[Slater]

So I've been reading up on budget IEM's for a little bit now and I feel so lost. Everyone seems to have a slightly different top list, and there are so many it's hard to pick one. I'm not much of an audiophile and in the past have made do with whatever had decent reviews on Amazon for cheap.

I still don't want to spend a load of money but want better bang for my buck. I've been eyeing the Tin Audio T2's.. the KZ ZS3... Rock Zircons... just recently saw the Yersen FEN-2000 being recommended too.

Being that the buy would involve a 40 day delivery wait, I don't want to make the wrong choice. Can anyone help me out?

Let's start by having you answer the following questions:

- Do you have a particular sound preference with headphones?
- What genres of music do you listen to?
- What is your budget?
- Do you have to have a removable cable, or is a fixed cable OK?
- Do you care about isolation (ie music leaking out or external sounds leaking in)?
- Do you care if the IEM is worn down, or do you like behind-the-ear IEMs?
- Do you have small ears? Or odd shaped ears?
- Do you need a microphone or music control button
- Do you plan on sleeping with the IEM?
- Do you want the option to use them as bluetooth earphones?

 

[bsoplinger]

Be careful here as there are two different K3 models one with fixed tips and the other with the filters. Make sure you know which you are getting.

Both the Magaosi K3 HD and Pro have tuning filters. Hopefully I get this part right, they differ in a DD + BA (Pro) vs DD + 2BA (HD) configuration. Is there a third option without the filters?

 

[asian23]

Guys I've got similar questions for my case so hoping for a budget recommendation.

here's my answers to the questions:

- Do you have a particular sound preference with headphones?: Fun sound, V shape

- What genres of music do you listen to? : mainly EDM, synthetic dance

- What is your budget? : Up to $200

- Do you have to have a removable cable, or is a fixed cable OK? : Must have MMCX

- Do you care about isolation (ie music leaking out or external sounds leaking in)? : Yes, more isolation the better

- Do you care if the IEM is worn down, or do you like behind-the-ear IEMs? : no preference

- Do you have small ears? Or odd shaped ears? : small ears yes.

- Do you need a microphone or music control button : No

- Do you plan on sleeping with the IEM? : Yes

- Do you want the option to use them as bluetooth earphones? : No need

 

[HungryPanda]

I use silicone tips with my Z5000 and they sound just fine

 

[BraXzy]

Let's start by having you answer the following questions:

- Do you have a particular sound preference with headphones?
- What genres of music do you listen to?
- What is your budget?
- Do you have to have a removable cable, or is a fixed cable OK?
- Do you care about isolation (ie music leaking out or external sounds leaking in)?
- Do you care if the IEM is worn down, or do you like behind-the-ear IEMs?
- Do you have small ears? Or odd shaped ears?
- Do you need a microphone or music control button
- Do you plan on sleeping with the IEM?
- Do you want the option to use them as bluetooth earphones?

Kinda hard to answer some of these just because I don't know what my preference is (which I know isn't helpful hehe). Thanks for asking.

• I guess the clearer sound the better? A bit of bass but not overwhelming. Middle of the road? I hate when the sound is muffled or the voice is hard to hear.
• A bit of everything besides Rock / Classical.. Mainly Pop / Dance / Rap / Hip Hop.
• Up until recently I didn't know removable was a thing for IEMs so whatever is fine.
• Ideally the better isolation the better - I'd likely use these at work and don't want to disturb others.
• Not sure what this means, I assume behind the ear is the ones that have hooks on the back of the ear? I prefer just regular old straight in buds but again I have limited experience otherwise.
• Regular size and shape
• It'd be nice to have but at the bottom of the list for wants. I have them on my current set and never use them.
• Not likely but I guess it's possible (not a dealbreaker).
• I already have a passable pair of bluetooth headphones so BT is not needed.

 

[bsoplinger]

I use silicone tips with my Z5000 and they sound just fine

I decided to give the Z3000 a try over them just because they look just so drab on all the seller pages. Just a little boring metal can with a nozzle just like the Tin Audio T2 which I already had. But I'm having so much trouble with fitment because of the combination of low profile and short nozzle. Looks like I definitely made the wrong choice when deciding between the two.

 

[Wiljen]

Both the Magaosi K3 HD and Pro have tuning filters. Hopefully I get this part right, they differ in a DD + BA (Pro) vs DD + 2BA (HD) configuration. Is there a third option without the filters?

You are right, I was thinking the pro had the filters but not the HD, I had to go back and pull my HD out and look.

 

[Ymer Niros]

The Z5000 is the one everyone says HAVE to be used with foam tips, correct? Or do I have that confused with the Tin Audio T2?

If it IS the Z5000 that silicones don't work well on, why is this the case? There's so many silicone tips to choose from, one of them has to work OK - Starlines, Spiral Dots, Spinfits, Whirlwind, wide bore, narrow bore, Mandarines, Sony Hybrids, one size smaller, one size larger - the list is practically endless.

Ostry 100 work very well

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

The Z5000 is the one everyone says HAVE to be used with foam tips, correct? Or do I have that confused with the Tin Audio T2?

If it IS the Z5000 that silicones don't work well on, why is this the case? There's so many silicone tips to choose from, one of them has to work OK - Starlines, Spiral Dots, Spinfits, Whirlwind, wide bore, narrow bore, Mandarines, Sony Hybrids, one size smaller, one size larger - the list is practically endless.

Some prefer with silicone other with foam, you know what silicone do to bass, it do great in fact for bass lover, but the Z5000 really have a bipolarity syndrom, silicone=bassy, foam=punchy near neutral....if ya know what I mean. Both sound very good and I can't decide wich I prefer, a like both side of Z5000 really

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

So I've been reading up on budget IEM's for a little bit now and I feel so lost. Everyone seems to have a slightly different top list, and there are so many it's hard to pick one. I'm not much of an audiophile and in the past have made do with whatever had decent reviews on Amazon for cheap.

I still don't want to spend a load of money but want better bang for my buck. I've been eyeing the Tin Audio T2's.. the KZ ZS3... Rock Zircons... just recently saw the Yersen FEN-2000 being recommended too.

Being that the buy would involve a 40 day delivery wait, I don't want to make the wrong choice. Can anyone help me out?

Out of the 3, I would say T2. If they are on sale right now under 40, jump on them!

 

[bsoplinger]

You are right, I was thinking the pro had the filters but not the HD, I had to go back and pull my HD out and look.

Interesting. Does that mean you didn't particularly like them or just that you've others you like more? I'm reasonably pleased with my Pros (the 2 DD models, I really hate confusing model names) but I have been going back and forth between the Brainwavz B400 and the iBasso IT01 both of which are close to the limit of this topic (IT01 at about $100) and the B400 (about $190 although they were doing pre-order for less and even cheaper on Black Friday when I ordered mine) and haven't been listening to the Magaosi.

I do wish there were a $100-$200 Chi-Fi topic. There are just so many interesting offerings in that range.

 

[Wiljen]

Interesting. Does that mean you didn't particularly like them or just that you've others you like more? I'm reasonably pleased with my Pros (the 2 DD models, I really hate confusing model names) but I have been going back and forth between the Brainwavz B400 and the iBasso IT01 both of which are close to the limit of this topic (IT01 at about $100) and the B400 (about $190 although they were doing pre-order for less and even cheaper on Black Friday when I ordered mine) and haven't been listening to the Magaosi.

I do wish there were a $100-$200 Chi-Fi topic. There are just so many interesting offerings in that range.

I have bought the AKG n40, Lz A4, and Brainwavz b400 since these so they sit in the drawer as all of those are better in my thinking. the AKG n40 is my daily driver with the b400 a close 2nd.

 

[Zerohour88]

The only iem that has me reaching for it over Z5000 is the **** ASE

really interested in the ASE (full model name is MDK-ESS ASE, I think?), care to write a short review/impression? Was thinking of the KZ ZSR too since its similarly priced to me. Last IEM I got was the EMI-CI880/C630 and loved it, getting the itch to test something new.

 

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Interesting. Does that mean you didn't particularly like them or just that you've others you like more? I'm reasonably pleased with my Pros (the 2 DD models, I really hate confusing model names) but I have been going back and forth between the Brainwavz B400 and the iBasso IT01 both of which are close to the limit of this topic (IT01 at about $100) and the B400 (about $190 although they were doing pre-order for less and even cheaper on Black Friday when I ordered mine) and haven't been listening to the Magaosi.

I do wish there were a $100-$200 Chi-Fi topic. There are just so many interesting offerings in that range.

Well, your post push me to impulsively start one, because I try one time to change this thread for sub-150 or 200$ iem and it do not make sens, now, a second one with reference list is much needed from what I see so let's begin one! I really wanna make a list of valuable gems, like, exceptional sound value. Please share your toughs about Ibasso IT01 and B400 there. Will try to include reviews and all...but for now we must take the 100-200$ chifi pulse

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/best-100-200-chifi-iem-with-reference-list.872245/

 

[Selenium]

really interested in the ASE (full model name is MDK-ESS ASE, I think?), care to write a short review/impression? Was thinking of the KZ ZSR too since its similarly priced to me. Last IEM I got was the EMI-CI880/C630 and loved it, getting the itch to test something new.

Me too. I just dig the design of it. I got the Light instead though and that's a rad earphone if don't say.

As you can see, it's tiny. The entire thing fits into my ear canal.