Best IEMs from $200 - $400

Moondrop x Crinacle Dusk

• Inoffensive safe tuning, less fatiguing uppermids good for jpop/kpop. Vocals lack the last bit of extension, detail, and power. DSP APP is a shit show. Heavy competition from Nova, Cincotres, Hype 4.
• Great bass quality, rich vocals, balanced tonality, sparkly treble, and excellent resolution. I prefer more bass. Excellent tuning and a highly detailed, all-around performer.
• Just so chill with certain music.
• Pros: Balanced tuning with world class timbre decay.
• Overall high engagement factor.

Softears Volume S

• Amazing vocals under $500 with the stock switch/clear tips or tangzu sancai regular (no impedance boost) with amazing vocal scaling. Recommended for higher volume listening like ballads, slower...
• Studio 4 with DD bass, great bass texture, tonal accuracy, forward vocals, and natural timbre. High impedance mode sounds bright. A benchmark for tonality and timbre.
• Probably the best iem of 2025 so far...
• Fantastic IEM for the price. Super sharp and standout

Binary Dynaquattro

• Natural vocals, good treble extension, bass is tight and more resolving vs 61t and Davinci. Overall very well balanced and clean. There are some small peaks at 8-10k and 15-20K which can be an issue...
• Excellent bass, vocal-forward tuning, and natural timbre. Hard to drive, could use more treble extension. Shines when driven properly.
• It has great tuning, but lack serverly in some areas. Very fun.

ZiiGaat Odyssey

• A mini Subtonic Storm that scales better and fuller with less tech. A musical odyssey. High volume set, great scaling, a cleaner/midrange focused Explorer with better layering and detail. Takes you...
• Great bass, natural vocals that aren't shouty, and excellent treble extension. The lower treble can be too much. Fun and engaging tuning. It's like a more exciting version of the KE4.
• Great tune, upper trebble is kinda funky, but basically perfectly tuned.
• Pros: Fantastic V-shape Meta Tuned. Cons: Could use a bit less mid-treble spiciness.

Aful Performer 5+2

• Clean, balanced, neutral sound with good layering and tech. Relaxing vocals, but lacks power and last bit of vocal extension. Bass has good controll, but lacks impact. Has sizzly planar timbre in the...
• Smooth, neutral tuning with a bass boost, excellent bass quality, clean mids, forward vocals, and sparkly, incisive treble. Great detail. I wouldn’t change a thing. A detailed, engaging all-rounder...
• My kind of neutral, improves a lot on my favorites.
• Overall it is sounding more visceral and incisive than the Performer 5.

ThieAudio Hype 4

• One of the best all-rounders under $600 (v-shaped harman). Treble quality is smooth and well extended. Great low-end texture with lots of impact. Good vocals. Solid tech, and just solid in general.
• Fun, bass-boosted sound with powerful bass, great treble extension, and clear vocals. Treble can be overly crisp at times. A fun and exciting IEM.
• Upper trebble is odd on many tracks, but is a strong set.
• Bass sounds somewhat 'BA-ish' for being DD, but well-tuned, decently technical, and a very solid package overall.
• Great imaging and headstage. Width is outstanding. Even at 400 bucks it's outstanding in this pricerange.

Ziigaat Arcanis

• My favourite vocals under $500 (best imo). A more refined OG Mangird Tea with better resolution and tech. Recommend listening at higher volumes on slower vocal centric tracks. Don't rec hiphop or...
• Lots of good neutral energy here. Interesting set up.
• Not really stand out at the price range. Lack a bit of definition. Decent IEM

Xenns Tea Pro

• A more resolving Davinci, literally. The Tea magic is gone :( but it's now the most refined and well-balanced. It's the most bassy one with better low-end texture, heavier notes, more details, better...
• Powerful bass with great slam, open sound, excellent imaging, and detail. Treble is a bit bright.
• Great set, but lacks slam for it's bass level at times.
• Pros: Good warm-neutral tuning with enough details. Cons: Could use a bit more treble refinement.

LETSHUOER Cadenza 4

• Slightly bright, clean sound, very airy, sweet vocals. Great separation and resolution. Reminds me of the OG Orcales. Follows Harman 2019 but with more air. Needs more low-end, not an all-rounder....
• It's like a better Hexa, it's not bad, but feels lean.

Kiwi Ears Septet

• Bright-leaning with slight warmness - has an unique sparkly/lush, airy, and spacious sound. Great tech for the price, treble is not overly harsh or peaky (at mid volume), pretty smooth with the extra...
• A unique open back iem.

Tanchjim Origin

• A cleaner/less warm LM, smoother EA1000 (fermats a little more resolving), very balanced, clean, and neutral sound. Very tough competition.
• Cohesive, vocal-focused tuning with dynamic bass, smooth extended treble, and excellent detail. Could use more sub-bass. Smooth, detailed, and vocal-centric sound.
• Great Clarity, exceedingly tip sensitive.
• Japanese flavor of tuning (mid-bass and upper-mid focus) finally done justice. Strong technical chops and slightly forward.
• Pros: Beautiful timbre and treble. Cons: Bass can use a bit more...volume.

Kiwi Ears Astral

• Great all-rounder. Slighty airy with good sub-bass extenion. Balanced but still fun. A cleaner, airier, and less sharp & sparkly version of the Meta - vocals pop out more than Meta. Tip rec Sancai...
• Deep, textured sub-bass, clean and forward mids, airy treble, and great detail. Upper treble can be a bit much, and the bass tuck isn’t for everyone. Great all-rounder with a bright, airy top end.
• Tonality is fantastic.
• Pros: Clean, techinical v-shape signature with great midrange. Cons: upper treble too much.

Moondrop Blessing 3

• Bright-neutral. Slight resolution bump over the B2 Dusk, but at the cost of weak bass and sharp 6K.
• Neutral, vocal-focused sound with great treble extension and detail. Light bass, can sound lean, thin and technical. Excellent resolution.
• A little lean, but if you eq it's one of the best sets out there for the price.
• Detail-oriented signature at the expense of sounding quite anemic.
• Pros: Brighter, slightly more detailed version of B2 Dusk. Cons: Bass a little light.

CrinEar Meta

• Bright-leaning all-rounder with sparkly treble sauce. Great tech for price and great accessories. Good coloration that's not vanilla and safe as other crin collabs. Can be fatiguing at higher...
• Versus similar priced IEMs this is probably the IEM I would be buying. Very nice IEM and a little bit on the contrasty side.

Prisma Audio Azul

• Severly lacks bass.

Elysian Pilgrim

• Clean, clear, all-rounder, similar tuning as the Dusk but with better vocals, bass quality is great as well, aethestically pleasing too. If you want a clean all-rounder, or sensitive in the 3-8K,...
• Elysian house sound with a balanced tuning, textured sub-bass, smooth mid-range, well extended treble, and excellent resolution. I prefer more bass. One of the most resolving IEMs under $1000.
• Great little set to consider for those after an Elysian Product.
• Pros: Most technical sounding IEM under $1000.
• Not a bad IEM. Very solid but in this price range it's really competetive. Very safe tuning.

Aful Performer 8

• Good neutral set. Airy and open staging but with forward vocals although lacking in extension. Great layering and details but not 3D and more flat. Vocals could also be more open, and feels "stuck".
• One of the most technical and best air and details iem out there for the price.
• Quite solid technical performance. Good imaging/separation. Good sense of positioning.

Dunu Falcon Ultra

• Bassy boy that lacks air and detail.

Juzear 81T

• Clean balanced sound with good punch low-end, but... Harman 2019, just get Supermix 4 or Nova.
• Strong V, but good drivers if you want a V signature.

FATfreq x HBB Deuce

• The defacto basshead rec before the more expensive stuff. Super fun sub-bass, textured, heavy, prolonged decay for more reverb in the bass, well-balanced as well, smooth and scales great. Tech is not...
• Hits Hard, and is super fun. Suprisingly great mids.
• This is not my usual sound signature which I like. But it's a lot of fun in a unique way. One-trick pony.

ZiiGaat Cincotres

• Great bass texture, vocals, treble, solid all-rounder. Similar to Variations but with a smaller/delayed scoop, more mid-bass, but not as much treble/air. A fun bassy sound but still well-balanced....
• This is a mini Monarch MK , V baby.

Moondrop Blessing 2

• Very well tuned from bass to treble, perhaps lacking in the last octaves of extension.
• Pros: Very well tuned neutral signature.

DUNU x Gizaudio DaVinci

• Warm leaning with thick, thumpy mid-bass that hits pretty deep and hard. Decent vocal and treble extension, although female vocals are warmer and huskier. Good for hiphop, rap, r&b, but low-end isn't...
• Bass-boosted meta tuning with excellent detail and a grand sound. Bass may be too much for some.
• Bass kind of pops off in the worst way possible.
• A little bit too bassy. imaging is impressive. If you are looking for a bassy set with great imaging, this is a good option.

Jays Audio x ZiiGaat Estrella

• Great soundstage,very V shapped, to those sensitive to those regions.
• A little bit overcooked. It is certainly not a bad IEM. It does a good job in give you a lot of bass and a lot of physicality in the bass and not compromising in separation and imaging.

Kiwi Ears Quintet

• Great tech and treble detail. Amazing performance to price value, but metallic timbre and peak can be an issue.
• upper air drives me crazy.

Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite

• Smooth tuning, clean mid-range, open sound. Unvented design, BA bass, could use more sub-bass, safe tuning.
• It's just too safe, needs more something.

ZiiGaat Arete x Fresh Reviews

• Clean sound, accurate mids, clear vocals, great soundstage, precise imaging. Bass quality. Great gaming IEM.
• Fantastic simple tonality. Lacks in trebble extension but is a nice earphone.

Moondrop Blessing 2: Dusk

• Great resolution and separation. Vocals can sound recessed/thin, and is sibilant at higher volumes. Uneven and grainy treble. Clinical, thin, and not as musical as others sets.
• Pros: Very well tuned with great bass responsse.
• Great midrange with a natural timbre. Could use better bass and treble quality/extension. Mids may be too forward for some.

Audio Hekili

• Slight U-shape for a wholly fun sound.

ThieAudio Hype 2

• Mini-Monarch MK3 with less bass and details. 80% there. Harmanish tuning, and best all-rounder before Studio 4.
• Just not right for me, but solid.
• Poor bass performance and sounds like surface-level detailing due to mid-treble recession despite great frequency response.
• Imagin is fantastic and stands out. Hype 2 is a pretty good place to start in the hobby

Xenns Mangird Tea

• Discontinued, but one of the best female vocals I've heard on any IEMs at higher volume. Top tier mids under $500. Spring Tips improves vocals and treble clarity. Great around the head imaging, but...
• It's not bad, sorta neutral and mid.

ZiiGaat Doscinco

• Benchmark bass set before the UP. Low-end is impactful, rumbly, heavy, and slams hard with reverb detail. Ideal for hiphop/rap/r&b/rock. Separation & resolution not the best around its price, but...

Sony XBA-N3

• Exceptional tonal balance only limited by its slightly smoothed over definition
• Sinfully addictive tuning hampered only by a slight lack of detail and imaging performance.

7Hz Timeless 2

• Good all-rounder set with solid tech. Good variety with the nozzles that actually changes the sound. Treble is smoother than other planars, and not much "planar timbre".
• Clean, impactful bass, great detail, fast transients. Upper mids are a bit intense, bright treble, planar timbre. Sounds is identical to the Timeless OG.
• It's fine, but it's 230 dollars.
• Pros: A good v-shape. Cons: treble can be a bit too much.

Etymotic ER4XR

• A more mainstream tuning of the ER4S/SR with slightly boosted bass.
• So. Darn. Boring. But yes, it's the BA benchmark.

Moondrop Harmon

• Clean Harman 2019 sound. Clear and balanced, but can still be shouty in the vocals. New Crossover and 3DD talk is marketing jargon not that much difference vs other DDs. You can just buy Nova or...
• While fun, and a nice tune, it's not the best value to be had.
• Does not actually sound as it graphs. More dominant Bass than you might expect. Warm tilted slightly contrasty sound signature. Kind of a fine IEM.

Tanchjim Oxygen

• One of the best-tuned DDs tuned somewhat to Harman. Defined and detailed.
• A better KXXS with slightly out-of-head imaging.
• Pros: Great energy for a harman signature.

Juzear 61T

• Low-end is good, tight, with good impact, but bass feels low-res. Vocals are too recessed and warm. Treble and air is good, but that's about it. BA timbre. Relaxing listen, but Dynaquattro is just...
• Very strong iem, with a unique tuning at this pricepoint.
• It's on okay IEM. Decent IEM but you can do better.

DUNU Vulkan

• Neutral bass glide, full mids, and decent treble extension. Some masking and not as technical vs blessing series, but better note-weight and timbre/tonality.
• Solid iem, nice tonality but really not for Bassheads.
• Musical, slightly out-of-head presenation at the expense of blunted transients.

7hz Aurora

• Mini MEST, OCD treble detail, sharp imaging, great detail and tech for its price, immersive with the right song, but is too sharp with energetic tracks with lots of electronic elements, vocals also a...
• It's a fun iem, but not something that I would want.

Yanyin Canon Pro

• Clean, neutral, balanced. Airy treble but smooth, great tech. Recommend UP UP switch with bass boost. A smoother pilgrim basically.
• Not really stand out at the price range. Lack a bit of definition. Decent IEM

Aful Performer 5

• Fun slight v-shape tuning with forward vocals with slight excitement in the treble. Separation takes a hit as a result, and treble is a bit uneven.
• Still a king.
• Inoffensive other than being a bit too gritty and clacky in the treble.
• Pros: Balanced tuning with fantastic treble extension. Cons: imaging could be better.

Xenns Mangird Tea 2

• Slightly more technical version of the OG TEAs. Thumpier low end, and treble is more extended. Less forward presentation. Stage has more depth. Can't scale as well as OG. Vocals are not as "magical"...
• A little odd in some parts of the treble and detailing could use some work, but nothing offensive overall.

Simgot EA1000

• The only Passive Radiator iem that doesn't make me want to vomit.
• Technical performance is pretty solid. Bright leaning V-Shaped signature, but tasteful.

SoftEars Volume

• Smooth, slightly splashy treble, but a legend.
• Decent tonality but boring dynamics and low-level detailing. Oddly dipped in the mid-treble.
• Pros: Nicely tuned, vocal forward signature. Cons: Treble air.

BGVP DM8

• A bit wonky on paper, but nothing to really complain about in practice.

Fiio FH5

• Stellar bass response and decent technical ability, not much to fault.
• Easily the best Fiio IEM. Warm, pleasant tuning with decent detail.

DUNU Talos

• It's a fine set, but my excitement is dulled by it's price.
• Sounds best with the BA switch off. Somewhat thin, mid-treble oriented sound.
• Pros: Very well tuned, well balanced. Cons: Could use more air.

7Hz Timeless

• Great details. Good stage in front but lacking in wideness/3D. Imaging is good and speration is great, but uneven treble peaks. Planar timbre. Vocals and notes can be thin. Fatiguing at higher volume...
• Clean, impactful bass, great detail, fast transients. Upper mids are a bit intense, bright treble, planar timbre.
• Easily the best-tuned planar IEM by a country mile, the Timeless is also no slouch on the technical front.
• Has the planar advantage with most of its disadvantages and a reasonable tonality.
• Pros: High details for the price, good fun tuning. Cons: Metallic timbre.

DITA PROJECT M

• Impressive bass, airy treble, great resolution. Bright treble, mid-range timbre.
• It's pretty but poorly tuned.

Thieaudio Legacy 4

• Well-tuned if technically lacking in comparison. Could use some more power in the bass.
• Good tonal balance, but can be fatiguing. Sounds like it's trying too hard.

Raptgo Hook X

• Cool concept. I love the presentation and the sound, just not the price.
• Sounds similar to the Timeless with a smoother sound, less detail, and better imaging (seems less congested).
• Pros: Pleasing warm tuning. Cons: can be too relaxed.

I/O Sogno

• Literally Harman 2019. Inoffensive and good all-rounder. A little sharp in the timbre vs Volare (I'd just save up for the Volare if you want Harman), more low-end than Volare, better bass and timbre...
• It's a fine IEM if you look for something which is Harman compliant. It's a bit narrow sounding but pleasant.

DUNU Falcon Pro

• Notes sound grand and dynamics are good, but clarity could use work.

Moondrop Blessing

• All rounder that comes the closest to the Harman Target.
• Harman target hitter with surprisingly poor bass for a DD. Get the Blessing 2 instead.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro

• Very well tuned with slight v-shape. Bass is detailed with good texture and treble has good extension. Soundstage is average and lacks width; less open and expansive than AirPods Pro 2s. Imaging and...
• A less shouty interpretation of Harman with the same controlled yet impactful bass response.

Apple AirPods Pro

• Somewhat Diffuse-Field tuning with a smooth and natural midrange tonality.
• Well-tuned with something of a mid-treble suckout that negatively impacts timbre.

ThieAudio Elixir

• Solid detail pickup and clean, snappy transients with a hint of Focal-inspired treble.
• Pros: Safe tuning, relatively balanced. Cons: lacking treble.

Sony WF-1000XM4

• Use EQ and swap the tips. Overly dark and muddy otherwise.

Sennheiser IE300

• Fairly mainstream tuning with a treble response that's well done given its emphasis.
• Pros: Extremely comforable fit and versatile signature.

Sony WF-1000XM3

• Proper tonality, solid technicalities yet with a consumer-friendly signature.

SeeAudio Bravery

• Just seems like another BA only set that lacks dynamics and punch.
• Pleasant and coherent, lacking in that special sauce which would take it to the next level.

Prisma Azul

• A well-balanced neutral monitor bottlenecked by sheer resolution and narrow imaging performance.
• Excellent treble extension; almost too much. Could use work in the imaging department.

Tipsy Spica 260

• Great with EQ.

Audio Lokahi

• Airy and "raw" presentation that could use some technical refinement.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro

• More lower mids than your average Harman-tuned IEM, but works in its favour by being more pleasant.
• A warmer interpretation of the Harman curve and pretty horrible imaging.

Apple Airpods Pro 2

• Great sense of depth with improvement in soundstage over OG. More precise imaging, and improvement in seperation and overall clarity. Treble is better exteded. Sub-bass is around the same with more...
• A more exciting sound signature in comparison to its predecessor, with little in terms of drawbacks.
• A more exciting version of the OG Airpods Pro with boosted sub-bass and mid-treble.

Fiio FD5

• Pretty standard V-shaped tuning though surprisingly proficient in technicalities.
• Generic Fiio tuning with metallic timbre issues to boot in the treble and upper-midrange.

Dunu DK-2001

• Slightly warm-tilted with a bit of treble spiciness.
• A leaner, more forward version of the 3001.

ThieAudio Legacy 5

• A little lacking in the upper-mids but otherwise a competent set.
• Safe, but decidedly boring.

SeeAudio x Crinacle Midnight

• Great vocals and mids. Sub-bass boost and smooth treble. Overall great tuning but lacking in upper frequency details and imaging/seperation. Average soundstage.
• Impressive treble extension and tonality, but generally sounds compressed on both ends of the spectrum.

Fiio FH7

• What is otherwise a pretty good hybrid marred by a strange tonality.
• Definitely one of Fiio's better releases. Warm and pleasing, would benefit from more air and bass also doesn't sound very DD.

BQEYZ Autumn

• Slightly sharp around 3-5kHz, but decent enough otherwise. Cool magnet filter system, bass filters sound best.

QDC Neptune

• Tuning and configuration is simple but goes a long way when implemented well.

Aune Jasper

• A little shouty but overall a well-balanced tonality that's more pleasing than divisive.

FiiO FH15

• Not a fan. Lacks treble.

YanYin Aladdin

• Pleasant tonal balance, but very dull dynamics.

Mangird Tea

• In a weird place, tonally. Not quite wrong enough to be "wonky", but certainly not right either.
• Pleasant enough tonality, but mediocre technicalities and very boring.

7Hz Eternal

• Basically a substantial regression from the Timeless and with typical DD charactersitics.

Periodic Audio Be

• Meaty with decent sparkle in the treble, whilst remaining clear and clean.
• Bloated bass with a passable sound signature and poor imaging and detailing.

BGVP DM6

• Warm tilt in tone, decent detail retrieval though definition is a little too smoothed over.

HarmonicDyne P.D.1

qdc Uranus

• Sounds like another variation of the qdc Fusion. Not sure which is worse though.
• Just another V-shaped tuning with low-level detailing.

AudioSense T800

• Generic tuning that's nothing special in terms of tonal accuracy nor technicalities.
• Bassy and has a hole in the lower-treble. Generally somewhat wonky all-round.

Fiio FH5S

• Varying degrees of "V-shape". Sounds like a regression from the original.
• A worse FH5.

Sennheiser IE 300

• Slightly sibilant upper-midrange and generally tin can-y treble.

Campfire Satsuma

• Basically a rehashed Comet in a negative profile fit.
• Ostensibly rolled-off on both ends of the spectrum, but could be worse...I guess.

CCZ Plume

• Can an IEM possibly sound more generic?

Kinera Freya

• Pretty IEM that doesn't sound so pretty.

Nicehck TopGuy

• Harkens to the Shuoer Tape Pro if perhaps not quite as bad.

Ikko Gems OH1S

• A major regression from the OH10. Zero bass with a thin, fatiguing midrange and treble response.

FLC 8P

• Sounded broken with all the filters.

Campfire Honeydew

• Bloated bass, recessed upper-mids, generally off-tone, and simply lacking surface-level detailing.
• Campfire's latest (and worst) bloated nightmare.

oBravo Cupid

• Incoherent, broken imaging, overly-shouty, sharp treble, just a cacophony.
• I'd rather listen to the sound of silence than this.