AndroidVageta
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2010
- Posts
- 707
- Likes
- 181
So I'm a long time member and use to buy/sell here all the time years ago. I'm no noob and like to think I've got a good ear for sound and have owned literally hundreds of cans and IEM's over the years. I got out the headphone game over all as I found myself at a sort of "endgame" situation. Koss ESP-950's with custom leather pads, Qudelix 5k for my DAC, Sony WH-1000XM4 and Samsung Buds Live for portable use. All sounds great, the Koss needs no explanation, and for the first time I was just sort of "done" and just got comfortable enjoying what I had.
Well, for some reason I found myself on AliExpress a couple weeks ago and somehow got to looking at all the IEM's there are. I saw that KZ has...umm...stepped their game up a little bit since the last time I saw them. Several hybrids, custom drivers...planar? Electrostatic?? Eh, I figure, I'll check some of these out...why not? Price can't be argued with even if they are sub-par and I was honestly a little excited to get some new headphones after not doing so for so long.
So I got a pair of the KZ Vader which is a triple 8mm dynamic driver setup and the KZ x HBB PR2 which is a 13.2mm planar. Paid slightly less than $20 shipped each!
Ummm...what the Hell are these??? First impressions were very good, build quality easily matching that of far more expensive IEM's I've owned over the years. That alone is incredible. Then, using my Qudelix with it's excellent PEQ I got to listening to my usual test tracks and...my God! Chi-Fi has become genuine Hi-Fi!
Look, I'm not going to go into depth about my impressions and all that but lets just say that I'm simply shocked, legit blown away, by what these IEM's are capable of.
So I've got a couple questions if I may, first off if this is what $20 sounds like nowadays how much better has the 10x the price competition really gotten at this point? If someone told me that these did cost $200+ I'd have no issues believing them. Second, anyone have any recommendations for other dirt cheap IEM's I should try out? I see KZ has roughly ~184 different models lol so it's hard to decide which are worthy. And to my first question, is far more expensive options even worth it anymore?
I'm looking at AliExpress all the time now and want to dip my toes in the IEM pool some more already. Also...both of these can handle some POWER! Never thought this Qudelix would...or COULD...struggle to drive these IEM's but it is!
Anyways, again, what other KZ are worth it and is it worth it to even consider more expensive brands anymore? Thanks!
Well, for some reason I found myself on AliExpress a couple weeks ago and somehow got to looking at all the IEM's there are. I saw that KZ has...umm...stepped their game up a little bit since the last time I saw them. Several hybrids, custom drivers...planar? Electrostatic?? Eh, I figure, I'll check some of these out...why not? Price can't be argued with even if they are sub-par and I was honestly a little excited to get some new headphones after not doing so for so long.
So I got a pair of the KZ Vader which is a triple 8mm dynamic driver setup and the KZ x HBB PR2 which is a 13.2mm planar. Paid slightly less than $20 shipped each!
Ummm...what the Hell are these??? First impressions were very good, build quality easily matching that of far more expensive IEM's I've owned over the years. That alone is incredible. Then, using my Qudelix with it's excellent PEQ I got to listening to my usual test tracks and...my God! Chi-Fi has become genuine Hi-Fi!
Look, I'm not going to go into depth about my impressions and all that but lets just say that I'm simply shocked, legit blown away, by what these IEM's are capable of.
So I've got a couple questions if I may, first off if this is what $20 sounds like nowadays how much better has the 10x the price competition really gotten at this point? If someone told me that these did cost $200+ I'd have no issues believing them. Second, anyone have any recommendations for other dirt cheap IEM's I should try out? I see KZ has roughly ~184 different models lol so it's hard to decide which are worthy. And to my first question, is far more expensive options even worth it anymore?
I'm looking at AliExpress all the time now and want to dip my toes in the IEM pool some more already. Also...both of these can handle some POWER! Never thought this Qudelix would...or COULD...struggle to drive these IEM's but it is!
Anyways, again, what other KZ are worth it and is it worth it to even consider more expensive brands anymore? Thanks!
They have poor QC and many units don't even sound/measure the same for the same model.
