[wastan]

I'd be careful about doing a general recommendation of the EMI CI-880 Hybrid because if someone values bass they are going to want no part of it.

The right tips resolves this issue.

 

[vexa]

Trust me, there is nothing bad about the KZ EDR1, EDR2, or HDS3. I wouldn't own multiple pairs nor recommend them if they were junk.

Plus I recently just picked up yet another spare set of EDR1 and EDR2, because they were under $4 ($3.77 shipped for the non-microphone version) - 1/3 of the price of the Einsear T2. How's that for an attractive price tag LOL?

The Einsear T2 is great too, but isn't 3xs "better" than the EDR1/EDR2 in my opinion.

I don't have any experience with the Piston 4, but I do have the Xiaomi Pro HD and also the Xiaomi Piston "Fresh Version". They are both great IEMs for the money, and the Piston "Fresh Version" is a tremendous deal for $3.99 (on sale at Gearbest with a coupon quite often). There's a piece of foam stuffed into the nozzle of the Piston "Fresh Version" though - for best sound you'll want to remove the foam using a sewing needle (a 30 second procedure).

Where are you located, and were you planning on buying from Aliexpress? You should be able to get all of those IEMs from Aliexpress (including the Urbanfun Hifi hybrid, one of the best on the list).

Also, be aware that there's 2 versions of the MEMT X5 - an original version and a new version (with different tuning). I should also mention that there's 2 versions of the Urbanfun too - one is the hybrid with a grey cable, and the other is a single driver beryllium with a black cable. You'd want the hybrid with grey cable, which confuses a lot of people.

Damn too many options
Now I can't even decide which one to get. I don't have fancy audio player, just cheap xiaomi phone with slight kernel-level audio modification. I listen alot to old skool hip hop like those produced by J. Dilla, and RnB stuff like jill scott, robert glasper, hiatus kaiyote, etc. I love my superlux HD 668B with fabric pads and I wish I could get something similar in IEM form so I can take it everywhere. I do like my KZ zs3 but the low / bass sector doesn't satisfy me enough. Beside, it doesn't fit properly on me. I've tried many different foam and silicon tips but the housing is a little too big for my ears.

Now about these KZs, what's the difference between these 3? They're similarly priced and I desperately tried to find one source that reviewing all of them to keep the result fair, but can't find any.

I live in Indonesia, and I'm not buying from AliExpress. Too much hassle for us Indonesian. I'm going to buy it from our local marketplace.

Now if I ask you for just one IEM based on ky liking, what would you recommend? Because, you know I'm gonna buy this online, there's no way for me to test them one by one

I've had pistons 3 and up (not the last one though) and the build quality is such that they won't last past a year. At this point in time, I'd suggest KZ ZS5 that I have been treating badly for 3 months and so far so good. The Swing IE800 is also a good choice but 1/3 died after months of use...was a gift to someone who destroys everything though!

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd like to keep nut-shaped IEM with over-the-ear cable aside for now. My inner ear is quite small, most IEM like this wouldn't fit on me.

I got the KZ ZS3s as an interim pair of earphones when I broke the Audioflys I had for 4 years. Putting them on is a bit too much of a production for me. You have to hold the earpiece in exactly the right way, put it in, rotate it forward, then hold it with the index finger of one hand while you reach over your head with the other hand and loop the cable over your ear. I irritated my ears from rotating the earpieces.

I know, too much for me. Beside, zs3's housing is too big for my inner ear, it'd either come loose, or hurt my ears.

---

Anyway, I found this Rock Zicron IEM. It's available in my country and have some good reviews too. Have you guys heard these before, and whaddya guys think?

 

[Slater]

I've had pistons 3 and up (not the last one though) and the build quality is such that they won't last past a year. At this point in time, I'd suggest KZ ZS5 that I have been treating badly for 3 months and so far so good. The Swing IE800 is also a good choice but 1/3 died after months of use...was a gift to someone who destroys everything though!

OP doesn't want behind-the-ear, "custom" style (ie a 'CEIM'-style, like ZS3, ZS5, ZS6, ZST, ZSR, etc).

Must be 'barrel' bodied, down-worn earphones. So like KZ ED series, Einsear T2, MEMT X5, etc.

 

[Slater]

Damn too many options
Now I can't even decide which one to get. I don't have fancy audio player, just cheap xiaomi phone with slight kernel-level audio modification. I listen alot to old skool hip hop like those produced by J. Dilla, and RnB stuff like jill scott, robert glasper, hiatus kaiyote, etc. I love my superlux HD 668B with fabric pads and I wish I could get something similar in IEM form so I can take it everywhere. I do like my KZ zs3 but the low / bass sector doesn't satisfy me enough. Beside, it doesn't fit properly on me. I've tried many different foam and silicon tips but the housing is a little too big for my ears.

Now about these KZs, what's the difference between these 3? They're similarly priced and I desperately tried to find one source that reviewing all of them to keep the result fair, but can't find any.

I live in Indonesia, and I'm not buying from AliExpress. Too much hassle for us Indonesian. I'm going to buy it from our local marketplace.

Now if I ask you for just one IEM based on ky liking, what would you recommend? Because, you know I'm gonna buy this online, there's no way for me to test them one by one


Anyway, I found this Rock Zicron IEM. It's available in my country and have some good reviews too. Have you guys heard these before, and whaddya guys think?

Don't waste your time with Rock Zircon - they are too fragile and the cable goes bad. I own 2 pairs, and they are both starting to get a little flaky when I move the cable in certain ways. I may or may not recable them.

Lemme ask you this - you said the ZS3 "low / bass sector doesn't satisfy me enough". What didn't satisfy you about it - do you mean that the ZS3 didn't have ENOUGH bass for your liking?

If that is true (ie the ZS3 didn't have enough bass and you want even more), then you are looking for a basshead IEM. According to @Vidal and @loomisjohnson, the best basshead IEMs are Tennmak Dulcimer and Boarseman KR49 (both of which are barrel style bodies like you want). I don't have either of those, but their opinions are both very reliable and trustworthy. http://www.aproear.co.uk/my-top-5-and-recommendations/

What doesn't make sense is the Superlux HD 668B - it's really bright, bass-light (especially with fabric/velour pads), and not really optimal for the genres you mentioned. But if that's the sound you want, there are IEMs with a similar sound.

Also, BTW the KZ EDR1 and EDR2 sound so close I would consider them the same. So for all intensive purposes, if you are looking for ONE website with reviews of the ones you are considering, it's going to be aproear. They have the KS EDR2, Einsear T2, KZ HDS3, HDS1, Magaosi BK50, Urbanfun Hifi, MEMT X5, Rock Zircon, and many many more.

 

[paulindss]

Damn too many options
Now I can't even decide which one to get. I don't have fancy audio player, just cheap xiaomi phone with slight kernel-level audio modification. I listen alot to old skool hip hop like those produced by J. Dilla, and RnB stuff like jill scott, robert glasper, hiatus kaiyote, etc. I love my superlux HD 668B with fabric pads and I wish I could get something similar in IEM form so I can take it everywhere. I do like my KZ zs3 but the low / bass sector doesn't satisfy me enough. Beside, it doesn't fit properly on me. I've tried many different foam and silicon tips but the housing is a little too big for my ears.

Now about these KZs, what's the difference between these 3? They're similarly priced and I desperately tried to find one source that reviewing all of them to keep the result fair, but can't find any.

I live in Indonesia, and I'm not buying from AliExpress. Too much hassle for us Indonesian. I'm going to buy it from our local marketplace.

Now if I ask you for just one IEM based on ky liking, what would you recommend? Because, you know I'm gonna buy this online, there's no way for me to test them one by one



Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd like to keep nut-shaped IEM with over-the-ear cable aside for now. My inner ear is quite small, most IEM like this wouldn't fit on me.



I know, too much for me. Beside, zs3's housing is too big for my inner ear, it'd either come loose, or hurt my ears.

---

Anyway, I found this Rock Zicron IEM. It's available in my country and have some good reviews too. Have you guys heard these before, and whaddya guys think?

Zircons are loved all around the web. But guys here does'nt give too much attention to it. But you mentioned that likes to listen do Hip-hop ? Well, these are the most indicate genre to listen with them. i had one pair, and now a pair of memt x5, anothe bass monster. And from my memory i think i liked the bass more on the zircon, they have less definition then memt but has more rumble. Zircon's seem to have a problem with cable too, they don't last too long. A einsear or urbanfun, or kz edr2 will have a more balanced, well rounded sound, technicaly, but if you are a guy who likes v-shaped sound with lots of bass, you will mostly be happier with something like zircon and/or memt x5. A einsear and a zircon would make a awesome pair. And you could discover what you likes more to listen to what. Bass on zircon are different from bass in zs3, zircon has more sub-bass. Zs3 has more of a boomy bass. Something brigher like urbanfun, or einear t2, are much more close to superlux 668b than something like zircon or memt x5.

 

[chinmie]

Thanks alot! Within the list, only some of them available in my country:

• KZ EDR1
• KZ EDR2
• KZ HDS3
• Einsear T2
• MEMT X5
• DZAT DF10
• and Svara Red

I think I'd go with einsear t2, because of it's attractive price tag and most reviews confirm it's quality, although it comes with pretty basic package.

out of those, the Svara Red has the better sound, but it is the most expensive. the Einsear T2 is also good, especially with their small size.

I do like my KZ zs3 but the low / bass sector doesn't satisfy me enough. Beside, it doesn't fit properly on me. I've tried many different foam and silicon tips but the housing is a little too big for my ears.

I live in Indonesia, and I'm not buying from AliExpress. Too much hassle for us Indonesian. I'm going to buy it from our local marketplace.

I know, too much for me. Beside, zs3's housing is too big for my inner ear, it'd either come loose, or hurt my ears.

---

Anyway, I found this Rock Zicron IEM. It's available in my country and have some good reviews too. Have you guys heard these before, and whaddya guys think?

I'm also from Indonesia. purchasing from AE is not that much of a hassle, although i agree with you, it's better to buy from local resellers if the option is available: faster delivery and better warranty.

the zircon has a reputation in the local forum that it's often breaks at the cable connected to the iem..maybe it's just rough handling on their part, i don't know, because i haven't test them myself, and i always take really good care of my gears

 

[loomisjohnson]

Damn too many options
Now I can't even decide which one to get. I don't have fancy audio player, just cheap xiaomi phone with slight kernel-level audio modification. I listen alot to old skool hip hop like those produced by J. Dilla, and RnB stuff like jill scott, robert glasper, hiatus kaiyote, etc. I love my superlux HD 668B with fabric pads and I wish I could get something similar in IEM form so I can take it everywhere. I do like my KZ zs3 but the low / bass sector doesn't satisfy me enough. Beside, it doesn't fit properly on me. I've tried many different foam and silicon tips but the housing is a little too big for my ears.

Now about these KZs, what's the difference between these 3? They're similarly priced and I desperately tried to find one source that reviewing all of them to keep the result fair, but can't find any.

I live in Indonesia, and I'm not buying from AliExpress. Too much hassle for us Indonesian. I'm going to buy it from our local marketplace.

Now if I ask you for just one IEM based on ky liking, what would you recommend? Because, you know I'm gonna buy this online, there's no way for me to test them one by one



Thanks for the suggestion, but I'd like to keep nut-shaped IEM with over-the-ear cable aside for now. My inner ear is quite small, most IEM like this wouldn't fit on me.



I know, too much for me. Beside, zs3's housing is too big for my inner ear, it'd either come loose, or hurt my ears.

---

Anyway, I found this Rock Zicron IEM. It's available in my country and have some good reviews too. Have you guys heard these before, and whaddya guys think?

for your stated criteria i'd suggest either the memt x5 or the boarseman kr49. if you have an extra few bucks for a spare, toss in the kz hds3

 

[Samuel Lawiet]

i'm planning to buy urbanfun hifi, i'm wondering, is there any iem that have better sounds for rock music in the same price or even cheaper than urbanfun hifi ?

 

[Otto Motor]

Can anyone recommend me a good IEM below $50? I listen to hip hop and 70s swing alot, probably too much. Too many brands out there, ain't got no time to try all of them one by one. I've been thinking about getting xiaomi piston IV hybrid, what do you guys think?

After reading everybody else's advise, here my take:

EDITED after later comments...

$5-10 earphones that actually sound decent:
KZ HDS3 or KZ HDs1 or KZ EDR2 or all of them...but one of them is a must
Inpher Fuqing...rude name but $3.20 well spent


Decent $10-20 earphones:
DZAT DF-10...one of the best I own; interesting wood design
Einsear T2
Boarseman KR-25D (same as KR49 but with a more realistic bass)...also a bargain
Swing ie800..one of my favs.
Xiaomi Piston 3...audiophiles appear to like them, chifi fans don't. To me they are beautifully designed with a lean, mature sound.
Urbanfun Hifi
Takstar Inping H60....comes with a truckload of accessories
VJJB 4KS...beautiful wood panelling


The ones I personally dislike are the Rock Zircon with an overwhelming bass and their lack of mids. These are fatiguing very quickly on my ears.
The Xiaomi triple drivers may be an option, I don't like them either but I cannot tell you why. The Piston IIVHybrids don't have enough oomph to me.
The current version of the KZ ZS5 and ZS6 apparently have overdone treble and may hurt after a while.

What is 1970s Swing? James Last?

 

[Otto Motor]

i'm planning to buy urbanfun hifi, i'm wondering, is there any iem that have better sounds for rock music in the same price or even cheaper than urbanfun hifi ?

Your choice is pretty good and safe! The Urbanfun Hifi are also well built.

 

[Slater]

After reading everybody else's advise, here my take:

$5-10 earphones that actually sound decent:
KZ HDS3 or KZ HDs1 or KZ EDR2 or all of them...but one of them is a must
KZ ATR...a real winner
Inpher Fuqing...rude name but $3.20 well spent
Fonge QKZ W1 Pro

Decent $10-20 earphones:
DZAT DF-10...one of the best I own; interesting wood design
Einsear T2
Boarseman KR-25D (same as KR49 but with a more realistic bass)...also a bargain
Swing ie800..one of my favs.
Xiaomi Piston 3...audiophiles appear to like them, chifi fans don't. To me they are beautifully designed with a lean, mature sound.
Urbanfun Hifi
Takstar Inping H60....comes with a truckload of accessories
VJJB 4KS...beautiful wood panelling

For $40-50
Brainwavz B100...very fluid and coherent
Tin Audio T2 for a more neutral tuning
...both of these made the best of 2017 lists.

The ones I personally dislike are the Rock Zircon with an overwhelming bass and their lack of mids. These are fatiguing very quickly on my ears.
The Xiaomi triple drivers may be an option, I don't like them either but I cannot tell you why. The Piston IIVHybrids don't have enough oomph to me.
The current version of the KZ ZS5 and ZS6 apparently have overdone treble and may hurt after a while.

What is 1970s Swing? James Last?

@vexa doesn't want behind-the-ear, nor a bigger "custom ear filling" style (ie a 'CEIM'-style).

So (from your list), no QKZ Q1 Pro, KZ ATR, Brainwavz B100, Takstar Inping H60. And I would also technically lump Tin Audio T2 in that list too (I know it can be worn cable down, but it's not a "barrel' style IEM, which OP said he prefers.

Also, reading @Vidal and @loomisjohnson's comments, the Boarseman KR49 has quite a different tuning than the Boarseman KR25D.

 

[Otto Motor]

@vexa
Also, reading @Vidal and @loomisjohnson's comments, the Boarseman KR49 has quite a different tuning than the Boarseman KR25D.

The Takstar should fine...not behind ear and not ear filling, just a bit angled. Just pulled out my Boarseman KR49 (blue cable) and KR25D (red cable). And sure enough the tuning is different in that the KR49 have strongly exaggerated bass and treble. Vidal got it right. The KR25D are much less extreme and really good in all departments. But, neither has a remote or is particularly sturdily built.

 

[Otto Motor]

Trust me, there is nothing bad about the KZ EDR1, EDR2, or HDS3. I wouldn't own multiple pairs nor recommend them if they were junk.

Plus I recently just picked up yet another spare set of EDR1 and EDR2, because they were under $4 ($3.77 shipped for the non-microphone version) - 1/3 of the price of the Einsear T2. How's that for an attractive price tag LOL?

The Einsear T2 is great too, but isn't 3xs "better" than the EDR1/EDR2 in my opinion.

...
You should be able to get all of those IEMs from Aliexpress (including the Urbanfun Hifi hybrid, one of the best on the list).

I second this.

 

[Vidal]

But, neither has a remote or is particularly sturdily built.

Only the cables let the (non i) Boarsemen down. The KR49i (microphone version) has the same cable as the CX98 and is very well built, I'm assuming that it's still available somewhere.

 

[JohnVoight]

i'm planning to buy urbanfun hifi, i'm wondering, is there any iem that have better sounds for rock music in the same price or even cheaper than urbanfun hifi ?

U cannot go wrong with Urbanfun. That poops legit! Goes with all genres.