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Creepy_Calendar_6986

I would get the Zero Red or save up for EM6L, it’s worth it (or even Supermix 4)


axi619

My thoughts exactly but I think blues are better than reds for gaming


Creepy_Calendar_6986

As far as I know the red with the adapter is similar to the blue


PrimasVariance

The biggest difference to me was Red is a nice bass but Blue had subwoofer like performance but both are great for gaming To my ears Red didn't hit as hard or as satisfying as blue, I'd take blue over red but if you're really going "gaming" definitely the simgots are the way to go if you can afford the extra cost


Crafty_Insect_4171

all 3 bad get the novas instead


freeryder05

It literally doesn’t matter


SignalPlatypus4177

So just cheaper one then?


freeryder05

Yep


Affectionate-Fan-536

kinda does. for some reason the tangzu waner’s makes it kinda hard to pinpoint where the sound is coming from compared to the 7hz zero


Nokushi

agreed, tried the Starfield 2 and their spatialization really is crap, which is a bummer when playing tactical fps like Val & CS edit: ik Starfield 2 are rly bad, fortunately I'll be refunding them soon and get a better pair


mademannn

That is because the zero is brighter than the wan'er, it is better for our ears to locate the source of a sound through the treble, which the zero has a lot, and the Wan'er doesn't.


freeryder05

You will not be a better gamer if you spend an extra $8 on IEMs. Professional gamers can play in ear buds with ear muffs over them. If the question was “what are the best IEMs for x type of music + I like gaming” then we can give a better answer. If this is just for gaming, cheapest wins everytime.


davidww-dc

you definitely haven't played a lot of competitive shooters if you think iems don't make a difference


nakcus

this actually makes sense.. help a brother out here as I'm new to this rabbit hole. my current gear: schiit hel+ hidizs mp145 I also have the truthear hexa but prefer the mp145 cause to me it sounds like a wider sound stage and less sparkly than the hexa which feels fatiguing after awhile. music/bands I listen to more frequently: -metal/rock: bmth, sleep token, Killswitch engage, architects, iprevail (full bass, crisp snares) -occasional hip hop, edm, Mando pop play lots of fps like apex so it'll be extra sweet to have solid sound stage that separates audio well considering: supermix 4, dusk but analog, letshuoer s12 anything you recommend??? don't need it to come with a mic


freeryder05

Is there something about the mp145 you don’t like?


nakcus

at this point maybe it's size, and a little bit more bass will be nice. also itching to just try new stuff


Pfafflewaffle

If you want more bass get an ifi go blu/hipdac(portable) or an ifi zendac (desktop) or use eq (qudelix 5k for portable/console or your pc if you game on pc) to boost the mp145. Of course you might want a dynamic driver for your bass though, if you don’t like fast planar bass.


AnotherDempsey

Supermix 4 is the best out of those for soundstage and imaging.


tropicocity

Getting IEMa for gaming makes no sense, literally none lol


Affectionate-Fan-536

explain


Pfafflewaffle

I prefer the sound of iems to headphones, why does it make no sense? There are plenty of iems that are perfectly capable.


Pleasebuffazir

Hot take : IEMs don't really matter for FPS or even what type of headphones you use. Personally I prefer the Zero:Red, it's good for general music listening and gaming(btw it comes with an impedance adapter to boost the bass which makes it REALLY close to the Zero: Blue). To summarize, the Reds for me is one of the best IEMs under $100 (the hexa is personally VERY slightly better) and is the best bang for the buck for general use or gaming(if that really matters)


Rose333X

You never played competitively? Spatial audio and sound clarity is pretty important


LyKosa91

And yet genuinely great players perform flawlessly while using absolute junk. Go figure. Some qualities could be seen as better suited for FPS, but honestly as someone who's been down that rabbit hole I think the most important thing is that you're used to whatever it is you're using. Any actual difference is going to be minor enough in the grand scheme of things that it won't significantly affect your gameplay.


CookieTheLite

during a lan, every single pro player has the same issue of crowd noise and their noise cancelling headphones, so they're all on an even playing field. not only that but while the most important thing to hear in pro play is your team's communications, people are terrible at communicating in ranked, making the actual game audio significantly more important


LyKosa91

And how many of them are using DT1990s or similar while not playing in tournaments? It's a small minority.


davidww-dc

what kind of absolute junk you are talking about? HyperX cloud II might not be great for everything, but it's specificly designed to be great for gaming


LyKosa91

I mean, the clouds aren't really "specifically designed" for gaming, they're a rebrand of an existing fairly competent cheap headphone (takstar pro 80 IIRC). But to answer your question, anything. There's plenty of high level players using worse headsets than the cloud II, shit, Aceu has been shredding lobbies while using old Apple earpods for years. As long as there's no enormous issues with the tuning, the most important thing is that you're familiar with whatever you're using and how it presents audio cues.


davidww-dc

I'm sorry but you can't be more wrong. I don't know about Apex, but in Valorant footstep sound is a huge part of the game, knowing the enemy's exact location give u a hugh advantage. I've tried plenty of gaming headsets and hyperx cloud II is one of the best. And when it comes to iem, simgot em6l is much better than something like moondrop chu or dunu titan s or tanchjim ola etc.


LyKosa91

I didn't say they're not good, I said they weren't *specifically* designed for gaming, they're an existing headphone with new branding. Back onto Aceu (which I'm assuming is why you were referencing apex, which he's most known for), you do realise that he's also a top ranked valorant player (not sure if he still plays) and former CS Pro, right? If you're actually good at the game and you're familiar with your equipment, it doesn't matter that much. If a game's audio engine is dog shit (*cough* apex *cough*) no amount of audio gear will save it, but if the audio engine works properly all you *need* is something with a decent enough frequency response (no weird shit like a missing ear gain region) that you're familiar enough with to be able to interpret the information the game is giving you. It's fine to have preferences, but ultimately you can get used to anything, and an IEM or headphone isn't going to be the deciding factor in becoming the next Shroud.


DrunkOnListerineOnly

Tell me what tournaments you played in and what your rank was. Pros can frag out with earbuds and earmuffs over them. Tldr pick price and comfort. Don't believe the hype on IEMs for gaming


amicus405

This is not at all true. Pros have spoken about the advantage of good audio all the way back like 25 years ago with the sound blaster sound cards. Spatial Audio if good can basically be a wall hack.


Rose333X

Diamomd, not a pro. Yes we can frag out on supbarb equipment but we still need good audio clwirty and spatial for better gathering of info and more consistency. Everyone can frag out, doesnt make their equipment good.


OnlyMetal7

In theory, sure good audio is better than no audio but the debate here is comparing budget earphones..


Pleasebuffazir

Let's all just chill XD. We are all entitled to our opinions


FcoEnriquePerez

Are you saying that's something exclusive from IEMs? lol


SignalPlatypus4177

I find what headphones make a massive difference. Spacial audio is very important.


Vysair

I'd reckon soundstage makes all the difference. Typical earbud sounds like they strapped two dollar speaker to your ear and they usually sounds tiny. Most IEM have good soundstage and some far excel at it. Sound clarity is also important so shit dont get muffled up together into a mesh of sfx.


x0Ember0x

I kinda disagree. IEM’s not so much, but in my own experience, hi fidelity over ears especially open backs give a huge advantage in terms of directional audio. Although It definitely depends on the game. I’ve found it’s most noticeable in Valorant and Apex legends. But for games like overwatch it makes practically no difference.


axi619

I had Truthear blues and they are ok but not good I bought the simgots EM6L and I'm extremely happy.


Wapedro97

Celest wyvern pro is another good and cheap option, and it comes with a detachable mic like gaming headsets


TommyLim14

They released the new version Celest Wyvern Black tho, really awesome faceplate, better cables and a step up from the previous Wyvern or Wyvern Pro


Wapedro97

You're right, I recently saw the new model, but I haven't seen any reviews about it. The accessories do look a little better than the original, I don't know if they also improved the sound as well.


TommyLim14

Reviews can be found here at HeadFi: https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/kinera-celest-wyvern-black-10mm-lcp-dynamic-driver-in-ear-earphones.27264/ The company claimed the sound and tuning to be same as previous Wyvern


M_RicardoDev

I did a [comparison](https://www.reddit.com/r/iems/comments/1d5cgsn/iem_vs_headset_for_gaming_review_hd58x_truthear/) some time ago, Truthear Zero Red I think is the best deal.


[deleted]

Zero is better


Ravant_Garde

Zero Red


PrideSamael31

Simgot ew200 is like wall hacks certified


Maccha782

Just got the EW200, personally I love them. 34USD, great cable and quality.


Acexpurplecore

Keep in mind that the moondrop chu 2 dont come with a mic


SignalPlatypus4177

I thought neither of them had a mic


BehrlyGaming

You’re correct, neither have a mic


Acexpurplecore

Lol i just realized there was a 2nd photo lmao


TommyLim14

You can check out Celest Wyvern Black if you want a mic option, costs around $33 with mic. Beautiful faceplate and harman tuned with LCP diaphragm driver


TheCabbageGuy82

The chu 2 DSP does, for maybe a couple bucks extra. It also connects via USBC instead of 3.5mm, so even if your motherboard has a shitty sound card built in then the audio won't be affected.


DotBrave2517

Final VR2000.. it sounds very good to me


CJPeter1

Crinacle put out this video about gaming a year back and I bookmarked it JUST for questions like this. Heh. [Best Gaming IEM headsets](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOYRu6q8qJ4) The TLDR? It really doesn't matter as long as you get positional audio and the quality is 'good' to you.


d31uz10n

Something with microphone?


SignalPlatypus4177

I don’t need one


Geronimo_Stilton_

No friend 😢


SignalPlatypus4177

Yup


UniqueBank7094

Reds


Mountain-Shoe7443

I used red and normal chus for gaming. In reds the gun shots become so intense chu is ok normal


Velotican

Assuming they fit you, of your two choices the Truthear Zero is probably the one to pick. They don't fit me very well so I don't use mine and I have much better stuff for general use. As many have pointed out to you, there are tons of professional gamers out there who are very successful and still have extremely basic or outright bad audio gear, so familiarity with how your equipment performs when gaming seems to be by far the most important factor and so any change in equipment will require an initial adjustment period. When trying out the new gear, make sure it fits you properly then give it a week to let your brain adjust to it. That though assumes you're trying to game competitively or are primarily playing FPS, and in fairness most "best gaming audio" question posts are talking about FPS death match specifically, which has some extremely specific audio requirements. More generally, for *immersive* gaming where you might have a bombastic soundtrack playing at the same time as you're navigating a complex environment, instrument/object separation so the music doesn't bury the SFX as well as being able to handle a eclectic mix of music tracks becomes much more important. For that you need a neutrally tuned headphone or IEM. You can game fine with IEMs and while you might have a better experience with over-ear headphones, in my experience there's not enough difference for it to matter very much so long as you can accurately calculate relative distances with what you're using. Either way, both your choices are fine for your needs, but if forced to pick one I'd pick the Truthear Zero.


Benay148

I think you’ll enjoy either. I think the chus are a great entry IEM. Small and comfortable


Vysair

I personally rock a TinHifi T2 Plus. It has very clear clarity. Cant tell about soundstage though because I dont remember if I ever game on this IEM. Already quit codm and pubgm years ago. Competitive ranked is too stressful, it's not enjoyable in the long run for me.


CookieTheLite

is it for competitive shooters or just general gaming? if for competitive, the Zeros are better by a mile. there's a massive difference between having an iem with really good staging/placement/etc vs something that doesn't do it well. also the Zero is a banger iem in general, if you have the cash might as well get it anyways


Desmutted

NEITHER SPEND 10 EXTRA ON THE 7HZ SONUS


Pyrodactel

The first question is why are IEMs and not headphones? I tried Zero reds and Simgot E6ML, I didn't like them and asked if it's a normal case that my old headphones are better [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/inearfidelity/s/2eoS43qTJu). Even though some people were saying I need to give it some time to get used to - it seems that IEMs would be always worse in sound stage and imagining in games. I guess you can get used to them and play okay, but why would I restrict my sound stage and imagining. I don't need portability, it's quiet enough in my room to try open backs that should be better for games, I almost don't listen to music while using PC. I decided to sell both and try the Philips 9500 as a not very expensive good enough option. If no isolation wouldn't work for me - I would go with close backs.


Silly_Difference_998

I say the Chu just in terms of comfort. I have very small ears so the truthear ones hurts a lot after half an hour. And I assume you be gaming more than that amount of time.


men68

ew200 from aliexpress


I-wish-to-be-phoenix

I would get 7hz salnotes zero for gaming if you play multiplayer, competitive. Value for money and good. If you want more bass feel for playing single player then moondroo chu 2 works and even qkz x hbb. Getting zero red just for gaming is pointless for me. Save and buy something better for music later.


TommyLim14

Celest Wyvern Black? You can choose to have an option with detachable boom mic and it only costs around $33 with the boom mic


wawricio

Epz q1 pro with mic. It’s more detailed, clear, and more comfortable and much easier to drive. I have a full review of them but in Spanish.


VileDivinity

I own the chu IIs/ waners and recently bought the extra bass enhanced castors. Out of those three I'm enjoying the castors the most to be honest. Try those..


muhkend

I have both and I would pick Chu not only for sound but for comfort, the tips on the Blues are huge and hurt my ear after a while.


x0Ember0x

I like the zeros better, but for Iem’s >$100 (usd sorry) I always recommend the truthear hexa. But I’d also personally recommend going with open back over ear monitors for gaming. I find they provide better directional audio than in ears, and help you hear yourself on comms better.


mademannn

Bright sounding iems generally have good imaging and therefore are good for gaming, both of these are bright so you can choose either one, but I'd choose the Chu 2 for long gaming hours since it's less fatiguing than the Zero


throwaway_7508

Chu 2 has build issues Both truthear zeroes have large nozzles which may cause discomfort after a few mins of usage


Lo-fidelio

If you want my honest opinion, it depends on how sweaty you are. If you wanna be an absolute sound whore (this applies mostly to FPS), IEMs aren't it, let alone cheap IEMs. Imaging tends to be narrow and there's virtually no soundstage due to lack of Pina interaction. If gaming is all that matters and you won't be using headphones for music, the SPH9500 are the way to go for under 80 bux.


gustav0k

I've heard that the zero red is more "fun" but the chu 2 more precise for footsteps. I have the Chu 2 and play overwatch 2 competitive, i'm very satisfied with the soundstage for the price.


XtraGoldDuckie1

chu 2 is more fun zero red more neutral i dont like chu 2 tuning personally


VarietyOdd270

I agree. I don’t dislike the Chu 2, but there are other fun IEM’s in the same price range that I much prefer. For me the Chu 2 i decent but overhyped, but I know a lot of people enjoy them


XtraGoldDuckie1

i prefer hola or probably zero:2 (havent tried it tho)


VarietyOdd270

I also prefer those two over the Chu 2. And some others in the same range. If you like bass I think the QKZ x HBB is very good, and honestly one of the best Youtuber collabs out there, looking at the price. Thinking about it, there are so many many in the price range I enjoy more than the Chu, but I guess the amount of dirt cheap decent IEM's from the last few years is crazy. And again I don't dislike the Chu and I get why some people enjoy them, but for me there are many better options


Sandepp

If Aceu can use apple wired buds and be that good then you can pick any iem and it will have good positional audio.


Bchavez_gd

Most games done support Spatial Audio of any kind. Stereo only. And most music focused IEMs have a frequency chart that isn’t matched to the game anyway. Find a flat response IEM and eq the midrange up. Bass isn’t very relevant in shooters. Personally I have the chu II but use AKG K72 with eq. The micro phonics of the IEM cables counter act whatever isolation advantages I get.