Best IEM under 10k for fun bass listening

[Digigear]

Budget - Under 10,000 INR

Current setup - iPhone 15 + Apple USB-C to 3.5" jack adapter + KZ ZS10 Pro.

Usage - I use it for listening to music on my iPhone 15 via the Apple Music app. So it's Hi-res lossless audio.

Type of music - This Playlist should give a broad sense of what I prefer to listen to -

Tonal preference - I would prefer more bass and also a larger sound stage. I don't like the sound to be too bright or fatiguing. Something natural and smooth with strong bass that is fun to listen to but doesn't tire me out over time. Must be comfortable to wear too.

Past IEMs
1. KZ ZS10 Pro - I'm using this one mainly. It's OK but I would prefer more bass and a more natural sound.
2. 7Hz Salnotes zero - I use this on my PC for gaming. When I use it on my iPhone it sounds dull. I prefer the KZ ZS10 Pro.
3. KZ PR1 - Hated it. I used it wirh a Qudelix 5k DAC on my PC but still it sounded so bad.
4. Tin T2 - got it because of the hype but I hated it. It was nothing special and the connectors got loose on one side and it was uncomfortable to wear. It's why I prefer the KZ type QDC connectors.

I've had other lower end KZ IEMS that are OK to start with. Of the ones I have had I like the KZ ZS10 Pro the most. It's not bad but I'm sure I can get something that is more fun, bassy, detailed and smoother.

I would also like suggestions for iPhone accessories for better listening. Would you recommend a DAC for the iPhone? Or should my current setup work just fine?

I am by no means an audiophile. I'd probably not even notice the subtle differences that audiophiles like to talk about. But I do appreciate some good bass with lots of detail and large soundstage. I do like to listen to some 8D songs from time to time.

Options being considered :-
KZ ZS10 Pro X, KZ Castor, KZ ZEX, KZ ZES.

I'm definitely open to trying something that is outside of KZ. I just don't know enough about what's good.

 

[greenhorn]

Have you tried peq? You have a qudelix 5k so should be fairly easy. Eqing down to the harman curve usually improves things.

In my opinion, that's the more effective option that trying a bunch of more flavour of the month kz's.

In my opinion the sony mdr xb55 is the definitive budget bass cannon

 

[captivating]

Xb75 is better also moonlight iems are good but haven’t tried. I have tried kz ast but without any dac but it sounded decent .

 

[Digigear]

Have you tried peq? You have a qudelix 5k so should be fairly easy. Eqing down to the harman curve usually improves things.

In my opinion, that's the more effective option that trying a bunch of more flavour of the month kz's.

In my opinion the sony mdr xb55 is the definitive budget bass cannon

I use the Qudelix for my PC. Can't imagine using it as a portable dac for my iPhone. It's too bulky for wired use. And AAC codec on Bluetooth is not so effective.

I'm wondering if it is worth getting a IFI go link. But it is gonna drain the battery on my phone. So I'm not sure.

Right now I'm thinking of one of the following:-

Kbear rossfinch
QKZ X HBB
Blon Z300

Im leaning heavily towards the Blon Z300 but it's probably gonna require an amp. Maybe I'll just go for the IFI GO LINK after all.

 

[greenhorn]

Have you tried peq /autoeq on the qudelix?
A better dac is not going to help bass. You need high output power and low impedance. Try to get an e1da 9038. Bass demands power. If drain is a concern for you, and you don't want to carry a separate battery powered dac i would say just give up.

None of these iem's you've listed are going to solve your problem. Imho your need seems to be that you need to buy some new iems and need to rationalize your purchase

 

[Digigear]

Have you tried peq /autoeq on the qudelix?
A better dac is not going to help bass. You need high output power and low impedance. Try to get an e1da 9038. Bass demands power. If drain is a concern for you, and you don't want to carry a separate battery powered dac i would say just give up.

None of these iem's you've listed are going to solve your problem. Imho your need seems to be that you need to buy some new iems and need to rationalize your purchase

I've clearly stated that the Qudelix is only for my PC and that I'm not interesting in carrying it around with my phone. My PC audio needs are not the concern here. I'm just seeking an improvement for my phone setup.

Your argument about not ever needing a new iem because you can handle everything with peq is absurd. Why would they manufacture high end iems if all iems were just the same and that you could simply get higher quality audio with just peq/autoeq?

If you read my original post I'm not just talking about greater bass. I need better soundstage, clarity etc. I also need greater instrument separation. You can't have these with purely PEQ. Hardware, driver configuration matters too.

My whole point of the post was to upgrade my iem to achieve a better hardware for an overall boost to the audio quality of which bass is one of the priorities.

What I need for the iPhone if I get certain iems is just some power amplification with minimum distortion. Some iems would not need that extra amplification. And there is some tradeoff between boosted power and battery consumption. There's also the issue of added distortion that comes with certain amp. These are things to be discussed. And just because I'm talking about these things doesn't mean that you have to throw your hands up and go Freud on me.

I don't understand the need for your condescending projection about what I *really* need vs what I think I need because I'm not following your instructions to the dot.

 

[captivating]

OP what do you think about moon light iems ?

 

[Digigear]

OP what do you think about moon light iems ?

I have no idea what those are. I haven't gone too beyond KZ and some of the most hyped ones I listed in the post. That's why I posted here.

I wanna discover new ones. Never heard of moon light.

 

[Rezep]

https://www.youtube.com/@jayyaudio/videos

Check this guy's videos out, his style isn't as professional as other reviewers but I trust his ears, suggested the simgot ew200 as the best below 60 and it is (or was). He also has a spreadsheet in his description but majority of those are wayyy out of budget ($500+).

 

[ibose]

Why would they manufacture high end iems if all iems were just the same and that you could simply get higher quality audio with just peq/autoeq?

Because audiophools are ready to shell out the money.

Qudelix is only for my PC

Whaaaat !!!
Jokes apart, @greenhorn is pretty much spot on. eq is pretty powerful if done well. You just need to know how to use it.
While KZs and even some of the others you listed aren't exactly the best breed of IEMs out there, get any of the Harman tuned ones (eg. KZ Castor or the Simgot EW200 mentioned above) and equalize to taste. Here is another where the reviewer utilizes equalization to improve the already excellent output -

Moondrop Chu II IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the Moondrop Chu II In-Ear Monitor. It is on kind loan from a member and costs just $19. Compared to some other IEMs I have tested, these are lighter weight due to lack of extra metallic parts. They are also a bit smaller which...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And seriously that Qudelix is kind of wasted if you use it just as Desktop DAC/amp. I own one and it's fantastic as a portable system wide Equalizer/DAC/amp whether BT or Wired. The mobile app itself is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

If you think EQ is not the answer (for a lot of things, though not all) then you do not understand audio.

Good luck.

 

[Digigear]

Because audiophools are ready to shell out the money.

Whaaaat !!!
Jokes apart, @greenhorn is pretty much spot on. eq is pretty powerful if done well. You just need to know how to use it.
While KZs and even some of the others you listed aren't exactly the best breed of IEMs out there, get any of the Harman tuned ones (eg. KZ Castor or the Simgot EW200 mentioned above) and equalize to taste. Here is another where the reviewer utilizes equalization to improve the already excellent output -

Moondrop Chu II IEM Review

This is a review, listening tests, EQ and detailed measurements of the Moondrop Chu II In-Ear Monitor. It is on kind loan from a member and costs just $19. Compared to some other IEMs I have tested, these are lighter weight due to lack of extra metallic parts. They are also a bit smaller which...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And seriously that Qudelix is kind of wasted if you use it just as Desktop DAC/amp. I own one and it's fantastic as a portable system wide Equalizer/DAC/amp whether BT or Wired. The mobile app itself is worth its weight in gold.

Hey I would love to learn more. I know that I'm a newbie. If you're open I would love to connect and learn more about how to get the best out of what I've got.

I'm sending a dm.

If you think EQ is not the answer (for a lot of things, though not all) then you do not understand audio.

Good luck.

As much as you think I'm a fool with a lot of money and adamant on spending it, I am actually interested in learning. If only the people who know things we not so defensive and condescending. It would be easier to learn

I am actually love to get on a call with someone who can teach me things. I am willing to learn.

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

Hey I would love to learn more. I know that I'm a newbie. If you're open I would love to connect and learn more about how to get the best out of what I've got.

I'm sending a dm.

As much as you think I'm a fool with a lot of money and adamant on spending it, I am actually interested in learning. If only the people who know things we not so defensive and condescending. It would be easier to learn

I am actually love to get on a call with someone who can teach me things. I am willing to learn.

You shouldn't read too much into the post, I mean only what I said, nothing more.

If you want to learn, then in audio most of the time PEQ will do what you are looking to do. What you need to learn is the knowledge of how to use a good DSP.

 

[Digigear]

If you think EQ is not the answer (for a lot of things, though not all) then you do not understand audio.

Good luck.

Can EQ help with improving the sound stage and instrument separation and resolution?

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

Can EQ help with improving the sound stage and instrument separation and resolution?

Sound stage/imaging is done by the difference in the channels, in earphones/headphones where the room is not an issue then you can help this with EQ. Instrument separation and resolution, this can also be helped with EQ, or rather in both cases I say DSP because sound is about three categories, frequency,amplitude and time, and PEQ doesn't (directly) offer a method to alter time but a proper DSP does. Please note this is only about the earphone/headphone, in most things, especially soundstage, your hearing/ears are part of it. Many people don't get good soundstage/imaging due to the shape of their ears.

 

[Digigear]

Sound stage/imaging is done by the difference in the channels, in earphones/headphones where the room is not an issue then you can help this with EQ. Instrument separation and resolution, this can also be helped with EQ, or rather in both cases I say DSP because sound is about three categories, frequency,amplitude and time, and PEQ doesn't (directly) offer a method to alter time but a proper DSP does. Please note this is only about the earphone/headphone, in most things, especially soundstage, your hearing/ears are part of it. Many people don't get good soundstage/imaging due to the shape of their ears.

Thanks for this. I am exploring it.

I'm just using this on the Qudelix app. This is what you meant by PEQ?

Would you recommend any beginner friendly resource on how to master this?

Also, what do you think about DSP USB-C Cables?

 

[Decadent_Spectre]

I am not familiar with this app/software, seems to be for mobile. I am more familiar with professional hardware. PEQ stands fr Parametric Equalizer, it literally is what it says, PEQ adjusts (usually) 3 parameters, Frequency, Amplitude, and "Q" or "Bandwidth" (which defines the width or frequency range affected by the filter). The picture posted appears to be PEQ but I cannot see what all the rows are for. Remember that is you are doing it solely for soundstage etc, the soundstage is created by the difference in the channels, you can either a) try to make your own difference to create soundstage (not recommended) or b) try to set the system to a more accurate setting so that the soundstage is reproduced according to the file, while this will result in better soundstage the sound quality may or may not suit you for your preference. I don't have any resource for this, for personal usage I recommend people get a feel for it and tweak to personal taste, but this is generally for the sound, not the soundstage. I do not know what are DSP USB-C cables, as mentioned I am used to professional hardware, I do not listen to music on a mobile device or ear/headphones. Best of luck.

 

[greenhorn]

Thank you for trying out peq.
The simplest solution is to go to the auto eq tab and search for your iem there. Most kz etc are there.
If not search for your headphone + peq configuration. You'll get pdf with values for these configuration items which you can plug in. Trying to do this manually requires a deep understanding of filter theory that may be too much for the beginner.

Here is the eq for the pr1. Should make a good difference to the sound

AutoEq/results/crinacle/711 in-ear/KZ PR1 at master · jaakkopasanen/AutoEq

Automatic headphone equalization from frequency responses - jaakkopasanen/AutoEq

github.com

DSP cables - not really here nor there. Most of them really don't have the amp or dsp capability. You are better off using an app on your phone like wavelet, and a good usb c DAC unless again you are very very concerned about battery life

 

[Digigear]

Thank you for trying out peq.
The simplest solution is to go to the auto eq tab and search for your iem there. Most kz etc are there.
If not search for your headphone + peq configuration. You'll get pdf with values for these configuration items which you can plug in. Trying to do this manually requires a deep understanding of filter theory that may be too much for the beginner.

Here is the eq for the pr1. Should make a good difference to the sound

AutoEq/results/crinacle/711 in-ear/KZ PR1 at master · jaakkopasanen/AutoEq

Automatic headphone equalization from frequency responses - jaakkopasanen/AutoEq

github.com

DSP cables - not really here nor there. Most of them really don't have the amp or dsp capability. You are better off using an app on your phone like wavelet, and a good usb c DAC unless again you are very very concerned about battery life

I just ordered a ifi go link. Wanna try it out before I make any conclusions about it.

But yeah I did look into EQ and there seems to be a general consensus that not looking into it amounts to a lost opportunity in enhancing the audio quality without hardware enhancements. I didn't know that prior to this discussion. So thanks for that!

I did choose the profile for the iem by searching. But adjusting the curve manually also resulted in significant changes in the output. So that was nice to see just to get a feel for how the curve changes quality of the output.

I'll be looking more into this. Thanks for the resource as well.

 

[Digigear]

I just ordered a ifi go link. Wanna try it out before I make any conclusions about it.

But yeah I did look into EQ and there seems to be a general consensus that not looking into it amounts to a lost opportunity in enhancing the audio quality without hardware enhancements. I didn't know that prior to this discussion. So thanks for that!

I did choose the profile for the iem by searching. But adjusting the curve manually also resulted in significant changes in the output. So that was nice to see just to get a feel for how the curve changes quality of the output.

I'll be looking more into this. Thanks for the resource as well.

Update on this: The IFI go link definitely improved the audio quality by a lot. But I had other issues with it. I hated that it had that constant green LED on when it was plugged into my phone. And it was distracting when I was using the phone in the dark. And it was so limp and floppy. Plus, it doesn't have mic passthrough. So I returned it and got the Headphone zone x ddHifi dac and it works like a charm. I can somehow feel like the range and amp isn't as strong as the IFI go link, but it has mic pass through and no annoying LED and also looks a lot better, feels sturdier and doesn't heat up like the IFi go link, so I'm happy with it.

I also tried to find a system-wide PEQ app for the iPhone but it is basically impossible. I use Apple Music and there's no use for me to get an app like Neutron which requires files to be local to be able to play through a PEQ. I also checked to see if there is an iPhone case that can accommodate the Qudelix 5k on the back of it. No luck. I really wonder how anyone uses the Qudelix as a portable DAC in a convenient way.

I've adjusted the PEQ on the Qudelix and am using it on my PC and it is great. Getting some amazing bass out of it even with a 7Hz zero.

But for my phone I got the Blon Z300 to pair with the ddHifi. Wow. This is pretty much exactly what I was looking for, a warm, wide sound signature with tasteful amount of bass. And best part is that it comes with a mic in the cable, so I can use it for calls. It feels soooo comfortable to wear. A bit heavy when you take it in hand because of the all-metal construction but doesn't show upon wearing it. Looks really good too.

I'm so glad I did upgrade the IEMs.

To add to the discussion on PEQ vs hardware upgrade, I think the PEQ adjustment apparatus has not really sufficiently evolved for the mobile ecosystem. I really hope that either we have a dac that is as compact as the Headphone zone x ddhifi dongle and still comes with a PEQ adjustment app that allows for system-wide eq or that we simply have a system-wide PEQ update that comes as part of smartphones by default.