QKZ x HBB Hades

Intro


The QKZ x HBB Hades is the collaboration of QKZ and Hawain Bad Boy with his YouTube channel Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews. It is tuned to satisfy bass pips out there with its good and impactful slam. Let see how it performs.


Disclaimer


I would like to thank Linsoul Audio for arranging a unit for me. My opinions are unbiased, and I haven't been influenced or instructed to praise these IEMs. Every detail in this review is actual experience made by listening for hours everyday.


Specifications

Drivers : 9mm+9mm LCP Diaphragm Dual-Driver

Sensitivity : 95dB

Cable Connector : 0.78mm 2-pin

Frequency Response : 20-20kHz

Impedance : 16 ohms

Distortion : 1%

Price at $49.99 USD




Build and Comfort


The build is made in 3D resin, and the design is eye-catching tranparent purple faceplate gives a more premium look than expected in this price range. The earphones are lightweight making them comfortable for extended use.





Sound Aspects


Source used :


Realme 9 Pro

Jcally AP7

Ibasso DC04 pro

KiwiEars Allegro


This iems spend 50-60 hours of burn in before taking details of this review

Burn-in this IEM really matters. After some time it changed a lot.


Bass


Bass is the specialty of this IEM where the midbass more prominent over the subbass. The midbass has good and impactful quality. The sub bass is quite good producing satisfying rumbles while also maintaining a clean quality from the midbass.


Midrange


The mids is quite recessed it is also suffers by midbass bleed and heavily covers vocals and instruments. Lower midrange are natural, smooth, and thick sounding. In the upper midrange it is lack of energy and too safe for my preferences. By giving this more power there is noticeable more forward midrange presentation.
Treble
Treble is tamed, darkish, relaxed and smooth presentation. it is present enough to be heard with just the right amount of detail. I can’t find any sibilance especially even in high volume. It also lack air and sparkle in my preferences. This safe treble tuning contributes for long listening sessions.
Technicalities
The soundstage has right amount of sense of space and width. Imaging is average. The separation is also suffers to the midbass bleed I can't easily pinpoint instrument placements in the presentation. Detail retrieval can be better. If you give ample power to drive this Hades there is noticeable improvement in the overall technicalities
Pairing

with KiwiEars Allegro
The overall sound quality is more correct to my ears. The bass is impactful and controlled it shows less midbass bleed but still there. Midrange is more forward to my liking. It balances the frequency from end to end of the presentation.
I found the treble produces more air in my experience. This combo is really good. The musicality of the allegro gives the hades enjoyable and engaging presentation.


With DC04 Pro


The presentation with DC04 Pro is cleaner in my taste. The bass is big and boomy. Midrange quite recessed the midbass bleed is still there. The most noticeable improvement with this combo is the technicalities. The soundstage and imaging improved a bit.

If you want more cleaner and safe presentation DC04 Pro take the seat but
If you want more musical and engaging presentation Allegro is the best option.





Conclusion


I really enjoying this set. If you give ample power this Hades. It serves you the right music presentation but you cannot escape the boomy side of it. It a solid choice to add to their collection for those pips seeking more bass, natural timbre, smooth and thick mids.


Order here using the non -affiliated links below :
https://www.linsoul.com/products/qkz-x-hbb-hades

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Disclaimer:
- I don’t read FR graphs. I only use my ears, as how earphones should be used.
- Linsoul sent this unit to me in an exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Rest assured that this review will do its best to devoid from any bias/es as much as possible.
- The following remarks and observations shall be made and owned only by me.
- No monetary compensation is/was involved before, during, and after the period of creation of this review.
- Your mileage may (and always, will) vary.

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Burn-in time: 4-8 hours per day, 5 days.

Source/s used:

• - Non-HiFi smartphone (Infinix Note 12 G96), PC.
• - Tanchjim Space DAC
• - Kiwi Ears Allegro DAC
• - Aiwa XP-V710C CD Player (12 sec. EASS)
• - Fosi Audio DS1.
• - Sony Xperia X Compact
• - Local Files via Foobar, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Qobuz with UAPP.

IEM/Earbud/Setup configuration: Stock medium eartips, any form of EQ or MSEB off, 40-60% volume.

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Sound signature:

• - Just like most HBB collab sets, the Hades follows the same HBB signature wherein bass is the highlight of the show, which is tuned according to his preferred genre. In a nutshell, this IEM is a L/V-shaped fun, smooth, thick, basshead set.

Lows:

• - HBB-tuned sets have always been an IEM tuned for bassheads at heart (and ears), and the Hades is no exception. The bass is definitely elevated on this set, and both midbass and subbass are greatly elevated in this region. It is thick, boomy, and smooth in character, and the decay and attack lean to the slower side of the spectrum. Overall, the bass on this set is definitely for the bassheads, particularly those who prefer the same genre as HBB, which is hip-hop, rap, pop, EDM, and the likes. I enjoyed listening to UK Garage on this set!

Mids:

• - Due to its basshead level of elevation, the mids of the Hades is greatly affected, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on one’s preference. It is definitely recessed, suffers midbass bleed, and has a noticeable veil on vocals and instruments. Lower mids are warm, smooth, and thick. Upper mids are ever so slightly elevated, with a decent amount of clarity, but lacks the air and sparkle to my liking. This also means that I haven’t experienced any form of harshness and sibilance in this area, and I can confidently recommend this set for those who do not want to experience any form of harshness. Overall, the mids of this set is smooth and laid back, which can also greatly improve with additional volume and power.

Highs:

• - The treble also blends well with the rest of the frequencies - it is non-fatiguing, borderline dark, and lacks air to my liking. Microdetails are quite absent on this set for the most part and will only show the more volume or power you feed it, making this IEM not recommended for clinical listening as intended based on what I see (and hear), at least. On the positive side, this will be a good set for easy and casual listening for long sessions.

Soundstage, Imaging, and separation:

• - Just like the other frequencies, this part of the overall sound is heavily affected negatively to my preference, particularly on the separation and layering as it sounds quite cramped on heavy passages. The soundstage exhibits good height, width, and depth. Imaging is accurate enough for casual usage.

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Other IEM Comparisons!

VS 7Hz Legato

• - The Legato is the slightly expensive alternative for the Hades, to put it simply. Their differences are very minimal and are only heard when heard side-by-side. The Legato is better in build quality due to its shells being metal in material, and its accessories.

VS Kiwi Ears Cadenza

• - Both exhibits the same warm character, but the Cadenza leans to the neutral side of the spectrum. Its overall tonality is better when compared, particularly its mids. Their technical performance is identical to my ears. The Cadenza is not as bassy compared to the Hades when compared.

VS Simgot EM6L

• - Their price difference also says it all, the EM6L is the better set between the two, at the expense of sounding “too normal” to some enthusiasts due to its Harman-ish sound. Everything sounds better on the EM6L, from its bass quality down to its clarity and technical performance.

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Pros:
- Fun, bassy signature (subjective)
- Bass-centric sound for pop and EDM genres.
- Thick, smooth, overall bass response.
- Rumbly, big bass response.
- Smooth, thick mids.
- Non-harsh upper frequencies.
- Sound quality scales with additional power/volume.
- Very good fit, comfort, and isolation (for medium-large sized ears).
- Eye-candy IEM appearance.
- Eye-candy packaging!

Cons:
- Heavy midbass bleed that drowns/veils vocals and details significantly.
- Bass is nearly monotonous.
- Bass is boomy and sloppy in character.
- Treble is borderline dark.
- Treble lacks air.
- Technical performance is affected significantly, particularly on separation.
- Needs a bit more volume/power than usual to sound good.
- Accessories are quite underwhelming for its asking price in terms of quantity and quality.
- Overall packaging/presentation is not fitting on the model naming (very subjective).
- IEM shells may not fit smaller ears (subjective)
- Overall sound is genre-dependent (subjective)
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Before you put your pitchforks and probably point my listening preferences, I am here to say that I quite enjoyed this set for most mainstream genres and playlist, and I believe that HBB really tuned this set for those genres he mostly listen, at the expense of sounding “normal” in the audiophile hobby. Despite being an unusual set for most, these types of IEMs exist for a group of people who need the unusual out of the norm. After all, personal enjoyment should matter more than anything else. If you prefer that chunky, smooth, big bass, this one’s for you!

Pairing recommendation/s:

• Source: This IEM is one of those IEMs in the market that needs additional power to shine, because this IEM sounds underwhelming when underpowered, or in low volumes. I prefer using a neutral, fairly powerful source for this set, like the Tanchjim Space for example.
• Eartips: The stock eartips included decent enough for the most part. You may still use your preferred eartips.
• Cable: The cable is good and sturdy enough for daily usage, but it is quite flimsy and thin in quality for its asking price. You may still use your preferred cable.

Thank you for reading!

Non-affiliated link here!: https://www.linsoul.com/products/qkz-x-hbb-hades

QKZ x HBB Hades
2x LCP DD
$50

Before I begin this review, let me thank Linsoul for sending the QKZ x HBB Hades in for review.
Rest assured, this review is 100% my own personal opinion.

Just in case you're interested on getting the Hades, you can get it from the link below :
https://www.linsoul.com/products/qkz-x-hbb-hades

Unboxing
Inside the box you get :

• IEM
• Cable
• Coin?
• Eartips
• Plastic Case

Build Quality
is fine, QKZ state that the Hades is 3D printed or something, so I guess the body is made from resin. It is also very lightweight.

The shell shape kinda reminds me the Truthear Zero and Zero Red.

Though on the Hades, it has some interesting design, transparent faceplate and translucent main shell.

As for the cable, its usable, though the earhook is super annoying not gonna lie.

Comfort
Despites the annoying earhooks, I can get a good seal and no hot spots while using the QKZ x HBB Hades.

Sound

Tested using Kiwi Ears Allegro, Stock Cable, Stock Eartips
Music is mostly from Apple Music (J-Pop, J-Rock, K-Pop, EDM, Rap, Metal, Jazz, Anisong)

Tonality in General : Bass Boosted

Bass : Really big, bold and thumpy, the quantity is boosted quite a lot too, it definitely will satisfy any bass heads out there.

Bass speed is on the slower side, it struggles to keep up with metal / double pedal music.
Though for genre like EDM, or pop, it will be a very fun bass to listen to.

Midrange : Recessed, could sound a bit muffled at times.
Vocal and instruments both sounds thick and the placement is on the back behind the bass.

So if you're looking for a forward midrange presentation, this IEM is NOT for you.

Treble : Smooth, normal extension, average details.
The Hades is definitely a very bass focused IEM, the treble is smooth and not offensive at all.

Technicalities
For a $50 USD IEM the technicalities is Average

Stage : Medium sized, it has symmetrical width – depth, but average at best stage layering.

Detail Retrieval : Average, just enough details to not make the overall sound dull.

Imaging : 2.5D sounding, definitely not holographic but not bad either.

Positioning and Separation : Average, it sounds OK, definitely not the most sharp positioning and separation, but its still usable / passable for me.

Comparation

KZ Symphony : V-Shaped, not as bassy as Hades, though the Symphony has aggressive and intense treble.
The technicalities of Symphony is a lot better compared to Hades on all aspects.
Though if you're really looking for a bass head IEM, the Hades is the one to pick.

Conclusion

Is the QKZ x HBB Hades worth it?

It depends.

If you really want a bass head IEM, then yeah, why not grab the Hades, It probably has the most polarizing tuning IEM for its price, like no IEM around this price sounds so bassy like the Hades.

Though keep in mind, the technicalities is just average at best.

Thanks for reaching this far !

Just in case you're Indonesian or understand Bahasa Indonesia, you can watch the review of Hades here


-littlenezt.