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Best 'Bang for your buck' IEM - Poll

Best 'Bang for your buck' IEM under $100.

  • 7Hz Salnotes Zero

    Votes: 106 25.4%
  • BLON BL-03

    Votes: 14 3.3%
  • DUNU Titan S

    Votes: 7 1.7%
  • HZsound Heart Mirror

    Votes: 2 0.5%
  • Moondrop CHU

    Votes: 25 6.0%
  • Tanchjim Tanya

    Votes: 4 1.0%
  • Tripowin x HBB Olina

    Votes: 5 1.2%
  • TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero (Original = Blue)

    Votes: 69 16.5%
  • TRUTHEAR x Crinacle Zero:RED

    Votes: 176 42.1%
  • Other

    Votes: 91 21.8%

  • Total voters
    418
thanks for the reply, one more question ew300 dsp or the kefine klean? or maybe you have some more suggestion
Funnily enough have the 300dsp and just got the klean .

Based on very first listen id get the ew300 dsp and use the gold (pink) nozzles .

Something not right to me about the klean low end.
 
thanks for the reply, one more question ew300 dsp or the kefine klean? or maybe you have some more suggestion

EW300 DSP, as I said before.
Funnily enough have the 300dsp and just got the klean .

Based on very first listen id get the ew300 dsp and use the gold (pink) nozzles .

Something not right to me about the klean low end.

Only Akros caught on that. The rest of the graphs seems wrong. I don't know why the disparity.
 
Aliexpress promo on Kbear KB01

https://it.aliexpress.com/item/1005006647844189.html

it's basically a clone of Kiwi Ear Cadenza, from specs, aesthetics and package I would'n exclude it's a rebranding, and for less than 20€ can be a nice buy

View attachment 403953
I ended up catching this KB01, don't even know precisely the reason :facepalm: A slightly warmer iem than most of mine (excluding Hola) + a decent cable with straight 2 pin that can always come up useful, seemed a good deal for €17... Well, I ordered it altogether another item I don't need, another dongle, but that for €27 was too tempting not to try, so with Aliexpress €5 coupon, the Kbear costed me precisely €15, more or less a decent cable alone, and I think they can't do so bad to not being worth.
We are all lost causes...
 
If it is a clone of the Cadenza it is probably quite all right in my opinion. The Cadenza are comfortable in my opinion, I really like the smaller, smooth shell. The sound profile is more or less what I want my IEMs to be, but unfortunately I perceive them as very siblant no matter what tips I use, thus they don't get much use. I figure that this is probably something that has to do with the anatomy of my ear so I don't really hold it against the IEM.

Someone mentioned the KZ Sagas earlier in the thread and I just wanna say thanks for the name drop. Out of curiosity I ordered a pair when I ordered a new backup pair of my Zero 2 and I really like these Sagas! I got the bass version which is... way overpowered in the bass region out of the box, but EQ can easily fix that and now I have them EQ'd to sound close to how I perceived the Zero 2. So while the sound now is more or less like the Zero 2, I find the shell of the Sagas to be much nicer. I don't find the Zero 2 uncomfortable per se but I don't like the design, I think sharp corners and edges are both bad ideas for IEM designs. I often catch myself adjusting the fit when wearing the Zero 2 and that is a non issue with the Saga, I think these may be the most comfortable IEMs that I own.

When I buy a backup set of these I'll probably buy a set of the balanced version as well, if only to see if it is to my liking out of the box without EQ.
 
Which IEM should I get? The Simgot EM6L, Simgot EW300, Tangzu Xuan NV, and Truthear Hexa are all around the same price where I’m at, so I’m a bit confused about which to pick. For context, I think I prefer a warm, balanced sound? I add a question mark because I haven’t tried the neutral/meta tuning yet, but I’ve seen people calling it boring. I hate sibilance and harsh treble. Also, no QC issues, please! It drives me crazy when the frequency graph of the IEM doesn’t match the one I own—even when it’s the same model and revision (cough KZ PR2).
To me Hexa has an impressively clean treble, free from any glare or graininess that I tend to hear in most IEMs. And an overall balanced tuning, maybe very slightly lean in the lows. Regarding QC I only know of reports about EM6L nozzles detaching. EW300 is too new to tell.
 
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Funnily enough have the 300dsp and just got the klean .

Based on very first listen id get the ew300 dsp and use the gold (pink) nozzles .

Something not right to me about the klean low end.
Ill update on this

First impressions of the Klean were with the large stock tips. Tried them with my tip of choice after this- way different response. The bass was all over the shop before , now far more normal.

With my preferred tips Klean is pretty balanced. As others have said the shell is a little on the small side so its not the perfect fit for my big lugs. YMMV. Not a bad IEM at all. Not sure it should be on anyone's "must buy/ listen" list either though.

For my money- if you have 20ish bucks get a Chu 2 DSP. If you have 50ish bucks get a Simgot EW300 DSP. Get the Zero 2 if you only have 3.5mm connection.
 
Just heard online that Hexa 2 should be near to be released. I have mixed feelings about Hexa, on one side I regret i couldn't get a decent seal with any tips i had at that time and had to return them almost immediately, on the other side, returning them i decided to try the Sonus and couldn't be happier.
We'll see what this new version will be.
 
My Simgot EW300 DSP just arrived, and surprisingly, it sounds quite similar to my EQ'd KZ PR2—though slightly better. The fit is also incredibly comfortable. Unfortunately, there’s a crackling sound in the right side whenever I listen to classical music, even with MIDI files, so it's definitely not the recording. Looks like I'll have to return it.
 
To me Hexa has an impressively clean treble, free from any glare or graininess that I tend to hear in most IEMs. And an overall balanced tuning, maybe very slightly lean in the lows. Regarding QC I only know of reports about EM6L nozzles detaching. EW300 is too new to tell.
hahaha you jinxed it!
 
My Simgot EW300 DSP just arrived, and surprisingly, it sounds quite similar to my EQ'd KZ PR2—though slightly better. The fit is also incredibly comfortable. Unfortunately, there’s a crackling sound in the right side whenever I listen to classical music, even with MIDI files, so it's definitely not the recording. Looks like I'll have to return it.
Seems a bit odd, how can an issue be present only on a specific music genre?
 
Is this the budget tuning trend of the moment?
graph.png
 
Seems a bit odd, how can an issue be present only on a specific music genre?
The quiet passages seem to reveal a crackling that doesn’t come through in louder or more complex tracks. It’s especially noticeable in soft solo piano pieces, like Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2 or the intro of Sparkle by RADWIMPS, and it’s only happening specifically with the right driver.

I've recorded it if you're curious.
 
While my EW300 DSP is off on its journey back to the seller, I’ve fallen back on the non-meshed KZ PR2. The issue? It sounds incredibly thin and sharp through my amp/DAC dongle—objectively and unmistakably so. Someone in the KZ PR2 thread has measured that using 10, 20, and 30-ohm impedance adapters can reduce the ear-piercing treble. But when I plug it straight into the 3.5mm jack on my laptop (G15 Advantage) without any adapters, it actually sounds listenable, more than loud enough, with no extreme highs or sibilance.

So, how do I exactly figure out which source will make my KZ PR2 sound listenable instead of eardrum grating treble? What specs should I be looking for? I’m a bit out of touch and could use some pointers on what to search for in Google.
 
While my EW300 DSP is off on its journey back to the seller, I’ve fallen back on the non-meshed KZ PR2. The issue? It sounds incredibly thin and sharp through my amp/DAC dongle—objectively and unmistakably so. Someone in the KZ PR2 thread has measured that using 10, 20, and 30-ohm impedance adapters can reduce the ear-piercing treble. But when I plug it straight into the 3.5mm jack on my laptop (G15 Advantage) without any adapters, it actually sounds listenable, more than loud enough, with no extreme highs or sibilance.

So, how do I exactly figure out which source will make my KZ PR2 sound listenable instead of eardrum grating treble? What specs should I be looking for? I’m a bit out of touch and could use some pointers on what to search for in Google.
No source change will change PR2 tuning issues that unless it has EQ functionality. Honestly, you're better off getting a different IEM. Hexa has been discussed, that would be a fine choice for classical playback.
 
Crackling on the Simgot EW300 DSP when playing soft solo piano or any song with gentle, simple passages seems to be a common issue. I've tested two brand-new pairs, and both suffer from the same problem.

recording of the crackle : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vIPNX49wHN6hNTavxjVRXZ-kfDTEN0E5

With that in mind, would it be better to buy the Hexa now or wait for the Hexa 2? For those who own the Hexa, how is it holding up? Some users in Indonesian forums have mentioned it's prone to breaking.
 
Crackling on the Simgot EW300 DSP when playing soft solo piano or any song with gentle, simple passages seems to be a common issue. I've tested two brand-new pairs, and both suffer from the same problem.

recording of the crackle : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vIPNX49wHN6hNTavxjVRXZ-kfDTEN0E5

With that in mind, would it be better to buy the Hexa now or wait for the Hexa 2? For those who own the Hexa, how is it holding up? Some users in Indonesian forums have mentioned it's prone to breaking.
Pure release might be months away. I haven't heard any reports about Hexa breaking, but this can happen with any IEM.
 
Well I was wrong about my assumptions on short nozzle/shallow fitting IEMs.

I was trying to fix the condensation problem on the Saga by trying different filters but when I took out the filter I noticed that the filter had some kind of glue/rubber "o-ring" effectively reducing the circumference area of the filter and immediately thought of the Delci which I stopped using after some mods attempts (Chu 2 filter, reduced the effective area a bit) that worked but not well enough, so I experimented on the Delci with some KZ filters (of the same type and size but different densities), in the end I used the ones form the Castor Harman (the less dense of the ones I tried), all the harshness, glare (resonances) and elevated highs disappeared, now the sound is just as described by a lot of users and graphs, warm, bassy with a relaxed pinna region and inoffensive but present treble.

I've been using them daily for around two plus weeks, I really like them now and on top that they are very comfortable, light and silent (bodily functions and steps while walking), isolation is average but is sufficient. I use them with TRN T-Tips.
 
I ended up catching this KB01, don't even know precisely the reason :facepalm: A slightly warmer iem than most of mine (excluding Hola) + a decent cable with straight 2 pin that can always come up useful, seemed a good deal for €17... Well, I ordered it altogether another item I don't need, another dongle, but that for €27 was too tempting not to try, so with Aliexpress €5 coupon, the Kbear costed me precisely €15, more or less a decent cable alone, and I think they can't do so bad to not being worth.
We are all lost causes...
If it is a clone of the Cadenza it is probably quite all right in my opinion. The Cadenza are comfortable in my opinion, I really like the smaller, smooth shell. The sound profile is more or less what I want my IEMs to be, but unfortunately I perceive them as very siblant no matter what tips I use, thus they don't get much use. I figure that this is probably something that has to do with the anatomy of my ear so I don't really hold it against the IEM.
Kbear KB01 arrived, listening to them now. They are really small and nicely made, not cheapish feeling at touch. I must say that they sound good, even though they are a bit brighter than I was expecting from the graph. Had to use the largest tips i have, Tri Clarion large (14mm) since they are pretty small and with very short nozzle, couldn't get solid seal with most of my other large tips, even Kbear 07 large (from Sonus box, 13,7 mm) work fine but not perfect. As said I was expecting them a bit warmer, even though i don't really know why :rolleyes: Actually they sound very similar to Truthear Gate for me, with more air and not so more bass as graph could suggest, and I'm enjoying them after throwing away that wrong expectation, the highs are honestly surprising me, very present but smooth.
The cable is actually pretty cheap, very thin and tangly, but not microphonic and with straight connectors (i bought them mostly for that :p ), with big and well readable L-R marks on them (finally!), so it does it's job well.
For the price i paid i could have get a spare Gate, the cable is surely better, but I'm glad to have picked them instead.
 
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