WATCH FULL REVIEW HERE: https://youtu.be/TNAq1oO2OIk

PRICE: $49 (PHP. 2,700.00)

PROS: 

• Unique packaging
• Volume scaler
• INSANELY Deep, Rumbly and Headshaking bass
• Clean and smooth treble to crank up volume without harshness
• Comfortable fitting

CONS: 

• Too much bass for most genres
• Not impressive for low volume listening
• Poor technical ability
• Very niche tuning suited only for bass heads
• Lackluster accessories

WHO THIS SET IS FOR: 

• Bassheads
• HBB Fans who want even more bass from his sets
• People who want display piece box
• People who want a gold-colored metal coin of HBB’s logo

WHO THIS SET ISN’T FOR

• Anyone who doesn’t want their music to be drowned in bass
• People who want a more complete unboxing experience 
• People who want better quality accessories

RECOMMENDED GENRES: 

• HipHop
• EDM
• Retro Pop with bright mixes

SHORT REVIEW

Hellishly basshead is the best way to describe the QKZ x HBB Hades. It provides such an absurd amount of bass into such a small in-ear that you start to wonder if they had magically plugged a 15-inch subwoofer into this thing. This is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for those who want a balanced listening experience. This is for hardcore bassheads, and you better prepare your ears for basshead journey you’re about to embark on. 

FULL REVIEW: 

One of the most important aspects of choosing a reviewer to listen to is their preferences. After all, we buy audio gear to listen to music. And if the music of the reviewer that you follow doesn’t align with yours, then your findings would be quite different from theirs. 

This then lands us on HBB or BGGAR or however, you call him. He’s a reviewer known for listening to a lot of HipHop and Rock and his sets speak for themselves. I’ve tried more HBB collabs than I can count and it has given me a good idea of what kind of IEM HBB likes and who it’s for. 

So now, what happens when HBB curates an IEM that speaks to the purest bassheads that throw everything but bass out the window? Let’s talk about the $49 QKZ x HBB Hades.

DISCLAIMER: The QKZ x HBB Hades was sent over by Linsoul in exchange for my honest thoughts. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. I was not paid. Rest assured, my thoughts and opinions on this product will be my own honest opinions and will not be affected by the facts beforehand. 

THIRD TIMES THE CHARM

QKZ is known for two things; offering the most bottom-of-the-barrel IEM with the AK6 or providing us with the cheapest HBB collabs in the market. The Hades marks as their 3rd run-in with the QKZ x HBB being the first and the Khan being the second. The QKZ x HBB in particular was quite well received for being a very well-done warm IEM for the price while the Khan was a response to the DD craze of yesteryears. So now, let’s find out what the Hades offers and how HBB created one of the craziest basshead sets in the budget realm. 

UNBOXING:

One of the most stand out things about the Hades is its unboxing experience. Never have I seen a box this unique with its comic-inspired aesthetics and an odd amount of badges, including an “HBB HiRes logo”. I wouldn’t say that it’s the most fitting box for what the Hades does, but it’s definitely very unique compared to other IEM boxes.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t really carry over to the inclusions barring one thing. It comes with the following: 

• QKZ x HBB Hades IEMs
• 4-core cable terminated to 3.5mm
• Plastic protective case
• 3 sets of eartips
• A gold coin 

The accessories are admittedly lacking for the size of the box. Its larger than average presentation would make you think that this would be TRN Conch levels of accessories, but it’s much closer to their budget offerings more than anything. The case is just a glossy version of the same, cheap plastic case that they use on the AK6. The eartips are pretty nice and are actually a very unique shape, but only come in 3 pairs and offer no other choices like widebores or foam tips which I’ve found to be essential inclusions in today’s market. 

Where QKZ diverts is with the inclusion of a golden coin. It’s not gold (obviously) but it really makes you think whether QKZ and HBB were thinking that the Hades would be a goldmine for bassheads (see what I did there?). Anyways, it’s an interesting inclusion that could have arguably been put into better accessories. But hey, it’s cool!

BUILD & FIT

The QKZ x HBB features dual 9mm LCP Diaphragm Dynamic Drivers housed in a resin shell. 

The first thing that stood out to me when I first saw pictures of the Hades was the fact that it used a 2-Pin connector rather than a QDC. This is a first for QKZ as all their past releases have all used QDC connectors which I am not very fond of. So them opting for a 2-pin option is a breath of fresh air. 

I will say though that my initial connection was not the smoothest. It didn’t have ridges that the pins could fall into so I had to align it perfectly before pushing, otherwise, I’d break the pins (or the IEM itself). 

Another thing that stood out was its general aesthetics. It had this nice, purple color in photos and I thought it’d look absolutely stunning IRL. And while I do still think it’s pretty (partially because it’s purple), I think it doesn’t look as good as in the photos. The gold-colored internals don’t really compliment the specific shade of purple. The inner shell is nicely shaded a dark brown with HBBs logo on the side. 

As for fit, I was genuinely surprised with how well this fits. 2 9mm DDs usually means massive boi like it was for the Zeros, but the Hades keeps it large enough to be snug in my ears. The ear tips also paired really well with the Hades, although using a wider bored tip helped it sonically. 

Seal is absolutely fantastic. I use this for commuting and it was able to filter out the big, loud sounds while completely blocking voices. This has largely to do with the tuning being so bass-heavy that it blocks out the low-frequency noises really well, but the fit is just so snug and seal so good that it aided in making this a really good monitoring/noise canceling set. 

Long-term fit can get a little bit painful, but it’s honestly a good trade-off for the fit and seal. 

SOUND

Sound Signature: 

Hardbass. That’s honestly the best way I can explain the signature of the Hades as this completely breaks one’s perception on basshead IEMs. Traditionally, it’s a very big V-Shape with emphasis on the bass and upper mids while dipping the mids and upper treble. Expect a VERY colored sound from this. 

Source Pairing & Drivability:

WIth an impedance of 16ohms and sensitivity of 95db, you’d expect this to be a crazy hard to drive set. But in reality, it’s just slightly harder to drive than your usual IEM and it’ll depend on how loud this would get on your preference in the bass. I personally don’t like too much bass in my IEMs, so I listened to these on lower volume levels at the start. But remembering my experience with the Legato, I knew I needed to crank these bad boys up to 11 and it was MUCH better for it. So if you can, get as much volume as you can with these. As for sources, these sound good out of basically anything you plug it on, but these will scale with better sources. 

Ideal Listening Levels: 

9:30 on Topping DX1

Bass

As one might expect, the bass on the Hades is ridiculously big. This is not for the faint of heart as the bass is so big and woofy that it WILL overpower everything else in the mix. And if you’re a basshead, this is an absolute dream. That also means that this is the furthest thing from a neutral bass presentation. If you’re not a basshead, you’d probably find the Hades muddy, bloated, and sloppy which is by design and a limitation of the price. You’re a long way from the Scarlet Minis of the world, so I think it’s okay to really lean into the big dumb bass aspect of the sound. But just know this is pure, dirty bass and it doesn’t try to be anything else

Since it’s HBB we’re talking about, obviously, I had to listen to the stuff he listens to. Particularly, Big Boy’s Kill Jill and Pact Like Sardines In a Crushd Tin Box and, as expected, they sound absolutely amazing on these. Kill Jill in particular was quite the headshaker as it was absurdly bassy that it felt like my entire body was shaking. Pact Like Sardines wasn’t as good as it muddied up the midrange and it was not pleasing to listen to, but still reached deep down in the bass to make your head go woof. There are just so many songs that I loved listening to with the Hades, so instead of explaining, here’s a list of every single track I absolutely bopped to the Hades:

1. Zombie – Qveen Herby
2. Earfquake – Tyler the Creator
3. Off the Grid – Ye
4. SZA  – The Weekend
5. TALK!TALK  – ena mori
6. Sierra Leone – Frank Ocean

And many more… It’s just so fun to listen to.

However, one thing I noticed about basshead IEMs is that you REALLY need a lot of volume to make them sing. I mentioned earlier that I started my Hades journey on lower listening volumes and I was quite disappointed as the bass didn’t feel like it reached deep enough. But a rule of thumb when listening to basshead IEMs (that don’t have a sharp treble to contrast) is to really crank the volume as high as your ears can handle. That’s where bass-head sets really shine in my experience

Mids

I think it should be given that for a set with this much bass, the mids would not be the focus of the sound. To briefly describe it, the mids of the Hades are colored due to the amount of warmth in the low end and the vocals sound very mushy, muddy, and distant. The upper mids fair slightly better, but it’s there mostly to contrast the bass so as to not sunken the mids too much. This is no mid-centric set and timbre-heads won’t enjoy this at all, but I’d argue that it really isn’t the focus and that’s the trade-off to having a ridiculous amount of bass. 

That is, with a few exceptions. Older rock/pop songs often have brighter-leaning mixes that perfectly complement the Hades’ absurdly overemphasized bass. The song that plays really well to this is the song “Heartaches by The Number” by Guy Mitchell. If you have the Hades, I encourage you to listen to this song with it and compare it with a “normally” tuned IEM. Earth. Wind & Fire’s September and Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams are also two songs that play really well to Hades’ bass due to their dry and bright mixing. This makes the midrange sound more bodied and fuller when it usually sounds dry and lifeless. 

Treble

One of the things that I’ve grown to realize in basshead sets, especially with my realization about the volume, is that the treble should never be overemphasized. One of my biggest turn-offs in “bassy” sets is when the treble is overemphasized and ends up sounding harsh over long listening sessions. The Hades, thankfully, mitigates that and keeps the treble present without overstaying its welcome. 

Don’t get me wrong, you’re not getting a lot of detail out of this. With that much bass, the treble is just there to make sure the IEM doesn’t sound broken. On brighter mixed songs like the previously mentioned song Heartaches By The Number, the treble is present and sounds quite pleasing due to how overemphasized it is compared to the bass. But in most songs with a more balanced mix, you’re getting basic detail and extension without extra spice or sparkle. 

Technicalities:

If you’re expecting technicalities on a basshead set, then you’re kidding yourself. These throw so much bass at you that separation and layering, imaging, and stage are all basically thrown out the window. Well, maybe a little bit of stage depth is still maintained due to how emphasized the low end on these are, but beyond that it’s not a very technical set. This is a tradeoff for basshead sets, even in the top end. And I don’t mean “bassy” sets like the Z1R. I mean basshead sets like the Fatfreq series of basshead IEMs. Those IEMs, while considerably more technical sounding than the Hades, aren’t known for their technical ability with maybe the exception of the Maestro SE (but at $2000 it honestly has to be). 

REAL WORLD USAGE

Casual Use: 

For desk use, I wouldn’t really recommend the Hades due to how much bass it has for most content that you consume. It’s hard to understand dialogue and some videos with how much bass this thing has. However, where the Hades shines is when commuting out and you’re surrounded with a lot of loud noises. The bass somewhat masks that noise and acts as a sort of noise canceller, at least on the lower frequency sounds. This makes the Hades sound a little bit more balanced and its impeccable seal and fitting make it a genuinely solid commuter set

Gaming Use: 

I was expecting worse in regards to the Hades’ gaming performance, but the combination of that bass and the upper mids make it somewhat usable in more immersive games that include big action set pieces and make the overall experience quite fun. Competitive gaming isn’t as good, however, due to the bass essentially making any busy moment unintelligible. 

COMPARISONS

KBEar KW1 

Two seemingly contrasting sets with a LOT in common. KW1 features a wooden shell and a bullet style form while the Hades is your traditional in-ear with a splash of purple. However, both sets are absolutely bass monsters. Where they differ is how they balance that bass into the mix. 

The KW1 takes a more linear approach with a nice, steep slow and gentle drop to the upper mids and treble. This makes the overall sound more cohesive and more lush, making it a more focused basshead set. The Hades on the other hand balances the ridiculous amount of bass with extra upper midrange focus to somewhat give a more open staging. However, I also found that the timbre of the KW1 just sounds a tad bit more natural due to the gentle glide down compared to the Hades’ mountain range. But still, those 2DDs do a lot of heavy lifting in providing a richer, deeper and thicker bass compared to the KW1. But honestly, for half the price of the Hades, the KW1 is not a bad set if you’re looking for a proper budget basshead set. And if you have the KW1 already, the Hades would be a pretty good upgrade with its detachable cable and deeper bass presentation

VS QKZ x HBB 

Compared to the OG collab, the QKZ x HBB has a more balanced overall sound that honestly fits HBBs profile better. It’s not as fun or as engaging, but it’s a considerably more balanced and more well-rounded kind of sound. For most people, you’re still better off getting the OG collab. However, the Hades does feature 2 pin instead of QDC and the faceplate doesn’t look like a 13 year old kid designed it. It also had considerably more accessories compared to the QKZ x HBB which makes it a better accessorized set. 

VS 7hz Legato

The set that begun my journey on finding the real meaning of 2DDs, the Legato does some things better while also doing some things worse. First, let me point out that both these sets are volume scalers. The KW1 was also a volume scaler, but the Legato in particular REALLY wants you to crank up the volume to get the most out of those 2DDs. On equal footing, the bass of the Legato sounded deeper, richer and more nuanced than the Hades. 

However, the Legato features a rather odd peak somewhere in the mid to upper treble that makes it a double edged sword to crank the volume up. There’s a big chance you’d come across a little bit of harshness or sibilance in this region which I found to be quite problematic, considering how good of a basshead set this is. The Hades, while not having as nuanced of a bass presentation and generally sounding more woofy is able to be cranked to a much higher volume than the Legato. 

VS Truthear x Crinacle Zero

If you’re wondering why I chose the OG over the Red, that’s because the OG Zero has much more in common with the Hades than the Red does. Zero was a textbook Harman bass boost set that tucks down at 200. But I’ll be honest, the similarities between the two ends in their configuration and their shape because the bass of the Hades is quite considerably more compared to the Zero. The Zero does the bass boost in a cleaner, more “audiophile” way where it provides a deep and rich bass without coloring the midrange (which comes at the cost of sounding a little thin). 

The Hades is pure bass no strings attached. You’re not getting clean mids good detail or general balance. You’re getting bass. And if you don’t like that and just want a bass boost without coloration, you’re better off with other sets just like the Zero

VS Kiwi Ears Quartet

Another 2DD set, but this time add 2 BAs! Just like the Zero, the Quartet tries to find that balance of bass boost and unintrusive mids. The difference is that the Quartet has a more lush, smoother low end that is more akin to the Hades in lower volumes. The Quartet, however, has a nasty peak in the mid to upper treble that makes it nearly impossible to throw that much volume into it. The Hades is still a more focused basshead set, the the Quartet has a better balance and worse coherency throughout. 

CONCLUSION

As a treblehead, I was expecting to absolutely hate the Hades. It’s a dummy bass set and my ears will yearn for detail. But I was pleasantly surprised. Throwing this into my usual playlist, I didn’t enjoy it much. But listening to my guilty pleasure songs with heaps of bass or older tracks with no bass, these perform surprisingly well. 

But let’s be real, this is a niche set. This isn’t your all-rounder balanced set that’ll fit all genres. As HBB puts, this is a HipHop set. Does it sound clean? No. Is there any semblance of balance in the tuning? Absolutely not. But is it an absolutely fun to listen to, turn your brain off and just let it rumble kind of set? Indeed it is. Just maybe next time, take that coin and slot it for some better accessories, yeah?

Thank you for readiing my review on the QKZ x HBB Hades. Big thanks to Linsoul for sending the Hades in exchange for my honest thoughts. If you would like to order one, consider using the non-affiliated link below: https://www.linsoul.com/products/qkz-x-hbb-hades

If you have any questions or concerns, contact me on my Facebook page or at obodioreviews@gmail.com

Enjoy music and have a great day!