I’m looking for a pair of iems that have a nice amount of bass and are under $200. I listen to a mix of rap and rock. I was going to get the ikko oh10s, but they have an extremely long delivery time at every store I looked at.
I was thinking about getting the ikko oh1s, but when I compared them to the Moondrop Starfields using Crinacle’s graph, the Starfield’s look like they have more bass. I’m pretty new to all types of audiophile gear, so I might just be misreading the graph.
Start with the Blon BL-03 or the Urbanfun. You’re welcome.
Blon 03, urbanfun-no direct experience, L3, are solid choices, the oh1 is likely similar to the OH10, but I can state for clean bass with punch my 2 go to iems are L3 and OH10. Starfield and Blon 03 can be sloppy depending on tips and just the amount etc. They are still great, but not my direct preference for rap, edm etc. For rock you will be ok with any of them in the bass department overall.
I own the blon bl-03 and starfield. Used both of them with the same upgrade cable and foam tips. The blon bl-03 are great, some of the best iems I’ve tried, they remind me of the more expensive Sennheiser momentum in ear I used to own. However I think they are a little overhyped, I find it crazy that people will go as far to say that they sound better than the starfields but it’s really not that crazy since everyone has different preferences. In my opinion I think the starfield sound way better but you can’t go wrong with either, especially considering how cheap both of these are compared to similar quality headphones. The only other one that I would also consider for getting good value is the thieaudio legacy 3, similar sound signature to the starfield, but it has more “bump” according to bggr.
Now if you want to get the best of the best for $200, your best options imo are the ikko oh10, tri i3, ISN H40 and moondrop kxxx in no particular order. From what I understand the oh10 and Isn H40 have the most bass out of these choices.
Many ISN H40 and starfield owners have said that the h40s are am upgrade to the starfield in almost everyway (probably a little exaggerated) so I think this is a safe choice. It also comes with a very good quality isn s8 cable which would cost around $30-$40 to buy separately? I forget how much it costs but this adds value to the ISN h40.
The oh10 is known for having good bass, while the tri i3 is known for its great mid range. A short comparison I found by a head fi user of the oh10 and Isn H40 “The H40 has more punchy bass, thicker lower midrange, less forward upper midrange, more extended treble. The H40 has bigger stage”.
Not too much is known about the moondrop kxxx as it’s pretty new. I asked moondrop what the difference is, and they basically said it’s an updated version of the kxxs with a little more bass. In my head that sounds like to me it’s a slightly better version of the starfield and kxxs. So I think this is a safe choice as well.
The tri i3 are a little harder to drive and has good bass but it’s main strength seems to be it’s mid range or vocals.
Hard choice since these are all such good options. Im also stuck trying to decide which of these to get. I’m also considering the penon orb but that’s $260. My two cents? Judging by your post I think you would prefer the legacy 3 or ISN h40 best. If you can stretch your budget the penon orb are supposedly better according to a few people.
Moondrop Starfield
For around the $200 range, I own the Moondrop Starfield & KXXX, The Blon BL-03, Urbanfun, and Legacy 3. All of these IEMs are winners. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
I will agree the Blon isn’t as detailed as any of the other IEMs, but it is incredibly inexpensive at 26 dollars and is expertly tuned. Everyone should own one at that price. It’s the best starting point I can suggest to anyone wanting to get into IEMs.
Getting an assortment of tips that fit and seal properly is probably the most important thing a beginner should be concerned about. The best IEM on the planet will sound like garbage if you don’t have a proper seal.
If you’re going to spend that much, might I recommend spending just a little more and getting the Mangird Tea. I just received mine last week and have been blown away. It sounds as good if not better than much more expensive IEMs I have heard and own. Still breaking it in and coming to terms with how I feel about it, but for 300 bucks, it hits WAY above its price tag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBNCQ8EdyfU Here BGGAR compares it to the Sony IER Z1R and other extremely expensive sets. Don’t let this one pass you by!
Great now I have to find comparisons between the penon orb and mangird tea haha
Nah, just buy both! 
Haha I wish I could afford it. Here’s what I found on headfi though.
“I just got the orb for about 2 days, and have the mangird tea for about couple of weeks now, I personally prefer the orb, it just has a more musical and non-fatiguing sound signature. With the tea, you have to burn it in for at least 50 hours to get decent bass, but orb comes with excellent sub-bass right out of the box. The mids on the mangird tea is very detailed and textured, but can become fatiguing after a while, so for vocals I do prefer the slightly warmer presentation of the orb than the tea. But the tea has better treble extension than the orb, and a wider soundstage. Overall detail and imaging also goes to the tea, so for people who love details I would go for the tea. It has a more neutral sound signature overall, but bit less fun than the orb. Mangird tea is also a bit harder to drive than the orb
I will probably put the Mangird Tea up for sale soon, so if anyone is interested, you can pm me for details.”
I’m really stuck between the ISN h40 and penon orb. These two seem to be the most recommended ones by people who own multiple iems in that price range or higher.
I forgot to ask how are those kxxx? I would love to hear a comparison of them to whatever else you’ve owned in that price range. Specifically the tea
Ha ha. This just isn’t true. The Mangrid is tuned with a sub bass focus. The bass is strong and slams great, but it doesn’t take away from anything else. And I’m a huge fan of bass! This guy is probably a bass head. Something like the Blon BL-03 L3 or L9 would suit him better probably if he wants more powerful low end.
I’m very happy with the Mangrid’s balance and tuning personally. Just don’t think the Mangrid is bass light!
I love collecting IEMs and headphones. I’ll have to look into the Orb. Thanks for the tip!
The KXXX is pretty much the same as the Starfield. I’m a sucker for black and I really liked the look of the braided cable that comes with the KXXX. The tea is in a totally different ballpark though. It has real stage and imaging, where the Moondrops are a single dynamic driver. The stage is no where the same and the presentation is much more engaging with a hybrid when done well. But the Moondrops are quite impressive for what they are. They are sooo comfortable. I’d rec the Starfield to anyone for 110 bucks!
Be sure to give me a comparison of the orb and ISN h40 if you get either of these! Would love to hear your thoughts since you own a lot of iems
I have the starfield and think they’re fantastic, theyre easily my current favorite. I had the blon bl-03, they were good but I felt they were a bit over hyped. What they were missing I feel were made up in the starfield
Moondrop KXXS, they are like Starfields on steroids. I’m listening to the S8s right now and it’s the same sound signature. I love it, can’t go wrong with Moondrop! I’d be happy with either the KXXS or S8s as endgame IEMs, depending on budget. The latter are my choice and I’m sticking with it. Tried enough lol.
I have the Blon and Starfield as well. I think the Blon is a very good sounding IEM. I think it should be legendary for its price, but if you’re looking for an IEM to deliver finely tuned, tight, detailed audio with a fantastic stage, the Blon won’t get you there. The Blon also has a very boomy and uncontrolled low end which some people will probably love and some people will hate. It is a set any IEM enthusiast should own, kinda like the Sennheiser 600 - 650 - 6XX.
The Starfield I think should be the next legendary IEM for its price. I personally appreciate it more than the Blon and feel it’s worth much more than the asking price. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone thinking about getting into IEMs.
Everyone should have both!
The Starfield is amazing but I feel that just for a bit more money the KXXS is worth the upgrade. That said, both are fantastic and you can’t go wrong!
That’s a hot takes