iDX 200 iE

After deciding to try out some IEMs, I bought a KZ Castor Bass to see if they could really replace my Beyerdynamic DT770s in some way. Lately, I’ve been getting really tired of those headphones because they now feel clunky, and they put a lot of pressure on my head when I wear them, especially since I wear glasses. Plus, I’ve been using them less because my Polk ES15 speakers have become more comfy to use. I bought them along with some KZ foam tips, since I figured the regular silicone ones would be very uncomfortable for me. First of all, I haven’t been able to invest in a proper DAC yet; I’ll be using these IEMs on my PC for general use. My motherboard has an ALC 1220Vb codec, which has never had any trouble driving my 80-ohm Beyerdynamics—it’s always given me a clean sound. But this time, when I plugged in the KZ Castors, I noticed background noise for the first time, so now I’m obviously looking to get a Topping DX1 that meets my needs. The KZ Castor feels solidly built despite the price I paid for them; the cable is very thin, but I suppose you can’t ask for more at that price. I’d say the sound quality is 10–20% worse than my Beyerdynamic DT770s, but I was still surprised by the sound quality I could get from IEMs for just $10. At first, I found the sound to be very bass-heavy, with the treble sometimes sibilant and the mids lacking. I started looking for EQ settings and, using the Squiglink website, I tried several presets. I liked the Bad Boy preset better than the Harman one; it made the sound more balanced (maybe I should have bought the silver ones). Honestly, I don’t have anything else to say. If you’re on a tight budget, they’re a good investment, but right now I’m looking to buy some better IEMs—maybe I’ll end up getting some 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 later on, or even the Truthear x Crinacle Zero RED or Letshuoer S08 (I want to try some planar drivers). I also want to know if anyone recommends a DAC dongle and how they solved the cable length issue, since I need IEMs that are over 1 meter long to connect them to my PC. I have to use the connector from my Douk A5 Pro for the KZ Castor, and I’m not sure if that’s the source of the noise.

Forget bluetooth (get yourself a cheap dongle for your phone) and check out the Beyerdynamic DT270 Pro. 👍🏻🙂

Ali express prices on KZ are insane. I got am16 bass enhanced for like 30 bucks which costs like $83 on Amazon. I was super impressed by my first ones too kz edxs pro i think is what they are something like $8 and honestly I felt like they sounded better than my $150 beyerDynamic DT 770 Pros

Hi all, I’m looking to upgrade my audio setup since I feel there’s still some room for improvement. **Budget:** €300–€350 **Location:** Germany **Mic:** Not needed (I already have a separate microphone) **Preferred sound / use case:** * Mainly gaming * Good positional audio for footsteps * Immersion * Open-back preferred, since I have kids and need to stay aware of my surroundings **Usage environment:** Home Office setup, generally quiet (except for the occasional kid noise). **Previous gear:** * Cheap IEMs (GK Kunten) * Astro A50 * Audeze Maxwell 2 So far, the IEMs (Kunten) actually gave me the best sound experience, but they isolate me too much from my surroundings. In that regard, the Astro A50 worked much better since I could still hear what’s happening around me. **Options I’m currently considering:** 1. **Kithara** with the included amp (\~€300) 2. **Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 250Ω** (\~€150) + used **FiiO K7** (\~€150) I’d really appreciate any thoughts or alternative recommendations for my use case. Thanks! EDIT: Got the Kithara for 220 Euro's, hence i have 130 Euro to spend on a DAC/ AMP. What you recommend me?

Go for Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X. I am absolutely blown away, especially when listening to music or gaming on pc. 10/10