That is, indeed, the TKZK Wave. Also the Dunu Titan S, CCA CRA+ (those who know 
), Riku Berserker 1 and Riku Lancer 1.
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First batch of first impressions. Will post the writeup here sometime this week, I promise. Today I feel like I want to just… Not.
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The First Impressions Boogaloo
aka 8 new headphones in one week
aka I am not burned out, YOU are burned out!
Hey lads, to start this post, here’s the situation. A month ago, @hawaiibadboy decided to send me the TRI x HBB Kai for review. Three weeks ago, @nymz sent me some of his favourite budget IEMs and Earbuds to review. Two weeks ago, a viewer of my channel has sold me the KZ ZS10 Pro for the price of shipping, so I can experience this undeniably important piece of budget IEM history. A couple of days ago, I bought the Audiosense DT200 from a fellow Polish citizen on head-fi for a really good price.
All of these packages arrived this week. In total, 6 IEMs and 2 Earbuds.
Meanwhile, the phone I use as a camera for my reviews still hasn’t returned from repair. Current ETA is Wednesday.
As a result, this week was one giant clusterf… A really fun week is what I mean.
I have a bunch of review notes written down for the Moondrop Chu and Qian39, I’ll try to convert them into written reviews and post them here in the meantime, but no promises, as I am almost certainly going to need the help of some legal substances to finish this post.
All that being said, HUGE thanks to the people mentioned: Chris, Ricardo, Dominik, Romain, I might complain about being overwhelmed, but I greatly appreciate your help and you allowing me to experience so much cool, new (or new to me) gear. You rock!
I have already recorded videos where I listen to 3 songs on each of these sets and give my first impressions (already published for the first 3, video for the Kai coming very soon), and I have been listening to them much more than that over the past week, so this writeup will be much more insightful than the videos. You’re welcome.
Alright, let’s start with…
TKZK Wave
Name: TKZK Wave
Price: $40
Configuration: 1DD + 1BA
Tuning Style: Neutral
Tips Used: Spinfit CP145
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air
Looks like a KZ, feels like a KZ, has a cable just like KZs, sounds like… TinHifi?
Despite the name and appearance, yes, the Wave is manufactured by TinHiFi and it shows. The tonality is VERY reminiscent of the original T2, to an almost uncanny level. The differences in tuning boil down mostly to better bass extension and a slightly more correct upper midrange.
It still sounds, unmistakably, like a TinHiFi. That’s not a bad thing, but not necessarily a good thing either. The tuning is midrange focused but without a vocal push, so emphasising things like guitars, piano, drums, strings… Basically every part of the song that isn’t the bass or the vocals. It’s a very unique sound signature which I doubt many people will love, but I also doubt many will hate.
The thing that’s definitely there to like about this set is the technical performance. For $40, there aren’t many options if you want a detailed IEM, and the Wave is just that. The price for all that detail is immediately audible incoherency between the two drivers. You win some, you lose some.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): C+/B-
Dunu Titan S
Name: Dunu Titan S
Price: $80
Configuration: 1DD
Tuning Style: Neutral
Tips Used: Spinfit CP145
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air
My first impresson of these was… They are okay.
The thing about the Titan S is that I can’t find anything it does wrong, but also, at first, nothing really jumped out at me as particularly interesting about this set.
This did change with further listening! The Titan S is EXTREMELY well tuned. It just sounds “correct”. But even though it is lacking the excitement of sets like the Wave, it does not sound boring.
Couple that with (what I would not have expected from a graph) amazing bass quality, wide stage and realistic timbre, and we have a clear winner. I am excited to compare it against the Starfield in my review. Might just become my favourite set in that low-midrange price range.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): B/B+
CCA CRA+
Name: CCA CRA+
Price: $30
Configuration: 1DD
Tuning Style: Warm V-Shape
Tips Used: Spinfit CP145
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air
Without getting into the reasons why (I explained it in the video above), I had high hopes for the CRA Plus. And tuning wise, it matches them. The treble is a bit bright and not of the best quality, but the midrange and treble are tuned to near perfect execution of this sound signature.
Unfortunately, they seem to have changed the driver, because technical performance is… Bad. Not close to the CRA.
What a puzzling decision.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): C
TRI x HBB Kai
Name: TRI x HBB Kai
Price: $80
Configuration: 1DD
Tuning Style: Bassy Dark
Tips Used: Spinfit CP145, Spring Tips
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air
Graph does not depict the unit tested
Disclaimer: this set was tuned by HBB, whom I consider a friend. As you will see in the second part of this writeup, having a friend’s name attached to a product does not mean I will go easy on it, but I felt this important to disclose.
I’m gonna be honest with you. My first impression was that this set might not be for me. You all know my feelings about sub-bass - the less, the better. And opposite for the treble - the more, the better. This set does the opposite. You have a ton of bass, with a definite focus on the sub frequencies, while treble is very much on the relaxed side. The first couple songs I listened to, I didn’t really have much good to say about the tuning.
But the more I listen to the Kai, the more I “get” this set.
The tuning is bassy, yes, but avoids both pitfalls that usually disqualify bassy sets to me: the first is bass bloating up the midrange and making everything sound thick and boxy, and the Kai doesn’t do that. The second is a trick that tuners sometimes use to have big bass and clean mids - cutting the mid-bass and lower midrange, which prevents the first pitfall, but creates a much different problem - makes the music sound thin and lifeless. The Kai does not do that, either.
The midrange is extremely “correct”. Reminds me of the Titan S in that way, actually. Vocals and instruments mostly sound like they should. The real highlight here, without being the real highlight here, is the treble.
Let me explain. The treble on this set is on the dark side. Quantity wise, there’s much less than I would have liked. But when it comes to the tuning, this treble response is incredible. It’s soooo smooth. You will never hear a single sharp or fatiguing note from this set. And yet, the treble instruments like cymbals, strings and electric guitars have very good body to them, and very natural timbre as well.
This treble response isn’t just good for the price; it’s good, period. I prefer it over things like Blessing 2 and AM05 in that area. Kinda bonkers.
Technical performance is pretty good too. You get competitive detail, a decently wide stage and precise imaging.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): B/B+
RikuBuds Berserker 1
Name: RikuBuds Berserker 1
Price: $50
Configuration: 1DD
Tuning Style: Balanced V-Shape
Foams Used: Stock
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air / Apple Dongle + xDuoo MT-602
Disclaimer: this set is a DIY product from a friend of mine, @Rikudou_Goku. Having a friend’s name attached to a product does not mean I will go easy on it, but I felt this important to disclose.
This set is incredible. If you ever heard the Yincrow X6, the Berserker 1 is sort of like that, but better (besides one thing I will mention later).
If you are not familiar with earbuds, you may wonder… Why would I use a relict like that!? We have good IEMs now!
But the truth is that due to their open nature and ability to use giant for IEM standards drivers, buds have many advantages over IEMs - bigger stage, better timbre and a more “grand” presentation, halfway between an IEM and an open-back headphone. They have their drawbacks too, of course - no isolation, harder to get good bass extension, can’t be as precise with tuning - but on balance, many people consider buds superior to IEMs, and the Berserker proves to me that they might have a point.
Tuning wise, we have a very balanced V Shape, reminding me of something like a Starfield by Moondrop, though with a touch more subbass. Midbass is pretty neutral, midrange is neutral and only slightly recessed and treble is mostly neutral with a slight boost in the air frequencies. The only thing I would change is add some warmth a’la the aforementioned Yincrow X6.
The bass extends deeper and punches harder than I would have expected an earbud to be able to. The timbre and tonality are awesome - vocals and instruments sound more natural than on any IEM I have ever heard. Resolution and separation are way above average, not falling apart on busy tracks. The presentation is very initmate, akin to a HD600, not utilising the potential of the form factor to achieve a huge stage. This is not a con, merely an artistic choice you have to be aware of. The presentation is very grand though, with verticality that is rare in the IEM world.
Buy Berserker
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): A
RikuBuds Lancer 1
Name: RikuBuds Lancer 1
Price: $50
Configuration: 1DD
Tuning Style: Harman In-Ear but it’s an Earbud
Foams Used: Stock
Source Used: Apple Dongle + xDuoo MT-602
Disclaimer: this set is a DIY product from a friend of mine, @Rikudou_Goku. Having a friend’s name attached to a product does not mean I will go easy on it, but I felt this important to disclose.
When I tried listening to it from my usual testing source, the M1 Air, I immediately heard these struggle to be driven properly and decided to put them on tubes to give them a fair shot.
And yes, on tubes these sound their best.
It’s just a shame that their best is still fucking awful.
The tuning on this set is, and it pains me to say it because I respect its creator a lot, dogshit. The sub-bass elevation is impressive for an earbud, but that doesn’t make it pleasant. You get a hollow, distracting wub EVERY SINGLE TIME there is a bass note. When it comes to the midbass and lower midrange… What midbass and lower midrange? There is none. Upper midrange is thin and incredibly shouty, feels like my eardrums are being rubbed against a cheese grater. And the treble… It reminds me of old-school KZs. Really unpleasant.
When it comes to technicalities, they might be pretty good, but I haven’t been able to pay attention to them because I genuinely can’t finish a song on these with this tuning. This might legitimately be the worst product I have heard in a very long time.
I’m sorry, Riku.
Buy Berserker.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): E
KZ ZS10 Pro
Name: KZ ZS10 Pro
Price: $50
Configuration: 1DD + 4BA
Tuning Style: V-Shape
Tips Used: KZ Starline
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air
Graph does not depict the unit tested
The KZ ZS10 Pro was a “fading legend” when I got into this hobby. It used to be the default recommendation for a V-Shape at $50 some time before then, but by the time I started sets like Blon 03 and Moondrop Starfield were coming out and people were suggesting getting the former or saving up for the latter. I really wanted to try this set, just to see how well it holds up in 2022.
And, well… It really doesn’t.
It’s not awful. The one thing KZ was always good at is that their V-Shapes (besides the CRA) do not put the vocals too far in the background, and this is the case here. The price for that is that you can forget about any kind of natural sound. The treble is just as sharp and peaky as it looks on a graph, making it hard to enjoy the otherwise competent midrange and bass.
Just get the Blon 03 or save up for the Moondrop Starfield.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): D+
Audiosense DT200
Name: Audiosense DT200
Price: $150
Configuration: 2BA
Tuning Style: Bass-Boosted Neutral
Tips Used: Stock Audiosense Green
Source Used: M1 Macbook Air
Graph does not depict the unit tested
Some facts you probably already know about me: I like BAs, I like a neutral tune, I like midbass, I like IEMs with wings for better fit.
The Audiosense DT200 is all-BA, neutral tuned, not skimping on the midbass and has wings for better fit.
Yeah I bought it blind, why are you even asking?
In practice, this set is pretty good. Has the least BA timbre out of all BA sets I have heard, while still keeping the things I love about BA - incredible speed, great separation between instruments and a very tactile sound. Especially that last part works incredibly well here. When listening to acoustic music, you don’t only hear the string being strummed, you feel it. If you have ever experienced a smartphone with a good haptic motor, like an iPhone or a Pixel, imagine that, but in your ears.
It’s fun.
You also get a decently wide stage, good imaging and aforementioned great separation. The only major con when it comes to technical performance is the resolution - the ability to decipher busy passages. The DT200 suffers from the same thing the Letshouer S12 does - because the separation between instruments when they get properly resolved is so good, it’s even more grating when on the busiest of passages (especially in metal songs), this set can’t keep up anymore and produces a soup of sounds. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t at all uncommon at this price range, but stands out here because of how good the separation is when resolving ability doesn’t hinder it.
As for the tuning, it’s a neutral tune with a sizeable bass boost and very relaxed upper midrange and treble. In a way, it reminds me of the Kai, but the Kai is “more” in both directions, more bassy and more relaxed. That said, tuning wise I definitely prefer the bass and midrange on DT200. They feel more well-rounded and cleaner, respectively. The treble tuning is definitely better on the Kai, though. Whereas the Kai has excellent treble tuning, the DT200 sounds just like your average Starfield/Blessing 2 treble response.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): B
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Very detailed, very relatable write-up. Thanks for the time taken!
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Thanks for the nice comment! I’ll have another one coming tonight 
Truthear x Crinacle Zero
Bass: Obviously more boosted than my basslet ears would like, but the shape of the boost is pretty correct. That roll-off in the lowest regions of the sub really helps make this IEM less fatiguing and was a great choice. My only real nitpick (tuning wise) is that bass guitars can sometimes sound a bit less pronounced than I would consider neutral.
Mids: 95% good. Most vocalists sound really good. James Hetfield, Chad Kröger, Taco Hemingway, very good reproduction. The problems are on both ends. Low end vocals like 2Pac and Sinatra can seem thin, high end vocals like Maisie Peters and Ariana Grande are definitely shouty. Instruments sound mostly correct, just lack that musicality I’m looking for.
Treble: Typical IEM treble, akin to a Starfield or summat, not sharp, not fatiguing, but also not impressive in any way. Doesn’t draw attention.
Technicalities: not bad for the price range. Maybe SSR level? Not sure though, haven’t A/Bd those. Definitely prefer Titan S for tech though. Missing bass texture and some finer details, not super smoothed over the way Chu is.
Sidenote: I LOVE the fit of those babies. Really comfortable. And pretty. And great accessories. Non sound stuff checks out like a motherfucker.
Tentative Rating (Subject to change): B
And here are the impressions and comparison to Kai in video form:
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Hey Everyone!
I have recorded a video review of the Blessing 2 (and a comparison towards competitors: AM05 and A4000, as well as an IEM people might upgrade from, the Starfield)
However, when recording the video, I realised there is some nasty smudging going on because the shop repairing my phone messed up the repair… Sigh. I’ll take it to a different shop in the meantime.
I’ll post a first impressions video (which doesn’t require B-roll so I can shoot it with an inferior camera) and a written review in the meantime.
You choose:
- TRI x HBB Kai
- Truthear x Crinacle Zero
- Tin T2
0 voters