a little more, give ARTTI T10 a try, the so called poorer sibling that performs ard 90% of Letshuoer S12 at abt half its price

 

[Rock Hardy]

@Rock Hardy @MangoCAT @tuckloong @r3f3r3e @EroNasubi

I can support your thread, but I can’t add much. I know more about music than audio equipment.

 

[tatsit]

I only got laoji tin hifi C3

 

[Nuclear Boy]

I almost started with ZS10 Pro a few years ago. Then last moment cancelled and got a pair of Moondrop Aria instead. Because *hype* (in 2021), and I wanted to try something other than the usual V-shaped tuning.

if you still wish to spend a little more, give ARTTI T10 a try, the so called poorer sibling that performs ard 90% of Letshuoer S12 at abt half its price

Yes, I concur with this choice for beginners who want to try planar. Either that or Nicehck F1 Pro. Definitely not as controversial a choice as the OG S12, its treble can be spicy at times, and perhaps intolerable to some.

-----
For ppl who want to stick with known non-ChiFi brand, I can recommend Sennheiser IE200 as well, if okay with $100-150 range. Simple, clear, yet smooth and inoffensive. Just need to take note of the adjustable bleed port. For most intents and purposes, it is recommended to keep it covered (by tip, or even tape up) to get the most of its bass response. Added bonus: can lay on your side on pillow with this set inserted; really disappear within your ear

The OG S12 is still my sayang and end-game (together with Sennheiser IE200). And my IEM buck stopped there. I don't see much point spending much more than this (got them at <$150 each). S12's cable feels very nice and sturdy, so I didn't swap. Meanwhile, I threw away IE200's stock cable after I received ones from Tripowin (Zombur). Both sets have Spinfit CP100+ (gripped and sealed better than stock S12 tips) and W1 (slightly helped extend IE200's upper treble, making it sound less intimate/"small space") respectively.
-----

Honorary mention: Sony MH755 (+EQ)
Bullet type, worthy successor to my well-worn Xiaomi Piston 2. Even better after EQ. But still alright without; just too much midbass for my liking, veiling the rest of the track. It's the typical Sony tuning. Mine is modified to have MMCX jacks; I mean, have you seen the default cable?

 

[TimsTom]

KZ ZS10 Pro (First Pair I bought from Amazon SG during Black Friday Discount)
Hybrid 1DD + 4BA per side

KZ PRX (Planar Magnetic IEM, 2nd pair of IEM after ZS10 Pro)
Planar IEM (Probably a 13.2 mm Planar Magnetic driver inside)

KZ Castor Pro (Harman Tuned Bass Improved Black)
Dual Dynamic Driver (Both 10mm) per side

CCA Hydro (Probably most expensive I have ever buy.)
Hybrid 2DD + 8BA per side

Please keep discussion friendly and civil... thank you.

Someone suggested to me best to have a separate thread, dun hijack the older thread. So here we are.

Are these same as earphones? How we know how budget is these budgets when u never show any prices for them?

 

[BlackWing1977]

 

[BlackWing1977]

Are these same as earphones? How we know how budget is these budgets when u never show any prices for them?

Basically you can call them earphones... except the line between regular earphone and IEM have blurred long ago.. not sure if you remember the earliest earphone are flat.. and does not goes inside your ear canal at all... they simply sit on the outside of your ears be squeezing itself on the outer ears. But nowadays most earphones or earbuds or IEM all have this design that actually insert the ear tips into the ear canal itself.

These are still available but they are the minority nowadays, even the free earphones that came with handphone can look like IEM.

Basically IEM are called In Ear Monitors... typically are used by musician on a stage to tune out certain instrument with a receiver so that they can follow the music better. But nowadays they are often used by regular people for music.

I did not show because all my set are attached with upgraded cable and mostly 3rd party ear tips.. that can range from $9.50 a pair to $17 a pair, cables can be like $11+ to $14+.

But if you are talking about just the basic IEM and whatever that came with it in its original packaging... ranges from under $20 to $130++.... none of them are above $150.

With the Castor Pro at the cheapest at $19++ (no mic and no add on), then ZS10 Pro from Amazon SG which can be as low as $19++ during black friday discount but normal price on Shopee is more closer to $40+ to $50+ depending on seller. Next is PRX is around $50++, then CCA Hydro is either $130+++ or $140+++ if you chose the upgraded cable version but the one I am showing is not that upgrade silver cable, I put on a different cable that can change the connector from 3.5mm to 4.4mm balanced.

 

[Shutterbox]

1DD + 4BA
my current iBasso IT04 also this config

 

[BlackWing1977]

I suggest those who are unsure... can pick up one under $20 to play with it... low costs low risk mar..

Just dunno when will I ever see this price again... by the time this discount pop up, I already bought 2 pairs from Amazon at $30++ to $20++...

 

[wlalala]

now china iem really damn cheap

even fiio also cannot fight

 

[deokiejisoo]

Sorry what's the difference between cheap IEM and maybe example the Sony xm5? If quality is better I might try one cheap IEM

 

[Purplestars]

IEM the connector jin marfan leh. Nowadays where got devices that use that kind of connector? Also non wireless is jin marfan. Are the wires and connector necessary for sound quality?

I'll probably get myself a set of cans instead.