KZ - Castor Pro (Harman Target with Improved Bass Version)

previously i'd say Rosefinch, but i got CCA Trio, and it technically is pretty much the same thing as Castor Pro Bass version. It's gonna be a bit less rumbly, but definitely not less powerful, and in terms of tone and technicalities imo it's an upgrade as well.

From this list prolly the castor

Buy kz castor pro.

I had just the OG with Bass , very good The pro with bass is a different beast. If you want relaxed smooth thick bass , the OG is better , the pro has somewhat coloured enhanced mids and all cymbals sound the same . Imagine the old one note bass of cheap speakers , now flip this into treble . I prefer the OG bass than the pro bass

There appears to be a massive dip in the upper mids low treble on the castor pro bass . Also when there's a lot of badly constructed treble in the track, the OG sounds better Another thing, at low volumes the OG carries the bass better I have both and like them both , but the OG version plays better on most tracks except where there is too much bass

I've got kz edx EDC prx castor pro improved bass and I'm getting the kz sagas what do u think about all of them?

Should I choose this or Kinera wyvern Abyss or Kz castor pro harman for comp gaming

This post sounds like a cry for help...being sucked down the wonderful rabbit hole of IEMs 😂 Agree with the Castor Pro Bass Edition recommendation. Give those a go. Agree about wires being a pain...think strategically hiding wires under clothes help; also deciding which earphone when can be helpful as well. IF you can stomach spending upwards to 170usd (as of this post) there are really good IEM Bluetooth adapters that can work wirelessly. But at that price point Id just stick with the Airpod Pro 2s.

Buy kz castor pro.

Then ignore all of those and get yourself a KZ Castor (Bass Edition). They're incredibly cheap & pretty good.

Get Castor Pro + a cheap DAC like an Audiocular D13 or portronics converter. If your budget is too tight, get CCA Trio instead.

KZ Castor. No bass, shouty, just hurting my hearing

I WHOLE HEARTEDLY AGREE WITH YOUR POINTS: https://preview.redd.it/vwxf7i53neye1.jpeg?width=2377&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9aafdf70e38f01e9e6e88692e4c7f79caca103d8 This is MY collection...and I'm very early in the journey. I don't have the budget, knowledge or experience to blind buy a 500USD+ set of in ears that may or may not fit my ears or my preferences. While my journey doesn't completely fit OP's blueprint...I have/had the same thought process regarding purchasing IEMs. Not pictured are the Moondrop Chu 2 and 7Hz Sonus. I started with the Chu 2, 7Hz Zero 2 and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. From listening, watching and reading reviews...I was able to learn about all the terms, labels, and vocabulary to describe what I like or don't like. I threw money at the Wyvern Abyss...I mean...LOOK AT THEM😂. The Kz Castor Bass was a curiosity buy...want to hear if a set touting bass response was really that bassy. My next steps were the NiceHCK F1 Pros, Kiwi Ears Canta and the 7Hz Sonus. The F1 Pros and the Sonu were on sale at the time of purchase...good value and able to narrow things down more for myself. I knew I liked the planar sound...I have a set of open ear planar cans. The F1s felt disappointing (until I tip rolled) The Sonus was about much for my taste (in the mids) The Cantas were quite nice for me. By this point...I had a good grasp of what I was looking for and the direction (s) I want to go in. AFUL Performer 5+2 is currently my go-to...for all around listening. Sourced from R2R DAC lined out into a desktop tube amp. It's like a warm blanket on crisp bright and snowy winter day. I picked up the Hexa because I wanted to hear the hype...and yes...they definitely fulfill the hype and then some. I've EQed my IEMs... especially the planar. They can mimic the sound...but it's only a part of the equation. I now rotate through 3-4 sets at my desktop listening station. The cheapo ones all have 3.5mm out for around the house or for bed. If they break...ill decide if I want to replace. Tip rolling is a journey of itself. Some tips can dramatically change an IEM and rescue it from the bottom of the pile. My Planars now sport foam tips...easing off the treble was huge. Anyway...long post...if you got this far thanks for sticking with my diarrhea of words. TLDR: I agree with the OP

Yes, I meant the Harman version. Their bass is very very lean. The switch adds bass, but it's sound doesn't fit the rest of the tuning. The Castor Bass is much much better.

Hey there... I do not have experience with KZ PR1 for gaming, however, below mentioned is a post I've made before highlighting a great KZ branded setup. KZ Castor Pro Silver (Balanced) KZ M2 Type C Cable with built in "EQ Tuner" For the above mentioned setup that is a great start in this hobby -- All in $15 to $20 depending on where you are geographically located in this beautiful world. Considering you're starting out, it will allow you to take a dive into the water without fear of drowning yourself into just 1 IEM blind buy etc... With the tuning switches and options KZ Castor Pro Silver provides and the preset EQ options of the M2 cable, this will give you an idea of what sound profile/signature you are most comfortable with -- And in turn, make a sound profile on "experiential knowledge" based purchase for a future set of IEMs. In my opinion -- For gaming, particularly FPS games -- They are punching above their price. Edit: Also get the DUNU SS Eartips (price varies from $2 for 1 pair or 3 pairs for $7) to enhance your sound experience with a tight seal on your IEM. If you've made it this far into my response, then please look into "IEM burn in time for KZ Castor Pro" as this will help set initial expectations for sound out of the box if you decide to go the KZ route.

I have the Legato....they are definitely bassy. I use wide bore ear tips which allows the treble to come through. They're not muddy...but these aren't for details and shimmer. Great for hip hop, edm, brain rumbly sub-bass. The Castor Pro Bass Edition is definitely more muddy than the Legato. The mid bass is tighter on the Legato as well. Legato is not bad at it's price point...and probably even better if you can find them on sale (I did😉)

How is the instrumental separation on this one?? I am currently using KZ Castor Bass and it sounds good but i am having a problem with narrow soundstage

It really depends on what kind of sound profile you are looking for. Castor is a more capable iem in my opinion. You should check out frequency response graphs of the iems. It may give you an idea of how they sound. It's explained on the headphonezone website. There are two versions of the Castor, bass (black) and harman (silver). If you want to experience a bass head tuning this can do it well. The bass version is a fun set, not particularly correct sounding. The harman might do a better job of that ( I haven't tried the harman). The stock tips on castors are just okay. I highly recommend latex liquid silicone tips from conceptkart. Polaris is a balanced sound, still a v shaped tuning but not as pronounced as the others. It is easy to listen to but in the end is not as resolving as the castor bass. It can bring out some details but there are better iems that do it well. It is still a great beginner set if you are tight on budget. It has decent levels of bass and fairly smooth treble presentation. Widebore tips are recommended with Polaris. I have not tried the zex, partly because of some reviews mentioning harsh treble. I am a bit sensitive to treble, but overall it should give you an energetic sound. With good amounts of bass and treble. The driver combinations and features are different for these iems.

Less boom? I think you just don't have a proper ear seal. Try and get some foam eartips to emphasize the bass more. Also, try and get the castor pro bass.

Out of the sets you've listed. I own(ed) The Cadenza and the 7Hz Zero 2. For a first IEM...I can say either one is a good choice. IEM shape and size between those two...the Cadenza is slightly more compact and contoured. The Zero 2 "looks" uncomfortable...but it was actually isn't. If you have concerned with it's angular look and you can't reliably return the product...perhaps stick with the Cadenza. I have had a Castor Pro Bass Edition (the one with switches) I was not a fan...as my unit had driver flex (hearing the driver flex when the IEM is being adjusted in ear due to lack of proper venting) Have since read about various QC issues mentioned...but most seem to be in the past. I choose not to purchase their IEMs...because there are many others to choose from😉 Last thing to mention...ear tips. Aside from the sound and IEM fitment...ear tips is a consideration as well. Most IEMs will come with an assortment of tips. Take your time going through ALL the tips the set comes with. Even to the point of mismatching sizes between left and right. Human anatomy is funny like that as we are NOT symmetrical😂😂 You will want to get a good (eartip) fit and seal into the ear canal. You will know if you're not properly fitted if the IEM sounds "tinny" or "there's no bass" Super*review has many helpful videos if you get deeper into IEMs. This one will be useful when your first set arrives: [https://youtu.be/ZcEzrA2SzbU](https://youtu.be/ZcEzrA2SzbU) He also has another regarding ear tips. I'll let you find that one...it's on the same channel.

OP...have you looked at Kiwi Ears Cadenza or KZ Castor Pro Bass Edition? Both respond well to EQ. Cadenza's bass is punchy and can satisfy your sub-bass rumble. The Castor Pro Bass Edition allows the user to tune the IEM with onboard switches. It's bassier than the Cadenzas in my opinion. I own both...and I get a deeper and more satisfying brain rattle from the Castor Pro Bass Edition from Angel by Massive Attack and Interlude by Yosi Horikawa. They both provide satisfying thumps to Billie Eilish's bad guy. Cadenzas lose a bit of mid treble detail (for me) on Starboy by The Weeknd. Both sets are currently under 35 USD (your pricing may vary)

I have bass and non bass pro version and when I listen first time I got amazed by non bass version is more refined and clean than the bass version and I return my bass version and keep my harmen target version I don't feel any difference in bass

Месье! Посоветуй Не могу подобрать уши к shanling m1 plus. Слушаю в основном металы и электронку. Сразу кажется с непривычки, что вообще нет баса Castor pro с тублерами 1100 - уже почти к ним привык, но чего то не хватает. V образные TRN white tiger - середина и вокал сильно лезут вперед, отодвигая остальное на задний план. че-то не идут Truthear Crinacle zero - слабо звучат, но дефолтный кабель паршивый, норм кабель еще едет Вот теперь на форуме вместо вышеперечисленных рекомендуют эти KZ ZVX PRO, мол на голову выше звучат, хотя везде пишут, что баса маловато Как бы ты сравнил эти уши с вышеперечисленными? Спасибо!

Second this. I've collected a bunch of iems over the past few years, including well discussed and more expensive sets like the Gate, Zero2, Waner, Ew300dsp, and Explorers, and none has brought me the "oh damn" feeling when I first heard the Blon 4 5 years ago. The closest I've gotten to that feeling is probably the Castor's Bass edition, which I still think is a tad bit worse and less rumbly than the OG Blon. Still would recommend it til this day

As I said they are not for people who have a budget of 100$+, you are not the target market. 😅. You have tasted elixir so these would be like stale beer. These are for the poor chaps like me from 3rd world countries whose budget would be around $50 at max Kz's cater for newbies that want a good pair of IEMs for a cheap price. The castor is like 10-12 bucks . And it's very good relative to its competitors. Metal/resin body + dual drivers.

KZ Castor Pro Enhanced Bass Version (for when you *really* don't want to break the bank)

Let's simplify this... What you have is the KZ Castor Pro (Bass Enhanced Version). These in a nutshell are really a good IEM for a balanced and bass heavy experience, and are arguably better than TWS Bluetooth earbuds, you just need to set them up for success. What you need to bring them to life and wake 'em up inside... ✓ DAC/Amp combo (eg. KZ AM02). This will drive your Castor Pro across any device and there are EQ presets for bass, clarity, and gaming. ✓ Adjust all switches to UUUU or UUDD. These are essentially your manual stick shift for a novel iem with switches. Learn the gears avoid finding it and grinding it. ✓ Get new eartips. You aren't going to get a good seal to unleash all of its glory for sound profile with the stock eartips of KZ. It is crucial to upgrade this area and should be a priority. I suggest something with a narrow bore like the Penon Liqueur Orange or Black. After you have completed the 3 imperative objectives above... Report back here and tell us all if there is any difference. Bonus: You can try an EQ app to further tailor your sound should you choose.

>maybe Something More bassy could be a good pick. What would you have suggested if he had asked for something bassy? I have already used the Kz Castor Pro Bass Edition, but I'm looking to move on from it. Can you suggest iem below $70 to use for longer session music listening?

Op was looking for more bass. Castor pro bass is where you to go for bass. Cadenza is v shaped, but isn't known for bass. Also, it's way beyond the price range of chu ii. 7hz zero 2 is more balanced with a bit of bass. Castor pro bass is still better for bass. Wyvern abyss is meh. I got ok bass. It's just smooth listening, but it's not good for bass. I actually sold my wyvern because it's shell is absurdly big for a single dynamic driver. I won't recommend something that doesn't qualify for what the person is looking for.

Castor bass is kinda muddy, but the castor pro bass has a more controlled bass.

If you end up choosing Castor, I recommend you get the Castor Pro for the same price. They fixed some shortcomings of the non-pro version.

Small list of the ones I recommend for beginners with budget 1. Moondrop chu ii 2. Kz castor (original or pro) if you like bass, pick the black one 3. 7hz Zero Red 4.sgor adonis

I vote Castor Pro Bass Edition out of that list. I own both the Castor Pro and the Zero 2. To me...the Castor Pro in UpUpDownDown setting...is a budget bass monster. The mids and treble aren't bad. I find the Zero 2 muddier in the mids...and treble is a bit dark. I needed to use some Divinius Wide Bores on the zero 2 to brighten things up. The Castor Pros (on narrow bores) still have some detail...while providing good sub-bass rumble mid bass hits

You are not the target market for them, they make entry level and midrange products at a very good price for performance rate . Eg, Kz Castor pro

I have read...KZ have had QC issues (guess that's the only caveat) My set works as expected. I am getting good bass response from BOTH my desktop dac/amp (Fiio K11 R2R) and off my iphone via a US edition apple dongle. Since you don't mind EQ... some of the planar IEMs out there do play well with EQ. Even the 1st gen stuff... they're not quite sub-35USD range...but they're not prohibitively expensive

just got kz castor bass version yesterday and the left sounded weaker than the right, so I'm returning them. They probably do have a quality issue (which I dont blame since its so cheap)

Under $10 the best is the KZ EDC PRO (edx pro is another iem), use it with Kbear 08 eartips. In Aliexpress (sometimes using coins) you can get for $8-15 the ND planet, KZ Castor Pro/OG, KZ Libra Balanced/Hi res/X, KZ Saga balanced/bass, KZ ZVX pro, all of them have good reviews and comments. The Kbear 07 and 08 eartips are good for them.

Kz castor pro harman+bass is the best sounding under 2k in my ears. But it comes with a 3.5mm jack so you'll have to get an adaptor for it, portronics sells good enough connectors for cheap

For me, Wan'er is better than Castors. I've used both and prefer wan'er 8/10 times.

I looked at the Artti T10 and the T10 Pro. I decided on the NiceHCK F1 Pro (it was on sale😂😂) Not disappointed at all. I have a set of planar cans...and I was curious about planars in an IEM. Am pleasantly surprised. Hope you get a good set of Castor Pro...I really like mine. The set comes with a tool and diagram for you to tinker with the tuning. Did some time rolling...and settled on DUNU SS tips. Lovely set indeed.

tell me you didn't buy them. don't listen to the other guy. i don't know what games you play but i play VALORANT and the castor pro (bass edition) for VALORANT is BULLSHIT. i originally bought them for music and they do pretty fine but

Yep it destroys those but it's quite a chunky iem, the bass edition is not for gaming though it is boomy and we can't play any fps games with those

Hello. I am no means an audiophile and do not have a lot of IEMS tested. Currently owning only KZ castor Harman (Silver) And the improved bass (Black color). If in case i make any mistakes other could correct me. And im only sharing personal experience as a nooby and personal opinion. So since i have switched to the IEMS going to be honest in my personal experience i personally prefer using the IEMS over the gaming headsets. (Only experience before iems was gaming headsets like Corsair virtuoso se, Razer kraken v2, Hyperx cloud 2, and Sony headphones like Sony wh-1000xm3, Sony linkbuds s, Sony wh h910n aka h.earon and some other Sony XB headphones) Reason i wanted to switch to the IEMS was i needed a descent headphones/iems to use with my PC since because of the over ear headphones i had migraines and a lot of of them i had. To the point that i could not play games or even watch the contact im consuming for more then 30 min a day. After switching to IEMS i noticed the sound stage felt a little bigger then the Corsairs i still have and sounded much better with out even using any EQ app on my pc. If being honest i personally doubt that IEMS are leagues a head against higher end Headphones that considered good in audiophile community. Since the IEMS are small there will be limitations. I would even say it would be compering Desktop pc spec against laptop. Similar but not quite. And from what i have read in this group my personal opinion is that the IEMS over 100 maybe even over then 150 have the diminishing returns. If i look at them as a regular consumer then 80% of people might not even feel a big of a difference between iems that cost 150 euros/dollars against any other wireless headphones that consumers buy. But this is only my opinion. So personally since im on a budget i do not see a point buying iems that more then 70 euros (Since im from EU) Becasue a lot of them are definably providing me all i need for musing and playing video games. (Only now considering buying some other options to get a little bit better experience then my KZ castor Harman tuning version) Apologies if i wrote in a mishmash tried to share some experience from a nooby side. And apologies if i have offended anyone.

Cant go wrong with the castor pros I'll say...

Castors are a good choice too. Castor Harman is good; gave it to my gf. Castor bass is a bit muddy, but not too muddy like kbear rosefinch; I use that personally. I personally love the edc pro more because it's smoother with just the right amount of bass, but the Harman is a bit thin for me. But I just re-read your genre of choice. I saw you like J-Pop. If that's the case, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Tangzu Waner (the original ones that came in black, white, jade, and blue colors; not the studio version or the waner 2). Tangzu waner is specialized for making vocals, specifically female vocals, pop. Wan'er is known to make Stay With Me and Plastic Love sound good. Great with YOASOBI too.