Looking for <100$ IEM with bass

[ozz]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some cheap IEMs for when I'm commuting, mainly for electronic music so bass/sub-bass is what I really need. My only IEM is a Creative EP630 https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Noise-Isolating-Earphones-Superior-Ergonomic/dp/B002EL4MXY , which sounds pretty weak. I never heard an expensive or a good IEM, at home I'm using Fischer audio FA003 (it's neutral, doesn't have much bass but of course it murders my cheap IEM).
Most likely I will order from this place https://shenzhenaudio.com/collections/headphone-earphone?page=1&sort_by=price-ascending since I need a D50s and they have it at a good price now. If anyone knows a good one (from shenzenaudio or other site), post a comment please.

 

[KozmoNaut]

Check out the Blon BL-03. I have a set coming my way as we speak, and according to reviews they're practically unbeatable at even 2 or 3 times the price. You may have to experiment a bit to find the right tips, and some people think the cable sits a bit odd over the ears, but the sound quality receives big praise.

https://www.linsoul.com/products/blon-bl-03

And for $30, how can you go wrong?

 

[pwjazz]

I can recommend the KZ ZS10 Pro. It's got punchy, well extended bass without sounding overly thick. I tried the Blon BL-03 and didn't love it (too thick for my taste), and the fit with its short nozzles is tricky (though it worked okay with the large silicone tips from an MH755).

With it's strong W-shaped frequency response, the ZS10 Pro is not the most natural sounding IEM, which isn't really a problem with electronic music, but I EQ it to something less aggressive and more natural sounding, and it ends up sounding great with pretty much everything I listen to (classical, folk, jazz, progressive rock, blues, electronic). For acoustic music I also like to add some Bauer stereophonic to binaural crossfeed with a cutoff of 650 Hz and level of 6.5dB. With this, the imaging and headstage are pretty amazing (to my ears anyway).

Measurements courtesy of @crinacle

 

[KozmoNaut]

KZ has released the ZSX, which supposedly improves on every aspect of the ZS10 Pro.

And Tin HiFi is currently crowdfunding their T4, which early reviews says is a good improvement on the T3, with better bass.

 

[pozz]

Final Audio E3000 or Periodic Audio Magnesium. They are pretty good.

I think Etymotic also has a few cheap models worth considering.

 

[cookiefactory]

I’m a bit of an IEM junkie and I’m thoroughly impressed with the Tennmak Pro, especially the bass response. They have great low-end impact and smooth, non-fatiguing highs. They’ve replaced a pair of Shure SE535s for gym use.

 

[ozz]

I’m a bit of an IEM junkie and I’m thoroughly impressed with the Tennmak Pro, especially the bass response. They have great low-end impact and smooth, non-fatiguing highs. They’ve replaced a pair of Shure SE535s for gym use.

That is crazy, the shure is 400$+ and this tenmak is 23$ on aliexpress now.
So Tennmak pro, ZSX, ZS10 Pro, Blon BL-03, I'm gonna /roll for it. I see that none of these have foam pads, does it matter which one I buy or as long as they fit and are foam, they are good ? I won't buy the massdrop dekoni tips because they cost as much as the tennmak to ship to EU and that's a scam.

 

[MZKM]

Blon B3 with Yinyoo 8core cable and whatever tips work for you (for me it’s 1More silicone).

 

[esm]

And Tin HiFi is currently crowdfunding their T4, which early reviews says is a good improvement on the T3, with better bass.

These would be interesting to try; I have the T3s, and while the mids and highs seem fine to my ears, the lows are pretty underwhelming, and the fit is...not great, for me. (I hadn't heard they were crowdfunding the T4.)

 

[cookiefactory]

That is crazy, the shure is 400$+ and this tenmak is 23$ on aliexpress now.
So Tennmak pro, ZSX, ZS10 Pro, Blon BL-03, I'm gonna /roll for it. I see that none of these have foam pads, does it matter which one I buy or as long as they fit and are foam, they are good ? I won't buy the massdrop dekoni tips because they cost as much as the tennmak to ship to EU and that's a scam.

Yup, the extra clarity and "sparkle" is lost in the gym, where the beat is king. If you are after strong, punchy bass, the Tennmak Pros will not disappoint. You should consider the Spinfit 240-M or L as the Tennmak's have the bigger nozzle size.

 

[ozz]

Yup, the extra clarity and "sparkle" is lost in the gym, where the beat is king. If you are after strong, punchy bass, the Tennmak Pros will not disappoint. You should consider the Spinfit 240-M or L as the Tennmak's have the bigger nozzle size.

I've read that tips in general need to be replaced for foam, is foam objectively better than rubber/silicone or it's just preference? Also I don't think the sound quality/precision matters too much when you are commuting (which I'll do, I'd never use these IEMs at home when I have full size closed headphones) and you get sound from the outside anyway, bus engine, cars honking, random shit. Don't know how well these insulate, with my previous creative ones, every time I took the bus, I heard the engine, so, the more outside noise it can eliminate the better. Also, does the cable need to be changed on the tennmak? The blon bl-03 has shit cables, that's what I read everywhere and it costs 20$ for new cables.

 

[pwjazz]

That is crazy, the shure is 400$+ and this tenmak is 23$ on aliexpress now.
So Tennmak pro, ZSX, ZS10 Pro, Blon BL-03, I'm gonna /roll for it. I see that none of these have foam pads, does it matter which one I buy or as long as they fit and are foam, they are good ? I won't buy the massdrop dekoni tips because they cost as much as the tennmak to ship to EU and that's a scam.

Stock KZ tips are this awful hard silicone. I use Spinfit tips with mine which are quite comfortable and don't seem to hurt the sound.

 

[cookiefactory]

I've read that tips in general need to be replaced for foam, is foam objectively better than rubber/silicone or it's just preference? Also I don't think the sound quality/precision matters too much when you are commuting (which I'll do, I'd never use these IEMs at home when I have full size closed headphones) and you get sound from the outside anyway, bus engine, cars honking, random shit. Don't know how well these insulate, with my previous creative ones, every time I took the bus, I heard the engine, so, the more outside noise it can eliminate the better. Also, does the cable need to be changed on the tennmak? The blon bl-03 has shit cables, that's what I read everywhere and it costs 20$ for new cables.

Foam eartips are easier to get a proper seal with so generally recommended to those new to IEMs. I personally have used silicone eartips (biflanges) with all my IEMs for years.

If eliminating outside noise like the low rumble of a bus, you're better served with IEMs that sit deep in the ear (Etymotic, Shure, etc) or even ANC headphones, which are designed for cancelling out constant noise. The Tennmaks sit relatively shallower in the ear but will still offer ~20 dB of isolation.

The Tennmaks use standard MMCX cables, and the stock cable is perfectly fine. If you already have MMCX cables (or have your eye on a specific aftermarket cable), I believe you can find the Tennmak Pros sans cables for ~$16 on Amazon.

 

[pwjazz]

f eliminating outside noise

Balanced armature IEMs tend to do better with isolation because they don't require venting like dynamic driver IEMs do.

 

[ozz]

Balanced armature IEMs tend to do better with isolation because they don't require venting like dynamic driver IEMs do.

Like the KZ ZSX? 5BA+1DD. Drop some models if you know them. I thought everyone's priority is to shut down outside noise when listening to IEMs or do you just crank the volume till you're deaf and that solves it ?

 

[maxxevv]

Noise isolation is not a strong point of the Blon BL-03.

In my experience, the KZ ZS4, AS10, and CCA C16 are the best isolating earphones on a budget that I have used.

The ZS4 being better in the bass end, the CCA C16 being an absolute detail monster. Both are well under US$100/- for the Aliexpress sale now.
The AS10 is somewhere in between but being closer to the C16 in terms of treble response. And the easiest fit.

ZS4 and C16 both have polarising fits, so may not be for everyone in that regard. C16 mostly due to size rather than shape of the earphones.

 

[gikigill]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JVC-XX-...one-HA-FX99X-B-Black-New-in-Box-/302866047617

Very punchy and suits EDM well. JVC pedgree shines through and paired with a good amp, kicks like a mule.

 

[pwjazz]

Like the KZ ZSX? 5BA+1DD. Drop some models if you know them. I thought everyone's priority is to shut down outside noise when listening to IEMs or do you just crank the volume till you're deaf and that solves it ?

Etymotics like the ER3XR are the best at isolating. I would not expect the ZSX to isolate well since it has a DD. My ZS10 pro is 1DD+4BA and doesn't isolate very well.

 

[Soniclife]

Etymotics like the ER3XR are the best at isolating. I would not expect the ZSX to isolate well since it has a DD. My ZS10 pro is 1DD+4BA and doesn't isolate very well.

My dynamic drivers isolate just as well as anything else, when I use foam tips that go deep into the ear. Implementation is everything, as always.

 

[ozz]

My dynamic drivers isolate just as well as anything else, when I use foam tips that go deep into the ear. Implementation is everything, as always.

Can you link me those tips please?