why IEMs are BETTER for gaming

Links to the video's IEMs:
Moondrop Aria - www.linsoul.com/products/moon...
Moondrop Aria Snow Edition - www.linsoul.com/products/moon...
Senheiser IE300 - (discontinued, look into the IE200 as an alternative)
IEMs or more commonly known earbuds or earphones are the best option for everyone looking for great sound for gaming and general without breaking the bank. Plain and simple, just forget about budget gaming headphones because the sound you get with these are above and beyond anything I have tried for this budget.
The Moondrop Aria and the Aria Snow Edition are an absolute killer deal for $80 and the Sennheiser IE300 are probably the most comfortable IEM I have ever used.
Crinacle: / crincl
DMS: / dms3tv
Joshua Valour: / joshuavalour
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - The Premise of the Video
01:43 - The IEMs we are comparing
02:37 - Gaming audio?
04:11 - Sennheiser IE 300
05:29 - Target Curve EQ rabbitt hole
05:59 - Moondrop Aria
06:49 - Moondrop Aria Snow Edition
07:35 - My Daily IEM and closing thoughts
08:54 - Feline Action
~
/ carlosribeiroyt
/ carlosribeirooyt

[@rakeshchowdhury202]

These headphones totally cancel the noise of your parents fighting. 10/10.

[@sociopath2108]

Bruh

[@insane8305]

Good

[@KanoSlays]

wish i had these during my childhood

[@senithuosh]

I can guarantee that

[@senithuosh]

I can guarantee that

[@smurf624]

Thank you for making this kind of review. Really having a hard time finding the perfect IEM for me and through your video, I've decided to purchase Moondrop Aria.

[@carlosribeiroo]

Glad it was helpful! :) Enjoy your new IEMs whenever they arrive!

[@Zysperro]

I found their sound a bit too spacious, lacking depth, I preferred Dunu Titan S - a bit more narrow, but I liked it a lot more, so you can try it too. Aria is very popular in the aftermarket, I sold mine in a week for the price I've purchased it :D

[@gapapapa8157]

​@@Zysperrodoes the dunu titan s are more comfortable than the aria snow?

[@anaymakan6989]

Owned AirPods Pro. Liked em especially with the ANC but had battery life and connectivity issues. Bought a pair of Bang and Olufsen HX headphones. Sounded great but ANC was mid and portability was an issue. Then tried some Beats Fit Pro. Lacked overall clarity and the left earbud was louder than the right earbud. Now finally trying IEMs after seeing them all around on TV and music producers. Based on reviews and Reddit. I was looking at the Shure AONIC 3 and Sennheiser IE300 but I think I’m going to try the MOONDROP Aira.

[@carlosribeiroo]

That is a journey! Keep in mind that the IE300 and the Arias will have fundamentally different sound signatures, and It is very likely that you will prefer one much more over the other.

[@deletedchanneI]

can’t imagine switching from wireless to wired 😢

[@straubinio_styo7768]

Thanks for the great content👍

[@carlosribeiroo]

Glad you enjoyed it :) (+ thanks for the comment to boost that algorithm rating!)

[@SteelyDanUnofficial]

Personally I use HD580 Precision and Etymotic ER4 and ER2's for gaming. For most people Etymotic's will be really uncomfortable, but for me they are just amazing and isolation is also the best you can get in any IEM.

[@carlosribeiroo]

The Etymotic definitely look extremely unique with the big insertion depth, maybe I'll try them out in the future to see what's what

[@adrianxiety]

Finally i found a guy who play with Etymotic er4, im using er4s, at the first time wear it, it hurts, but after few days it's my daily!

[@Ghost19_]

Even Moondrop Quarks (a very neutral, just rightly decent) is enough for my gaming session. If I have to at least hear people around me or if someone's calling out, I'd put out my Koss KPH30i, but if I want a quick and complete solitude, Quarks would simply do 👌

[@carlosribeiroo]

One of if not the best value in iems currently! Totally agree with you

[@jhtongamer3151]

have you try any of the shure anoic ?if so what would you recommend bro i play pubg fps games

[@satan8534]

Hey would u recommend the moondrop aria snow or the truthear x crinacle zero (for fps shooters like valorant)

[@Stuke51]

I’m really looking to reduce the overall footprint of my gaming rig and this includes cable management. Ditching the studio headphones with amplifier for an IEM and my wired mechanical keyboard for a wireless one would be a huge improvement I’m greatly looking forward to. Not only that, but headset hair is downright annoying.

[@carlosribeiroo]

It really is freeing! I have recently built a custom mechanical keyboard that is wireless and wired all my cables under the desk, and the visual improvement to the clutter is super nice! I don't think you can achieve top tier audio with IEMs, but you can definitely find enjoyable pairs to replace any headphone!

[@anthonyogegbene7865]

Great video

[@carlosribeiroo]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@MaZEEZaM]

You're giving me indigestion with that repetition of Digestable lol 😂 😂 one reason I prefer IEM's is not only for comfort but wearing headphes in Warm to hot Australian weather my ears would sweat and frequently caused ear infections in my left ear. Ive not had that issue since moving to IEM's plus i prefer them for listening to movies and music in bed without disturbing everyone.

[@daghetto101]

I prefer flatheads earbuds like Venture Electronics or EMX500 for gaming. They're much easier to wear and take out plus they sound wider than IEM's.

[@Avvoider]

I bought KZ ZSN pro x IEM and I've got a terrible buzzing sound at low and no volume? Any tips to fix that?

[@lawrenz5888]

i have been using KZ ZAS for a year right now and this video make me want to buy Moondrop Aria hahaha, Great review btw.

[@carlosribeiroo]

Thanks for the compliment men, :) Super nice to start my day with some positive words on a Sunday morning :)

[@dileepmonk8656]

No, just go for dunu Titan s

[@rovanmohammed6995]

No I have Aria it's not even that good my kz zs10pro is better and cheaper, please don't waste ur money on Aria

[@dileepmonk8656]

@@rovanmohammed6995 what about vocals, which one has natural voice

[@rovanmohammed6995]

@@dileepmonk8656 the both have good warm vocals, but kz zs10pro is way better in tactically

[@czeex44]

Are you using a DAC or something similar to boost or improve the audio?

[@carlosribeiroo]

I am still using the exact same setup I use for my Sennheiser 6xx, but in general you can power any of these IEMs from your phone or motherboard without any power issues.

[@luizengrazia5169]

I have a Moondrop Kato and yesterday I got a HD560s...still need some time to decide on what I'll end up "maining", but out of the box I missed a little bit of things that I have with the Kato...like jn the Ishimura in Dead Space, which you can hear those tiny far away sounds like a scream or gunfire. In Tarkov it's pretty nice. Played a bit with a friend...but again; I miss something. It may be the closed nature of IEMs that give a sense of...focus. With the HD560s, I feel like everything is farter away... That said, I do feel like it's getting better. Not sure if it's my brain or the drivers loosening up. My Kato sure got better over time. I read a guy that stated that the 560s got super after 200h of use or something. I played for about 5 yesterday and I felt like it opened up a little. Also, I feel like it's not getting enough juice. I'll try balanced cable with the 560s that are yet to arrive and I feel like it'll be a better experience with my Fiio K7.

[@laowai2000]

Started with the 560s, then picked up a pair of HD6xx. Hard to go back to the 560s. Sound feels harsh when compared to the HD6xx.

[@Tenjitty]

great video I might pick up the Sennheiser IE 300 currently I just use $20 apple earbuds they pretty good tbh idk that much about audio equipment. any recommendations

[@carlosribeiroo]

Definitely watch some of my more recent videos featuring other IEM's if you are considering buying the IE300. For around that money, I would probably buy the 7hz timeless AE that I featured in my latest video or if you want to save some money, I have a video coming out this week with budget options that still sound pretty good (tinhifi C2 and kiwi ears cadenza are the iems that I will feature in that video) There is a world of options out there

[@Tenjitty]

@@carlosribeiroo thank you will look

[@angeloariati]

Amazing video! I have a moondrop aria and a hyperx cloud II headset. For csgo i prefer the hyperx instead the aria(it has the mic and i can hear the steps better), but for other games theres no question, aria is better

[@angeloariati]

Percebi que você é de Portugal heheheh, devolva o nosso ouro

[@carlosribeiroo]

Obrigado!

[@anshul_._]

What about Valorant?

[@brianj1r144]

@@anshul_._ it would be the same thing cause they both pretty much sound wue the same . Idk iems to me just hard to play fps with

[@PandaQxz]

do you use the windows spatial sound or any other software stuff when using them

[@hoshikunai]

I've used the moondrop arias for almost 9 months now. While they sound amazing for music and gaming, they are very HARD to maintain. I tend to sweat a lot while playing, and these iems do not fare well against moisture. It became an increasing pain to maintain my arias, so I went back to my SHP9500s. It was such a shame because I love the arias. If there are any iems that are good at resisting sweat, please let me know!

[@carlosribeiroo]

What happened to them? Did the paint start to come off? Eartips got slippery?

[@hoshikunai]

@@carlosribeiroo the eartips did get pretty slippery, so I guess that's why they start coming off. I've since bought a pair of mistips, so hopefully they will work with my ears. As for paint, I did see some chips, but I don't think that significantly alter the sound. I'm on my last pair of replacement nozzle filters for my arias, so here's to hoping they last long.

[@rpx7731]

@@hoshikunai when I game I always put my fan on lol

[@jagason7494]

@@hoshikunai cuss they are bad eartips get the spinfits 100+

[@koningklootzak7788]

Moondrop has build quality issues. Aria, chu, etc. KZ or Tinhifi is better.

[@florencemiller3967]

I really recommended KZ IEMs. Great for the value.

[@LAWREANO1998]

Just some of them are good for gaming since the majority of them are Bright V-Shapeds there are a lot better options for gaming.

[@cenk1239]

I'm looking for IEM for Valorant. Do you think I should buy Aria SE? Does it provide competitive top-level performance?

[@Coconuts217]

try truthear hexa

[@VektorVirus]

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new Sennheiser IE 200 for gaming, in comparison to your findings in this video

[@carlosribeiroo]

Hey! I currently don't have any plans to check them out on the channel but have formed some opinions based on what I saw online from other reviewers. From a build quality they are very similar to the IE 300 which means great comfort but a connector that I am simply not a fan of since I would much rather have a 2 pin connector. With that said, they look like mini IE600 in the sound department. Maybe slightly less treble, but that is about it, for a fraction of the cost! I won't be checking them out because I feel like I have covered that price range quite well recently and the added features are nice to haves but nothing transformative. Also, the "two positions for the ear tips" feel like a gimmick at best that is giving certain people weird results in the bass department with certain eartips (particularly the stock ones) Hope this brings you some value :)

[@davidm5548]

I just acquired a pair of ie200. I like them a lot playing Warframe on Xbox through controller audio port.

[@goncaloaraujo6644]

Olá, obrigado pela review, gostava que partilhasses o site que usaste para comprar os aria. Eu vi a Shenzhen Audio que supostamente não tem custos adicionais de transporte, o que é estranho achas q é legit?

[@carlosribeiroo]

A Linsoul e a Shenzhen Audio são super conhecidas neste mercado de iems e não hesitaria em comprar directamente deles ou através da Amazon se estiveres mais confortável com essa opção

[@goncaloaraujo6644]

@@carlosribeiroo então vou comprar lá, obrigado e força com o canal! :)

[@jhtongamer3151]

what do you think opf the shure anoic 4 for gaming i play pubg

[@drpckk]

Where do you buy these iems in europe? Do you sell your "old" iems? Thanks

[@carlosribeiroo]

Hey! Usually I keep IEMs for further testing and comparisons but some of them I keep and end up never using for anything. I recommend buying from Linsoul, either directly from them or through amazon. If you want to avoid extra import fees, go through Amazon and you will be fine. Most of the time directly from linsoul will be cheaper

[@ktg_2castle960]

My issue with IEM is cable, and they don’t stay in especially when running Comms, or eating. Doesn’t seem to matter eat tips or insertion depth. Same issue with earplugs and I do the pull on your ear to insert trick. For me I love IEMS but I wish there was a wireless one meant for gaming that stayed in my damn ear

[@carlosribeiroo]

Maybe it’s a problem with insertion depth? Certain iems are made to go into the ear canal deeper and that could help if you feel them coming out on their own. Ear canal are all different and maybe yours is particularly challenging for iems but I am sure you can find something that works!

[@akshajhui]

Try changeing the eartips

[@lucio-ohs8828]

I just ordered the 7hz salnotes zero since I heard they’re really good for the price. They might replace my $70 gaming headset if they’re good

[@carlosribeiroo]

Probably on the of the top 3 best value IEM you can get right now. You chose well :D

[@the_struggler_24_7]

​@@carlosribeiroo which iem would you recommend for gaming (specially pubg mobile) under 20 dollar?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Around 20$ the 7hz salnotes zero, the tangzu wan’er and the moon drop chu are all solid options

[@Zysperro]

Dunu Titan S. A better Aria for the same price IMHO. Worth the mention.

[@carlosribeiroo]

Something to take a look :)

[@jdybum]

headphone hair made me buy the wan'er (i have both wired gaming and wireless headphones)

[@koningklootzak7788]

It's not just for gaming, for music, for saving battery, for ease of driving without requiring so much power, for sound quality, for saving storage space, for price, IEM has more pros than headphones.

[@pelago_]

Which ones do you recommend that have a mic?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Hey! Honestly, my advice is to use an external USB microphone for the better quality that it provides. But if that is impossible for you, you can buy any IEM that uses a detachable two-pin cable and buy a replacement cable with a microphone for it. They usually cost less than $20, and you can use that same cable and microphone with any IEM you buy in the future

[@pelago_]

@@carlosribeiroo good shout, cheers!

[@someguy32]

3:50 this startled the shit outta me.

[@carlosribeiroo]

Ahahah sorry 😅!

[@someguy32]

@@carlosribeiroo no problem man, anyways great video. I was alone at the house back when I'm watching this.

[@mudzera]

Kz zs 10 pro x Good and cheap excellent combination 🙂

[@sunnyside832]

How do you connect these to your PC?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Like any other wired audio device, with a regular 3.5mm audio cable

[@XeonX__ASMR__METAL-experiments]

WAITING FOR OPENBACK IEM, WHICH WILL HAVE IMAGING AND SOUNDSTAGE AS Sundara or HD800!!!!!

[@carlosribeiroo]

For that to happen they would probably have to be massive as well!

[@XeonX__ASMR__METAL-experiments]

@@carlosribeiroothat's perfect if they don't need to be big for that... Maybe someone will figure out how to do it...

[@arnoldasb]

How does Moondrop Aria compare to HD650 for gaming ? Got HD650 myself and with all the recent hype with IEM's and gaming I'm really interested in trying them.

[@carlosribeiroo]

OK, I see where you are coming from and this is my take on that decision. I have used headphones my entire life and from a sound perspective they are not comparable. Good quality headphones will more often than not sound more natural and more pleasing, IEMs will sound more direct and closed off, particularly compared to good sounding open back headphones. The comfort of IEMs has made me switch from headphones 80% of the time, and I never found my 6xx uncomfortable in any way. Not having something on your head and covering your ears is nice for a lot of obvious reasons, from headphone hair to being hot during the summer. With all that said, and replying to your question specifically, the Moon drop aria is substantially more bassy and less detailed out-of-the-box than a HD650. For gaming that makes the sound more impactful with explosions and such but also slightly more difficult to hear details when chaos is happening. Small stuff though, both are enjoyable in their own way and if you are set on getting a pair of IEMs you can always learn how to properly EQ them (Crinacle's channel is a good source) and tweak the sound towards something more to your liking. Hope this helps!

[@snowjack101]

so for like 20-30$ what iem would you recommend for gaming???

[@carlosribeiroo]

hey! I made a video last week featuring some options on that budget kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmi1Y2uunbCghLc hope this helps you out :)

[@SheepdogTTV]

do you need a deck to make these work properly with gaming?

[@carlosribeiroo]

I am guessing you mean DAC and if that is the case these will work just fine plugged in to any 3.5mm jack so your motherboard/laptop/ps5 controller will be just fine

[@SheepdogTTV]

Thank you man, I appreciate it. Love your informative videos. Picking up the Aria Snows@@carlosribeiroo

[@carlosribeiroo]

@SheepdogTTV happy to help :)

[@farawayranger8489]

Do IEM’s have built in microphones?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Most of them do not. However you can get a cable that has a microfone and is compatible with all iems that use the same connector (which most often is a 2pin cable present in 80% of new iem releases these days)

[@poluefemus]

from my experience, i hate iems cause the gunshots sound so gravely, and they’re also super uncomfortable shoving them into my ear i’ve only tried wireless earbuds and also iems once, but they sucked, maybe there are better ones, but i just hate them

[@tathagatadas2615]

So these will be better than actual headphones and earphones at this price?

[@carlosribeiroo]

In my experience Yes. The comfort tand sound quality you get with IEMs under $100 tends to far exceed gaming headphones

[@petewilson-zb5hr]

I will not claim to be an expert about iems but I am an avid gamer. Switching to iems a while back was one of the best decisions I made. Love my kz zs10 pros, have been looking into the truth ear zeros to give a try after seeing glowing reviews

[@shadowwolfninjaz6272]

Have you tried the truthear Zeros an are they better?

[@LAWREANO1998]

ZS10 Pro is a NO for gaming. Totally fatiguing.

[@sku56]

@@LAWREANO1998what do you mean? Fatiguing from comfort? Or sound quality? Or quality?

[@LAWREANO1998]

@@sku56 The tuning is to much V-Shaped, the highs are sibillant and very loud. It was impossible to play CS:GO at decent volume for more than 15 minutes the sound of AK shots makes headache.

[@sku56]

@@LAWREANO1998 ah ok, I got the kz zs10 pro X and they sound great in csgo. so I guess I got lucky because I was gonna get the pro's but when checking the colors there was a pro X upgraded lol thank you for your reply.

[@yeshwagle6195]

i use KZ ZS10 Pros they have served me well fr like 50 bucks

[@carlosribeiroo]

Those look pretty great as well! I think I have seen a video from Optimum tech about those, and they look fairly V shaped in the tuning department, which like you saw on the video isn't really my cup of tea but a lot of people really prefer that!

[@rovanmohammed6995]

I have both aria and kz zs10pro, and I can confirm that kz zs10pro is better for competitive gaming and music really great iem

[@kimjongpoontv69]

I like v shape for music, but more neutral with 4-8k hz emphasis.

[@gpsgr]

what can you do for mic ? you cant attach one ?

[@carlosribeiroo]

You can go a couple of different ways. The easy one would be to buy a iem cable with a microphone. Anything from a simple microphone on the cable to a full on boom mic similar to regular gaming headsets. Or you can buy something external like a usb microphone on a arm attached to your desk for example

[@adityairawan1843]

Kinera Gramr, or it's cheaper brother Kinera Ruyi, are good options.

[@kaeroseon]

Technically, open back are still superior to any closed back or isolating audio gear when it comes to first person competitive shooters and the title is very misleading. But great video nonetheless considering iems are so immersive and great for way cheaper than headphones. And even if they are inferior for competitive use, it’s still good enough for most I think. And the way you described the sound profile is also slightly misleading because most gaming headphones aren’t just bass and treble boost, it’s an overly boosted bass with atrocious treble detail and horrible imaging locking you to left and right (though it’s more than enough). Most iems are boosted in bass and treble but at a controlled and accurate level where it’s fun and immersive but still accurate and natural. Still great videos though!

[@alexarakawa]

You do know that pros use iems in every shooter. They where headsets on stage for white noise. So I don’t think the competitive comment has much ground

[@dewbe5327]

Open back better for competition? Its all based of preference

[@dancolder]

For real, do you think to hear footsteps the Moondrop Aria Snow Edition i good enough for competive games?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Well if you hear me saying something in a video that is my opinion so yes, they are good for footsteps and other audio cues. With that said, being “good for footsteps in competitive games” isn’t really a hard bar to clear since any iem or headphone with a flat sound signature and not too much bass will be good for that

[@iamdanfleser]

Lit

[@carlosribeiroo]

Straight 🔥Dan :D

[@baq5261]

Do i just plug the IEMS into my ps5 controller?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Yup :)

[@necromancerking2238]

How do you EQ on windows anyways

[@carlosribeiroo]

I do it using a combination of Equalizer APO and Peace EQ

[@necromancerking2238]

@@carlosribeiroo oh thanks

[@nsawatchlistbait289]

What about the Truthear Hexa?

[@carlosribeiroo]

I haven’t tried them personally but they look quite interesting as well!

[@nsawatchlistbait289]

@@carlosribeiroo I'm buying the Samsung buds 2 pro, because I think that thing uses crossover tech with its 2 drivers like the Truthear Zero and Hexa. And its selling very cheap where I'm now

[@mormsophen3238]

I have ie200 and aria. I prefer ie200.

[@8lec_R]

Also new additions to the iem world Reference sound profile Tangzu waner 20 bucks Truthear hexa 80 bucks Truthear hola 20 bucks

[@jagason7494]

Letschuoer s12 is pretty good

[@carlosribeiroo]

interesting...

[@tsumiaee9327]

these iems are amazing however since i am on a budget i use moondrop chu's which sound amazing for there price

[@carlosribeiroo]

Still one of the best value IEMs the Chu's, can't think of anything better for that money

[@anabell7184]

wireless gaming iems would be amazing tho

[@carlosribeiroo]

Quite interesting tbh, but I think size constraints and delay will come into effect since standard Bluetooth will be a substantial downgrade in both of these fronts. But I'm sure we'll see something like that in the future!

[@lilcheaty]

@@carlosribeiroo i think it's definitely possible with 2.4ghz tech but battery would probably suffer let's see what Bluetooth LE audio makes possible in terms of latency and battery life

[@CoasterMan13Official]

You can get adaptors that could do that.

[@ZenTunE-]

Gaming = First person shooters apparently lol I don't care what anyone says, I don't even have to try $1000 iems to know they will never match the immersive sound of a $200 open back headphone for single players games.

[@douglasrodrigues7791]

Like for the cute cat at the end of the video

[@carlosribeiroo]

He is the best :)

Paying 300 dollars for a pair of Senheiser IEM's when for less than that you can buy a pair of AKG K702's, pair them with a Fiio K3 (a pair of K712 pro with a K7 would be better ) and punch at setups literally 10 times the price makes absolute no sense. The two main things you need for gaming, especially competitive shooters, but this applies to any game including racing (I bought a G25 when they originally came out 15 years ago to play NFS: Carbon and TDS: Unlimited online) are a soundstage as big as possible and a neutral sound. That's it. The rest is fluff and marketing.

[@masterazlan6999]

Why dont go for TWS sir..peace!

[@akshajhui]

🤢🤮

[@masterazlan6999]

Ha3 u funy big time reviewer TWS has been on planet earth 4 a long time already pals.. Peace nanu2!

[@poocruncha3266]

im moving to ear buds from now on cuz no matter how much i take care of them that plastic always break even the 100 plus headphones plastic breaking pos....😡🤬

[@Gabriel-tf9wm]

Você é brasileiro?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Português :)

[@voolian]

i’m here because i’m tired of my luscious curls being ruined by over ears

[@carlosribeiroo]

Welcome to IEMs, may your curls forever remain curly!

[@rhyvehr]

"pUsHeD mE dOwN a rAbBiT hOlE of cRiNacLe and bass is BaD" -> Crinacle recommends the driest sounding iems in the world and says gaming headsets dont matter because he recognizes that audiophiles have no clue what works best. Bass gives you a heightened perception of distance which is why the two best IGL's in the world use old discontinued bassy earbuds. This, in actual gameplay (rather then the clips of control you played) allows you to track enemies about twice as good as a Moondrop Aria does (yes I've owned the Arias and about 30 other iems) I'm a nobody yet even I've figured to do blind tests in the firing range to contrast the soundstages of different iems for apex and realize there's strengths and weaknesses. Congrats on hearing that there's someone *some* distance away and thinking you're automatically so much smarter then gaming companies engineers and gamers who go back to gaming headsets (condescending, like all audiophiles seem to be) but you're not getting as reliable of sound for *the majority* of fighting situations, which you'd know if any audiophiles like crinacle actually did any testing of audio, rather then listening to mixed (see: innacurate) music tracks. I prefer to test using Binaural audio thnx'

[@ZenTunE-]

Not everyone plays only fps games 24/7, most probably want their games to not sound like crap.

[@rhyvehr]

@@ZenTunE- So you're agreeing with me that they should recommend fun tunings rather then audiophile ones

[@ZenTunE-]

@@rhyvehr All I'm saying is that no one should recommend gaming headsets. But to defend flat, I do game with a Sundara which is quite neutral and could be classified an audiophile tuning. I just slap a bass boost on there and it's great in any game.

[@ImNotFlutters]

?

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

No. Just no. I’ve heard the Andromeda 2020, Symphonium Helios, Thieaudio Monarch MKII and DUNU SA6 gaming with an iBasso DX320 having Korg NuTubes installed, and good headphones like Focal or ZMF with OTL tube amps will win every time. Edit: 6XX is perfect for tubes. It completely changes the experience.

[@TheNewSkai]

IEMs are incredibly subjective because the shape of your ear canals can significantly affect the sound. You could also just simply prefer headphones over IEMs. It's like food; everyone has their preferences.

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

@@TheNewSkai The experiences are more important than the opinions. Great tubes will make headphones much closer to a full speaker set. It’s why for gaming immersion specifically headphones are at a summit for that. Throwing it out there as someone who used IEMs 70% of 2022, and even this morning the Monarch MKII and DX320 with the Amp 13 has been a great way to start the day. You just can’t beat that sense of control, space and layering desktop setups bring in holographic OTL setups. ZMF and Ampsandsound is pure magic if you get a chance to try it.

[@TheNewSkai]

@@sleepyrhythms6668 I can't disagree that headphones, with the right setup, provide a more immersive experience than IEMs. However, I think that this video was focused more on the budget market and competitive gaming. From what I've heard, cheap IEMs are better than cheap headphones. They also don't need an amp.

[@AsifLiaquat]

No they don't. Open backs are still king in sound staging. You can not fight physics.

[@carlosribeiroo]

I agree with you, to an extent. The sound stage is incredible in a good pair of open back headphones, but I would argue that you can get positional audio with a fraction of that soundstage and reap all the other advantages of using smaller IEMs. Nothing is an absolute and there will always be a place for great headphones, but as a general rule and for the average user a good IEM will get you a great experience for a fraction of the cost whilst giving you unrivalled comfort and ease of driving on just about any 3.5 mm port

[@Foshini]

Video is great but intro is wayyyy too long. 2mins in and still introing the video.

[@carlosribeiroo]

Thanks for the critic! It is not often that I read my own thoughts in the comment section, but I agree with you. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with a better way to intro everything and end up settling with this. Hope you still enjoyed the rest of the video!

[@vEffortless]

Thats how you get Tinnitus

[@Alepap.]

No, hearing damage comes from decibels not how close a thing is to your ear.

[@pokrog]

The IE300 and Arias are easily some of the worst IEMs for gaming, just like the Sennheiser 6 series. This was just a huge miss of a video entirely.

[@raffaeleb5202]

why? what do yoy recommend instead?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Hey! Have you tried something better for around the same budget? Why did you prefer those over the ones I tried in the video?

[@MorrTex]

@@raffaeleb5202 Dunu vulkan, S tier Raptgo hook x, A tier Dunu falcon pro, B tier

[@kimjongpoontv69]

Dunu Vulkan I own and it’s not great for music and doesn’t particularly offer an exciting sound signature, it is objectively the best piece of competitive gaming audio you can get under 500$. The imaging, soundstage, stereo separation is unmatched

[@nazarethproductions7095]

You didn’t watch the video

[@xxxbigboidraco]

Does it have a mic tho?

[@carlosribeiroo]

Any IEM can have a mic! Since the cable is removable, you can get a cable for very cheap that has a mic!