72 Hours Into the IEM Rabbit Hole — Now I Know Nothing. Help Me Choose Wisely

[Ype]

I do it the way Isaac does it, using a cheap USB-C dongle/cable with a 5 band PEQ (Parametric EQ) ability build in.
As I do not use any Apple devices I would not know what would work for you on a software level but I am sure someone on here will know.
No need to worry about it right now but as others also mentioned, if one of the IEMs you just ordered are comfortable and seal well, that would be the next step.

If you look at the review of the zero:2 and scroll down through the review you'll see what I mean:

7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the 7Hz x Crinacle Zero:2 IEM. It was kindly donated to me by a member and costs US $24.99. The cable is soft and longer than typical which I like. They take fair amount of effort to push it but then they make a reassuring...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[rdscuba]

I don't know about PlexAmp. But Spotify is definitely insufficient.
You'll want to get a DAC dongle that has PEQ support (Fiio makes many of them, but unless it's got Bluetooth, you can't configure their PEQ from an iPhone, and instead have to connect it to an Android, Mac, Windows or Linux computer to do so, and then you can reconnect it to your iPhone and it will remember the settings).

Perhaps this one? https://a.co/d/0bgBEB36

 

[NTK]

Perhaps this one? https://a.co/d/0bgBEB36

Or alternatively the TRN Black Pearl as reviewed by member jkim.

Review of TRN Black Pearl: Portable USB DAC & Headphone Amp with 10-band PEQ

Important Update (8/16/25) WalkPlay/TTGK is another company reacting to the issue of DRE-induced distortion associated with the CS431xx chips! A new firmware release for the TRN Black Pearl changed a key parameter related to DRE operation. With this firmware installed, the Black Pearl does not...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[IsaacOscar]

Perhaps this one? https://a.co/d/0bgBEB36

Yup that's good see https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-ka15-portable-dac-headphone-amp-review.62928

I was considering getting that, but I decided to buy the cheapest ones that had the features I wanted (so the Tiny so I can simultaneously charge my Android phone, and the Melody for my computer as it has more power; I did not need the extra power provided by the KA15).

You might want to consider the Retro Nano as it has Bluetooth so you should be able to fully configure it from an iPhone.

 

[Ype]

I was writing a post about the TNR Black Pearl as NTK's message popped up.
I made it a habit not to recommend anything I have not tried or better yet own personally, but that is the device I planned to buy if the small dongle I already had wasn't enough to drive the Gate to my satisfaction.

 

[rdscuba]

Or alternatively the TRN Black Pearl as reviewed by member jkim.

Review of TRN Black Pearl: Portable USB DAC & Headphone Amp with 10-band PEQ

Important Update (8/16/25) WalkPlay/TTGK is another company reacting to the issue of DRE-induced distortion associated with the CS431xx chips! A new firmware release for the TRN Black Pearl changed a key parameter related to DRE operation. With this firmware installed, the Black Pearl does not...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Thanks!

 

[DazST]

Well, Facebook is on to me. Every add is now for IEM’s. Did you know that the new KZ ZSX Pro’s have 12 drivers?? All for under $100.00 . I plan on achieving expert IEM status after clicking and reading every add that FB serves up over the next few weeks.

If you're looking for a cheap, but solid dac/amp with eq/peq abilities then I highly recommend you have a look at the FiiO Snowsky Tiny A.

 

[rdscuba]

I don't know about PlexAmp. But Spotify is definitely insufficient.
You'll want to get a DAC dongle that has PEQ support (Fiio makes many of them, but unless it's got Bluetooth, you can't configure their PEQ from an iPhone, and instead have to connect it to an Android, Mac, Windows or Linux computer to do so, and then you can reconnect it to your iPhone and it will remember the settings).

This is PlexAmp. It has a preset for my IEM’s - ironically. Would DAC with PEQ be of benefit or more benefit than this?

 

[Ype]

Looks like PlexAmp uses a graphical EQ, you can only change the gain of pre-defined filters.
Parametric EQ is different, you can set up your own filters and yes it will give you a benefit, as you can target peaks and dips in the frequency response more effectively.

Sometimes you can approximate it with a graphical EQ, but the filter they generated just looks wrong to me.
Try the IEMs as is at first, just know the next step I would recommend would be trying your hand at PEQ.

This will also send you down a rabbit hole, but luckily both IEMs you bought were measured and reviewed by amirm.
I would start by using his PEQ settings and then tweak bass and treble to taste.

For the Gate I used a PEQ filter of 45Hz, +2dB and a Q factor of 0.5 as I can't set shelf filters on my little USB-C dongle.
Your preference might very well be different!

 

[rdscuba]

Update: I’ve had the Zero2s since Friday, and I must say they sound very good. I don’t have anything to compare them to yet; the GATEs should arrive later this week. I also purchased some DUNU S&S Earbud Tips to try, and I believe I prefer them over the ones that came with the Zero2s. However, I don't think I’m getting the proper isolation; I'm not sure. While sound is moderately muted, I can still hear quite a bit more than I think I should when no music is playing. I can easily have a conversation with people in the room with the IEMs inserted. I would appreciate any suggestions for earbud tips.

 

[staticV3]

Update: I’ve had the Zero2s since Friday, and I must say they sound very good. I don’t have anything to compare them to yet; the GATEs should arrive later this week. I also purchased some DUNU S&S Earbud Tips to try, and I believe I prefer them over the ones that came with the Zero2s. However, I don't think I’m getting the proper isolation; I'm not sure. While sound is moderately muted, I can still hear quite a bit more than I think I should when no music is playing. I can easily have a conversation with people in the room with the IEMs inserted. I would appreciate any suggestions for earbud tips.

The Zero:2 do not isolate particularly well.

Sealing is better judged by bass extension and channel balance instead.

For example, try playing the sound test here and report back the lowest frequency that you can hear with the Zero:2

 

[Ype]

Everything has already been said but I have to put my first post somewhere.
Don't worry about music taste, all properly mixed music will sound great on good speakers, headphones and IEMs.
And there are always tone controls if the bass or treble does not sound right.

As I see it, the simplest solution would be to buy both the zero:2 and the Gate and see which one you prefer.
You can experiment with all the tips you get with them as well, for me the ones that came with the Gate work best.

One simply cannot predict what will be more comfortable and gives you or your teenager a better seal.
For checking the seal, I would use sensaphonic audio seal test:

Audio Seal Test

Audio Seal Test Sensaphonics earphones produce rich, smooth frequency response across the full audio spectrum. Obtaining this full response requires the isolation resulting from a full, tight seal. A poor seal will result in significant loss of bass response. Audio Seal Test Sensaphonics...

www.sensaphonics.com

Try the seal test I linked to here if you haven't already.
It will play two tones, both tones should be the same volume with a proper seal, as explained on the website.

 

[Ype]

As for earbud tips, I would recommend trying the ones that came with the Gate first, they actually worked best for me on the Zero:2's.
If the tips feel comfortable and you have a good seal you are done.

For better insulation you could try foam tips or tips filled with foam, but that will just block more sound that is not coming through the IEMs themselves.
The IEMs are not sound insulators, sound will travel through them into your ear canal.

They might help with how much volume you need to enjoy your music in the train or on a airplane, but they will not reach the levels of active noise cancelation.

 

[IsaacOscar]

However, I don't think I’m getting the proper isolation; I'm not sure. While sound is moderately muted, I can still hear quite a bit more than I think I should when no music is playing. I can easily have a conversation with people in the room with the IEMs inserted. I would appreciate any suggestions for earbud tips.

This doesn't mean the tips aren't sealing properly or that your sound quality will suffer (unless the background sound is so loud the music doesn't mask it). If you just find the outside noises annoying though, I recommend getting Comply foam tips (they do increase the bass a lot, so you might want to EQ this down).

But for proper isolation you'll want ANC (active noise cancellation), I haven't personally tried this though so I can't comment on how good it is.

 

[somebodyelse]

But for proper isolation you'll want ANC (active noise cancellation), I haven't personally tried this though so I can't comment on how good it is.

Last time I looked at noise isolation measurements at rtings the Etymotic deep insertion IEMs had isolation up there with the better ANC implementations. My experience with Koss The Plugs was subjectively similar, especially when using Etymotic triple flange tips - they isolate a lot better than shallow insertion IEMs which make up the bulk of the market. They're the only other deep insertion model I know of. The difference is that passive isolates best at the high frequencies and worst at the low frequencies, while active is the other way around. Which is better will depend on what noise you're trying to keep out, and how useful you find the pass-through option on most ANC models.

 

[IsaacOscar]

Last time I looked at noise isolation measurements at rtings the Etymotic deep insertion IEMs had isolation up there with the better ANC implementations. My experience with Koss The Plugs was subjectively similar, especially when using Etymotic triple flange tips - they isolate a lot better than shallow insertion IEMs which make up the bulk of the market. They're the only other deep insertion model I know of. The difference is that passive isolates best at the high frequencies and worst at the low frequencies, while active is the other way around. Which is better will depend on what noise you're trying to keep out, and how useful you find the pass-through option on most ANC models.

Can you not just use the isolation tips together with ANC?

 

[somebodyelse]

Can you not just use the isolation tips together with ANC?

Possibly - with a few caveats:

1. triple flange tips for most IEMs aren't that common. The Etymotic ones won't fit most IEMs because of the much smaller inner diameter. The Plugs just happen to have similar dimensions, possibly because they're also for deep insertion.
2. It may change the frequency response as the tips will fill a lot more of the ear canal. It would be interesting to see some measurements to understand how big an effect this is likely to be.
3. If the ANC is using feed-forward it will have an assumed level and frequency response of isolation in shaping the feed-forward signal. If you change this significantly then the cancellation could end up worse rather than better - instead of the leakage and the feed-forward cancelling because they're equal but opposite, the feed-forward will now be bigger than the leakage.

 

[RandomEar]

@rdscuba Since you're slowly falling down the IEM rabbit hole and got some extra tips already, I will add some speed to your dive into the hole:

Some members suggested foam tips for a better seal. I've used different ones for a while because no silicone tip was ever comfortable for me. Ones like the Comply are fully foam with a thin silicone tube in the center to stabilize them. Those are OK but need to be rolled to fit into your ear and they take about 20 seconds to expand again until they sit tightly.

A vast improvement for me were foam tips with an air gap between the silicone center and the foam outer hull like these. You don't need to roll these before inserting and they don't need time to expand again - they work just as quick as full silicone tips, but their fit and seal are much, much better.

In general, I find the comfort and seal of foam tips to be superior, but they don't last very long. After a couple of months to maybe a year, the foam starts to degrade and crumble. So foam tips are consumables.

 

[Robin L]

As for earbud tips, I would recommend trying the ones that came with the Gate first, they actually worked best for me on the Zero:2's.
If the tips feel comfortable and you have a good seal you are done.

For better insulation you could try foam tips or tips filled with foam, but that will just block more sound that is not coming through the IEMs themselves.
The IEMs are not sound insulators, sound will travel through them into your ear canal.

They might help with how much volume you need to enjoy your music in the train or on a airplane, but they will not reach the levels of active noise cancelation.

I ended up using a pair of tips from a Sony IEM I got about 10 years ago. They are ever so slightly bigger and that made all the difference. I played back the audio test that staticV3 provided, the IEMs go very audibly down to 20 hz, the fit is more consistent. If none of the provided tips have a consistent seal, consider getting some other silicone tips or perhaps foam comply tips.

Here is a Sony silicone tip on my Zero 2:

 

[Ype]

I am currently trying different tips for my chu:2, I can instantly tell if the seal is correct by listening to the alternating tones in the link.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0245/1456/0064/files/alt_tones.mp3?9518

The tips are silicone with foam inside, I presume they are still being sold but could not find them quickly, so made a picture of mine.
Been using these for 10+ years on different IEMs.

I also had a good experience with spring tips that came with the chu:2, but sadly they did not last very long.