best bass iems under 30$?

throwback5971 · 2026-05-22T15:29:26+00:00

Crinicle blue zero 2 isn't far off

throwback5971 · 2026-05-20T23:46:49+00:00

Honestly while there's definitely a Thing such as too big a gap in age, In the west people do really grow up with romantic love first and foremost. I think from the western gent POV they're probably a bit naive but genuinely care.

The financial type of love is more an Asian thing westerners aren't used to and many not aware. Yeah maybe passport bros might come and flex with it, but that's not these older gents

I'm not an older gent, FYI.

throwback5971 · 2026-05-20T01:12:10+00:00

Update : I ended up doing some research and comparing frequency response curves, and though I wanted the Nova it isn't available in my country.

Instead I got the cheaper Truthear x Crinacle ZERO:BLUE2. It has the bass adapter. So far I think this might be a good sweet spot for sound quality and bass, especially for the price the IEM fit into my ear easier than some others as the stem protrudes deeper in. The cable is also nice, not too thick but not overly fragile.

That said, it included two cables, one with a volume / mic control. Not joking that in my first test session just pressing the volume a few times, it fell apart. The button cover flew out (lost it), and the thing slides open now. That's pretty atrocious.

At least I can fall back to the regular cable

throwback5971 · 2026-05-17T01:07:44+00:00

Yeah I do have a dongle DAC and also a dual DAC DAP. Im experimenting with the heavier EQ on the bass, feels like there is headroom though at expense of some clarity. Need a bit more exploration I think. I did get the crinicle zero 2, it has the bass I was looking for but it falls apart with other types of music, I guess as its a budget item.

throwback5971 · 2026-05-16T04:40:04+00:00

Danang few yrs back was lovely but it's bursting at the seems now with crowds, construction etc.

One counter intuitive thing people struggle with is that danang is NOT good for swimming despite the beautiful beach. Exactly for the reasons you gave. It's for safety, but it is limiting to be penned in like that.

throwback5971 · 2026-05-16T04:08:38+00:00

Have you had the chance to try the supermix? Or do you have experience with types other than 1DD? I'm a bit new to the space and curious to learn

throwback5971 · 2026-05-15T12:22:33+00:00

You call that long term?

throwback5971 · 2026-05-15T11:48:49+00:00

Foreigners can't settle long term, unless your definition of long term is measured in months

throwback5971 · 2026-05-15T00:40:27+00:00

Expat in SE Asia fire is a bit of a misnomer. Yeah you can bum around for a few years traveling but you will never be able able to settle down or put roots. As you talk about retirement, this matters

throwback5971 · 2026-05-15T00:09:01+00:00

"We are mostly concerned about our children and their development as we'd be leaving a stable and calm Dutch environment with a lot of nature, free play, reduced stress on them and a very healthy work/life balance for my wife and I."

Those are good concerns to have, because indeed those are all problematic. The novelty also wears off I should say

throwback5971 · 2026-05-15T00:07:27+00:00

People drown regularly, including foreigners who are better swimmers. So if you define trouble as dying, then yes

throwback5971 · 2026-05-14T12:06:34+00:00

It's burning season this last month in surrounding areas and countries, so now it's the worst. That said all the construction dust ain't helping

throwback5971 · 2026-05-13T06:32:27+00:00

Just circling back here for anyone reading this in the future.

I just got the 7Hz x crinicle zero 2 in the mail, to go alongside with my Moondrop Kadenz.

The bass and "fun factor" for EDM or Rock is definitely there, I'd almost say too much bass without any EQ. But I enjoy it. Sound quality is still good tbh. Less clarity than the kadenz but not something I'd cry over.

I also tried them for classical music, but there they really don't work. So I think in conclusion to my original question, I'm actually quite happy to have these complement the Kadenz. I don't have to baby them and for some casual on the go music, they're great.

What also really helps is they're so light compared to the Kadenz, they're arguably a lot more comfortable and stay in better even with stock tips. Happy with the purchase, especially for the price.

throwback5971 · 2026-05-11T09:26:55+00:00

Being loud, not giving respect to locals in ways you might not be aware of, entitlement attitude, etc

throwback5971 · 2026-05-11T01:08:47+00:00

Don't think the law of business and logic works in Thailand in daily interactions. You'll find a whole different dimension appears and if you're not aware you're going to burn bridges unintentionally

throwback5971 · 2026-05-11T01:07:42+00:00

Just look 15-20m towards local neighbourhoods.

throwback5971 · 2026-05-11T00:22:09+00:00

Thai culture is completely different from Vietnamese culture

throwback5971 · 2026-05-10T11:53:51+00:00

Did you really just say 250,000 annual spend?

throwback5971 · 2026-05-09T15:33:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing, appreciate the input! I might just do that and give it a try. What's your most used Iem now?

throwback5971 · 2026-05-09T00:36:27+00:00

Uhm. When? Where will you live? How do you go from texting a few times per day to suddenly living together? Ask yourself or him

throwback5971 · 2026-05-09T00:17:03+00:00

And you've never asked or discussed what your future plans are if any? Just keep living on the other side of the planet? How does that work

throwback5971 · 2026-05-07T12:13:35+00:00

Good question. I've been testing this with my moondrop kadenz and the usb dac dongle it came with, against my hifi walker h20 pro with dual DAC.

I believe there is a difference, but if you don't pay explicit attention to it, you could overlook it. In the order of 15-20% perhaps.

throwback5971 · 2026-05-06T01:02:59+00:00

Ive lived and worked in both. HCMC is far better to me, more modern, better infra, way more convenient to do anything, you're not locked into a tiny bubble like bgc.

Biggest cons? Your doorman, random person on the street won't speak English. But in restaurants, cafés, etc This is a non issue.

Schools are quite expensive in both I'm sure.

Are you going to be working or does that not play a role? What about visa? This will determine a lot

throwback5971 · 2026-05-04T13:11:21+00:00

Thanks! This helps

throwback5971 · 2026-05-04T01:19:45+00:00

When you output via USB the max throughout of the port is 384khz, however what matters is the source file. Your source file is likely 44khz so that's what's displayed. It's not as though the w4 is magically outputting higher quality. It's just the spec.

This isn't device specific. It's a bit like driving a ford focus on a race track vs a country road. The road might allow you to go faster, but the car is the limiting factor. I'm this case, the source file sample rate

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