Search the Community

Hello my friends, i need your help! I want to buy new earbuds and i decided to go for a true wireless set. So i am between Airpods Pro and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and i can't decide. They will be paired with an Iphone and i already tried the Airpods Pro but i found them a bit quiet. I had the volume full but still if there was loud music in the room i could hear it. The sound quality was very good and also the Noise Cancellation feature was good although i saw in Youtube that Sennheiser's noise cancellation is better. I don't know about the Sennheiser but i know that their products sound quality is very good from a previous experience. I am a music fan and i like a bass boosted sound. I will appreciate your help. Thanks in advance.

Hey! I have been on the lookout for a great budget in-ear headphone. Currently, I am looking at the ANKER SoundBuds Sport or the Adidas Monster Sports Supernova (LMAO that name tho). Cannot go over current budget. THese headphones are similarly priced in my country. If you were to choose, whch one would be a better steal? The ANKER is wireless, while the onther one is not.

Hi (sorry for my English, working on it), I bought a used pair of IE80 on eBay for 145us last year but after one month both ears sound was unbalanced so I sent them to Sennheiser repair. Lucky me, they sent me a brand new pair but I had the same problem in the end. So I sent them again to finally receive a new pair again! Now I'm sitting here with a sealed box of brand new IE80 that I could sell for a good price and buy a pair of JVC HA-FX850. From what I read they are better but I don't know if I can sell my IE80 easily and if it is really worthing it. So, what are your opinion?

Company Background: Qian is an extremely small company, they only have four products all together, the Qian 25, Qian 39, Qian 79 and Qian 99. They don't even have a website and rely on Baidu forums to promote. In total they've only sold over 2000 units. Sounds pathetic right? Well the thing is they've got a pretty solid fanbase in the forums, and the CEO is a previous IEM reviewer on Baidu. Maybe due to the low sales their existence and reputation has almost became a "legend." (just like back when xiaomi piston 2 became an overrated legend on head-fi). For some reason it says my account doesn't have enough permissions to upload a photo. I will use ones online. Technlogy (translated from official description) bunch of jargon: Diaphram Air Guidence Balancing: Using virtual manmade ear canal environment and total area of the front canal they analysed the direct sound waves and reflected sound waves effects of the change of air pressure. After synchronal adjustment of the rear unit balance rate and total air passing amount, banlanced the front and back air pressure of the earphone. So that when the diaphram is vibrating can quickly go back to original position. This promises bass to go deeper, preserving the amount and at the same time not stuffy and less reverbration. Magnetic Aggregation Technology: According to the strength distribution and the sole magnetivity of neodymium iron boron, with the coil's intermittent magnetic field's electromagnetic transduction energy level as variable. Enhances effective electromagnetic field utilisation, increasing response sensitivity as a whole. Making both mobile phones and high output devices suitable. What? That was my reaction after reading the description. It can either be true or false. It provoked my curiosity. Priced at the same price as a Xiaomi piston I should definetely give them a go. Packaging: Photo of box here The packaging of this feels extremely cheap and unsuitable for retail. It comes in a metal box with a pressed logo. Inside the box is four sets of plugs with one of them being a memory foam one. But it feels sticky, cheap and can be used as an earwax cleaner. It also comes with a back ear cable holder which I found to be a highly unsuitable and inconvenient way to wear it since it falls out easy and the sound is not good when the plug is not fully inserted. (more on that later). All placed in cheap ziplock bags. Comfort: Very common design. Straight, metal and cylinder. 2cm total length. Cable: Photo of cable here The cable is a premium thick copper cable with them stating can withstand 40kg of stretch. No MIC. Sound Quality: Sorry if all that hype builds to nothing, cuz there's really no surprises with this IEM. The trebel feels lacking, the clarity is definetely decent i reckon with the help of the cable. When out of the box it feels like the most neutral thing ever, almost convinced there's no V shape. It's funny because I'm bit of a base head but after 100 hours of burning (90 hours of Burn-IN CD and 10 hours of progressive house) surprisingly heavy base started to kick in. Remember at the beginning all the base notes sounds like pen taps. Base slightly sounds from back of your head. But definetely can be used for a long time. Very decent clarity, fast and responsive bass (has depth but small amount), slightly lacking in treble, field is very small. Slightly piercing highs. Comparisons: sounds like earpods with less field more clarity. Feels like it has less 31HZ than the earpods but more 62 HZ. Sounds like a Xiaomi Piston 2 with less field, more clarity. This is defientely classified as not recommended. PS:I've ordered the products below: Cube Mix Plus Xiaomi Triple Driver Earphones Vsonic gr07 Bass and I'll review them all.

one thing before hand: i realy realy dont like on ear and over ear headphones( its uncomftable for me) but i like to game and listen to musik and i would need a good in ear headphone witch is fitting for that! does anyone has a good recommendation for that?

Ever since I dove into the audio world, I've been after getting some nicer, sharper, clearer, premium audio quality from my next audio upgrade. I was on the search for something with a small footprint, and in-ear, as I found over-the-ears to be quite fatiguing after a while, and I like the low profile of earbuds, so I elected to go IEMs, and at a budget of around less than $70. This is where the TIn HiFi T2 IEMs introduced themselves. The Tin HiFi T2 features a dual dynamic driver setup, which on paper is great for bass enthusiasts. Which I certainly found odd at my initial research for these in-ear monitors as dynamic drivers generally favor the low-end, but I was recommended these for the mids and highs. I recently picked up the Tin HiFi T2 in-ear monitors from Amazon for the low admission price of £44.99, which was an easy pill to swallow for something that I read was easily a diamond in the rough in the world of audio and specifically in-ear monitors. I read that these IEMs were particularly exceptional at vocals, mids, and high-ends, with the bass not being overbearing, which is exactly what I look for in IEMs, so I ultimately decided to give them a shot. I've been using these for just over a week now and I can wholeheartedly say they are an amazing pair of budget IEMs, but for a certain target market. First things first, the design is quite minimal and understated, with the IEMs themselves being small enough to house the drivers whilst also having a design which is still able to stay in your ears, albeit not very well. My T2 IEMs came with blue comply foam tips out of the box, but the tips were too big for my ears so I eventually switched to small silicone tips which were also supplied with the IEMs. They also feature a removable MMCX cable which has been beautifully twisted and also features a robust and minimal barrel-shaped splitter. There is also a transparent bead that locks into place to hold the cables together, as pictured below under the IEMs to keep the IEMs together. It's a nice touch. What's also just as beautiful is the gorgeous gold-plated 3.5mm jack which has a faux carbon fiber black vinyl on it, just for the aesthetics, I guess, as it's not textured. For $50 IEMs, these small details were nice touches which add to the experience of using these IEMs. Highs: The highs are easily the strongest point of these monitors. There is crispy and sharp detailing in the highs with minimal hissing. Fifth Harmony's 'Worth It' is a great example of clear highs. The saxophone melody in the instrumentals of the song are greatly detailed and clear. The girls' vocals and in particular Camilla Cabello with her chirpy vocal range are sharp and clear too. Female vocals and high-ranged instruments like sharp piano keys and violin chords would be excellent to pair with these in-ear monitors as I believe the highs are where this pair of in-ear monitors shines the most. Mids: The mids are similar to the highs in that they are fairly detailed and also cold. There is a little sibilance in this range, and instrumentation separation can be a hit or miss depending on track and what type of composition it uses. David Guetta's 'Titanium' is a great example of mids and instrumentation separation, the background instrumentation is well-detailed and clear, and the vocals of Sia are able to clearly distinguish themselves in the highs. The mids are certainly not as rich and pronounced as the highs, but the mids still managed to be prominent enough to seperate themselves from the highs. Lows: The lows are the troublesome area for the Tin HiFi T2. I couldn't for the life of me get decent bass reproduction, whether I tried larger eartips, different ear insertion, or modifying my EQ to favour the lows. The lows are very often unpresent, quiet, and shy to the party. Even the bassiest songs like Post Malone's 'rockstar' and The Weeknd's 'Pray For Me' are uncharacteristically weak on the ears with the bass nowhere near as punchy as it could sound. Even when the low-ends are present, they are particularly tinny and muddy, and not very pronounced at all. I definitely would note recommend these in-ear monitors to anybody who seeks crispy and pronounced bass, as the Tin HiFi T2 just outright lacks any low-end re-production. Song 1 - Gfriend (여자친구) - Time for the moon night (밤) (Ballad K-Pop) Intro: The beautiful chirpy female vocals of Eunha are greatly detailed and clear, with the piano making the most of the excellent highs and mids of these in-ear monitors. When the rest of the orchestra enters, they are all beautifully detailed and sharp, with no hissing or sibilance. The low kickdrums however are low and muted, and contribute nearly nothing to the composition. Verse 1: Similar to the intro, the female vocals are where the Tin HiFi T2 shine, with the vocals being rich, far forward, and clear. The background instrumentation is also nicely-detailed and clear, but suffers from too much noise and muddles itself, it feels uncomfortably claustrophobic. Pre-Chorus: The highs regain the ground for the song with once again their amazing re-production of the female vocals. The instrumentation appears to have raised an octave which puts the highs in full force and makes for excellent detailing and clarity. Chorus: There is a beautiful blend of the highs and lows here, with the female vocals being beautifully clear and far forward in front of the instrumentation, which is equally as sharp. Verse 2: Similarly to the first verse, the instrumentation tends to favor the mids and highs with the vocals being once again the main point of contact and are beautifully clear throughout the entire song. Bridge: The low notes of the piano in the bridge here aren't too defined and therefor don't have the kick that the producers probably expected them to have when using the Tin HiFi T2 in-ear monitors. The highs as expected are once again greatly detailed and shine in front. Song 2 - WJSN (우주소녀) - Boogie Up (Bubblegum K-Pop) Intro: The heavy rich high guitar notes in the intro are tremendously detailed and punchy. Verse 1: The female vocals shine far in front of the instrumentation, which is also equally as sharp and detailed as the female vocals. The low notes of the guitar are nearly non-existent and tinny. Pre-Chorus: The lows in this section of the song are weak and muted which flattens the tempo and mood of the pre-chorus, especially since the female vocals here are beautifully conveyed. Chorus: The chirpy, catchy Summer beat of the chorus is so nicely detailed and bubbly, the highs are great at this section. The short bursts of female vocals add to the sweet and fun nature of the highs and is a great display of what the highs are capable of, whilst not producing too much hiss or sibilance. Verse 2: The female vocals here stand out beautifully similar to the first verse, with the rumbly low bass in the first half of this second verse not being too pronounced nor punchy, but also not enough to be present and fails to be a strong point once again. Bridge: The beautiful and bubbly high notes from the female vocals are fantastic to hear using these in-ear monitors and prove once again that they are what makes these in-ear monitors excellent. The background instrumentation is once again also equally as clear with them not overpowering the female vocals. Song 3 - BTOB (비투비) - Beautiful Pain (아름답고도 아프구나) (Korean Ballad) Intro: The intro to the song (at least when viewing the YouTube music video) is full of nicely-detailed mids in the piano, with the lows of the piano not being too punchy or even present. Verse 1: The male vocals this time around are far forward in front of the piano, with the lows of the piano and the kickdrum in the latter half of the first verse still a bit calm and muted. Vocals remain a strong point of the Tin HiFi T2, even if it is inherently husky, low-end male vocals. I wouldn't hold my breath that the male vocals would sound the same on more premium in-ear monitors. Pre-Chorus: Similar to the first verse, the background instrumentation is nice and detailed, with the vocals easily still being the focal point with the clear and concise detailing. Chorus: The chorus' high piano notes are tremendously detailed, with the male vocals of course being the stand-out point with great clarity. The instrumentation separation between the vocals and the instruments are also nicely detailed. Verse 2: The guitar here is nicely detailed but the low-end of the guitar fails to come through using these in-ear monitors. The vocals are once again nice and forward. Bridge: The lows of the guitar are quite muddy and quiet here. The naturally husky vocals of Hyunsik and Minhyuk are quite shallow. However the instrumentation here is once again nicely detailed. So after owning these for a week and going through countless hours of Apink, BTOB, some English artists, I can safely commend these IEMs for being exactly what I imagined; Amazing, crisp clear highends and treble with female vocals in particular being especially clear and pronounced, no muddly bass - although bass is slightly muted and shy in these IEMs in my experience - and the soundstage being not too wide but wide enough for vocals to shine through. These IEMs would be ideal for singers who don't rely on busy and loud background instrumentation and need to reproduce their own voice as crisp and clear as possible. These IEMs never go wrong with vocals but can struggle if a background instrumentation is too busy and overpower the vocals. The universal fit of these IEMs means that they will not fit everyone even with the right set of eartips, these are not the most comfortable thing in the world and I find I don't get a 100% exact fit with them due to their design, the MMCX connection area is a little too short to overcome my ear and therefor it always sticks out just a little, not sealing the IEMs into my ears correctly. I'd give them a 7/10 for fit, because while they do fit, they don't do it comfortably enough. For $50 IEMs, these are IEMs I will enjoy for years to come, provided they don't break after nine hundred hours worth of Korean pop and ballads.

The FiiO FH5 is a 2018 in-ear monitor flagship and have a hefty pricetag of $250. As a person whose best piece of audio equipment before acquiring these in-ear monitors was Audio-Technica's ATH M50x, my review of which you can read here, I expected big things such as a wider soundstage, wider frequency response range, enhanced clarity, clearer mids and highs, as well as a more enjoyable listening experience in both casual and critical sessions in general. So, I got the FiiO FH5 as an early Christmas present to myself, and ordered them late November earlier this year just as my Amazon Prime expired, so I got them next-day free of charge on top of that $250 price tag. I have had these in-ear monitors for just under two weeks now and easily 70 hours sank into things, and here's my in-depth review. The FiiO FH5 consists of a single dynamic driver coupled with 3 of Knowles' Balanced Armature drivers, making these in-ear monitors a quad-driver hybrid. The dynamic driver is present to represent the bass team with the triple balanced armature drivers to run for the mids and highs team. This combination of dynamic and balanced armature drivers is in theory a perfect match for covering all the frequency ranges and then some. I was recommended the FiiO FH5 as I am a listener of Korean pop and its many subgenres such as bubblegum, ballad, R&B, soul, with a strong emphasis on female vocals in particular. I came from the TIn HiFi T2, which were great for the type of Korean pop I listen to, but they lacked low-end and had some strong sibilance about them so I wanted something a bit more premium. Enter the FiiO FH5. The design of these in-ear monitors are extremely premium-looking and look like they would pair perfectly with a high-class supercar. FiiO's marketing notes on the FiiO FH5 lists that the lines on the faceplate of the FiiO FH5 were based on exotic supercars, and I can see exactly how that might be. The lines remind me of the likes of the McLaren 570S' frontal third, the BMW M2's frontal third, Ferrari 458 Italia's rear third, as well as the general shape of the Mercedes A45 AMG. This is such beautiful styling. The shape of these in-ear monitors is also designed to contour with many ears, given that these in-ear monitors are designed with a universal fit in mind. Classy design indeed. The included MMCX-to-3.5mm cable is just as classy, with its angled hook-like connectors to better fit the over-the-ear style of these in-ear monitors. The cables' ends are also color-coded to match the FH5's color-coded rings, blue for left, and red for right. The cable is nice and thick, I bet I could abseil with this and not have it snap. The cable is rigid as well which aids it in literally never tangling over itself. Included in the FiiO FH5's box is this set of 26 different eartips (including the ones attached the in-ear monitors themselves). These different eartips are made to vary the sound signature of the in-ear monitors, such as favoring vocals, bass, or giving a balanced sound signature. There are also a trio of memory foam eartips if you prefer memory foam over the silicone tips that are provided in the aforementioned different sound signatures. I personally chose the vocal eartips myself as I prefer prioritising the highs in female vocals over anything else. In terms of how much of a change a different tip could make, it's not night and day. In my experience, I had to pay attention to which tip I was using and look out for the change in sound. It's still a great addition to have included so many bonus tips to try and it adds to the value of the in-ear monitors as a whole. Highs: The highs are crisp and detailed, a good example of presenting high quality highs is in Apink's 'I'm So Sick' chorus or the entire composition of fromis_9's 'Love Bomb' as they both utilise female vocals heavily and have a chirpy and bubbly background instrumental. As I am using vocal tips, my highs might be a bit more enhanced than others who elect to use bass or balanced tips for example. I have not used any other eartip extensively as I have used vocal tips 100% of my time with the FH5s. Despite the highs being crystal clear and full of life, there is little to no sibilance found in the sound signature of the in-ear monitors. I'm made to believe the lack of sibilance and hiss in the highs is thanks to the amazing sound isolation in the fit of these in-ear monitors. I have fairly standard and small ears, so these in-ear monitors fit almost perfectly and block out any outside noise. Mids: The mids are also just as detailed as the highs, I feel in my experience and sense of sound, the mids are a lot more prominent than the highs. A good example of the mids being a crucial role to the sound experience is Dragonforce's 'Ashes of The Dawn', where the electric guitars are extremely present along with the drum hits. Where the mids also shine is in instrumentation seperation in this part of the frequency response. Using Boney M's 'Rasputin' as an example for instrumentation seperation, the two guitars in the introductory segment of the song are perfectly seperated, and shine even further when the third guitar, a piano, as well as the vocals are introduced. These balanced armature drivers do not play around, giving a clear and concise mids sound floor. The mids is easily the strongest part of the FiiO FH5s. Lows: The lows are excellently presented on these in-ear monitors. Using Dethklok's 'Go Into The Water' as an example of excellent lows, the tenudo-like bassline of the song is almost head-shakingly clear and rumbly. Every guitar pluck is outrageously punchy and deep. The chant-like vocals are also husky and cavernous, the noise floor from the bassline is super satisfying. Green Day's 'American Idiot' is another excellent example of fantastic lows on the FiiO FH5. The bassline for this song is amazingly profound and heavy-hitting to the ears. The bass is vibrant, vivid, and full of clarity. It's not muddy and also not overly done. Mind I also use vocal eartips, so bass eartips may even enhance the bass noise floor a bit more compared to what I am personally expericing using vocal eartips. I'm going to listen to some songs using the FiiO FH5 fed through my PC which is using the Sound Blaster Audigy Fx soundcard with no additional features like EQ or surround enabled for the vanilla experience. I'm going to be using the Spotify version of each song at 320kbps to listen. I usually do timestamps but I feel as a better representation of the sound signature of the FiiO FH5 that I will comment on the different sections of the song to highlight the highs, mids, and lows altogether. Song 1 - Momoland (모모랜드) - Bboom Bboom (뿜뿜) (Bubblegum K-pop) Intro: The introduction's soft and sweet guitar melody is vibrant and clear, with the lows helping out the guitar's range a lot. The saxophone-like instrument gets the highs in full gear and does it well, with the mids managing to seperate the lows and highs nicely with no muddiness or sibilance. Verse 1: The vocals are vibrant and clear here with no hissing, which is impressive given the low noise floor the guitar in the background is still pulling off. The sparkly notes found in the instrumental are also pleasant to hear and are clear despite being very far back in the composition itself. I find it amazing that despite the naturally-closed soundstage of the FiiO FH5 that it manages to achieve a balance of composition to make sure nothing is muddy nor hissy. Pre-Chorus: The highs and mids shine a lot more here, there is still no noticeable sibilance nor hissing found even though the whole instrumental in this section has raised an octave or two. The vocals are still crystal clear and the guitar still manages to stand out. The slight synth in the background is ever so slightly muddled in between all the rest of the composition but still noticeable enough to distinguish itself from the rest of the instrumental. Chorus: Here is where the lows of the first verse and the highs of the pre-chorus come together seemlessly. The vocals combined with the lows of the instrumental are perfectly balanced and in such great clarity. I must stress again that I am using vocal eartips so with a different pair of tips, the highs may not be as seperated and the lows might even be deeper than now. Verse 2: In Momoland fashion, the second verse contains a lot of girl crush and urban hip-hop themes, these lows are not as exaggerated as the first verse, but are still comfortably low and deep. The vocals are also still extremely clear here. Bridge: The soft, pillowy vocals are a great use of the triple balanced armature drivers inside the FiiO FH5, these vocals are carried effortlessly forward despite the booming bass in the background of the song. It's amazing how well-balanced these in-ear monitors are in terms of sound signature. Song 2 - Shawn Mendes & Camilla Cabello - Señorita (Modern Latin Pop) Intro: The deep, prolonged guitar strums combined with the quick, sharp, high guitar plucks perfectly balance each other with no muddiness or hissing. They are both full of clarity. Verse 1: Cabello's vocals make the highs shine hard with her tweety and nasally vocals. This combined with the same long guitar strums make for a nicely balanced composition that the FiiO FH5 can wholely appreciate and represent. Mendes' entry with his whispery and modest voice fills in the mids and also continues the guitar instrumentals. The cracks in Mendes' vocals chords are eerily present when listening to this song using the FiiO FH5, they are amazingly clear. Especially the latter section of the song with the subvocals from Mendes. Chorus: Mendes and Cabello's vocals are greatly matched and clear, the separation between the two vocalists is outstanding, and the continuation of the guitar is ever present. Clarity and balance are the main takeaways from the chorus of this song. Verse 2: The guitar is picked up a notch, as well as Cabello's vocals. The mids and highs are once again present and clear here, with the hint of deep, low bass still giving the composition some body. Bridge: This is easily the busiest section of the song. Despite this, Cabello and Mendes' vocals are still clear and far forward, with that returning guitar still audible and the light subvocals also making an appearance. This is one part of the song where it can be slightly muddled but not enough to notice in casual listening sessions. Song 3 - Green Day - American Idiot (Punk Rock) Intro + Verses: The edgy and dirty gutiar solo is amazingly clear despite being purposefully nasty and unkempt, the kickdrum pauses are also punchy and vibrant. Chorus: The evidently punk-rock instrumentals are amazingly vibrant and fun, with the vocals also clear, the vocals are slightly overpowered by the instrumentals but I feel like this was done on purpose with a song of this nature. This simple composition is highly effective and punchy using the FiiO FH5, and I'm not even using bass eartips to listen to American Idiot. Bridge: This guitar and drum solo is amazingly fun and vibrant, the guitars are in perfect sync with the kickdrum also punchy and deep. There is also a light symbal audible in the background and I am amazed at how balanced the FiiO FH5 is at keeping the composition separated. I also love that the vocals are still clear and raspy to properly represent the vocalist's true sound signature. I picked up on the audio scene pretty late this year and only got fully invested when I first purchased my Tin HiFi T2, which I bought after requesting recommendations for budget-oritented in-ear monitors made with mids and highs in mind. While they were good, I sought after more, and just after two weeks, the FiiO FH5 introduced themselves to me. I thoroughly believe the FiiO FH5 is going to be my ultimate in-ear monitors, for the price it is unbelievable how good they sound. Take with salt, as I have only tried a handful of audio equipment, with the FiiO FH5 easily topping all of them, and in every department. Having originally bought these for Korean pop where songs tend to be on the fun and saturated side with enhanced highs and mids, I'm proud to say that I am in love with the FiiO FH5's bass and low-end reproduction. The FiiO FH5 is so good at the low-end and it's all thanks to the single dyanmic driver as it handles the responsibilities encompassing the low-end. The mids and highs are just as clear, vibrant, crisp, and detailed as well, there hasn't been a time when I'm listening to a song and the vocals haven't shone brightly. The mids are greatly separated and allows for amazing instrumentation separation on the FiiO FH5. I am completely satisfied with dropping $250 on the FiiO FH5, and actually from the unboxing and addtional accesories, not to mention the aesthetics, I would've thought these retailed for so much more. These in-ear monitors are amazing at balancing the lows, mids, and highs, and I suppose that's exactly what makes these my personal favorite in-ear monitor, and probably the best in-ear monitors I will ever get the chance to use in my entire life. For that $250 price tag, personally, I'd say that is well worth it and then some.

The KZ ZST is an off-the-shelf 'in-ear monitor' with a modest pricetag of just $20 from Amazon. This low entry cost is affordable and easy to invest in for the average consumer, so I thought I would pick these earphones up after seeing multiple reviews praising these as one of the most affordable pieces of hi-fi to come out of China, with the visuals and features to match and blend in with the big guns. I bought the colored purple & blue version and later found out that there may be a deviation between the black carbon fiber shelled KZ ZST and the colorful version of the KZ ZST, the difference of which is merely a bump in low-end and a sprinkle of more high-end. I don't think they're terribly different and so I'll be writing my review on the perspective of the colorful version of these earphones. I've had these for about a week, and sank in around 10 hours, whether it was at my desk at home, or out and about on commutes or at work. The KZ ZST earphones feature a dual-driver setup, specifically a single Dual Dynamic accompanied by a single Balanced Armature. They also feature a dual-pin removable cable which terminates into a right-angle L-plugged 3.5mm headphone jack. Coming from my daily drivers the FiiO FH5, the move down to a dual-driver setup had my expectations somewhat low, but I still anticipated what kind of sound quality and signature the KZ ZST would produce. The design of the KZ ZST are quite nice, with their colorful faceplate along with the signage of the 'ZST' moniker. The shell is also shaped ergonomically to universally fit ears of all shapes and sizes, which is a plug as this creates a nice seal for most people. The design is vastly different from other $20 earphones found on the market, I love that KZ has gone above and beyond to make the ZST look premium and stylish. While it is a plastic construction, the plastics are fairly solid and are actually transparent to display the internal workings of these earphones, such as the big dynamic driver up front with the balanced armature next to it. The cable is also fairly good, but nothing stellar. It is a dual-pin detachable cable that is fairly thin and unbraided, so it's prone to tangling which is a shame. The terminators at the middle and end of the cable are also made of this odd rubbery plastic which doesn't scream quality to me. I feel as if the cable is where KZ had to cut corners and it shows in how crudely-constructed the cable is. On the flip side, the addition of the hooks at the end of the cable where the earphones connect is great, it has this memory construction which contours to your ear once you have put these on, and they are awesome. I can forgive the flaws of the KZ ZST for this subtle touch of flair and care as this is one thing about the KZ ZST that I did not expect would be done right, especially for this price point. Highs: The highs are exceptionally bright to the point where is very noticeable sibilance and hiss. While the highs in something like female vocals are nicely pronounced, the sibilance is there and it hinders the listening experience. The sibilance does not take away from the whole thing though, as songs like Ariana Grande's 'God is a woman' still manage to keep the bright and colorful vocals in check whilst not kneecapping the other frequency ranges. I might be beating a dead horse, but the highs are piercingly bright for me, and I usually prefer bubbly and colorful highs. Mids: The mids are the KZ ZST's kryptonite. The mids are not as pronounced as the lows or highs, and are quite quiet and shy in comparison to both, creating a very V-shaped sound signature. When listening to something like Twice's 'Knock Knock', the mids in the instrumental sound very far back as the highs and lows grunt their way forward in the composition. The mids are also not particularly well-separated either, instrumentals tend to sound very close and claustrophobic, even though highs and lows sound airy and wide. Drake's 'One Dance' is also another example of this, the instrumentals while noticeable and distinguishable, the soundstage just isn't there. Lows: The lows are where the KZ ZST shines along with the highs. The lows are nicely pronounced and punchy. Eminem's 'Til I Collapse' makes the most of the KZ ZST's awesome lows. The 1-1-2 drums are deep and punchy while still not muddling the mids and highs. Childish Gambino's 'This Is America' is another great example of the lows of these earphones. The rumbling low tone throughout the song is greatly pronounced and doesn't interefere with the other frequencies which is exactly how lows should be done. I will now listen to some songs using the KZ ZST. I have these directly hooked up to my PC which is using a Sound Blaster Audigy Fx card, however there is no additional EQ tweaks enabled, as I want to listen to music with these with as stock of an experience as possible. Similarly to my other reviews, I will be listening to music using the 320kbps audio quality from Spotify as I feel this is a good representaion of the average consumer who would be likely to stream music using something like Apple Music or Spotify. I'm going to comment on particular sections as a whole instead of commenting on particular parts of the song like I do for full album reviews. Song 1 - BTS (방탄소년단) - Mic Drop (Hip-Hop K-pop) Intro: The bass is outrageously pronounced and punchy here. The synth while having a dirty sound, is super clear and pronounced. The intro is a real head-banger thanks to the awesome punchy lows produced here. The bass is also not overly warm or muddy here which is excellent for the listening experience. Verse 1: This is where the mids get to play around a bit, and it's a modest and subtle detailing from the mids here. The highs and mids in the vocals are clear and nicely-detailed, with the bass still hitting hard and contributing to the composition well as it does not interfere or muddle the other frequencies. Overall so far, there is an awesome blend of bass from the lows and the enhanced detailing from the combined strength of the mids and highs. Pre-Chorus: The highs and mids are utilized well here, the vocals are clear and detailed, with the intrsumentals also sounding clear albeit a bit bright. Chorus: The lows are definitely the contributing factor here. They create so much punch and deepness to the song. The vocals and instrumentals are also nicely-staged and clear, but the lows stand out a lot. Verse 2: Similarly to the first verse, the lows stand back a bit which allows the mids and highs to develop. The dual driver setup is used well here in both verses. Bridge: I can't speak enough about the level of excellence the lows have, not just in this song, but in general. The single dynamic driver is awesome at low-end reproduction and since it's separated from the balanced armature, manages to just go nuts without muddling anything else up. It stands on its own legs. Song 2 - John Travolta - Greased Lightnin' (70's Pop) Intro: The intro to Greased Lightnin' is farily simple and is honestly more a show of the soundstage than anything else. The small stings are nicely pronounced after the small whispery yet clear dialogues. Verse 1: The mids are surprisngly nice here, the instrumentals such as the tamborine and the piano are clear and sharp, with Travolta's vocals also warm and husky. This is one of those times where the $20 price tag is shocking for how good the sound reproduction from the KZ ZST can be depending on the situation of the composition. Chorus: The chorus is beautifully presented using the KZ ZST. The vocals are well-separated from the subvocals and the piano medley. I love that I can also distinguish the light saxophone mid-way through the chorus too. Everything is nicely detailed and clear. Verse 2: Similarly to the first verse, this part is also nicely-presented thanks to how the KZ ZST are tuned. The subvocals are nice and clear too and also well-separated from Travolta's main vocal as well as the instrumentals. Bridge: So the bridge being mainly an instrumental solo, there is a lot of emphasis on instrumentation separation and clear detailing. The KZ ZST do this perfectly. The saxophones, pianos, drums, everything is greatly blended together to create an awesome instrumental bridge. I really did not expect much buying into the KZ ZST for a mere $20. I expected at most tinny highs and overly muddy highs. But what I got after some time with these is detailed and clear albeit a bit bright highs, decent mids, and amazing lows. I was definitely caught off guard with these. The design of these is great as well, they fit right into a modern in-ear monitor design with the universal, ergonomic fit. The addition of the removable cable is also a bonus, and at the $20 price tag as well, which allows for easy replacement of cables should the one that came with the KZ ZST breaks, but even then, the cable would probably come out to be almost half the price of the buds themselves which is mind-blogging to contextualise. So overall, these are great earphones for the everyday person, there is minor sibilance and the mids aren't very pronounced with that V-shaped sound signature, but the overall aesthetics, fit, and the sound quality of these earphones more than make up for it. Couple this with 320kbps audio such as Spotify streaming, and you've got yourself some capable earphones to take around wherever you go.

I am looking for some recommendations for wireless (or possibly wired) headphones preferably less than $200 dollars. I currently have an iPhone 7 and use wired headphones that run through a headphone jack to thunderbolt adapter. The idea with a wireless headphone purchase would be to eliminate the problem of simultaneous charging and listening. However, I am also worried that this solution is going to replace the occasional issue of needing to charge my phone while wanting to listen to something with the likely much more common issue of having headphones with no charge left. I am therefore also interested in any wired headphone recommendations. Any comments on this issue would be appreciated. I am not very picky about audio quality. The threshold at which I stop hearing the difference in quality is relatively low. Additionally, I mostly listen to podcasts and audiobooks, not music. So if there are headphones that somehow make voices clearer to understand, that would be a desired feature. Which ever solution (wired or wireless) I go with, I will be stuffing these headphones in my pockets a lot. I usually loop the headphones in a figure 8 coil before doing so, but this strategy for avoiding knots and undesirable wire stresses only works if I take them out of my pocket again after an hour or less. After that, they are knotted just as badly as a traditional circular coil. This headphone storage choice has made me a destroyer of wired headphones (I think I go through 2-3 pairs per year). All of these have been cheaper pairs since I know I tend to break them. Are there pairs that advertise anti-knotting or greater reliability / lifetime before a wire inevitably breaks?

Hi i everyone. I found these earpods on amazon https://www.amazon.de/AmazonBasics-EB01WT-eu-In-Ear-Kopfhörer-Weiß/dp/B01HTRCZI6/ref=sr_1_6?s=ce-accessories&srs=1624983031&ie=UTF8&qid=1521471546&sr=1-6&th=1 they're pretty cheap so i wanted to order a few with a larger order. I don't need it to be top notch, and for the price i don't exprect them to be. And as a side question does anyone know if items sold my amazon on their german website ship from germany and because of that are without import taxes in other EU countries (Denmark to be exact). Thanks!

Hello! I'm looking for a pair of in ear speakers, with a bassy sound signature for around 100$-120$. I would love to hear your suggestions, because it's really hard to make this choice by myself. Thank you in advance!

I saw several topics about 'what kind of heaphones should I get' and 'best wireless headphones', but there wasn't a topic for my particular use case that I could see. If there is one then my apologies to the moderators. Anyways, I want to step into the Bluetooth world when it comes to headphones but I don't want the traditional looking ones with the large cups; because I'd like to use these at the gym and for running outdoors, I'd prefer ones that are actually wireless and have separate buds that sit inside the ear and have an over the ear design. Much like these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XRRFD72/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2JV2KUEM1HQH&psc=1 I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on this sort of style because I'm not sure how stable the connection will be to two individual buds. Will they stay in sync? Pairing issues? Interference? This is new territory for me so I'm asking the community for some guidance, and if anyone has any experience with this style that I'm after. I'm hoping to stay right around $50 USD; I don't want to cheap out but I'm not dropping half my paycheck either. Any suggestions would be nice. I see several varieties on Amazon but I don't know what's a cheap Chinese knock off (no offense intended to any Chinese users), and what is truly a decent product. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

Hey im new to the forums, so sorry if this is in the wrong category. I'm going to be returning my Sennheiser momentum in ears within the next week since the cable at the 3.5mm jack end has ripped (I think this is a common issue). I really enjoy these iems, but I dont want to keep going back for a return everytime the cable tears. So I figure this could be a time to upgrade, I'm willing to pay up to about $180 (Australian Dollars) I do listen to a lot of electronic and bass heavy stuff, but im lot looking for something that is necessarily bass head focussed, since I have speakers and a sub to feel that bass. I do enjoy many other genres so im not totally bass focused. I've been looking at the FiiO F9 (regular or pro), although I havent really found any information on what their customer support is like. Also looking at the Shure se215, although I'd like in line controls and the se215m+ doesnt support android (I have an s8). Any other iem suggestions would be greatly appreciated (e.g. stick with the momentums :P) just wanting to know if there are any significant upgrades I can take advantage of in this situation, thanks in advance to anyone who replies.

So i am getting a new PC(budget one). And m looking for headphones(cheap one, off course) for single player gaming. And here are some of the things i want to know about but first, i never bought a headset before...m currently using earbuds which i got with my phone or sometimes my audio system. *Which one provide the better sound quality "in ear" or "over the ear"? *Whats the difference between Gaming and Normal Headphones? i'll first be playing withcer 2 n 3 so i really want to experience the soundtrack. So what do you guys say? Thanx in Advance. Happy Holidays.

I searched through the forum and haven't found a recent post about wireless in ear buds that are worth the cost. I watched the video on "the dash" and would love to get them, but the $300 price tag seems a bit high for music that will cut out if I put my phone in my pocket or backpack. Does anyone have a comparable wireless in ear headphone that is worth the price? That being said I would like the cheapest option possible focusing on how well they stay in, connectivity, and sound quality of course.

What are other headphones that are like the Razer Hammerhead V2s? I really like the design and look of them , but I feel $50 is a lot. Are there any competing products that are the same and cheaper , or better and the same price? I know Razer tends to make some nice stuff but it's usually pretty expensive for what it is, and I'm not an audio person so I'm not familiar with other brands or products. The one thing that really makes me want them is the look , I really like the contruction and design of the Hammerheads.

Hey friends, I need a new pair of Earbuds. I'm on a very tight budget. Can only spend around 30$ on it. They don't necessarily need any Headset features, just a standard pair of stereo in-ear headphones. I hope some of you can recommend something. I am not a audiophile and don't have a particular sound preference. I listen to Rock, Pop and Classic music mostly. They will be used outside travelling (train, plane, etc .. - not car though, because that's bad! Looking at you Linus Sebastian). Thanks in advance :*

I am super tired of the crappyness of my apple ear buds. I have a pair of DT 880s ehich i really like. Their lows are accurate and not overly punchy. I also recently bought a paif of HD668Bs. For my that base is a tad to elevated ... The highs are bright but rather fine. I would like something that isolates well as I am used to bose AE2s. Are the tips on every in ear interchangeable universably or are the differences to look for. I also wouldn't bother to buy some new tree buds to improve isolation. I just don't really know where to start since you can't try on in ears anywhere Location: Germany Budget: rather open. Preferably below 150€ ... Idk as more question.

remove please

I've been thinking about purchasing the DX 160 ie. Is it good? What about the sound quality? Durable? Isolation? I haven't seen anyone speaking about them. At least too much... So is it a good headphone?

Sorry. Had to make another new topic. If you don't have time or don't want to help, you are at the wrong topic then. So. As you may or may not know. I want to buy new headphones. I have been looking for a perfect pair over 3 months now and still no perfect pair found. I have been looking for these: (beware, the list will be long...) Over-ear: AKG K550 AKG K167 Tiësto Audio Technica ATH-M50x Beyerdynamic DT660 Beyerdynamic DT770 pro 32 ohm Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus Sony mdr-1a On-ear: AKG K67 tiësto Sennheiser Momentum On-ear Sony mdr-v55 Sennheiser HD 25 Basic Edition In-ear: Shure SE215 Sennheiser Momentum In-ear Sennheiser IE60 And then the requirements:(Beware, these will be strict.) Durability: Will last at least two years. Sound quality: Good and accurate. Perfect bass. Looks: Beautiful. Not feeling awkward with them outside. Comfort: You will forget you are using them. I want to be able to listen 3 hours straight. Noise isolation and Sound leakage: You can go to airplane and being able to hear the music without raising the volume too much. Minimal sound leakage if possible. Where I would use them for?: Everything. Casual listening from my phone and laptop, gym, travel, walking to school, gaming about once a month, movies, internet radio and slight audio monitoring. I basically listen to every musical genre except jazz, classical and opera. Any audiophiles, casual listeners and fashion experts tell me your opinion. And also you have to pick one. Which one of those headphones from the massive list would you pick that fits every requirement I want to thank everybody that replies to this and everyone who reads this. I spent 2 hours on this. I would really like to finally find my perfect headphones. I don't have an opportunity to listen or try any headphones so I have to trust peoples reviews...

As the title says! I have gone through many options and picked these two for their price and reviews but if you have a better option for the same price please say!

Hey guys, so when I plug in a microphone of mine in my PC, (I tried every microphone port, front I/O and motherboard I/O) the microphone does not work. I tried it with the in ear apple earpods, and another headset which worked on my friends pc. So if I boost everything up, all microphone boosts, I only see a signal in the Windows Settings when I tap the microphone. If I yell very very very loudly inside the microphone (my neighbour woke up) there is a tiny tiny signal coming in. What's wrong? Did I plug ir into the wrong port? Help!

Hey guys, so on my mainboard (ASRock Fatal1ty H97 Performance) I got many Audio ports at the back I/O Ports. I want to use my Apple In Ear Headphones (Perfect: Use only them, and no other microphone like right now) as output and get the best performance. Could anyone tell me what every Port is? I heard there is something like line in or so.. I mean those different coloured audio 3,5mm. In which one should I plug it, and which one is which and what does each one do? Thanks.

Hello! I have been using the standard Apple 'EarPods' headphones for the past two years, and whilst they are actually O.K. given they are free earbuds, I feel it's time for a change. It's severely annoying changing between them and my HD 650s around the home. (I guess that and... well... my EarPods' connector frayed...) I am looking to spend anywhere up to £250 (Great British Pounds) on some quality In-Ear Monitors/Headphones. Given I am a 17 year old Apprentice I do not have unlimited funds, and with daily living as well as saving for a car I didn't want to blow a stupid amount on fancy earphones. I have been looking at some Sennheiser IE 80 earbuds but they seem to be quite difficult to get hold of in the UK and finding them below £300 has been a mission if nothing else. Looking for any suggestions! Thank you for your time in advance guys!