Fellow music enjoyers, I summon you for some assistance!
My little sister’s Sony buds stopped working, so I wanna get her something else, something better. And with Christmas coming soon, it’s a perfect time to do this.
I had her try out my KZ ZS10s, QKZ x HBB and the Penon Vortex. Of the 3, she liked the Vortex the most (shocker I know). Her reasons for liking the Vortex was their comfy fit, clear sound, and great soundstage. She did like the look of the QKZ x HBBs alot, and found them better than the KZs. Overall with IEMs she isn’t the biggest fan of having it loop around the ears, but the Vortex and it’s cable were perfectly fine and comfy for the ears. She also likes how they don’t go in deep. She loved her Sony MDRXB55AP ear buds, which are a more typical V shaped In-Ear. I guess their fit would be a bullet style? This kind of ear bud would probably be the best, since she likes her Sony ones so much, but I know there aren’t as many options for good ones like with IEMs.
Sound Preferences:
In her words, she likes “fun” music. Her music tastes are varied, but some main genres she enjoys are Rap, Pop, EDM, artists like NF and Alan Walker. She usually listens to music while chilling, or for watching YouTube.
Fit Preferences:
As mentioned above, smaller buds with a somewhat shallow fit is what she prefers. Something like the Sony MDRXB55AP fit is fine though.
Other Wanted Features:
If going for wired buds, a mic is a must. She would be using them for school and talking online. I potentially can go for a separate cable with a mic. But depending on the IEM, that could cost a bit too much.
They need to easily run through stuff like a phone or tablet.
Budget:
I would prefer to spend around $100-150, but maybe if I find some extra love deep in my cold, dead heart I can spend up to $200. But they REALLY need to be good and sturdy enough to last a long time.
Current options:
Penon Vortex: Easy choice considering she tried them (for like a minute though) and liked them. They check just about every box in sound and fit. But they are pricey, and don’t have a mic.
Olina SE: My sister loves their turtle design, and they are considered one of the best IEMs at the $100 range. But they’ll definitely be too weak in the bass department, and I feel she’d want something warmer. I’ll let her try them out today though and she what her thoughts are.
Moondrop: Most of Moondrops line up wouldn’t be that bad of an idea. Stuff like the Aria, Kato and Starfield look pretty and sound solid for the price. My main problem is Moondrops not too great QC, and the IEMs paint chipping off.
In Short:
Need a good fitting IEM/Earbuds with a mic that play most genres well. With good clarity, energy and easy to listen to. Their fit needs to be on the smaller/regular size, and not a super deep insertion.
she prefers a brighter signature. She really enjoyed the Samson 850, which is lacking in bass, but has a very airy top end - she may just be an over ear girl? 
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. Why am I like this lol. The Audiophile world is exactly like a drug. Once you try it, you start spending more and more for that rush when you get a new shiny IEM/Headphone and that “endgame” sound.
