Intro

The best earphones under Rs. 2000 compared that's today's topic and I'm very very excited because we spent a lot of time planning this video out, for those of you being following our videos you guys know that we it's almost an annual ritual. We put out one video once a year talking about the best earphones under rupees 2000. The one we put up last year has done very very well but it's a very popular video on our YouTube channel.

I get so many people asking me questions and comments about that video and I think this year's video is going to be a little bit different and a little bit more interesting than the ones we've done earlier why because in the last 12 months, we've had some phenomenal sounding In-ear monitors that have released making the space under Rs. 2000 very very active very very interesting with so many great options one of the things. I keep telling a lot of people is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get good sound and the options that we have now under rupees 2000 just proves that you can get some phenomenal sounding headphones that don't cost more than Rs. 2000.

Final - E1000 & 1000C

Today's video is not about figuring out what best earphone under Rs. 2000 is i think it's really more about figuring out what the right earphone for you is depending on the kind of sound you like depending on the kind of music you like and depending on what's most important to you because there's so many great earphones under rupees 2000 and hopefully this video is going to help you pick the right one for you all right guys the first earphone on today's list is from Final Audio the E1000 and the E1000C now for those of you aren't familiar Final Audio is a very popular brand from Japan.

In fact, I think the E1000 is the only earphone on today's list that isn't from China. So thats saying something about these earphones now the E1000 and E1000c are two different variants the E1000 doesn't come with an inline mic in remote and the E1000C does come along with that so you can pick up and drop calls when you're on the move the workmanship the attention to detail, the design on these earphones as you would expect from any Japanese brand is just phenomenal these have to be one of the best designed earphones at this price point comes in a beautiful Matt black and gray and it's really really nice shiny looking earphone. You'll find that it's bullet shaped and it's very very slim so it slips into most people's ears effortlessly.

You don't have to wear this over your ear like a lot of other earphones and IEMs do at this price point it goes into your ears straight and that's because these are very very lightweight so they don't need a lot of support to keep them in place. In fact, I think for my wife and with a lot of women who have small ears these are the only IEMs on this list that fit perfectly one of the things that I will say in terms of sound quality is that it's tuned to absolute perfection.

It's so beautifully balanced there is no one frequency that stands out over the other you find that bass is right there present Punchy the treble is sparkly they've all been balanced in a way. That no one frequency feels more prominent in the other for me at this point this price point this is pretty much where good sound starts you'll find that for the price you are now finally able to hear some Nuance some details in the music that you couldn't hear which other cheaper earphones or with your stock earphones or with a pair of Bluetooth earphones at this price point you start hearing that the instruments are separated of Sound Stage that starts opening up in front of you comes in place where each of the instruments are coming from a slightly different place and you can start hearing the layers in the music that's what this Final Audio E1000 does and it's a great earphone for under Rs. 2000 one that I recommend anyone who's starting their audiophile journey to pick up without any question.

KZ - ZSN Pro X

All right guys number two on today's list is one of my favorite earphones and the absolute best-selling earphone right now in India for under Rs 2,000 the KZ ZSN Pro X and what a phenomenal earphone this is for those of you who aren't familiar with KZ It's a very small boutique manufacturer of In-Ear monitors from China and you'll find that they have a cult following amongst audiophiles everywhere around the world because their earphones sound incredible for really really cheap price points it's insane how much value for money you're getting for a earphone under rupees 2000 over here now the ZSN Pro X is different from virtually every other earphone that we have in today's list in one very important aspect While most earphones have one driver per side these have two there's one driver which is a dynamic driver focused on the bass and there is a hypersensitive balanced armature driver that is focused on the mid ring and Pebble and both these drivers on each side work together playing the music into your ears with insane amount of accuracy and detail now the sound signature on these KZ's are an Unapologetic v-shape what I mean by that is you'll find the bass is full-bodied grumpy but it doesn't overpower any other frequency you'll still find that it's fun to listen to the treble is really really sparkly very detailed and they've extended the basics level just a little bit on both sides to make this a fun sounding earphone to listen to now the ZSN Pro X is based off another really really popular model from KZ which was the KZ ZST X.

This is quite a popular earphone but the ZSN Pro X is basically a replacement to the ZST X and an improvement in virtually every way the sound signature is quite similar but the ZSN Pro X comes with a metallic face plate, which makes it look more premium and durable and the earphones have a detachable cable that's become a little better quality and works better with the other KZ accessories which are out there

KZ - ZEX

Alright guys next up on the list is another earphone from KZ and this one is an improvement on the ZSN Pro X. I have with me the new model from KZ from last year the KZ ZEX and it's very similar to the ZSN Pro X in a few ways this also has two drivers per side it's got a dynamic driver for the base but very importantly instead of the balanced armature drivers on the ZSN Pro X in this case you have an electrostatic driver for the treble and the mids now what does that give you in electrostatic driver is really really fast detailed crisp and accurate more than a balanced armature driver and so the mid-range and the treble sounds even more accurate even more nuanced even more detailed a lot more sparkly fuel what difference does that make to the overall listening experience the ZEX has a wider Sound Stage than the ZSN Pro X now also sudden all the instruments feel like they have just a little bit more definition a little bit more character and therefore separated a little bit more from every other instrument on the Sound Stage.

So in my mind the ZEX is just a little bit more fun to listen to a little bit more technical a little bit it's only more refined than the ZSN Pro X and therefore I'm using these right now as my primary earphone almost every day.

BLON - BL-03

All right guys next on our list is another very very popular earphone from China and one that has an absolute cult following amongst audiophiles everywhere the Blon BL-03 one of the most popular earphones under rupees 2000 right now now they've been around for a while and even spoken about these in some of my previous videos it's a little different from the cases one you only have one Dynamic driver per side and just like the KZ's the base is nice and full and thick it almost feels a little elevated but not overpowering from any other frequency.

You'll find that even though the bases are slightly exaggerated to make it fun sounding it doesn't take away from the clarity the technical details on the mid region and the treble the Blon BL-03 does a much better job of preserving all of those details and nuances even better than the KZ's and the finally E1000C that we just spoke about now where these are different from the KZ's though is that several has just been cooled off a little bit just rolled off a little bit and why do they do that because you'll find that if you're listening to music for extended periods of time that sparkly treble can sometimes get very very fatiguing by the time you come to your third and your fourth and your fifth song People describe it as pins and needles poking into your ears and your instinct is to take care of your phones out and take a breather you don't need to do that with Blon BL-03 the treble is just cooled off the right amount and it becomes very very easy and smooth to listen to for extended periods of time.

I describe the sound signature of the Blon BL-03 as warm and smooth warm because everything feels a little laid back a little easy to listen to Just the bass sounds warm and thick and full and fun but the treble isn't overpowering and very harsh so for that reason Blon BL-03 has an absolute cult following with audiophiles everyone love the sound and for less than 2000 rupees these are probably my best pick for somebody who wants a warm and smooth sound signature.

Moondrop - Chu

Alright guys the next product on our video is quite possibly the single most important new earphone to have released from last year this is the Moondrop CHU it's a landmark product for several reasons now Moondrop is not a new brand we've spoken about this even in last year's video of the Moondrop spaceship was a very very popular earphone for under rupees 2000 and the Moondrop CHU is the direct successor to the Moondrop spaceship and what a phenomenal earphone this is this earphone I think is really really important for us to talk about because it's changed the way virtually everybody makes the earphones at this price point of less than rupees 2000.

It has started what I like to call the neutrality war amongst all the chi-fi Brands which are out there now the Moondrop Chu is tuned to a very specific neutral sound signature people who like this kind of sound appreciated for the fact that it's got virtually all the frequencies perfectly tonally balanced the tonality of these earphones is what we're talking about when I say that I'm talking about a very neutral balanced sound signature that people are pursuing and in reaching this kind of a Target curve or Target tonality audiophiles find that this is representing virtually all details in their music perfectly.

If you're someone who is looking for a thick punchy bass on maybe the Moondrop CHU is not for you this is a earphone that presents phenomenal amounts of detail and balance to My ears they may even seem a little bright but what's special about the CHU's is it comes with its own proprietary ear tips called the Moondrop spring tips which is super super flexible and soft and once the fit is perfect you're basically going to get Target response that Moondrop wants you to listen to with the sound signature so less than 2000 rupees I think a lot people would consider the Moondrop CHU as the most technically capable and tonally perfect earphones which are out there so now that we've got a Target response curve that almost everybody is pushing the tuning of the earphones to words you find.

7HZ - Salnotes Zero

The next product to come out was what I think is perhaps the single biggest release of last year the 7Hz Salnotes Zero now Moondrop Chu set Benchmark but Salnotes Zero pushed it and improved it in virtually every way a lot of people sometimes felt that the Moondrop Chu was a little too bright.

So the 7Hz Salnotes Zero cooled off the treble just a little bit to make it more enjoyable and to make it less fatigue it even improved the bass just a little bit to make it a little bit warmer a little bit more pronounced and therefore a little bit more fun build quality on the 7Hz Salnotes Zero is just phenomenal now why is this earphone important because this has been tuned by a reviewer Crinacle

If you guys are following him on YouTube you guys know that he has very specific tuning that he's aiming for and the 7Hz Salnotes Zero makes that tuning possible and available for less than Rs. 2000 another earphone that went after the same Target response curve the same tuning of the Moondrop Chu and the 7Hz Salnotes Zero is this this is again from a Chinese Boutique brand called TANGZU.

Tangzu - Wan'er S.G.

I'm holding in my hand the Wan'er the pronunciation can take a little bit getting used to the TANGZU Wan'er for less than Rs. 2000 is also a very very well tuned neutral IEM that's going for the same kind of sound signature that both of these guys are going the moondrop shoe and the 7Hz Salnotes Zero but unlike those two earphones this has a slightly exaggerated and slightly elevated bass a slightly elevated lower mid-range so this adds a slight element of warm a slight element of fun if you will to the sound signature of the other two some people like it but I find that in doing that little bit of an extended bass, a little bit of that you know elevated bass response it sounds a little metallic it sounds a little less clean and clear as compared to the 7Hz Salnotes Zero so while it's a little bit more fun while still keeping that neutral flavor it may not be for everyone's taste because it takes away from a little bit of that texture and Timbre that the 700 is famous for so let me help you visualize this you have the 7Hz Salnotes Zero which I think is a great reference point you have the TANGZU Wan'er which is got a little bit of the elevation on the Bass and you have the Moondrop Chu that has a little bit of an elevation on the treble but in general all the three earphones are as close to a perfect tuning as you will get for anybody out there looking for a reference sound for less than Rs. 2000 but there's one more earphone that we have in today's list which I think is quite neatly pushed boundaries for as far as they can go for under Rs. 2000 and the earphone.

Truthear - Hola

I'm talking about is the brand new Truthear Hola all the way from China. Truthear is a very very exciting new IEM brand that's been making all the waves and audiophile circles around the world and the Hola is for under Rs. 2000 the most popular product to have released now in India now just like the Moondrop Chu and then the 7Hz Salnotes Zero and then the TANGZU Wan'er the Truthear HOLA is also going for that very reference neutral sound signature and it achieves it really really well it's very close to what everybody else is also going for with one notable difference in which that Bass is just elevated a little bit to make the earphone a little bit more fun a little bit more full a little bit more interesting to listen to and maybe not as sterile and clinical as the 7Hz Salnotes Zero or the moon drop chu and I absolutely love that I love the way it sounds.

I think in this entire war of achieving the perfect tuning the truthear hola is probably done the best job amongst all four of them some people may like it some people may not but for my ears it sounds fun interesting and very very detailed and very very accurate it does great justice to all frequencies.

You don't lose out on any of the clarity any of the details especially on the mid-range and the treble while still having a slightly interesting elevated base to make it fine the build quality is phenomenal the detachable cables are amazing Truthear is known for making some super high quality well-designed IEMs the Hola does not compromise on that in any way all right guys we've spoken about so many IEMs.

Raghav's Verdict

In today's video again I started the video by saying that I don't think that there's any one perfect IEM I think everyone has a slightly different preference a slightly different sound signature that they like and each of the earphones that we've spoken about today are the favorite earphone for somebody out there it is the perfect earphone for somebody who's looking for that out there I like a slightly more fun v-shaped sound signature I like the bass to be elevated I like the treble to be elevated it makes music so much more enjoyable and fun and that I think the ZSN Pro X from KZ the ZEX from KZ does a phenomenal job of that the Final E1000c is just a little bit cooled off it is a little more balanced but I think as an overall package the final E1000c is the most complete well designed earphone the fact that it has the Pinnacle of Japanese craftsmanship design you know applied to the build in the quality of the earphone it shows and I really feel that you get phenomenal value for money with the final E1000c Blon Bl-03 takes everything that's fun about the KZ it cools off the treble to a point where it's a really nice smooth IEM to listen to while still having all the technicalities so you can't go wrong with that if you're someone who's looking for a warm but yet a smooth sound signature then you have the four IEMs from last year which I think have completely changed the game for this category of earphones under 2000 rupees it started with the moondrop Chu which went for a very very neutral Target tuning and when

I say that it was considered impossible for a price point of Rs. 2000 and moondrop showed that it is possible and started this entire tuning War the 7Hz Salnotes Zero came right after that it just made the sound signature a little bit more balanced a little cleaner a little bit more detailed and nuanced and therefore became insanely popular with a lot of audiophiles the 7Hz Salnotes Zero.

I would still say is a benchmark IEM for anyone who's looking for what's possible for rupees 2000 and then you have the TANGZU Wan'er which tried to maybe make the bass a little bit more elevated and the Truthear Hola that came in and absolutely nailed it to perfection all these for your phones I think are very very popular earphones for purest audio files who are looking for a perfect balanced sound signature with all sequencies really really well represented.

It's not for everyone if you're someone who wants your music to sound fun you may find these earphones a little sterile a little boring a little too clinical purists will tell you that you're hearing all the music without any exaggeration or without any compromise on details.

I don't think that there's a real winner I think there's something out there for everyone and if you're somebody who likes a particular kind of sound signature we now have options to make everybody happy for under rupees 2000 good sound genuinely doesn't have to cost a lot and it's incredible that in 2023.

Outro

We have so many phenomenal sounding earphones for under Rs. 2000. I invite you to come try these out at our experience Studio here in Mumbai if you're in the neighbourhood otherwise come and join us at a headphone connect event that's happening somewhere in your vicinity.

We're doing shows all across India this year and I'm sure that there will be one not too far away from you and I invite you to come down and try them either ways even if you're building a collection of earphones under Rs. 2000.

I promise you each of these earphones deserves to be on that collection. Thank you so much for watching today's video I hope this was super helpful I hope to see you guys soon.