When I was a teenager in the 2000s I was obsessed with music and the way I listened was with my iPod and what we called ear buds. At that time I was broke so $20 was a decent chunk of change. I didn't shop online much so I don't remember what the online marketplaces were like, either way I didn't even considered purchasing ear buds online. There were the classic apple ear buds that came with the iPod but they were uncomfortable and had no isolation. Most of my ear buds only lasted a few months anyway, so I had to find new ones often. Walmart, BestBuy, Target, these were the places I would usually look and for under $20 the options were abysmal. JVC Gumys, random Sonys, and obnoxious Skull Candy buds were what I usually ended up with and I'm sure they sounded pretty bad.
In my early 20's I started my career and my HiFi journey. Naturally I started with personal audio since that is what I was accustomed to and I could listen at my desk at work. I found HeadFi and Zeos and got into over-ear headphones. I enjoyed them and owned several mid-grade pairs and even STAX but none of those really sounded neutral to me. When I found ASR and started learning about objectivism I realized all of my headphones were very flawed and since I found them uncomfortable anyway I sold most of them. This is when I learned about IEMs and tried several of those, never spending too much though. For years now all I had for IEMs were the Shure SE215 I used while flying, riding the train, or mowing the lawn, the Tin P1 I used at work, and the Etymotic ER4SR I use to track for recordings or in my motorcycle helmet. None of these sound similar and I wouldn't call any of them neutral. They certainly don't sound as good as my speaker systems so they are relegated to situations which precluded speakers. I listen to the ER4SR with bass boost to make it more enjoyable but that is about the extent of my corrective EQ endeavors when it comes to IEMs.
Then the Moondrop Chu was released, a $20 set that was supposed to have great tuning. I enjoyed them and they certainly sounded close to neutral but their highs were slightly harsh. Then came the 7Hz and Truthear Zeros which I also now own. I am so blown away by the quality now available for $15 - $25, both in terms of build and tuning neutrality. There's the Truthear Hola and few other similarly priced and tuned sets that compete with the 7Hz Zero with detachable cables. I would have been in hog heaven back in my iPod days! The Truthear Zero is what really impressed me though. Deep and clean sounding bass from a dedicated subwoofer supporting a detailed and neutral, if not slightly shouty midrange with smooth treble. Besides the sound, I find it really amazing that these things are 3D printed. It makes sense for the application now but just a few years ago it would have been too expensive for a $50 product like this right?
On Saturday I received my pair of QKZ x HBB Khan. These things use the same DD sizing and crossover style as the Truthear Zero and are also 3D printed. The main difference between them is the tuning, with Khan having more sub bass and less upper midrange. Maybe it is because I used the Zeros with foam tips and the Khan with silicone tips but I don't notice the sub bass boost very much. Both sets sound boosted in that region to me and it is a guilty pleasure. What really stands out is that reduction in upper mids which removes the shouty aspect of the Zeros that could become annoying on certain material during a long listening session. I was afraid this would cause vocals to be recessed but that is not the case at all. So far I am very happy with these and while I would like to hear high end IEMs, It's hard to imagine things could be much better. With the rate of change in the IEM hobby right now I don't feel motivated to spend even more knowing something better and cheaper may be right around the corner.
