I've had moderately severe hearing loss from birth and must wear hearing aids my every waking moment to hear speech at all, so the hearing aids being talked about in the article aren't strong enough for me.
The noise cancellation technology in hearing aids has evolved in an interesting way. I get new hearing aids about once per decade. My previous pair, which were my first digital hearing aids, went all out on erasing background noise to assist in the isolation of human conversation. My current pair of hearing aids backs off on the background noise cancellation, because it was found that there is a lot of background noise that you actually want or need to hear, like bird song or engine and motor noises. You'd think you want to get rid of all engine or motor noise, but when something bad is happening with said engine or motor, or it has failed entirely and isn't making noise at all, you may need to know about that.
I tried the Bluetooth for listening to music in my previous pair, and the sound quality was very rinky-dink and vastly inferior compared to a $30 pair of IEMs. That was about 15 years ago so maybe it's better now but I don't feel the need to try it because, as far as I can tell from paying close attention to how they advertise even the latest advances in Bluetooth audio, what they still haven't figured out how to do is keep the audio synced with video, so they are very careful to avoid talking about watching TV with it. It is maddening to have a variable delay of the lips not matching up with the words, particularly for those of us who use lip-reading to assist with speech comprehension.
I think we're going to see a lot of very bad marketing behavior from OTC hearing aid sellers. There's a huge generation of clueless baby boomers with fading hearing that are ripe for exploitation.
I could only find the E1000 on Amazon. Roughly the same price as E500, surpringly.
Worst case scenario, you can always get Moondrop Quarks or Tanchjim Tanya.
The ER2XR are actually supposed to be more cash and are better overall than the Moondrop Starfield. In every comparison, the Starfield always loses in professional reviews but this is to be expected.
That being said, the Starfield are easier to use at first and does a good job so I can see why there is a lot of support for it. It may be too overhyped for what it is though.
Comparing KZ to Starfield to ER2XR, the issue with KZ is that they don't focus a lot of their attention on tuning. The Starfield and ER2XR are both good in tuning although the ER2XR wins in technicalities, in a flatter response (Starfield is more warmish for the Harman Curve) and responds better to EQ.
To answer your question, yes. There is a difference between KZ and the Starfield to be worth the price.
To be fair, I don't know why you are considering KZ unless you want the bass. Get the Final Audio E1000 if you want a neutral IEM that works with most music, it's only $30 USD. It does really great in comparison with other IEMs and can compete with others that are much higher at a price. It is the best IEM in terms of what you can get for a low price that you can get easily.
If I may suggest something, why not try getting a cheap IEM that has neutral sound (the same sound signature of the HD600) as it doesn't seem like you have any experience with that.
I would strongly recommend the Final Audio E1000 if you wanted to try that out as it is known for being a great choice for hi-fi. It is recommended on Crinacle's list and it is only $30 being the best for the price.
Just saying this as some people get the HD600 and don't like it for the sound signature so getting something much cheaper (and portable) may help you to make that decision.
Final Audio Design High Resolution Headphone - Black (E1000) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07RGXHYBW/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_1E71BC9CER8RBHGJV4TK
You need a neutral or DF neutral sound. These could also work but you may need a seperate MMCX cable as the stock cable dies quickly.
TIN Audio T2 3.5mm in Ear Earphone Double Dynamic Drive HiFi Earphone Metal Earphone MMCX Detachable Heads https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B082VRZTTQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_7Y751SH6NMECZ4VJ27RW
Etymotic er2xr would be the best option for noise isolation and detail but they are over the budget. They also go deep in the ear but they are the best option for sound quality.
Etymotic Research ER2XR Extended Respone in-Ear Earphones https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07NSL5XS5/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_59F88CH3KEV7ATHN4B6Z
If you want neutral sound, ignore the rest of the recommendations and go for the Final Audio E1000. It is cheap, one of the best budget IEMs you can buy on the market, is inconspicuous to others and it is from a good company. You don't need to buy anything extra for it and it works great with hi res files (I can give you some if you PM me).
The Tin T2 is more bright and it has a horrible cable that you need to get replaced most of the time (if it doesn't come dead on arrival).
I always come back to the Final Audio E1000 as it hits really well for only $30 USD and is the best option as you can always EQ where it is necessary.
You can find them for sale here:
Official Website is here: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/E1000
You may be asking for too much. We can probably find something that has all of that but it may sound like trash.
ANC isn't going to happen on a cheap pair of anything. Ever. It's expensive tech. If you mean noise isolating, that depends more on the tips.
I generally recommend the Final Audio E1000 for the best neutral sound at that price but it has none of that. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07RGXHYBW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uaerFbARWHFR8
Everything else I will post here is not for the sound but for what you are looking for. They block out sound at various levels:
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01D3QZB2Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mverFbPRC079J
Bassy sound with all of the stuff you were looking for. Never tried these.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00JRD13T8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oEerFbSAAMJWB
Default Sony earbuds, no volume but decent bassy sound and with mic.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N3U9SJG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_VHerFbF3JA69V
KZ ZST with mic only. V shaped sound.
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https://smile.amazon.com/Final-Audio-Monitor-Headphones-Interchangeable/dp/B07RGXHYBW/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Final+Audio+e1000&qid=1601445741&sr=8-2
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Final Audio E1000.
They are neutral and respond well to EQ so they should be right up your alley. Most people seem to prefer neutral for metal and you can always EQ for a little more bass or treble. These are more neutral than anything else at this price range and is recommended among audiophiles. You will not get the small details of other IEMs at higher prices but the presentation is really well done for the price and it punches above its weight (price tag).
They are $30 and are the main pick/recommendation for metal. It's from a Japanese company.
FA E1000 official site: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/E1000
Tin T2
If you like having a bright treble, the Tin T2 also works but the cable is trash and usually needs to be replaced. The treble can also be sibilant and harsh for those sensitive to treble but many people like it if you are a fan of treble with a neutral sound. It is very popular and has a detachable cable.
They are $50 but you can usually find them on other sites for cheaper. They are from a Chinese company.
Etymotic ER2XR
If you want something with a ton of details and the best sound quality, get the Etymotic ER2XR. They are uncomfortable at first but after a few days, they get better. They block out a ton of sound as they are the best for that in the industry (the others barely do) and are praised by audiophiles everywhere. They are fantastic for EQ as well. You can use these everywhere and hear your music without an issue, they work better than ANC headphones at 3-4 times the price for blocking out sound.
For $100 USD, they are on another level. They are an American company.
A lot of suggestions but few are the correct sound signature that you need.
https://crinacle.com/rankings/iems/
Final Audio E1000 hits everything that you need, being one of the highest at a low price point on this list.
It is neutral which is the best sound signature for audio production, it is $30 USD, it sounds much better than the competition, pretty good build quality, comes from Japan, etc.
It doesn't go over the ear like IEMs do (hangs down) and does not look expensive (less likely to get robbed) but still offers the great sound that it is known for. It is much better than any stock cables on the market.
For the negatives, it may not apply to you but I will say it anyways. It does not block out a lot of sound, is not suitable for workouts, is not protected against dust or water, does not have removable cables but for audio production, it should be fantastic overall.
It is available on Amazon.
You can buy cheaper buds but none of those are really suitable for audio production and none of those are really a good package overall.
The exception is of course, the Sony MH755 (of which it is hard to get genuine ones and there are a lot of fakes around).
As for audio production itself, please look here. It is better to read what is already written by searching through the subreddit with the search bar. After you get a better grasp of the basics, then ask the people for instructions on specific help.
https://www.reddit.com/r/audioengineering?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
wow thanks I am gonna order the E1000
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This one right? are these sellers legit? this isn't a clone knock off or anything right?