Yes nice write-up and very glad to have you aboard.
I recently acquired the KBEAR F1 single BA IEM which impressed me greatly, and below is my brief review of it:
The KB EAR (sometimes writen KBEAR) F1 is a single BA IEM. The packaging is fairly basic, with a simple box
bearing a colour illustration of the IEMs on the front and specifications on the rear. Opening the box reveals the IEMs in a foam cut-out along with three pairs of silicone tips with a red bore of medium diameter, with the medium size pre-fitted. Below the cut-out there is a white box with the KBEAR logo inside which there is the cable and a set of three Spinfit-style tips.
The earpieces are formed from a transparent amber-coloured resin through which the components can be seen. They are L-shaped and of a square section, with the MMCX socket located in the base. The supplied cable is silver-plated and has a very long run from the Y-split to the earpieces which results in a tendency to tangle. The 3.5mm plug is finished in a brushed aluminium as is the y-split dongle. The BA used is numbered “32257” and is a full-range unit, possibly made by Bellsing and based on the Knowles unit with the same number.
The earphones were left burning in for over 50 hours before testing and included tracks of white and pink noise, glide tones and other audio conditioning tracks. After this I used a Hifi Walker H2 DAP with a Fiio A5 amplifier for evaluation.
The overall balance was neutral with the midrange somewhat forward and a slightly brighter than neutral treble with good extension. The very natural, even-handed quality of the sound suited every type of music except, perhaps, bass-heavy genres.
Unsurprisingly for a full-range BA the bass was a little reserved but there was some sub-bass presence, albeit reduced in level. Based on what I heard, I would estimate that the bass roll-off begins at around 50Hz. The rest of the bass region was neutral, with good texture and resolution and high levels of detail. Decay was quick and clean. The bass responded well to EQ; I employed the bass boost on my Fiio A5 amplifier and gained some extra depth and warmth in the lower registers, resulting in a more relaxing sound.
The midrange also displayed good detail and imaging due to the forward nature of the presentation. This did somewhat reduce the impression of depth, however, but width and height were well portrayed. There was good transparency and spatial and directional cues were well handled. The transient attack was also notable which endowed the sound with an attractive immediacy and a lively presentation. There was a slight increase towards the upper midrange and this gradual climb continued into the lower treble, after which the response flattened out and maintained a good level into the extreme HF.
The treble was clean and smooth with above average levels of detail and resolution. Stereo imaging was very good. There was a good sense of “air” and sparkle and sibilance only occurred when actually present in the recording.
The KBEAR F1 is a good example of an IEM with a full-range single BA. The superior transient capability of the armature results in a sound full of life and verve which keeps you on the edge of your seat. Although generally well-balanced in tonality, the treble was a little north of neutral. At its current price of around 28 GBP it represents excellent value. It does not quite attain the quality of the Tin Audio T3 (which is a hybrid with a Knowles BA) but it is around half the price and does share some of the T3’s sound profile, only falling short in the bass department.
Note: I would like to thank Sunny from Better Audio US for her friendly service and communication and for providing this review sample at no cost to me.
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I mentioned in another thread that about a week ago my T2 died (at least the right one did). So far, the T2 have been my favourite IEM and have been the ones I have been comparing to for the other <50€ reviews I have in progress, so I was quite unhappy to lose them and I ordered another set which are en route.
Having said that, on Friday the KZ ZS10 Pro arrived and although I have only spent a couple of hours with them, I think it is quite possible that they have dethroned the T2 in the <50€ category. I will wait until the new T2s arrive as I have been able to do a direct comparison but I must say that I am rather impressed with this KZ.
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I agree that zs10 pro dethroned t2 for me too
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How does the ZS10 stack up to the kanas pro for you?
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Take my opinion here with a grain of salt since I no longer have the ZS10 PRO with me. The Pro is more forward sounding and initimate than the Kanas Pro. It’s also more balanced in treble. Where I think the Kanas Pro still wins is resolution and detail retrieval. But again, this is from memory at this point. I may buy another ZS10 Pro in the next sale.
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That makes sense from the graph. I’m learning that bringing down the area around 200 hz makes a big difference in detail. That’s basically the main impact of the felt mod on the HD58X.
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I’m not exactly sure how we define ultra-cheap IEM. I jumped on the KZ ZSN at $17 with a pair for me and a couple of pair for give-aways as the need arises. Yes, I kept the purple.
For me, the dividing line is right around a Franklin. Under $50 it’s ultra-cheap. Under $100 it’s still cheap, or at least not expensive. When I needed something with a good mic to work for work phone calls on the iPhone, I got a 1More Triple Driver, just out of this category.
At work, for my work Toshiba phone, I have a Plantronics SAVI 700 series (not current model, I have a two-ear headband model) that is designed for talk talk talk, but does have bluetooth and computer USB connectivity in addition to hardwire to the phone. DECT 6+ for range. Not an audiophile choice.
From another area on this forum, I was impressed with reviews of the Sennheiser IE40 Pro. This for listening, not a mic in the cord. I continue to like this IEM very much.
I’m not an IEM guy. I’ve never tried a custom fit. I’ve never tried an IEM that sold for more than $140.
I would like to see a comparison from those who know between some of these ultra-cheap IEMs and the Sennheiser. Some day, I’d like a patient explanation of what I’m missing (in terms of IEMS, (for those of you with filthy minds) (he said parenthetically)) by not trying out more expensive IEMs. Problem is I can’t find em, except online, and I can’t try them except by buying.
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Hey Everyone,
This is a long thread!
I would like to know if anyone can talk about earbuds that have a good soundstage. I see many reviews that discuss bass/mid/treble opinions but often lack soundstage impressions.
What about a soundstage shootout, especially for <$100 US buds?
THANKS,
John
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When you say “ear bud” do you mean the classic ear bud that goes outside your ear canal and come with foam disc pads, or In-Ears which actually go in your ear, and typically come with silicone rubber or foam removable tips?
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Antdroid,
Thanks for the quick reply!
I recently got the Monk+ outer ear buds and think the soundstage is good. I enjoy the airy open extended sound. I don’t care for excessive deep bass. What I imagine for good iems would be an outfront open stage with precise placement and a good midrange.
The Monks sound good but the fit is less than perfect. The $10 in ear Panasonic buds that have had good reviews on Amazon are also “airy” and open. I am interested in both outside canal and in canal buds.
I noticed your previous comments about the YINCROW X6 and X9 buds. The X9’s may be what I want to try next.
To Everyone on this site…This is a GREAT forum. I enjoy all the friendly helpful input.
John
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I’m a noob and I found this thread somewhat helpful. I don’t understand the measuring, data and analytics of it all but it lead me to buy the Tin t2and kz zs7 on aliexpress and if I like these I’m probably going to try the ie40 or kanas pro recommended. Thanks to the contributors of all this info
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Welcome @rich!
Welcome. We’re all noobs but with varying amounts of experience. I found this forum very helpful, and certainly don’t regret following some of recommendations here, including that Sennheiser IE 40 Pro, which is the first IEM that I do not find fatiguing.
Tell us more about what you like and listen to.
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Hello and welcome @rich.
Thank you for all the kind replies. Currently I like to listen to a lot of EDM, electropop, trap music, indietronica.
Over the years I’ve naturally purchased a lot of consumer grade headphones like beats studios, beats in-ears, Bose sound sport, the on ear nose headphones and some Sony MDX, audio technica m50x, and currently I own panasonic iems and jabra elite 65ts for wireless convenience for driving/working out. I know the online audiophile community has been present for a long time now and after some research Im deciding to start off by trying some good budget chi fi headphones for myself as I think I naturally enjoy iems over open-,closed backs. I think I like cans that are more “brighter” than “neutral”? I purchased the m50x when it gained a lot of attention online but wasnt really into it. Apparently theyre made for studio monitoring and not really consumers? I just expected “more”. .
For open back, if I enjoy the iems and want to step into that world im planning on getting HD 6XX paired with jdslabs atom and jdslabs sdac/topping dx10/ dx30 and experience/learn from there.
I know nothing about when to use dac amps, how to use dac amps, if DAC amps are needed for IEM/Android phone, specs, what to look for when listening. Im in the purchase now learn later phase as to why I grabbed these budget friendly chi fi iems as a starter. I just know I like to listen to music.
Thanks
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It’s a fun road and there is no turning back!! 
For EDM, you may want to give the Senfer DT6 a try as they have plenty of bass when needed. It has taken me a while to find a comfortable way if wearing them but for dance and hip-hop they seem to perform pretty well (in my personal opinion of course).
For the DAC/amp subject, there are as many options as there are earphones 
For the majority of the IEMs in this thread you won’t need one but that doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from one. How do you usually listen to music now? From your phone? Do you stream or play music you have stored on your device?
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Will have to check out the senfers! My first batch of chi fi shipped so will have to try those out before I figure out what I want to do next.
Currently listen from OnePlus 6 3.5mm jack. There’s a built in dac but I find the max volume output low sometimes. Usually stream from Spotify high quality while stored music are YouTube to mp3 converted files 
I have never had a OnePlus phone so I have no idea what the sound is like. I was using my phone (Xiaomi Note 4) which has an “ok” onboard DAC, but like you I found that volume was lacking with certain IEMs.
I opted for the Topping NX4 DSD, which I actually liked a lot but the USB port has failed so I have returned it under warranty. Rather than replace it, I have decided to opt for a DAP which means I don’t need to deal with stacking stuff in my pocket. The Fiio M6 is a cheaply priced DAP, that can also be used as a DAC when needed, with Spotify streaming.
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We’re all on the same road only at differing stages I myself am still only an occasional rambler compared to @Torq whose a veritable marathon man. I Hope you you can get what I am saying in a roundabout way. Still as others have said it’s a fun journey and this is a great place to learn from the more experienced members of the forum. I learn everyday from these guys.
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