[TimeSnow]

Literally trying to book a holiday in the south of France at the moment. In fairness I just want to see my girlfriend in her new bikini.

 

[1clearhead]

Indeed! I’m typing this message from my luxury yacht in the south of France lol

I'll meet you there on my tug boat...

 

[Tonymac136]

My Nicehck lucky bag arrived today alongside some cables & tips.

It contained a NiceHck P3 and a Bluetooth adapter. Not sure it would be an IEM id buy...it's a bit meh and nothing special in my view.

It and adapter have mmcx connectors, so changing cables etc.
I think I've got a present for my sister at Xmas.

So not as good as your V90...

I got the N3. It's better than I thought it might be looking at reviews but it's not amazing.

 

[ironbrewer]

Just got my **** **** Pros. They sound a bit shrill right out of the box. I have them burning in right now. On the plus side they have not shocked me.

After some burn in they sound significantly better. They are starting to sound way more natural, pretty linear to my ears, but the sound stage is where they shine for me so far. Hopefully they will still get better. I also put foamies on them and that helped a bunch.

 

[ironbrewer]

delete

 

[SomeEntityThing]

My Nicehck lucky bag arrived today alongside some cables & tips.

It contained a NiceHck P3 and a Bluetooth adapter. Not sure it would be an IEM id buy...it's a bit meh and nothing special in my view.

It and adapter have mmcx connectors, so changing cables etc.
I think I've got a present for my sister at Xmas.

So not as good as your V90...

Got the P3 and bt adapter as well. if what I understand to be the collective thoughts on them based off the reviews I read are anything to go by, this might fill a neat little role in my collection of IEMs as the "rolled-off, easy to listen to" set, which, given the KZs I've been using a lot recently, is a nice change of pace. We'll see!

 

[ScrofulousBinturong]

Sounds awesome. How did you get it for such a low price?

I just checked and it's on Penon for $69 today.

 

[voja]

Hello all. This is my first time on this forum, and I must say that it's pretty nice... except there are 1400 pages which I didn't go through. I am trying to make a purchase for the black friday sale on Aliexpress. My budget is 25 USD but if needed it can be stretched to 30 USD.

My music taste: Modern rap/trap, pop, r&b. I have a very non genre based music taste, I enjoy the vocals from The Weeknd, Freddie Mercury, find myself enjoying Michael Jackson, Lana Del Rey... At the same time I more often than not like to listen to what today’s artist have to offer, ASAP Rocky, Labrinth (a very interesting take on music), Travis Scott… I am not expecting anybody to recognize the mentioned artists, however I am pointing out that I can very much go from Aerosmith to Tame Impala or Lana Del Rey.

I don’t consider myself a bass head. However the bass element is one of the most important elements in music to me, it’s the one which I “feel” the most and I guess the one which I most often get goosebumps to (when bass is a good match, the emotions are transferred well to me). Sub bass is something I am very much looking forward to, being able to hear the sub frequency which the average earphones don’t deliver would be something I’d appreciate a lot. More often than not the focus on the low end equals to the compromise of the the mids and clarity. I am trying to avoid harsh and bright sounding IEM’s, however that doens’t mean I want the high end to be cut off where it hurts the sound of female vocals and violin (whose sound I also have a close relationship just like with bass, however I don’t listen to violin often).
This all being said, I need quality low end which digs deep into the sub bass with no bass bleed, but with that I don't want to compromise the mids resolution and separation, or have them recessed. I listen to a lot of vocal focused music with a great low end, so that's why it is important that I dont have a bass which is overwhelming (which would be more suitable for someone who listens to a lot of EDM music and for whom the bass is the only element they care about).

Things I should mention:
-I have a very tight budget so I need the IEM’s to be reliable and last me more than a year. I don’t wan’t an unstable model which is known to have hardware failures.
-I am planning to use them mainly on my Samsung S8 and my Macbook Pro Early 2015. I currently don’t own a DAC or an amplifier which I would use with the IEM’s.
-And this is one of the most important factors: they must not be fatiguing and must be comfortable. I will be using them for well over 3 hours straight, and I should also mention that I never owned or tried an IEM before so the cable going over my ear is a new thing to me.
-I tend to listen to music at very high volumes (which I am aware isn’t good and a valid approach to truly hear the best out of music).

So far I have come across the **** ****, KBEAR KB06 and the CCA CA4 (has a V-shape sound signature and from my knowledge the KB06 is an overall better option). My eyes are on the KBEAR KB06 which would cost me 20.66 USD. The ****'s are amazing from what I hear, they have deep sub-bass, outstanding soundstage, no bass bleed, they retain good texture and clarity. Not everyone feels this way about them, but at around 16 USD it competes with IEMS way above its price point. My problem with ****'s is that they are a victim of some possible QC problems and some complain about their comfort (I am aware of changing the red ear tips which come stock on).
And then there are the Blon BL-03 which are highly praised both on this forum and overall. My problem with these is that they are smaller and don't have the best seal and thus not delivering the deep sub bass which I am looking for.


All this being said, I am aware how picky I am and that I it's going to be hard to find something of the mentioned qualities above: deep sub-bass, good texture and clarity, no bass bleed, no recessed mids, mid-range with good resolution and separation, and a good sound stage. Quite ambitous I am.
Either way I am here to get your opinion and recommendations. I am open to all critics and am expecting them since I am looking for many qualities at the sub 30 USD range. I also want to add that from my understanding the KZ ZSX is one of the best IEMS for its price, and heard that it has the qualities that I am looking for, however it is way out of my budget. I heard good things about the TRN V90 but am not completely familiar with it.

Thanks in advance to all who will help me make my first IEM chi-fi purchase!

 

[baskingshark]

Hello all. This is my first time on this forum, and I must say that it's pretty nice... except there are 1400 pages which I didn't go through. I am trying to make a purchase for the black friday sale on Aliexpress. My budget is 25 USD but if needed it can be stretched to 30 USD.

My music taste: Modern rap/trap, pop, r&b. I have a very non genre based music taste, I enjoy the vocals from The Weeknd, Freddie Mercury, find myself enjoying Michael Jackson, Lana Del Rey... At the same time I more often than not like to listen to what today’s artist have to offer, ASAP Rocky, Labrinth (a very interesting take on music), Travis Scott… I am not expecting anybody to recognize the mentioned artists, however I am pointing out that I can very much go from Aerosmith to Tame Impala or Lana Del Rey.

I don’t consider myself a bass head. However the bass element is one of the most important elements in music to me, it’s the one which I “feel” the most and I guess the one which I most often get goosebumps to (when bass is a good match, the emotions are transferred well to me). Sub bass is something I am very much looking forward to, being able to hear the sub frequency which the average earphones don’t deliver would be something I’d appreciate a lot. More often than not the focus on the low end equals to the compromise of the the mids and clarity. I am trying to avoid harsh and bright sounding IEM’s, however that doens’t mean I want the high end to be cut off where it hurts the sound of female vocals and violin (whose sound I also have a close relationship just like with bass, however I don’t listen to violin often).
This all being said, I need quality low end which digs deep into the sub bass with no bass bleed, but with that I don't want to compromise the mids resolution and separation, or have them recessed. I listen to a lot of vocal focused music with a great low end, so that's why it is important that I dont have a bass which is overwhelming (which would be more suitable for someone who listens to a lot of EDM music and for whom the bass is the only element they care about).

Things I should mention:
-I have a very tight budget so I need the IEM’s to be reliable and last me more than a year. I don’t wan’t an unstable model which is known to have hardware failures.
-I am planning to use them mainly on my Samsung S8 and my Macbook Pro Early 2015. I currently don’t own a DAC or an amplifier which I would use with the IEM’s.
-And this is one of the most important factors: they must not be fatiguing and must be comfortable. I will be using them for well over 3 hours straight, and I should also mention that I never owned or tried an IEM before so the cable going over my ear is a new thing to me.
-I tend to listen to music at very high volumes (which I am aware isn’t good and a valid approach to truly hear the best out of music).

So far I have come across the **** ****, KBEAR KB06 and the CCA CA4 (has a V-shape sound signature and from my knowledge the KB06 is an overall better option). My eyes are on the KBEAR KB06 which would cost me 20.66 USD. The ****'s are amazing from what I hear, they have deep sub-bass, outstanding soundstage, no bass bleed, they retain good texture and clarity. Not everyone feels this way about them, but at around 16 USD it competes with IEMS way above its price point. My problem with ****'s is that they are a victim of some possible QC problems and some complain about their comfort (I am aware of changing the red ear tips which come stock on).
And then there are the Blon BL-03 which are highly praised both on this forum and overall. My problem with these is that they are smaller and don't have the best seal and thus not delivering the deep sub bass which I am looking for.


All this being said, I am aware how picky I am and that I it's going to be hard to find something of the mentioned qualities above: deep sub-bass, good texture and clarity, no bass bleed, no recessed mids, mid-range with good resolution and separation, and a good sound stage. Quite ambitous I am.
Either way I am here to get your opinion and recommendations. I am open to all critics and am expecting them since I am looking for many qualities at the sub 30 USD range. I also want to add that from my understanding the KZ ZSX is one of the best IEMS for its price, and heard that it has the qualities that I am looking for, however it is way out of my budget. I heard good things about the TRN V90 but am not completely familiar with it.

Thanks in advance to all who will help me make my first IEM chi-fi purchase!

It's gonna be tight to get all yor criteria for 30 bucks TBH. And QC for chifi is gonna be a crapshoot. Nobody will gurantee u they will last for one year with daily usage but they are cheap though, and IMHO some chifi can hit almost the same sound quality as more expensive western brands ar a fraction of the price. But majority of my chifi have not given me any big QC issues so far, maybe I'm lucky.

**** could suit you. There's a pro version that came out recently with one extra BA driver. Still under 30 bucks but sparse reviews. I don't have the pro version but the vanilla **** is very good for instrument separation, details, soundstage and clarity for 16 bucks. Good subbass.
It's isolation is sub par cause it is semi open backed and it does scale better with amping for the treble frequencies despite its specs on paper. But definitely a poor candidate for travel/transit IEM in view of the isolation.
A small nitpick it has a very artificial timbre for acoustic instruments. So not advisable if your music incorporates these. Otherwise a very good set for the price.

BLON BL-03 is a good set for timbre and tonality. It is not the best for instrument separation/details/clarity, and has a bit of a bloated midbass. Which tightens up with amping. The stock tips +/- cables are crap so u can get a good fit with aftermarket tips/spacer mods - see forums. Isolation also sub par so not a good travelling IEM. Both **** and Blon are not fatiguing.

If u can get your hands on the semkarch skc cnt1, it was retailing around 39 bucks two weeks ago on linsoul. Has two tuning filters and can be basshead on black filters. Non fatiguing, nice FR. Comfortable. Originally retailing 95 usd but some shops are trying to clear stock so if u can get it at 40ish usd, it's a good deal IMHO.

If u can stretch your budget a bit, here's other good reviews for sub $50 sets like TRN V90, TRN BA5, CCA C12 and KZ ZSX. But i haven't heard these, so u can ask the rest.

Good luck in your search!

 

[voja]

It's gonna be tight to get all yor criteria for 30 bucks TBH. And QC for chifi is gonna be a crapshoot. Nobody will gurantee u they will last for one year with daily usage but they are cheap though, and IMHO some chifi can hit almost the same sound quality as more expensive western brands ar a fraction of the price. But majority of my chifi have not given me any big QC issues so far, maybe I'm lucky.

**** could suit you. There's a pro version that came out recently with one extra BA driver. Still under 30 bucks but sparse reviews. I don't have the pro version but the vanilla **** is very good for instrument separation, details, soundstage and clarity for 16 bucks. Good subbass.
It's isolation is sub par cause it is semi open backed and it does scale better with amping for the treble frequencies despite its specs on paper. But definitely a poor candidate for travel/transit IEM in view of the isolation.
A small nitpick it has a very artificial timbre for acoustic instruments. So not advisable if your music incorporates these. Otherwise a very good set for the price.

BLON BL-03 is a good set for timbre and tonality. It is not the best for instrument separation/details/clarity, and has a bit of a bloated midbass. Which tightens up with amping. The stock tips +/- cables are crap so u can get a good fit with aftermarket tips/spacer mods - see forums. Isolation also sub par so not a good travelling IEM. Both **** and Blon are not fatiguing.

If u can get your hands on the semkarch skc cnt1, it was retailing around 39 bucks two weeks ago on linsoul. Has two tuning filters and can be basshead on black filters. Non fatiguing, nice FR. Comfortable. Originally retailing 95 usd but some shops are trying to clear stock so if u can get it at 40ish usd, it's a good deal IMHO.

If u can stretch your budget a bit, here's other good reviews for sub $50 sets like TRN V90, TRN BA5, CCA C12 and KZ ZSX. But i haven't heard these, so u can ask the rest.

Good luck in your search!

Thank you for the answer. I never had the BL-03 in my options, it just wasn't something that I was looking for. However I can't get an outside opinion on the KBEAR KB06 since they aren't as hyped and popular as other options. I don't know how the cable and the eartips are on the KB06.
The CNT1's are super sexy, but unavailable to me. I found one pair on AE and it's around 80 USD.
The TRNV90's are available, and they would be an extreme stretch of my budget. And if it's worth the stretch (if the sound difference is that different and better than the ****'s or the KB06's I'm willing to pay the extra for the quality).

Important note- Isolation is very important to me as though I don't want people around me to hear what I am listening to. Public transportation is not my main usage of the IEM's however I know for a fact that whenever I go to the city or outside that I will be listening to music at loud volumes, and thus I don't want them to act as a speaker. A little leakage is fine, however I don't want to be one of those people with the stock Apple earbuds and let the whole bus or train listen together with me hahahaha. I did notice that the ****'s are quite open, and that explained the immense soundstage. The KB06 also have two vents, but they are not as nearly as open as the ****'s.

The KZ ZSX and CCA C16 would be more suitable for me, especially the ZSX but I am not willing to stretch my budget that far for my first purchase.

 

[PhonoPhi]

...
The KZ ZSX and CCA C16 would be more suitable for me, especially the ZSX but I am not willing to stretch my budget that far for my first purchase.

CCA CA4 are quite enjoyable.
CCA C10 are nice and gentle, and well in your allocated budget.

 

[baskingshark]

Thank you for the answer. I never had the BL-03 in my options, it just wasn't something that I was looking for. However I can't get an outside opinion on the KBEAR KB06 since they aren't as hyped and popular as other options. I don't know how the cable and the eartips are on the KB06.
The CNT1's are super sexy, but unavailable to me. I found one pair on AE and it's around 80 USD.
The TRNV90's are available, and they would be an extreme stretch of my budget. And if it's worth the stretch (if the sound difference is that different and better than the ****'s or the KB06's I'm willing to pay the extra for the quality).

Important note- Isolation is very important to me as though I don't want people around me to hear what I am listening to. Public transportation is not my main usage of the IEM's however I know for a fact that whenever I go to the city or outside that I will be listening to music at loud volumes, and thus I don't want them to act as a speaker. A little leakage is fine, however I don't want to be one of those people with the stock Apple earbuds and let the whole bus or train listen together with me hahahaha. I did notice that the ****'s are quite open, and that explained the immense soundstage. The KB06 also have two vents, but they are not as nearly as open as the ****'s.

The KZ ZSX and CCA C16 would be more suitable for me, especially the ZSX but I am not willing to stretch my budget that far for my first purchase.

TRN V90 is quite V shaped though, if u are a mids lover like your initial post, it might not be the best option.

KZ ZSX has a predecessor called the ZS 10 Pro, I saw it around 32ish USD during sales. It has great clarity/instrument separation/details and midbass > subbass, but it is a bit V shaped, and some mids may be lost in the tuning. But worth a shot. I think the ZSX, CCA C12 and TRN V90 all have improvements over it though.


Isolation is not only for others to not hear u, but to protect your hearing. Especially if u are gonna use the IEMs for long stretches. With poorer isolation on the go, one will jack up the volume to compensate and this is not good for your hearing in the long term. But other than hearing protection, it does let u hear more details and especially the bass frequencies with better isolation on the go.

 

[voja]

CCA CA4 are quite enjoyable.
CCA C10 are nice and gentle, and well in your allocated budget.

Thanks! I heard that the CA4's would better suit me than the C10's, and that the KBEAR KB06 has the bass of the KZ ZS7, the dynamics of the ZS10 and the overall balanced presentation of the CCA C10. However I was recommended the KB06 over CA4's.

 

[voja]

TRN V90 is quite V shaped though, if u are a mids lover like your initial post, it might not be the best option.

KZ ZSX has a predecessor called the ZS 10 Pro, I saw it around 32ish USD during sales. It has great clarity/instrument separation/details and midbass > subbass, but it is a bit V shaped, and some mids may be lost in the tuning. But worth a shot. I think the ZSX, CCA C12 and TRN V90 all have improvements over it though.


Isolation is not only for others to not hear u, but to protect your hearing. Especially if u are gonna use the IEMs for long stretches. With poorer isolation on the go, one will jack up the volume to compensate and this is not good for your hearing in the long term. But other than hearing protection, it does let u hear more details and especially the bass frequencies with better isolation on the go.

I am aware of the ZS10 Pro, however the other options seem to be better than it. The C12 is in my price range but again was recommended the KB06 over the C12 since C12 is a little more laid back but it has better clarity that the KB06, but it doesn't keep up with the bass of the KB06.

Never actually even payed attention to hearing protection unfortunately, probably caused some permanent damage due to my habit of cranking up the volume. I will keep this in mind, I noticed the KB06 only have one vent unlike the **** and V90 which seem to be more open. Even though the KB06 has only three drivers compared to the competition, it seems like it sounded better. Afterall more doesn't always equal better.

 

[baskingshark]

I am aware of the ZS10 Pro, however the other options seem to be better than it. The C12 is in my price range but again was recommended the KB06 over the C12 since C12 is a little more laid back but it has better clarity that the KB06, but it doesn't keep up with the bass of the KB06.

Never actually even payed attention to hearing protection unfortunately, probably caused some permanent damage due to my habit of cranking up the volume. I will keep this in mind, I noticed the KB06 only have one vent unlike the **** and V90 which seem to be more open. Even though the KB06 has only three drivers compared to the competition, it seems like it sounded better. Afterall more doesn't always equal better.

Yes agreed more drivers is not always better. Tuning is more important. And generally vented IEMs tend to have poorer isolation.

Maybe u can ask folks like @Nimweth, @Otto Motor , @darmanastartes and @NymPHONOmaniac about the KB06 vs stuff like CCA C12/**** since they have reviewed these and other sub 50 buck IEMs extensively.