Intro

Hi guys this is Raghav here from Headphone Zone. In today's video we are looking at the very best in-ear monitors and earphones in 2024 for under rupees 5,000. Now I know we've made these videos a few years in a row now and I just thought that it's a great time to make an updated list of this year's best earphones under rupees 5,000. It's a very exciting segment because while all the action was at the 2,000 rupee price point last year this year's action is all at the 5,000 rupees segment and one of the very common questions that we get asked all the time is that when you upgrade yourself from the 2,000 rupee IEMs, which are phenomenal value for money, what do you get at a slightly higher price point and is it worth the money? So in today's video we're going to be looking at eight of my favourite IEMs for rupees 5,000 comparing them to each other and telling you what the difference between a 2,000 rupee iem and a 5,000 rupee iem and if it's worth the extra money for you to upgrade and then ultimately help you choose which one is the right one for you.

Truthear x Crinacle - Zero:RED
So the very first IEM that I have to talk about when I'm making a video about the best earphones at about 5,000 Rupees is the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:RED Edition or Project Red as a lot of us know about it in the audiophile community. Now I've made a dedicated video talking all about the Zero:Red, we've made lots of comparisons of the Zero:Red to a whole bunch of other IEMs. This is by far the most popular IEM at the 5,000 rupee price point. It's just slightly over 5,000 rupees these days I think, it's for rupees 5,499 but it is the iem to beat because almost everybody who's heard them loves them and there is a lot to love. For those of you who don't know about this earphone it's a collaboration that Truthear which is an up and coming IEM brand from China did along with a YouTube reviewer Crinacle. He's a very good friend of mine and Crinacle tunes a lot of these iem and does collaborations with a lot of different manufacturers and they're very popular because of the credibility Crinacle has. His ears are worth their weight in gold. A lot of people really really like his reviews and they like the kind of earphones he tunes. The Project Red is the earphone that he made working along with Truthear over a long period of time and they've done a phenomenal job with it. In terms of configuration it's got two dynamic drivers, a dual dynamic configuration is not very common, it's quite rare and it's quite a unique and different tuning that they've gone for. It's very very well balanced almost everybody who's reviewed these says that they're probably one of the best sounding budget IEMs which are out there and that they sound several times their price. What is amazing about them is that if you consider that this is a very well balanced tuning it's hard for me to flaw it in any way. It's got just the right amount of bass, it's got really really rich vocals and dynamic mid-range. It's got a really nice detailed sparkly highs and top end but you'll also find that it's not harsh, it's not sibilant, it's not shouty, everything's right about it. There's really nothing for me to complain. What is also really interesting is that it comes with a 10 ohms impedance adapter, it's a small little adapter that you can add onto the 3.5mm jack and when you do that it just increases the bass a little bit. For a lot of people who like that little extra bass in the sound signature that's one very very easy and Innovative way in which you can increase that. For rupees 5,499 what you get is a superb IEM in the Truthear Crinacle Project Red, Zero:Red Edition as we call them and it is the iem to beat, which is why this is the first iem I want to talk about so that everything else can be sort of say benchmarked against this. So who would I recommend this too? I would recommend this to people who really like the 7Hz Salnotes Zero as their IEM for 2,000 rupees. That also has been tuned by Crinacle incidentally and he collaborated with 7Hz to do that. One of the things that people don't like about the 7Hz Salnotes Zero is that there's not enough bass and that the treble can get a little shouty. This fixes both of those problems. It's got much nicer meaner bass and the treble is not at all shouty and so it sounds like a really nice big upgrade for the little extra money that you're going to be giving for this. So highly recommend.

Kiwi Ears - Cadenza
Okay so the second iem on my list is an iem that has a very simple but similar philosophy as the Truthear Zero:Red, which is to give you a really nice balance sound signature but with just a little extra base in there to make it fun. This ladies and gentlemen is the Kiwi Ears Cadenza priced at rupees 3,200 so it's quite a bit more affordable as compared to the Truthear Zero:Red while giving you a nice sound signature with a lot of details in there. Now as compared to the Zero:Red this has a little bit more bass in there. Don't get me wrong it's still relatively balanced but that little extra bass which is there in the low end just makes this a little bit more fun to listen to. The treble is also relatively smooth, there's no extra sparkle in there so for a lot of people who don't like that top end harshness they might like this quite a bit. So I highly recommend these IEMs to anybody who's looking for something that is still an upgrade from the 2,000 rupee price point but not necessarily got too much of a top end out there and has just that little extra bass as compared to what they may have been used to at 2,000 rupees. This represents phenomenal value for money, one that I don't think anybody can go wrong with because it's just a little bit more than the 2,000 rupees iems which are out there but giving you phenomenal value for money in terms of the upgrade. Now it has a single beryllium dynamic driver. Beryllium is the material of choice for some very very high-end headphones and IEMs out there so I was shocked to see beryllium drivers available for an IEM this affordable which I think in itself makes this a great steal for anybody who's eyeing an IEM in this segment. Now in terms of build quality, the Kiwi Ears Cadenza is really interesting IEM because it's quite compact, it's not very large, so for a lot of people who are used to something like the Truthear Zero:Red and find that it's a little too big for them the Kiwi Ears Cadenza addresses that problem. It’s super compact, fits almost all ears.

Simgot - EW200
All right for number three we have this, this is another audiophile community favourite, a superb IEM priced at rupees 4,399 - the Simgot EW200 again from China. Now Simgot is not a new brand they've been around for a while but in the recent few years they've been starting to release some incredible IEMs which at different price points represent phenomenal value for money which is why they become very very popular especially in the audiophile community. Now one of the reasons why I think that this is superb value for money is because it's one of the few IEMs in this price point which is entirely made out of metal, the build quality on this is just phenomenal. It's incredible how it's not just the face plate, the entire ear piece is made out of metal and it's a very high quality aircraft grade aluminium that I think they're using on this which is why it's superb to hold in your hands. It's not very heavy either, you'll find that it's quite compact fits in your ear really well even if you have relatively small ears. In terms of sound the single dynamic driver is a very capable dynamic driver and it's been tuned superbly. It's still a relatively balanced sound signature but you'll find that as compared to the Truthear Zero:Red this has just a little bit more punch in the bass, a little bit more sharpness in the treble. I think the easiest way for me to describe the sound signature is to call it just a little crunchy and spicy. So you'll find that it's got a nice kick and at the same time it sounds nice and sharp to listen to so for a lot of people this does sound very very detailed, very rich, very fun while still having an overall very balanced tuning, so for a lot of people out there I think you'll find that people who like this type of tuning will really really love it more than any other IEM at the 5,000 rupee price segment which is why the Simgot EW200 has a cult following of audiophiles who swear by their sound signature.

KZ - ZS10 Pro X
All right number four on the list we have the eternal favorite KZ with the ZS10 Pro X. This is a very very popular IEM and the ZS10 Pro X has been on this list for a few years now for good reason. For less than 5,000 rupees what you get with this earphone is just insane - a total of 10 drivers, five on each side in a hybrid configuration. What you get is four balanced armature drivers which are highly detailed and sensitive specifically for the mid-range and treble on each side and in addition to that you get one mean dynamic driver specifically for the bass on each side so that's a total of five drivers per side for less than 5,000 rupees. Only and only possible with a KZ. Guys I don't know how they do it but it's just incredible, the kind of value for money that they get. Now in terms of tuning this is a very typical KZ tuning, you'll find that the sound signature on the KZ ZS10 Pro X like every other KZ out there or certainly most of them is a very unapologetic V-Shaped sound signature with great bass, tons of super super sharp and snappy treble. Anybody who likes this knows that it sounds like a party in your head. Everybody will love this sound signature if you're someone who likes the KZ ZSN ProX, the ZS10 Pro X is giving you everything you love about that and refining it and giving you much more bass, giving you much more treble, the only drawback of this iem I would say is for people who are very very sensitive towards the treble you will find that this can sound quite harsh, quite fatiguing and it can at some point of time to a lot of audiophiles even sound a bit shouty. I don't know how to describe it when you listen to it you will know what I mean but for everybody else out there who swears by their KZ they will find this is their hero.

Oriveti - OD100
So that brings me to to my next IEM and what I would say is probably one of my personal favourite IEM in this price point which is the Oriveti OD100 - it's priced just above 5,000 rupees it's a phenomenally well-built IEM, very very refined super compact and made entirely out of metal so it looks super super premium. It's very similar to the KZ sound signature which is that it has a V-Shaped sound signature - a lot of bass, a lot of treble but unlike the KZs, this sounds so much more refined, so much more clean and the treble does not sound shouty, so if somebody came to me and said hey raghav, I love my KZ IEMs and I'm looking for the next iem with a budget of 5,000 rupees this would be my top recommendation. It also helps that the OD 100 comes with a phenomenal set of accessories, they're really really nicely laid out, it's a super premium product that you're going to hold in your hand and wear in your ears - its very compact, very comfortable to wear and probably for that reason I would say that this year this is probably my favourite IEM under 5,000 rupees.

FiiO - FH11
All right number six on this list is the FiiO FH11 priced at just under 5,000 rupees. FiiO is such a popular brand in the audiophile community that it goes without saying they make some outstanding high quality products. The FH11 is no different, it's a hybrid IEM - one with a single dynamic driver and a balanced armature driver per side and it's trying to give you what a hybrid iem is best known for which is giving you a nice pronounced V-Shaped sound signature. Its has nice crunchy sparkly highs, great mid-range and at the same time nice punchy bass with a lot of kick and low end out there, at least that's what FiiO’s gone for with this IEM. Pretty predictable and they've achieved a really high quality of build with these earphones, they look phenomenal, they're quite heavy I would say probably the heaviest IEM in this segment which probably tells you that they're very very well built. Now I think what's important to know is that this is kind of like a mid ground between the KZ ZS10 ProX and the Oriveti OD100. It doesn't quite have the refinement in the presentation like the OD 100 does, it doesn't quite have that extra kick on that bass and that extra punch on the treble but you'll find that as compared to the KZ ZS10 Pro X the FiiO is a lot smoother, doesn't quite have those peaks that the KZ has so it doesn't sound as in your face and aggressive but can still sound fun to listen to if you're someone who's looking for that V-Shaped sound signature.

Final Audio - VR2000
All right so now I've given you three IEMs that I really like, which have a very well balanced sound signature, pretty neutral but with just a little extra bass and I've given you three IEMs with a nice V-Shaped aggressive sound signature, something that you would like if you are looking for extra treble, extra base, just something that's more energetic but there are a lot of people in this price segment who want something neutral and want a really really nice and wide sound stage because a lot of us audiophiles really like this idea that different elements of music are spread out on a virtual sound stage where you can kind of individually position each of these instruments in your head and be able to hear them separately. That's exactly where my next IEM recommendation comes in - this ladies and gentlemen is the Final Audio VR 2000, priced at just under 4,000 rupees from Japan. This is an iem that is specifically made to give you that holographic imaging giving you that super wide sound stage, where each of the instruments get separated in your head and which is why final audio really really positions this iem as the ideal iem for gamers. A lot of people who are looking specifically for IEMs that they could use to get that little extra edge in a competitive video game. They would most likely get the Final VR2000 hands down as the best iem for gaming in this segment. Now it's very well tuned, it's very well balanced, I would say it's very neutral as an IEM it doesn't have any extra exaggeration in the bass, the treble sounds nice and crisp and sharp so even footsteps sound clear and sounds like something that you can identify within milliseconds as soon as you have these IEMs on. So for that reason, I think that they have modelled these earphones specifically based on the feedback of gamers but even audiophiles will love the sound signature. If you're someone who really likes and appreciates that holographic wide sound, the Final VR2000, ladies and gentlemen is my top recommendation for someone looking for a very very nice and wide sound stage.

QKZ x HBB - Hades
All right the last one on my list - this is number eight and it’s the QKZ x HBB Hades. QKZ is a relatively new brand out there, they've not made too many IEMs but some of them are quite popular. HBB stands for Hawaiian Bad Boy - a very famous YouTuber who out there collaborates with QKZ quite frequently. Last year they released the QKZ x HBB Khan, which was a very popular IEM. I mentioned it in last year's video, this is the successor to that. The Hades now like all HBB collaborations with QKZ, this is quite predictable, this is an out and out unapologetic bass monster. You'll find that they've exaggerated the lower end to the point where anybody who calls us up and says that hey I'm looking for an IEM which has a shitload of bass, this is easily my number one recommendation to them now. While there is a lot of quantity in the bass only because it's been tuned to move air every time something in the low frequencies plays, I'm not necessarily sure I would call this the best quality of bass. Now that's a little bit of a debate but for people who are just simply looking for that extra bass sound signature - well here it is guys the QKZ x HBB Hades.

Summary
All right guys here's my summary of this entire video. If you managed to wait with us for so long to come towards the end I know a lot of you all in the comment section are going to come in and say that oh my god Raghav you managed to confuse us all over again. Now we don't know which IEM to pick - so here is my too long didn't read summary of the entire video. If you're looking for a well balanced sound signature, if you're someone who really likes the sound signature of a 7Hz Salnotes Zero, a Moondrop CHU 2, a Tangzu and and you're looking for an upgrade - the best IEM out there by far is the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red. It is the most popular IEM by a mile in this price segment. Everybody who owns one loves it. For most of the people out there it represents what a very nice neutral, well balanced tuning should be with just the right amount of bass in there and for that reason it becomes the default recommendation. If you're someone with a very very tight budget and wants to save on money while getting similar performance the Kiwi Ears Cadenza is much better value for money priced at only 3,200 rupees out there. The best sounding iem for a lot of people especially if they find the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red just a little bland, not enough energy would be the Simgot EW200, its similar to the Truthear x Crinacle Zero:Red but with just a little extra on top end crispness, a little bit more bite and a little bit extra kick on the base price at 4,200 rupees, it's also superbly built so a lot of people like that. If you're someone who wants a V-Shaped sound signature which means that you were a fan of the KZ ZSN Pro X, and you want an IEM that's a little bit more fun, that's energetic, that's in your face - the ZS10 Pro X might be the default recommendation but I prefer the Oriveti OD100. Everything that's good about the KZ without the shout. If you're someone who wants that ultra wide sound stage, if you really really like that holographic imaging or if you're someone who loves gaming - the Final Audio VR2000 at 4,000 rupees is a complete no-brainer and only and only if you're an unapologetic bass head who wants that extra bass sound signature, well you have the QKZ x HBB Hades.

Outro
Now all of these IEMs work just great along with a reasonably good sounding Amp and DAC, so I use something like the Headphone Zone x ddHiFi Hi-Res DAC for 2,000 rupees along with my phone. It works flawlessly, I use this to test out all the earphones out there. Now I would highly recommend that if you're getting yourself a 5,000 rupee earphone that you use it to its maximum potential pairing it along with a Hi-Res Amp and DAC. I would love for all of you all to be able to listen to all these IM IMS and tell me what you think, it makes a lot of difference to know that people have similar opinions as what I'm thinking about these and that they found something that they like more than the other. So to listen to all these IEMs feel free to come down to our experience studio right here in Mumbai or find us at a Headphone Connect event happening at a city near you. We're coming all across the country this year so keep an eye out for when the next Headphone Connect is happening. Thank you bye-bye.