[TankedThomas]

Title pretty much says it all (but my post is needlessly long anyway).
My mum wants some new earphones because her current pair are busted, so I've been looking at the KZ range.
She doesn't need anything fancy, but I just want to get her something nice that should last (bonus that you can replace the cable easily on KZ IEMs) and be the best-sounding earphones she's ever had (compared to garbage, but still).

I know there are other good options but I was thinking of pairing them with the AZ09 Pro so she can have both wired and wireless (she's not sure what she wants, so I want to give her the option).
Originally, I was going to get the KZ ZSN Pro X IEMs but I'm not sure now. Maybe the DQ6 are better overall (the cable definitely seems better), or maybe there's yet another option around the same price range as those two to consider?

For reference, these are what she's currently using: https://www.techpowerup.com/187275/razer-announces-hammerhead-series-in-ear-gaming-headsets
They're an old model so I can't find much information on them easily, let alone frequency response graphs to compare (even if it's just to get a rough idea). She likes the small tips of these, and they seem to be her favourite of all the various (mostly cheap crap) earphones she's tried over the years.

She mainly watches YouTube videos (primarily other women around her age - late 50s to early 60s) and listens to a fairly broad range of music on Spotify via her phone, a Samsung Galaxy S7 (she's not picky, and would never worry about playing lossless audio).
I'm hoping to get her a phone upgrade next year (will get a USB-C in-line DAC if I do, so she can still use it wired), though I'm still undecided on what to buy in that regard (options are pretty limited over here if they're not Apple, Samsung, or a Chinese brand).

I was going to order them now but decided to post this and get some feedback first. Seems I'm far too late to get them shipped to New Zealand in time for Christmas, but that's not a big deal. I'd like to order them tonight though, if possible.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm no expert at this and I've yet to dip my toes into the Chi-Fi market, so I thought I'd ask the actual experts. Please and thank you!

 

[Neweymatt]

I'll make this easy for you and point you toward Moondrop Aria.

At about 80USD, it's one of the best value for money IEMs you can find, ChiFi or otherwise. It's no “giant-killer”, but its very good for casual listening with phone, iPad etc.

Moondrop also make a Bluetooth lanyard if you want to go wireless. I've got a FiiO one that I like for the gym or out walking and taking calls, but I don’t think there’s much between them.

 

[TankedThomas]

I'll make this easy for you and point you toward Moondrop Aria.

At about 80USD, it's one of the best value for money IEMs you can find, ChiFi or otherwise. It's no “giant-killer”, but its very good for casual listening with phone, iPad etc.

Moondrop also make a Bluetooth lanyard if you want to go wireless. I've got a FiiO one that I like for the gym or out walking and taking calls, but I don’t think there’s much between them.

Appreciate the reply. I want the Moondrop Aria for myself (next year), but I don't have the money for them right now (they work out at almost NZ$200 without accessories) and frankly, I don't think my mum needs something even that expensive, so I'm thinking of just keeping it simple, because all she needs (and wants) is "simple".

I don't believe Moondrop's Bluetooth adapter is any good, from what I saw, but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[HBen]

I never thought I'd recommend this kind of headphone on this forum but if I were you I'd just get her some Galaxy Buds or some other similar wireless bluetooth earphones.
It is obviously not the best soundquality for the bucks but my mom and probably yours too doesn't care that much about it ... it's more about the convenience and all that.

 

[TankedThomas]

I never thought I'd recommend this kind of headphone on this forum but if I were you I'd just get her some Galaxy Buds or some other similar wireless bluetooth earphones.
It is obviously not the best soundquality for the bucks but my mom and probably yours too doesn't care that much about it ... it's more about the convenience and all that.

I appreciate the input. You're right that she probably won't care about the quality that much, but Galaxy Buds are out of the price range that I want right now, which is why I was looking at Chi-Fi.
Galaxy Buds are about the same price as the Arias in NZ, and I'd rather give my money to Moondrop before I give it to Samsung again (but the curved screen rant is for another time).

Plus she prefers wired but would like to try wireless (who knows, maybe she'll change her preference but I thought it best to give her the option), and since she has an older phone right now, I worry the older Bluetooth standard may cause various issues with quality and performance (haven't looked at the exact numbers for the S7 though).

I'm still thinking my original plan is probably the best to give her the flexibility at an affordable price, but I'm open to other brands that can preferably achieve the same at a similar price.
I don't want to sound like a cheapskate (especially since it's for my mum) but I don't have a lot of money to spend on this particular present, partly because I'm putting money towards another gift for her (which will hopefully be a bit more special, but it's unrelated to audio).

 

[earmonger]

For future reference, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G still had a headphone jack (I've got one). You can probably find one used and everything about it, camera included, is as high-quality as I think I'd ever need. It's also 5G compatible if you're living in the future (or about to).

There's a dedicated KZ thread under Portables, and they're raving right now over the KZ ZEX Pro, the NRA and the BA10.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/knowledge-zenith-kz-impressions-thread.698148/page-3845

https://www.linsoul.com/collections/headphones-iems/products/kz-zex-pro

There's also a Best Budget thread that's mostly Chi-Fi. Just look at some of the most recent pages for ideas--no need to start at the beginning!

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/bes...l-ranking-list.805930/page-1963#post-16705718

 

[tansand]

Final Audio E1000 have a mellow sound that helps a lot with the amateurish audio on yotube. They seem pretty lightly built but I can't really speak to durability since I haven't used them all that often, as my portable is pretty mellow already. They are tiny and comfortable.

 

[tansand]

Since they're fairly cheap I think it might be worth buying one for now, and another in a bit when you can afford it. That way when/if they break, you can be like, "Don't worry I got you, Mom." and give her the backup. The hero lol.

 

[pbui44]

Check these out:

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/33051...gs1zsgkcawmy17dac51878ed79ed56e96e7a0a&gclid=

 

[Neweymatt]

Appreciate the reply. I want the Moondrop Aria for myself (next year), but I don't have the money for them right now (they work out at almost NZ$200 without accessories) and frankly, I don't think my mum needs something even that expensive, so I'm thinking of just keeping it simple, because all she needs (and wants) is "simple".

I don't believe Moondrop's Bluetooth adapter is any good, from what I saw, but maybe I'm wrong.

Aw, doesn't your mum deserve to be spoiled a bit at Christmas??

If you want to go down to the cheap-end, then the venerable BLON BL-03 is not a bad choice at all. You've got the janky cable to deal with, but that can be upgraded for cheap with a NiceHCK one from AliExpress.

As far as the bluetooth lanyard, I'm really happy with the FiiO one, so much so I bought a second to have one of each MMCX and 2-pin. From what I can tell it looks very similar to the Moondrop one, but who knows..

And if you want to consider buds instead of IEMs, that is also a good cheap option from what I read. Haven't waded in myself, but there are plenty that get raves, eg the Yincrow X6
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/yincrow-x6.22393/reviews

Now I think of it, for $12 I might just get a pair or 3 for stocking stuffers...

Oh, and if you do consider the Final E1000, check out A2A, they've got presence in Auckland, may be able to sort you out sooner than later...
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au

 

[earmonger]

The Blon-03 is a longtime budget recommendation here, but there are also complaints about a fit that doesn't work for everyone and an unloved cable. The Final E1000's bullet shape is an easy fit but its cable is not detachable/replaceable.

Check the Chi-Fi and KZ threads I linked above; another cheap IEM getting love is the CCA C10. The good thing is that probably anything you get will sound better than what she's got!

 

[pbui44]

The Blon-03 is a longtime budget recommendation here, but there are also complaints about a fit that doesn't work for everyone and an unloved cable. The Final E1000's bullet shape is an easy fit but its cable is not detachable/replaceable.

If fit or cable is an issue, then @TankedThomas can also look at this one:

https://m.aliexpress.com/item/40009...7dace130cc170110fd2264cd6f2380cb089137&gclid=

 

[earmonger]

I had the Tin T2 Plus. The all-aluminum look is cool, they feel super smooth, and with the right tips/fit they sound good, if a little tilted toward the lower overtones, which might make things mellow for Mom. Don't know if they are above the OP's budget.

I also tried the IBasso IT00 in that price range and don't recommend them. Very VERY bass-forward and the shape, a squarish bottom with a seam, was a bad fit on my (curved) ears.

 

[lpd2]

I'm looking at possible gifts for some older ppl and what I've heard that others^ have alluded to is that a warmer mellower sound signature is what human hearing generally finds more agreeable as we age. I've gotten a taste of that recently, along with the achey joints and a little weight gain. The above suggestions are good ones.

 

[TankedThomas]

Wow, I didn't expect so many responses. Thanks so much, everyone!

I'll try to hit some of the main points... Caveats being I haven't spent any time shortening this (sorry) and I obviously haven't tried any of these personally (but I've been looking at the budget IEMs and, especially, the KZ thread for weeks now, for what it's worth).

In regards to a new phone, I want to get her something new that will last (with updates). I was thinking Pixel 6 + custom ROM (Lineage, Calyx, etc.) to achieve this but the Pixel 6 is import-only in New Zealand, so no VoLTE nor 5G without root tweaks which are usually reverted after an update. So I'm just sitting on that for now. Don't want to go the iPhone route for various reasons, but their update support is still unrivalled...

In regards to my price range, the frank truth is I've been out of a job for a bit so I really don't have much more than about NZ$120 total to spend (about US$80), and I want to spend about $15-$20 of that on a nice case to keep them safe. If I had more, I think I'd probably just go Moondrop Aria + FiiO UTWS3 (assuming they work together - it seems using an MMCX to 2-pin adapter is the way to go).

• Tin T2 Plus - I've heard good things about these, but they're out of my price range, especially if I want to add the FiiO UTWS3 (of which I've also heard good things).
• Final Audio E1000 - I'd prefer a removable cable since that's the thing that gets damaged the easiest and the problem my mum has had the most. Otherwise, I've likewise heard these are good.
• BLON BL-03 - Again, I've heard good things about these, and these are actually in my price range, but I'm not sure about an affordable (and good) Bluetooth adapter for them, nor a replacement cable. If I could get one with a cable that's already good so that I only have to buy a replacement when it inevitably breaks, that'd be better... which is something that probably doesn't apply to most KZs, from what I understand, but their cables seem like they might be at least a bit better than the BLON ones, from what I'm reading.
• KZ BA10 - Sounds like they'll be too big for her ears, unfortunately, otherwise I might have bought these.
• KZ ZEX - Everything I've seen and heard about these seems to say they're just not that great compared to other options.
• CCA NRA - My mum's no basshead, so the lack of some bass on these is probably okay, but I worry about the apparent incompatibility with aftermarket tips (she's a bit picky about tips, so I expect to have to buy aftermarket ones for her regardless of what IEMs she gets). Sounds like they just aren't as good as some of KZ's other offerings.

@lpd2 That's an interesting observation I didn't consider. Thanks for the input - I think I'll focus on looking warmer IEMs, in that case.
@Neweymatt Thanks for the link. I'm in Auckland so that may be worth considering. I'd love to spoil her but just can't afford to right now.

Spoiler

It's not audio-related but since she's never going to see this anyway:
My mum has this old clock she got for her birthday... 16th, I think? I believe it was before her dad died. Could be wrong. Anyway, she wanted an antique one but couldn't afford it, so she got this cheap one that looks antique but is basically the equivalent of what you'd find on AliExpress these days.
It broke (tiny plastic gear) so I replaced the clock mechanism, but the clock is in bad shape and needs a lot of woodwork. That's not really my thing but I have some family who can do that, so I'm going to get them to help me fix it.
But not just fix it - I want to rebuild the entire thing, since it was poorly-made to begin with. I plan to remake it with much better materials and essentially turn it into the antique clock she always wanted, so that it can be heirloom-worthy.
That's the main thing I was planning for Christmas. I wanted to get it done for her birthday, but we've had lockdown after lockdown over here, and we're still in one right now (some limits are being raised on the 15th, so there's that), so I haven't been able to see extended family members to get it done. Hopefully before Christmas. And that's basically where the rest of my money will be going.

Two things before I forget:
Sometimes my mum uses the mic if she goes out walking with music on and gets a call but it's not a must-have for her. Is there any downside to getting a cable with a built-in mic? I've seen some people say yes and some people say no. I can't see why it'd make any real difference, but I suppose build quality could be a factor, if nothing else.

Moondrop's SSR or SSP - worth considering in this price range? A little bit out of my price range but could work, though they'll probably need the FiiO UTWS3 + MMCX adapter setup for Bluetooth, which would be too expensive... Seems like the Arias are just better though. Can't find much feedback on Moondrop's littleblack Bluetooth cable, either. About the only feedback I found was essentially "not good, don't buy", and the KZ AZ09 Pro being decent is part of what's still making me consider KZ (especially since their current 2-pin connector is unique, from what I understand). There are the TRN options too but I assume the BT30 is the best one and it's by far the most expensive of their Bluetooth IEM adapters...