Earphones

Budget IEMs and wired earphones on AliExpress

26 picks

Wired earphones that sit in your ear, often called IEMs (in-ear monitors). They plug into a headphone jack, or into a dongle on phones without one.

Your budget

KZ Castor Bass KZ Castor Bass Wired earphones with extra bass from KZ Audio ZVX KZ Audio ZVX Budget wired earphones from TANGZU WAN ER SG TANGZU WAN ER SG Wired earphones that run fine from a phone from Moondrop CHU II Moondrop CHU II Wired earphones with a balanced sound from MOONDROP Kadenz MOONDROP Kadenz Higher-end wired earphones from 7Hz X Crinacle Zero 2 7Hz X Crinacle Zero 2 Wired earphones tuned with reviewer Crinacle from Moondrop CHU III Moondrop CHU III Wired earphones with punchy bass for the price from TRUTHEAR PURE TRUTHEAR PURE Wired earphones with four drivers and a warm sound from SIMGOT EW300 SIMGOT EW300 Wired earphones with three kinds of driver in a metal shell from Kiwi Ears Belle Kiwi Ears Belle Compact wired earphones with tight, plentiful bass from Kiwi Ears Cadenza II Kiwi Ears Cadenza II Warm, smooth wired earphones with a titanium driver from SIMGOT EG280 SIMGOT EG280 Gaming-tuned earphones with a planar tweeter and USB-C dongle from SIMGOT EA1000 Fermat SIMGOT EA1000 Fermat All-metal dynamic-driver earphones with a passive radiator and swappable nozzles from KZ ZS10 Pro X KZ ZS10 Pro X Hybrid five-driver earphones with punchy bass and detailed highs from TANGZU Wan'er S.G II Red Lion TANGZU Wan'er S.G II Red Lion Bass-boosted wired earphones with ruby-red shells from KZ Vibe X KZ Vibe X Dual-driver earphones with tactile physical bass vibration from MOONDROP Dark Saber MOONDROP Dark Saber Ten-driver flagship hybrid earphones with carbon fiber faceplates from KZ Gale KZ Gale Ultra-budget gaming earphones with spatial bass tuning from FiiO JH13 FiiO JH13 Three-driver hybrid earphones with natural zebrawood faceplates from 7Hz G1 7Hz G1 Dual-cavity DLC dynamic driver earphones for gaming and music from KZ Taurus KZ Taurus Horizontal dual dynamic driver earphones with electronic crossover from KZ Decet KZ Decet Ten-driver dynamic earphones with five dynamic drivers per side from KZ Axas KZ Axas FPS gaming in-ear monitors tuned for positional spatial audio from CVJ Vivian CVJ Vivian Warm budget earphones with punchy bass and gothic faceplates from KZ EDZ KZ EDZ EDX series collector's edition earphones with ultra-wideband dynamic driver from MOONDROP Harmon MOONDROP Harmon Triple dynamic driver earphones with isobaric sub-bass and glass-dome treble from

Questions

Which wired earphones here have the most bass?

The KZ Castor Bass ($8) is the cheapest bass-heavy pick: it has four tuning switches per earpiece (16 settings), though with the bass switches up it can muddy voices. The Kiwi Ears Belle ($25) is praised for tight, plentiful bass, and the Moondrop Kadenz ($197) for strong, physical punch.

Which earphones are under $20?

Nine picks cost under $20: the KZ ZVX ($8), KZ Castor Bass ($8), KZ Gale ($11), KZ EDZ ($12), KZ AXAS ($13), 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 ($15), Tangzu Wan'er SG ($15), Moondrop Chu II ($18) and CVJ Vivian ($18). The blog's guide to cheap IEMs under $20 sorts them by sound.

Which earphones suit gaming?

The KZ AXAS ($13) is tuned for competitive FPS games and positional audio, and the KZ Gale ($11) is an ultra-budget gaming set with spatial bass tuning. The Simgot EG280 ($72) is gaming-tuned and comes with a USB-C dongle, and the 7Hz G1 ($35) is aimed at gaming and music.

Do I need a DAC or dongle for these?

Not for most. Picks such as the KZ ZVX, 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2, Moondrop Chu II and Chu III, Tangzu Wan'er SG and Truthear Pure are listed as easy to drive from a phone. If your phone has no headphone jack you need a USB-C dongle or an adapter, and the Moondrop Kadenz even includes a USB-C cable with a built-in DAC. See the Headphone DACs page for dongles.

Are the picks tested by chi-fi?

No. Picks come from research into reviews and specifications, not hands-on testing. The How we pick page explains the process.

Are the buy links affiliate links?

Yes. chi-fi may earn a commission when you buy through a link, at no extra cost to you.