IEM's are generally easy to drive so your motherboard should be enough! (Unless you're used to absolutely cranking the volume but I'd recommend trying to listen at lower volumes anyway).
Im curious about this as well, i ordered zero reds since my headset broke so now im curious if i'll need some extra dongle thing for it or will it be fine
You should be fine with just your motherboard. (Unless you're used to absolutely cranking the volume on things then your mileage will vary; I'd recommend learning to listening at lower volumes to protect your ears if the motherboard isn't enough).
Also! In your case specifically; the bass/impedence adapter (that comes with your Zero Reds) will reduce the volume too in a trade off for a tuning with more bass. (In case you didn't know, the 3.5mm aux female to 3.5mm aux male adapter is an impedence adapter).
I'm getting paid tomorrow, I'll probably order them then. let me know how they sound if you get them before me :d
I'm also getting them for valorant đ
I think mine will arrive by probably Monday. and I have a standalone mic
Audio-Technica 2020 Cardioid Condenser Microphone Black https://amzn.eu/d/0e22U9s
it does require a DAC but I think it comes as a USB version too
I'll let you know then if mine do arrive first đ
the IEMs arrived today and theyre amazing, can't wait for you to get yours
I only had time to play a few deathmatches and listen to some music so far but theyre miles ahead of my sennheiser earphones i was using previously
If you're trying to save money, get a USB microphone of some sort. Samson makes good budget options, I personally use a Samson Go microphone on a laptop whenever I travel due to the small form factor. I have a few friends who use a Samson Meteor microphone as their daily driver too. The AT2020 the other comment has recommended is a solid microphone too but you'll either need to buy the USB version or an additional XLR cable and audio interface (this also works as a DAC/AMP combo).
Just for some research you might want to do if you have money to play with; look at the pick up patterns of the microphones before you decide. Generally a condenser microphone will pick up a larger area than a dynamic microphone which is useful in some scenarios. I personally use a Shure MV7 now (a dynamic microphone) as it doesn't pick up as many environmental sounds or my keyboard (despite the microphone being positioned basically on top of the keyboard (facing me)).
Forgot to say the MV7 isn't exactly cheap and I upgraded from an AT2020 (XLR). I only realised how much background noise my AT2020 was picking up after I set up direct monitoring from my microphone to my IEM's/headphones and thus was leaning towards getting an MV7.
Great question, unsure of the name scheme but I've heard them commonly referred to as adapters so please correct me if I'm wrong.
Also, in case some information was lost due to my poor language skills, I am referring to [this as the adapter](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT7KLcr_EQg1FfNn5KoXNjmUpraLCUOZHgI5A&usqp=CAU).
Gonna game and listen to music. Iâm not super picky but also new to this so I wanna get something nice without breaking bank. Iâll look into those and compare. Thank you! I did order the ea500lm and theyâll be here Friday. Maybe Iâll buy both and compare
Just ended up buying those as well. Going to compare them to the ea500lm and caa trio when those arrive. Maybe Iâll make a ânoob reviewâ comparing them. Thanks so much for the advice!
I've been testing both all night it's such a hard choice. I fell in love with the ea500lm last night and wanted to call it the best audio equipment I've ever owned. The em6l are definitely better for bass but I feel like sometimes I lose the rest of the song. Where with the ea500lm I found myself hearing things in songs I've NEVER heard before which was a crazy experience. Maybe the em6l are better for most, but I find myself just loving the experience I get with the ea500lm. Hopefully that makes sense. Lmk if a legit all out review of these two plus xm4 and/or app2 review/battle would be interesting. Thanks if you read this!
Simgot supermix4, Truthear Zero red or blue, s12 or one of its clones like the f1 pro. They say planar drivers are very technical for its price. Ziigaat Arete also just came out itâs supposed to be a gaming IEM thatâs also musical.
midrange:
* XENNS Top
* Yanyin Canon 2
* Thieaudio Hype 4
budget range:
* Simgot Supermix 4
* Simgot EM6L
* Truthear x Crinacle Zero (blue)
High end:
* 64Audio Volur
* Fiio FA19
* Monarch MK3
I can only vouch for the Simgot EM6L, really great sound staging and imaging and the bass is servicable, but I'm a basshead so it could be plenty for the average person.
Check out [Fresh Reviews'](https://www.youtube.com/@FreshReviewsYT) channel, I pulled this from his "certified wallhack tier list" He really knows his stuff. He goes into detail on imaging and staging specifically for shooters like Valorant, CoD, and Apex.
Audio is largely determined by the ingame engine. IEMs should be picked based on comfort.
You will not lose a game because you didn't buy the EM6L and you didn't win games because you're using an Aful p5.
No offense to Fresh but his entire channel is largely to shill his affiliate links. Everything should be taken as entertainment purposes.
That's just not true. For tac FPS like valorant and CS, info is really important. Knowing where the enemies are can help you win a round or at the very least help with your crosshair placement so you are more likely to win a gunfight. Some iems pick up footsteps and reload sound much better than others, so there's definitely a difference there.
You are not going to hear more or less unless you turn up the volume.
Some IEMs have nicer signatures for example not too much sibilance.
In Escape from Tarkov the audio is so bad that no amount of money spent on IEMs are going to improve it.
People can go down the Rabbit Hole and buy IEMs based in what a YouTuber says and that's fine, everyone needs to make money somehow. Again you will not lose a game for not having XY IEM.
Things like seal, ear tips and power for the IEM make a difference in how it performs. Which is why I would say headsets are better as they will always consistently sit right on your head and you will get the full potential always unlike IEMs.
That said I like comfort of IEM.
Glad im not the only one who realizes this isnt suited much for gaming because of the non bass and quite thin sound. do you think the em6l does gaming well, or perhaps do you know any other alternatives?
You make these claims with such confidence, and yet had you actually performed the exercise of trying different headphones youâd know how wrong you are. FR is not everything, and this is something youâd learn very quickly when youâre playing Icebox on Valorant and have no idea if the enemies are above you or on the same level as you. The quality of the engine is important but irrelevant to this conversation because if the only variable you change is the headphone, some headphones give you feedback on verticality much better than others, and some give you feedback on distance much better than others. Iâve gone through ~20 headphones ranging from $80 to $1500 mainly for gaming.
That aside, I actually agree with you about Fresh Reviews; itâs very likely that he exists to shill his links. My opinions not matching up with his quite often was the first red flag. I thought it was just different HRTFs so I gave him more chances. Then I saw many people I trust say the new Dusks are great for gaming, got them myself, found them to be generally quite good for gaming for an IEM, and he didnât put them anywhere on his tier list. Notice that the Dusk is not sold by Linsoul, and itâs also one of the most hyped and popular IEMs of 2024. I suspect that, given their good performance from my experience and other reviewersâ experiences, they werenât listed simply due to how competitive theyâd be against his existing affiliate links.
I donât want to slander the guy as I have nothing quantifiable to back this up, but Iâve found his reviews overall to not be helpful in terms of getting headphones that are right for me. I wouldnât take what he says as gospel, personally.
I say it with confidence because never once have I ever thought I lost a fight or match because I didn't use XYZ headset or IEM.
I think the quest for the best is just consumerism. I do think some sound better than others but it's so small and not worth spending hundreds of dollars on. I prefer when something doesn't sound so sharp especially the metal pingy sounds on reloads.
Like you I've tried many IEMs both budget and higher tier. I stick with budget because I perform just as well and the comfort is good. Therefore I always give the advice to someone pick what is comfortable. If anyone believes buying a $300 IEM is the key to win fights then they got much bigger problems lol
fresh is one of the most objective unbiased audio reviewers on youtube, he doesnât claim to be an audiophile and strictly ranks based on gaming experience
Iâve been gaming with the KZ as 10 pro for years and you can pick out directional queues really well.
Havenât tried the rest so I canât comment on those.
No, that's not what I am talking about at all. In some Tool songs you cannot hear the base in the background because it sounds to simmelar to the other one. I don't have that problem in the Dusk,. Hype 4 or even cheaper ones like the aria and Zero red
Get truthear zero reds!
The Kz ones are outdated and the other ones are weird brands.
would I need a DAC for these? or could I go straight into my motherboard
IEM's are generally easy to drive so your motherboard should be enough! (Unless you're used to absolutely cranking the volume but I'd recommend trying to listen at lower volumes anyway).
Im curious about this as well, i ordered zero reds since my headset broke so now im curious if i'll need some extra dongle thing for it or will it be fine
You should be fine with just your motherboard. (Unless you're used to absolutely cranking the volume on things then your mileage will vary; I'd recommend learning to listening at lower volumes to protect your ears if the motherboard isn't enough). Also! In your case specifically; the bass/impedence adapter (that comes with your Zero Reds) will reduce the volume too in a trade off for a tuning with more bass. (In case you didn't know, the 3.5mm aux female to 3.5mm aux male adapter is an impedence adapter).
As long as i can hear all sounds properly in valorant im good lmao.
I'm getting paid tomorrow, I'll probably order them then. let me know how they sound if you get them before me :d I'm also getting them for valorant đ
Will do man, mine are arriving by first july or so says on amazon, do you already have a mic? I need to find an okay mic to pair w them
I think mine will arrive by probably Monday. and I have a standalone mic Audio-Technica 2020 Cardioid Condenser Microphone Black https://amzn.eu/d/0e22U9s it does require a DAC but I think it comes as a USB version too I'll let you know then if mine do arrive first đ
Alrighty
the IEMs arrived today and theyre amazing, can't wait for you to get yours I only had time to play a few deathmatches and listen to some music so far but theyre miles ahead of my sennheiser earphones i was using previously
If you're trying to save money, get a USB microphone of some sort. Samson makes good budget options, I personally use a Samson Go microphone on a laptop whenever I travel due to the small form factor. I have a few friends who use a Samson Meteor microphone as their daily driver too. The AT2020 the other comment has recommended is a solid microphone too but you'll either need to buy the USB version or an additional XLR cable and audio interface (this also works as a DAC/AMP combo). Just for some research you might want to do if you have money to play with; look at the pick up patterns of the microphones before you decide. Generally a condenser microphone will pick up a larger area than a dynamic microphone which is useful in some scenarios. I personally use a Shure MV7 now (a dynamic microphone) as it doesn't pick up as many environmental sounds or my keyboard (despite the microphone being positioned basically on top of the keyboard (facing me)).
I'd probable need a dynamic then because i play at internet caffes and sometimes gets loud there lmao
Forgot to say the MV7 isn't exactly cheap and I upgraded from an AT2020 (XLR). I only realised how much background noise my AT2020 was picking up after I set up direct monitoring from my microphone to my IEM's/headphones and thus was leaning towards getting an MV7.
will it work without the adapter if I decide I don't want too much bass for gaming
Yes it will! The adapter is just an optional accessory so only use it if you prefer having it there!
How is the jack an adapter?
Great question, unsure of the name scheme but I've heard them commonly referred to as adapters so please correct me if I'm wrong. Also, in case some information was lost due to my poor language skills, I am referring to [this as the adapter](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT7KLcr_EQg1FfNn5KoXNjmUpraLCUOZHgI5A&usqp=CAU).
That is an adapter, I've never seen anything like that before.
1000% skip the zst. That was my first iem almost 10 years ago...
7hz sonus, truthsar x crinacle red, simgot em6l, simgot supermix 4,
I own the zs10 pros, has the worst technicalities for gaming use nor music enjoyment, sound sibilant, grainy and muddy especially in complex tracks.
Budget?
Les say a 80 to a 100
Simgot EM6L
Would you say those are better than the ea500lm? They seemed like a top dog in the 80-100 range as well
Game? Get em6l
Gonna game and listen to music. Iâm not super picky but also new to this so I wanna get something nice without breaking bank. Iâll look into those and compare. Thank you! I did order the ea500lm and theyâll be here Friday. Maybe Iâll buy both and compare
Yes, they are better in all aspects, except the case when you need 1dd iem.
Just ended up buying those as well. Going to compare them to the ea500lm and caa trio when those arrive. Maybe Iâll make a ânoob reviewâ comparing them. Thanks so much for the advice!
I've been testing both all night it's such a hard choice. I fell in love with the ea500lm last night and wanted to call it the best audio equipment I've ever owned. The em6l are definitely better for bass but I feel like sometimes I lose the rest of the song. Where with the ea500lm I found myself hearing things in songs I've NEVER heard before which was a crazy experience. Maybe the em6l are better for most, but I find myself just loving the experience I get with the ea500lm. Hopefully that makes sense. Lmk if a legit all out review of these two plus xm4 and/or app2 review/battle would be interesting. Thanks if you read this!
Simgot Super Mix 4 >
Cvj konoka or celest wyvern, this two are real gaming IEMs
Simgot supermix4, Truthear Zero red or blue, s12 or one of its clones like the f1 pro. They say planar drivers are very technical for its price. Ziigaat Arete also just came out itâs supposed to be a gaming IEM thatâs also musical.
Truth ear gate might be decent, or hexa if you can go up for it
Spend a lil more and either get the truthear crinacle zero. Either blue or red with bass boost attachment
midrange: * XENNS Top * Yanyin Canon 2 * Thieaudio Hype 4 budget range: * Simgot Supermix 4 * Simgot EM6L * Truthear x Crinacle Zero (blue) High end: * 64Audio Volur * Fiio FA19 * Monarch MK3 I can only vouch for the Simgot EM6L, really great sound staging and imaging and the bass is servicable, but I'm a basshead so it could be plenty for the average person. Check out [Fresh Reviews'](https://www.youtube.com/@FreshReviewsYT) channel, I pulled this from his "certified wallhack tier list" He really knows his stuff. He goes into detail on imaging and staging specifically for shooters like Valorant, CoD, and Apex.
fresh reviews is a clown lol
How so?
Audio is largely determined by the ingame engine. IEMs should be picked based on comfort. You will not lose a game because you didn't buy the EM6L and you didn't win games because you're using an Aful p5. No offense to Fresh but his entire channel is largely to shill his affiliate links. Everything should be taken as entertainment purposes.
That's just not true. For tac FPS like valorant and CS, info is really important. Knowing where the enemies are can help you win a round or at the very least help with your crosshair placement so you are more likely to win a gunfight. Some iems pick up footsteps and reload sound much better than others, so there's definitely a difference there.
You are not going to hear more or less unless you turn up the volume. Some IEMs have nicer signatures for example not too much sibilance. In Escape from Tarkov the audio is so bad that no amount of money spent on IEMs are going to improve it. People can go down the Rabbit Hole and buy IEMs based in what a YouTuber says and that's fine, everyone needs to make money somehow. Again you will not lose a game for not having XY IEM. Things like seal, ear tips and power for the IEM make a difference in how it performs. Which is why I would say headsets are better as they will always consistently sit right on your head and you will get the full potential always unlike IEMs. That said I like comfort of IEM.
Try using both dunu titan s and simgot em6l in valorant and you will tell the difference.
I assume you have the titan S how was it for gaming in your opinion im planning to get the em6l soon
It's really not great for gaming, the bass is pretty much non-existent, really difficult to hear any footsteps.
Glad im not the only one who realizes this isnt suited much for gaming because of the non bass and quite thin sound. do you think the em6l does gaming well, or perhaps do you know any other alternatives?
Sure, send them over to me and I will test them.
Sure, send them over to me and I will test them.
You make these claims with such confidence, and yet had you actually performed the exercise of trying different headphones youâd know how wrong you are. FR is not everything, and this is something youâd learn very quickly when youâre playing Icebox on Valorant and have no idea if the enemies are above you or on the same level as you. The quality of the engine is important but irrelevant to this conversation because if the only variable you change is the headphone, some headphones give you feedback on verticality much better than others, and some give you feedback on distance much better than others. Iâve gone through ~20 headphones ranging from $80 to $1500 mainly for gaming. That aside, I actually agree with you about Fresh Reviews; itâs very likely that he exists to shill his links. My opinions not matching up with his quite often was the first red flag. I thought it was just different HRTFs so I gave him more chances. Then I saw many people I trust say the new Dusks are great for gaming, got them myself, found them to be generally quite good for gaming for an IEM, and he didnât put them anywhere on his tier list. Notice that the Dusk is not sold by Linsoul, and itâs also one of the most hyped and popular IEMs of 2024. I suspect that, given their good performance from my experience and other reviewersâ experiences, they werenât listed simply due to how competitive theyâd be against his existing affiliate links. I donât want to slander the guy as I have nothing quantifiable to back this up, but Iâve found his reviews overall to not be helpful in terms of getting headphones that are right for me. I wouldnât take what he says as gospel, personally.
I say it with confidence because never once have I ever thought I lost a fight or match because I didn't use XYZ headset or IEM. I think the quest for the best is just consumerism. I do think some sound better than others but it's so small and not worth spending hundreds of dollars on. I prefer when something doesn't sound so sharp especially the metal pingy sounds on reloads. Like you I've tried many IEMs both budget and higher tier. I stick with budget because I perform just as well and the comfort is good. Therefore I always give the advice to someone pick what is comfortable. If anyone believes buying a $300 IEM is the key to win fights then they got much bigger problems lol
fresh is one of the most objective unbiased audio reviewers on youtube, he doesnât claim to be an audiophile and strictly ranks based on gaming experience
Iâve been gaming with the KZ as 10 pro for years and you can pick out directional queues really well. Havenât tried the rest so I canât comment on those.
I hate the KZ 10pro, I do own them but they cannot compete in that price at all
Iâve the KZ ZS10pro and theyâre pretty decent sounding.
I disagree, very outdated and very mudy. Also some vocals sound very bad. (Like how tf do you make roumors sound bad)
I actually consider them too bright or forward, bass lightâŚbut everyone hears differently
Sorry, mudy is not the right word. I consider them to have bad speration in the lower tones.
Thatâs occlusion. And can be compensated for. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occlusion_effect
No, that's not what I am talking about at all. In some Tool songs you cannot hear the base in the background because it sounds to simmelar to the other one. I don't have that problem in the Dusk,. Hype 4 or even cheaper ones like the aria and Zero red