Nice write-up, thanks! Opened that link fully expecting to buy the top rated pick, but I’ve already got the Zero 2’s so good on that front.
I think I need to replace the tips as they’ve started to fall off easily so will likely pick up something to try out.
If you get a chance to try some of them I suggest giving the Hidisz line a try. They may be a little new to IEM, as I think their focus was players/(dap) and dongles. But they have a solid line. Their MK10 for about $70 is pretty good. I am enjoying the MP143 that is about $109 (lees when on sale. It is a planar design.
It is too bad. I can read lots of reviews by a range of people, but really not have any good idea of what a set sounds like to me, without listening myself. Not only do people hear differently, but the descriptive terms that they use are just too relative to the way they choose to write.
In the past I’ve been annoyed by wired IEMs because I could hear the sound of the wires brushing against my clothing as I walked. I don’t know if that’s because they were cheap or what.
I’d point out that Bluetooth connections are not all created equal. Different codecs can be used which can wildly change the bitrate throughput of the signal. Personally I use wired over-ear headphones at my desk but I use wireless iems when I’m out for a walk or whatever.
Often called “microphonics”. Many reviews will mention this. Some cables are much worse than others. If your IEMs have replaceable cables, often just swapping them out can help a lot.
So very true. The old standard BT codec (I think SBS) can be pretty bad. Not enough bandwidth. Sound is compressed and lifeless. The newer ones like LDAC and APTX are considerably better. But really nothing beats wires. Except of course, they are wires… 
Of course with BT, there is another aggravation… keeping everything charged. Battery life on many is not great. Many not lasting an entire work day.
The ones I had were far too budget to have replaceable cables so that tracks.
For battery life, I guess if you job is blue-collar you might just need to prioritize battery life over all else because the wires could be a safety hazard. If you’re sitting at a desk, then wired iems are probably the way to go. Unfortunately, the better codecs and ANC are both battery killers. If you can live with a more conservative codec and passive noise isolation it helps with battery life a ton.
I’ve gone down both the budget and the not so budget rabbit-holes, but will only comment on the budget stuff. Being able to compare to pricier stuff gives me a better perspective on sound.
Nobody has mentioned TRN, they have some good stuff and usually good value.
The best one’s I’ve bought are the Jaws, they have DD’s for bass, BA’s for mids and a planer for highs. They are pretty balanced for sound. I use them with bluetooth adaptors for wireless, just waiting for delivery of the newer one’s with BT6.0.
They compare well with higher end stuff, obviously not the same detail but pretty good value/sound for the price. Good enough for use in the gym and for out and about.
I’ve pretty well filled in both of the rabbit-holes now but the TRN Jaws are the best I’ve found in the budget area (of about a dozen or so pairs bought).
Note: upgrading cables and eartips are also recommended. Even good iem’s can be improved by doing so. Most are not shipped with the best available.
16 core cables seem to eliminate a ton of the microphonics you experience, I also hate that noise.
I checked it out a bit . If it sounds OK to you, that is what is important. But having 8 (WOW) drivers per side would be a nightmare to design a phase coherent crossover. Same with audio path and tuning.
Amazing that they can make it work. Also… How big is the housing. Getting all of that stuff into an enclosure must be lots of fun as well.
The most frustrating things about IEMs is fit. It makes or breaks them completely. I have rolled so many tips trying to get different ones to stay in my ears, I just kinda gave up and stuck with Etymotic. 15-20 db passive isolation and can wear them for hours without having to adjust them at all.
The only other ones that were as comfortable for me was the AKG N400 but after the third pair died, that’s it for TWS ones. It’s a shame too because they were super cheap off and on and worth it for the comfort.
My “pro” tip is to play the track Three Ralphs by DJ Shadow to know instantly if you have a good seal and for a bass test.
Standard size. The DD’s are one concentric unit. Sounds OK is the key, but for the money it punches above it’s weight IMHO. You have to use an EQ to balance it properly though.
I have other units that I use, but they are in a higher price bracket. This is a backup unit.
Have you ever tried Final Audio Type E tips, they are my go to tips. Tried quite a few others and nothing compared for me.
Love AKG products for my heaphones, even found a rare pair of AKG240 sextet’s at an auction. Got them for $15, nobody else knew what they were…
I take my tip rolling seriously.
I have some Final tips and I used to have a few different pairs of Finals, some were given away, some eventually broke.
I’m a big fan of the Harman Curve and a frequent ASR.
Thrifted a pair of the 55ohm 240 recently, haven’t spend enough time with them to make an opinion but they probably don’t hold up to the sextet. 15 is a deal!
Maybe I have really small ear canals or shallow ones? It’s frustrating because fit is the one thing that doesn’t translate online that well. Thought about Swining for the Etymotic EVO but it doesn’t seem to be better than the ER2XR or the ERX. Also looked at the ie200 but the QC issues are a turn off despite lots of time with the HD6 series.
I was going to add the lower priced Etymotic models into my article, but they seem to be sold out. The Sennheisers are renowned for having a comfortable fit for smaller ears.
They used to get super cheap periodically before they sold to Lucid.
Any other small ear friendly budget you know of? Doesn’t need to be deep insertion but just a smaller nozzle. I tried some KEF M200 and don’t know how those fit in anyone’s ears.
You ever try the Moondrop Chu series?
I haven’t, the fixed cable is not ideal. Does it have a similar fit to the Truthear gate?
I’m not sure about the fit compared to the Truthear Gate but the Chu II has a detachable cable
I have, but I prefer the 7Hz Zero 2 which are better for listening to EDM.
Currently I really like the KZ PR1 (planar drivers) a lot. I know that KZ did some ‘trickery’ with changing the PR1’s after the first batch/review samples they did sent out, but with a bit of EQ and decent budget DAC (it really needs a DAC to really come to life), I love how they sound.
I payed € 15,35 on sale/after discounts last year, which is really cheap for planar IEM’s. I upgraded the standard cables for QKZ T1, which are really affordable and a solid step forward compared to the cables that came with them.
For listening on my (old) Ipad I use the FiiO KA11 DAC/amplifier, which I really love. As a USB-C DAC/Amplifier I use JCALLY JM7 MAX, which I got really cheap, but has more than enough power to drive the PR1’s.
I also have a set of TRN V10 Pro, which also sound really, but demand less power to be driven and most jack outputs (for example the one on my Ipad or my laptop) are strong enough to drive them without a DAC. (TRN has really stepped up their quality last few years, to rival with brands like KZ, etc.)
Besides that my experience is limited and I stopped looking and buying IEM’s at the end of last year, because I noticed that I started to get sucked into the rabbit hole and going towards spending a lot of money by constantly wanting to buy and try new (affordable) IEM’s and/or DAC’s.