Choosing A Chi-fi IEM Between $15-$20 (TRN V20, KZ ES4/ZSN)
Jan 5, 2019 at 12:39 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 7

kidrow

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Hi all!

Between the TRN V20, KZ ES4 & the KZ ZSN, which one would you suggest to someone who listens to metal music (streaming, mostly) on an old Xiaomi Redmi 1s budget phone, & is looking to spend no more than $20?

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Music Preferences - I mostly listen to metal music & bands such as Dream Theater, Vanden Plas & Nightwish.

One "problem" track that I can think of is Panic attack by Dream Theater where I've always felt it sounds a bit "rough" & lacks refinement (almost like it's a demo tape). (Don't know if it's because of the source or iem or my ears/brain).

I also feel the vocals on most tracks seem to be less prominent, something I don't particularly like. So ideally, I'd like something that makes the vocals a bit more prominent, without sacrificing too much of the v shape.

Source - I'll be using a Xiaomi Redmi 1s budget phone & the music played will mostly be off of internet radio/youtube & the like.

IEM Options being Considered - The reason I've zeroed in on the 3 options (TRN V20, KZ ZSN, KZ ES4) is that they seem to be amongst those regarded as being the best for the $15-$20 range. I'm also curious about dual/ba drivers & the influence they can have.

Also, I was looking for an iem with detachable cables, as every iem I've had in the past has been junked only on account of the wires breaking off.

IEMs Owned in the Past - I've owned Meelectronics M9, Soundmagic ES18, Philips SHE3590 (in that order), & currently have a QKZ CK8. All of these are fairly bass heavy (with the exception of the Soundmagic, which was overall average imo). But each of the purchases has been better, sq wise, than the previous ones (except the Soundmagic).

So, as you can see, I've a very limited iem experience as I'm someone who buys & uses only one iem at a time, (as opposed to having an entire collection to choose from at any given time).

Thanks for your time & help. & sorry for the long post. Cheers!
 
Last edited:
Jan 12, 2019 at 10:00 AM Post #2 of 7
Of the three the ZsN is probably best choice, followed by ES4, then the V20.
 
Jan 13, 2019 at 1:06 AM Post #3 of 7
Hey, thanks for taking the time.

Will go for the ZSN then.

I was a bit confused by some of the comments here on head-fi threads/reviews which said that the ZSN was a lot more sibilant than the ES4. I interpreted that as a bad thing for 1). the rendition of the cymbals in metal tracks & 2). as being more of a leap for someone who's used to more bassier iems.

Will post my noob impressions on the KZ thread whenever I have them.

Again, thank you. Much appreciated.
 

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