Wired Earbuds, Best of the Best Recs?

I don’t feel any of the Yincrows are sub bass oriented. But the bass on the rw2000 is a lot cleaner than the X6, it seems they have gone for more expansive midbass like more traditional tuners. To be fair there aren’t many true subbass capable buds - excluding more recent DIY maker efforts - Berserker & Serratus springing to mind.

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Fun in that price range - possibly the leading candidates would be: (anyone feel free to add anything I overlooked or forgot)

Rikubuds (this would be my personal choice for what you indicated in this price bracket) - maybe - Saber 3 or upcoming Berserker 3. Best to discuss with the man himself
@Rikudou_Goku have you discontinued Gen 2 or do you still have some Grand Saber 2s left for @propjoe84

Fiio FF3 is the value buy (if your looking over Rikubuds Gen 1) here but the caveat is that you need to find an OG version as apparently the FF3s is less bassy (quantity & quality) (I haven’t heard the newer version myself to confirm)

Yincrow RW2000 - neutral with bass boost / this is the safe bet (strong performer - can’t really go wrong)

Dark horse pick - at this price range it is impossible to not suggest the Yinman 600 its fun but it is more of a dark tuning instead of a U or V. It really is a bud I would recommend everyone try at some point as it is so unique and absolute value for what it does. Beware though buying process on Aliexpress is a hassle and you have to be very specific. Also requires desktop level power really as it’s 600ohm so not everyone’s use case.

Other considerations:

Lrey - has some reports of very good bass and subbass extension but at the moment there are some QC concerns. Until my set arrives I will defer to @ttorbic & @AceBee @DungLe

VE Zen 2 - warm oriented but to be honest it has been surpased by the other options here. So would need to be a great price deal.

Shozy Bk - PK shell and warm but I think these are now dated and overpriced in the current market. They may also be Discontinued but not :100: on that.

If your not opposed to hanging it out on the used market then:
Ve Zen 3.0 - perhaps overly warm, a little dark and analogue (very specific but like TGX Tantalus can really resonate for some) - hard to find and would be at the top end price wise so wouldn’t recommend.
Ks 300 Samsara: Discontinued - V shaped but hard to come by and due to others on this list the performance to value is skewed
Puresounds PS 600: Discontinued - Warm but issues with driver integrity & longevity as only B stock can be found with considerable QC issues.
Some Blur buds (all Discontinued) are considerably warm (Wraith) or bass boosted neutral (MX64) (issue is they rarely pop up and I personally find most of the cables a little stiff & janky with too many confusing one offs or cable changes to really decipher the catalogue)
Willsound has a reputation for fun midbass but Discontinued and is quite dated now so likely surpassed (I’m yet to hear one)

Looking at used prices for TGX -
Warm: Tantalus (Male Vocals) or Ripples (midbass - and the more generalist refined tuned Tantalus progression just as BS Serratus is for OG Serratus and Zen SL is for Zen 3.0)
U/V subbass: OG Serratus
Bassy: Sunniva (but this bud, used, would be at the very top end price wise (perhaps just over - same as Zen SL) and not sure I would recommend as a first TGX example for value or wow factor as it has some flaws to go along with it’s strengths)

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Gen 2 is discontinued.

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TGXEAR SBS is a very fun set. Plenty of midbass and smooth well extended treble. Ripples as well (but discontinued so need to find a used one).

Not sure where in the world you are, but if in SE Asia then LREY is worth considering.

And don’t forget about the used marketplace! There are often some really good sets going for great prices.

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Just a PSA for anyone with big monkey ears, like me.

Gen 2 shells are the best fitting, most stable shells I’ve used. Like, I could go jogging with them on (not that I jog) and they wouldn’t move. In case you come across any used ones and want a late-to-the-party testimonial.

Thanks, Riku!

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Sounds great!! Yeah, reviews on Shozy BK not very good… Small staging and not so detailed, apparently. But what’s the difference between BK($165) and BK Special Edition($99), with such a price difference…?

I haven’t heard the BKs, sorry!

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That is sad to hear. I was really looking forward to trying out something like the GS2. What are the chances you make a grand saber or berserker for gen 3?

Thanks for the detailed reply. It seems many of my best choices will be around looking for used sets.

Where is a good place to look for used buds?

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For used buds, Head-Fi has been the most productive for me. The Buy/Sell thread here has some from time to time. AVexchange on Reddit, the Flathead Sanctuary on Discord, and of course eBay.

Others may know some additional places, especially if not in the US.

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There are several Discord channels, but the most active used marketplace is indeed on Flathead Sanctuary discord: Flathead Sanctuary.

Otherwise, Head-fi, and lastly, HifiGuides

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Awesome, thanks. Time to see if someone is willing to part with some rikubuds

Berserker 3 IS coming very soon.

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Nice! But I’m greedy, I’m holding out for the Grand version if there is one.

Unlikely to be one tbh.

Because you’re running out of drivers to elevate, or because Berserker 3 is just gonna be that damn good?

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Both, I can only see a fully custom driver to be doing something better than this and that comes costs a lot of money to R&D.

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I see, understandable.
I take it that the Berserker 3 will outperform the Grand Berserker 2?

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The B3 and GB2 are VERY different in tonality where the GB2 is quite extreme with the bass and it is why the technicalities on it is not on the same tier as the other grand gen 2 models. So the B3 is an upgrade in techs.

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The Saber 3 is so good for my library that I’m considering getting another set for the bedroom and as a backup. What sound signature will the B3 have?

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Bassier than the S3 and darker overall.

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