I love IEM's so much cleaner and clearer than "gaming headsets" plus I'm not wearing "earmuffs" anymore . I still use the truthear zero's from when icemanisaac made a video about them/you. Probably one of the more useful WZ videos I've ever watched. Hope everyone has a great Saturday and rest of the weekend, be Safe and God Bless
to be fair you most likely just dont know what you are doing. IEMs are the best value and are just great in general sure. However if you run a dac/amp and buy actual nice headphones, its about the same honestly. of course it all depends on what you spend and where. obv id recommend chifi dac with chifi iems for a person getting in to audio gear, js.
@@c0rpse1 i have a pair of hd599s and Beyerdynamic DT770 80 ohms. Hd599s are shit compared to almost every iem i own. The DT770 FEELS premium on the head, but it's stuffy since it's a closed back. Sound is more fun than my most fun iem Kiwi Ears Melody , but in terms of clarity, it loses out to all my IEMs. But something more expensive than the DT770s is spending double that of an iem for equivalent sound. I hear headphones are better at the high end category, but I'm not sure if the case holds up for games because game sounds are compressed. IEMs are just more comfortable IF you don't have an issue with the fit. Tip rolling helps here.
@@zerotactix5739 Beyerdynamics sound like tinny dogshit. Never understood the hype, and ive had a few sets. They were used but still. Friends had the same experience so must be some truth to it. HD599s are kinda dogshit as well. They are upper-bass/lower-mids boosted set, disgusting. In order for headphones to sound good, you NEED an expensive dac/amp. IEMs kinda just sound good(with eq).
@@zerotactix5739 beyerdynamics sound like tinny garbage and HD599 are kinda low end upper-bass/lower-mids boosted, which is not that good. headphones require way more money but can sound equally as good for sure. IEMs are better for the $. Hell, the BLON BL03 sounds better than $150 headphones and its $30 lol.
I just want to say a big thankyou to the GOAT of audio, Art. I've followed your insight, advice and admired your work for a while now.. I finally made the move to IEMs, I did a little research and then considered many of the affordable ones - I chose the Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro, 1 Driver + 4BA.. they might not be the most expensive, but still around $60 your money and my god, I didn't know sound could sound 'whole', everything just so cleanly separated, clear, spacious and I've gone through 100s of what I thought were great headphones/headsets (early 30s now) for triple the price.. but none of them have come close to the experience IEM.
Hey! The world of IEMs is new to me, do you use your IEMs for gaming? Did you have to use an exta device like a DAC/AMP to be able to plug them into your PC and fully enjoy them?
@@Stenaut I use them directly into the rear 3.5 jack in my PC, they're also much louder than a headset! I use Art's tune for gaming and enable/disable the equaliser for CoD, or just switch to desktop audio for editing and music etc..
@@xRoyalYT Indeed they are also louder on my side, so much sensitive that I keep Windows sound to 16% 🤣 On my side I tried just like you and I had blank noise interferences without playing any sound. So I had to buy a DAC to get rid of it (but I could still hear it a liiiittle bit on some music if I really focus my mind on it) Does it mean you have an external mic plugged on the rear of your PC too ? On my side I bought the Kinera Gramr but my mic sound was not terrible. So I was confused if I had to buy an extra device to plug it correctly to my PC.
I’m a drummer and been preaching IEMs for years now. I use 64Audios for playing shows and gaming. Got a custom mold. It’s pricy but will last forever and sound is top notch.
Art Literally put me on to IEMS and I never looked back. Even showed me how to make them 100% Bluetooth. I started with a Truthears and then made the plunge of getting the Clear Orchestra Lites. Let me tell you Orchestra Lites is all you need. Thank You Art for making my gaming and music experience the best!
I watched to the end. A balanced review, and made me even happier about having the Orchestra Lites. But I'm gonna recommend this video to others looking into IEMs (specifically the Nova for my other middle aged dad's with good jobs). Super helpful 🐐
From a structural stand point the Simgot EM6l and the Truthear Nova are using the exact same configuration to produce sound. The only thing different between these two is the tuning/frequency response. Your comparison against these two products is a prime example of impact on frequency curves to the consumer. A good example of this can be seen in The Headphone Show review of the Subtonic Storm. I'd also like to point out that for gaming, Call of Duty is very unique in the fact that you can EQ the sound in game in audio mix setting. Studio reference setting leaves the sound neutral and should be used to when comparing products to prevent tolerance stacking. You also seem to prefer the Truthear over the Simgot because of the better bass. Technically speaking the Simgot has a better bass response than the Truthear out of the box. This also is a great example of the importance in ear tips. Typically the tighter the seal provides on an IEM, the bass response should improve, but the material and structure of the ear tip can affect this greatly as well. This is why you see products like the IOaudio Volare come with 15 different ear tips in the box. This is probably the cause of your experience between the Simgot and Truthear. These nuances are exacerbated in IEMs because of the fundamental way they are used vs over ear headphones. TLDR: "Generally" speaking if you are buying two different IEMs with the same driver configuration you are just paying for EQ. Ear tips play a major role in the experience of an IEM and the same IEM can change dramatically just from a different tip. Spend some extra money and explore the aftermarket.
I bought the Truthear Zero Red 6 months ago and honestly havent looked back since, one of the best IEMs I've ever had, the tuning is perfect imo, I've got several that are over $500 which were highly recommended but honestly are not great imo, the tuning on Red is perfect and the subwoofer only kicks in a certain range which is way better than constantly active
thank you so much... for telling us about the "diminishing return" on high end iem, really... i know most reviewers always recommending the best of the best which is in itself is good but hearing someone actually saying the hard fact about the diminishing return on these iem is great. please do alot of comparison with iem and where the diminishing return in iem is prevalent. most of us are just casual people with normie wallet trying to venture into enthusiast territory without having to say to ourselves, "this sounds just like that iem" or "this doesnt sound that different from that iem", most places dont have a good return policy too so we can't try n return nor that we have the time to audition for these iems. So these vids are a god send to me n im sure most people. thanks and subscribed.
I finally bought a pair of these in the prime day sale just out of pure curiosity after seeing so many people switch to them. I got the Truthear Novas and while they do sound pretty nice, something I've hardly seen mentioned in any review of IEMs for gaming is how loud your own voice is as a result of the classic in-ear headphone sound occlusion effect, which is a particular issue playing warzone in a squad where you're talking a lot, giving comms etc. Its the same effect that's created when you put your fingers in your ears. Maybe i'll get used to it but as it stands it doesn't really compare to a decent set of over-ear headphones for me. I tried mitigating with the smaller, thinner tips but it didn't really seem to help much. The main advantage of IEMs for me is that during the summer you don't have big heavy, fluffy things covering the sides of your head making you hot, otherwise I think I will stick to DT 700 and 990 pros.
Yoooo dude, thank you for these videos on IEMs! I just spent a bunch of time doing research, but using your videos as a baseline, and well, I just got my Truthear Nova set, and I am in love with them so far!
I have a few IEMs, favorites being the Tin T3+ and Final VR3000. The VR3000 is the best at gaming but I find the Tin to be better overall primarily due to the more preferential tuning (heavy bass, warm, not much treble sharpness). Despite this, I use headphones for gaming most of the time as I like to listen to music simultaneously. My two most used headphones are Philips SHP9600 (open back dynamic), and Hifiman HE400SE (open back planar). I'm not too serious about positional accuracy of sounds (aka "imaging") but the SHP9600's have decent positional accuracy but the Final VR3000 does it even better, which is strange coming from an IEM but it of course won't sound as wide as most open back headphones. IMO the best headphones I have are the Hifiman HE400SE (open back planar) and BASN ASONE (planar IEM's). They both do extremely well for detail, soundstage, and separation (sounds not muddying together). Unfortunately I have to EQ both of them, the ASONE absolutely requires EQ in the upper treble (around 6k all the way to 16khz) due to how insanely sharp it is. IEMs really do appear to punch above their weight for sound quality and tuning (most of the time, haha), but in my case I'm not very competitive so I use what I want depending on how I feel, and I switch to the better pairs when I really want to dig into my music. Lastly on your comment of "driver fatigue", that is associated with poor separation. Separation generally means how clearly you hear sounds while other sounds are playing. As an example, a terrible headphone during a heavy bass hit will easily drown out the other sounds, but a good headphone can play that bass while other sounds can be heard. It's also worth noting that masking effects play a part in this, so tuning can actually contribute to perceived separation quality. Just putting in my experience and insight, I hope this is not a bother.
I’ve used over 6 IEMs so far. My favorites out of them being the Aria snow edition the reviews on these were pretty bad for the most part but personally they sound leaps and bounds better than the Truthear Crinacle Blues I still recommend the hell out of the Zeros specifically the OG blues. I also used the Zars, Quartets, Quintets, Aria 1 & snows). Crazy part is I actually prefer headphones. I’ve owned a bunch of Audeze/Beyers/Senheisers. I still love to use my IEMs every so often but I ended up daily driving headphones (especially since it’s gaming 99% of the time). Which for anyone curious, is the beyerdynamics DT 900 Pro X. They are insanely comfortable & the sound on them is clinically amazing. Great review Art!
I tried the Crinacle Zero Blue for Tarkov and had to send it back. It was so quiet, yet it felt like I was hearing everything loudly simultaneously, making it challenging to hear and locate footsteps. I can't quite explain it, but I much preferred my regular headset. It was oddly frustrating. I even experimented with EQ settings using an APO app and Steel Series GG, but it still didn't work for me. It just felt weirdly quite and loud at the same time. It was my first ever IEM. I'm currently using the Artic Nova Pro.
Its dad for the KZ Zar, found them for 60€ on Aliexpress which is a Banger at this price point but certainly not at 90$. I bought the KZ ZAR and the Kiwi Orchestra lite and After 2 weeks they get confortable to my ears and I cant go back, The orchestra lite are incredible
I own a pair of the Nova's and wish that I had found you a bit earlier. I am not unhappy with them, but since I just recently started playing FPS games I was curious about better audio. So as of right now I ordered a pair of your gold standard list since I had a gift card. Can't wait to get them in and give them a go.
Great video man. From someone already using decent headphones (PC38X), would you still recommend switching to something like the orchestra lites? Ive been reading/watching good reviews on both, but nobody ever really compared gaming with good headphones and good iems, and what they would prefer over the other. Im happy with my pc38x, but i feel like im missing some directionality and detail in some scenarios which is why im on the fence on trying out new stuff.
Those were the first ones I bought and I couldn’t agree more. They are fuckin great! I bought the orchestra lites and love them even more but The sonus really aren’t that far behind. You made a great choice.
@@skwirl865i’m new into iem. i want to start with the 7HZ SONUS and there are 3.5mm or 4.4mm on amazon. what‘s the differnce? and how do i know if my power output is enough so i dont need the usb to headphone jack adapter from apple?
@@corvusgaming1577 the only time u would need the 4.4mm jack is if u had a dac with a 4.4 balanced output that u wanted to use. Get the 3.5. As far as the Apple usb adapter is just really good for the $9 it costs on Amazon. It’s usually louder and sounds better than the motherboard headphone jacks but they don’t require a lot of power. Anything will push them just fine and they sound great regardless. U don’t “need” the adapter. I just like the extra power being there if I want it. They’ll be plenty loud enough for gaming and normal music listening with your pc output or really anything else.
@@corvusgaming1577 no problem man. Lmk if that or a variation of it ends up working out for u. With enough tinkering, I think u can find a way to make them comfortable. It just ain’t easy and takes some time. I sure af sucks until u do though, especially because they’re so good before they get intolerably uncomfortable.
Hey Art, Love the content great video. I'm using a "gaming" head set right now and after researhcing and seeing your videos among others, I'm thinking about switching to IEMs with the inline microphone you suggested. Would this still work if i plugged it straight into my PS5 controller (playing warzone on a PC)?
Hi everyone! Just a quick tip to somebody who has a problem with non vented IEMs, like the Orchestra Lite (which I love). I'm using different ear tips to counter the pressure. They're called LINSOUL TANGZU Tang Sancai. Give it a try, it helped me enjoy the Kiwi's to full extend without changing the sound signature. And thank you Art for all your great vids!
Dude never heard of IEMs before and I’m a bit pissed. Got me a pair for about $110 and really cannot believe the quality I’ve had turtle beach pros Astros etc.. the astros and turtle beach headsets were amazing but these IEMs are so much more comfortable and the audio is probably the same if not better.
I don't play FPS type games, how much better would a IEM be over a headset? My current headset is the sony H9, mostly happy with them, but not sure they were worth the price lol I mostly play RPGs and MMORPGS: also own the everyday raycon earbuds
Just bought the SIMGOT EM6L for $109.99 and they came in today so I’ll be giving them a try but I might just end up dropping a little extra for the novas at $149.99 ! Thank you for the suggestions 🤟🏼
glad I came across thischannel. I don’t know if you got a chance to review them but the Linsoul KZ ZS10 pro iem’s are my personal go to. I’d love to hear your impression of them (unless you’ve already done so) they are great and at $50 they are imo very hard to beat. I upgraded the cable to a braided type with a built in mic for gaming. Great video, subbed 🍻
Hey sir, awesome video. I will probably go with the truth ears to "dip" my toes in to get away from my astro a40s. Now with that being said, am I plugging those straight into the pc, controller, or what do I need for them. I'm a casual gamer who streams for fun, so I don't need the top of the line. But I also want a good experience and don't mind spending a little money of it will make the sound a little better. Again, great video and thanks for taking the time to make it.
Seconding this. Fantastic breakdown that has me interested in changing. The cable length of 1.2m is the only barrier for me. A budget amp/dac could solve the issue but is it necessary for the 7hz Sonus that I want to buy for first IEMs? How much would that improve the experience? Is there a 6ft or 10ft Cable that is recommended if the amp/dac isn't worth it? Thanks in advance
@@Strabury you could try Moondrop Dawn Pro DAC where the price is not that expensive and yet it gives you a bit wide soundstage and slightly accurate imaging.
Going from gaming headsets to IEMs could be the best upgrade you can make after a new GPU, genuinely. I started with £40 IEMs which instantly replaced my SteelSeries 7X I bought at nearly £200 at launch. I now use the Moondrop Katos which are great and fit nicely in the budget gap on your vid at £189. I have them paired with the kimura mic cable which you mentioned on the vid which I also recommend.
Hey Art, the tune used to work great, but now I don't know what happened it feels like I lost the directional sound. I ear that someone is in the building but I cannot tel if up, down, left or right. I just "ear" the footsteps everywhere. I know that the sound in this game is atrocious, but is there a step that I'm missing? I did your guide step by step, flawless, but it seems that something is not right. Maybe it's because it's the Rebirth Map?
I am wondering if you have any experience with the bone induction technology as far as gaming. I just discovered these the other day and was kind of blown away, but not sure how it would go with gaming. My ears are odd shaped and I've found that in ear speakers don't work well for me because they start hurting after a while and giving me a headache, and If I'm exercising they just fall out alot. I had to get ear molds made to fit my airpods so they wouldn't hurt or fall out. But this bone induction thing seems kind of cool, but not sure if I want to give up my noise cancellation yet.
I have the EM6L, Fudu, Truthear Zero blue and red, EW200, Fiio FH3 and the Kiwi Ears Melody. My ranking for gaming: 1. Melody for SP and EM6L for MP 2. Tangzu Fudu 3. Truthear Zero blue 4. Fiio FH3 5. Truthear Zero red 6. EW200 The EM6L does not sound like it got no Soundstage to me, at least when I used the Spinfit W1 tips. I found it sufficiently wide, similar to the Fudu. But when you play The Finals or Battlefield where there's a lot of things going on, the EM6L performs noticably better than the Fudu. The details and separation come off so clearly, similar to the Orchestra Lite you described no matter if there were 3 buildings crumbling around you with other gunshots and an RPG all around you. That was when I was blown away by an iem. The Kiwi Ears Melody is simply the most fun set I own, more than anything I own. It's very bassy, more than the EM6L, Fudu and Truthear Zeroes, yet had a lot of clarity. BUT I've heard that the Melody being a planar set needs a good DAC amp to play well, and I have the iFi Zen DAC which powers it well. If you have a good source and play single player games, just get thr Melody. Again, Spinfit W1s do well on them. Also the Tangzu Sancai.
Most likely he used stock tips on the em6l, probably stock cable so he couldnt get a deep enough fit. On my em6l I use a regular .78mm 2 pin cable from my aful performer 8 and spinfit w1. The separation, imaging and stage are unmatched at its price IMO.
Yeah, a poor fit could be why he didn't notice any bass. It's quite bassy really. I didn't notice too much difference between it and even the Legato, but I didn't get a super fit with the Legato myself.
@@zerotactix5739 legato is definitely bassier lol, but it’s not tight bass like the ziigaat doscinco or hype 4. Legato is pretty decent with wide bore tips, balances it out quite nicely and it actually has a pretty decent headstage. I have spiral dots on mine, but tri clarions work pretty well. The em6l definitely has bass, but not a ton. More than the Hexa and other simgots. I really like the smooth sound of the em6l and its technical ability, It was a daily driver of mine for awhile actually which says a lot because I have a lot of iems of various prices. It’s not my best iem, but one of my favorites.
Sorry new to this genre. Current use the pulse ps5 wireless. The truth ear nova I am interested in. What is the best suggestion for mic for playing Warzone if I get these for my ps5?
So I am new to iems and earphones, and I just recently bought the Truthear X Crinacle Red. I was wondering if the audio chip of my computer motherboard affects the quality of these IEMs. If yes, does it have a high difference? Should I buy an amp or DAC to improve the quality?
@@aj2536 iems didn’t work when I plugged it into the dac. Maybe try the Apple usb c dongle and plug directly into your controller but then you lose the ability to tune
I haven't seen the whole video yet so forgive me for this question. I'm thinking about the Antlion Kimura DUO as a purchase option because of the built in mic. But since Antlion also sells the mic separately, should I pair that with a different IEM for a better overall solution? I want to use it for gaming in first person shooters specifically. Also, what inexpensive but good performing DAC would you recommend to pair with the IEM setup? Thanks again.
Continuing to look at the video. Would you say that teaming up the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite IEMs with the Antlion Kimura Mic would be a better solution for gaming than just using the Antlion Kimura DUO with the built in mic? Either way, could you recommend a good DAC as well? Thanks.
Awesome content. Would like you to try using Moondrop Kato for gaming. I personally use it, its a single DD IEM and it sounds great with better timbre than the pure BA setups with enough separation and soundstage with tip rolling.
I love IEM's so much cleaner and clearer than "gaming headsets" plus I'm not wearing "earmuffs" anymore . I still use the truthear zero's from when icemanisaac made a video about them/you. Probably one of the more useful WZ videos I've ever watched. Hope everyone has a great Saturday and rest of the weekend, be Safe and God Bless
Yeah they're a solid pair of IEMs for the price. Enjoy!
to be fair you most likely just dont know what you are doing. IEMs are the best value and are just great in general sure. However if you run a dac/amp and buy actual nice headphones, its about the same honestly. of course it all depends on what you spend and where. obv id recommend chifi dac with chifi iems for a person getting in to audio gear, js.
@@c0rpse1 i have a pair of hd599s and Beyerdynamic DT770 80 ohms. Hd599s are shit compared to almost every iem i own. The DT770 FEELS premium on the head, but it's stuffy since it's a closed back. Sound is more fun than my most fun iem Kiwi Ears Melody , but in terms of clarity, it loses out to all my IEMs. But something more expensive than the DT770s is spending double that of an iem for equivalent sound. I hear headphones are better at the high end category, but I'm not sure if the case holds up for games because game sounds are compressed. IEMs are just more comfortable IF you don't have an issue with the fit. Tip rolling helps here.
@@zerotactix5739 Beyerdynamics sound like tinny dogshit. Never understood the hype, and ive had a few sets. They were used but still. Friends had the same experience so must be some truth to it. HD599s are kinda dogshit as well. They are upper-bass/lower-mids boosted set, disgusting. In order for headphones to sound good, you NEED an expensive dac/amp. IEMs kinda just sound good(with eq).
@@zerotactix5739 beyerdynamics sound like tinny garbage and HD599 are kinda low end upper-bass/lower-mids boosted, which is not that good. headphones require way more money but can sound equally as good for sure. IEMs are better for the $. Hell, the BLON BL03 sounds better than $150 headphones and its $30 lol.
Thanks. We got another IEM coming to you real soon hehe 😉
When I say I have a tent for you... ;)
Monarch mk 3 you need it
Haha nah fr some of these iems are crazy in price
I got Yinyan Canon 2 its the best sound I've had.. I buy them after i listen to you Fresh. ❤❤
Should I switch to the truthear novas?? I’m currently running the KZ Zars
I just want to say a big thankyou to the GOAT of audio, Art.
I've followed your insight, advice and admired your work for a while now.. I finally made the move to IEMs, I did a little research and then considered many of the affordable ones -
I chose the Linsoul KZ ZS10 Pro, 1 Driver + 4BA.. they might not be the most expensive, but still around $60 your money and my god,
I didn't know sound could sound 'whole', everything just so cleanly separated, clear, spacious and I've gone through 100s of what I thought were great headphones/headsets (early 30s now) for triple the price.. but none of them have come close to the experience IEM.
Hey! The world of IEMs is new to me, do you use your IEMs for gaming? Did you have to use an exta device like a DAC/AMP to be able to plug them into your PC and fully enjoy them?
@@Stenaut I use them directly into the rear 3.5 jack in my PC, they're also much louder than a headset!
I use Art's tune for gaming and enable/disable the equaliser for CoD, or just switch to desktop audio for editing and music etc..
@@xRoyalYT Indeed they are also louder on my side, so much sensitive that I keep Windows sound to 16% 🤣
On my side I tried just like you and I had blank noise interferences without playing any sound. So I had to buy a DAC to get rid of it (but I could still hear it a liiiittle bit on some music if I really focus my mind on it)
Does it mean you have an external mic plugged on the rear of your PC too ?
On my side I bought the Kinera Gramr but my mic sound was not terrible. So I was confused if I had to buy an extra device to plug it correctly to my PC.
Was about to get the sonus but yours and 1 other comment made me get these instead
@@coolbreeze7132 You won't be disappointed, I've been using them a while now.. super impressed and can safely say I'd buy them again!
I’m a drummer and been preaching IEMs for years now. I use 64Audios for playing shows and gaming. Got a custom mold. It’s pricy but will last forever and sound is top notch.
Thanks for the clear explanation and thoughts. I’d love to see a detailed breakdown of how to use IEMs on console including mic set up
Art Literally put me on to IEMS and I never looked back. Even showed me how to make them 100% Bluetooth. I started with a Truthears and then made the plunge of getting the Clear Orchestra Lites. Let me tell you Orchestra Lites is all you need. Thank You Art for making my gaming and music experience the best!
Do you have a link to the YT, tweet, etc with the process to set them up wireless? I know I saw it once upon a time but can't find it since
@@kamtroxell7898 let me see if I can find it for you
Also curious what you are using to make m wireless
We ever find out?
@ th-cam.com/users/shortsIl2xCpuForw?si=TYzCiVVW67REyGb-
I watched to the end. A balanced review, and made me even happier about having the Orchestra Lites. But I'm gonna recommend this video to others looking into IEMs (specifically the Nova for my other middle aged dad's with good jobs). Super helpful 🐐
Is there really a big difference between the orchestra light and the nova for double the price? Is it really worth it or should i just get the nova?
@@Marsidious tbh if you're just getting into the nerdy audio game go with the Nova's
Yea is it that much of a difference ?
@@Marsidiousnot a fan of the nova much I’m returning mine, will go for the crinacle Truthear zero blue instead I think
From a structural stand point the Simgot EM6l and the Truthear Nova are using the exact same configuration to produce sound. The only thing different between these two is the tuning/frequency response. Your comparison against these two products is a prime example of impact on frequency curves to the consumer. A good example of this can be seen in The Headphone Show review of the Subtonic Storm. I'd also like to point out that for gaming, Call of Duty is very unique in the fact that you can EQ the sound in game in audio mix setting. Studio reference setting leaves the sound neutral and should be used to when comparing products to prevent tolerance stacking. You also seem to prefer the Truthear over the Simgot because of the better bass. Technically speaking the Simgot has a better bass response than the Truthear out of the box. This also is a great example of the importance in ear tips. Typically the tighter the seal provides on an IEM, the bass response should improve, but the material and structure of the ear tip can affect this greatly as well. This is why you see products like the IOaudio Volare come with 15 different ear tips in the box. This is probably the cause of your experience between the Simgot and Truthear. These nuances are exacerbated in IEMs because of the fundamental way they are used vs over ear headphones.
TLDR:
"Generally" speaking if you are buying two different IEMs with the same driver configuration you are just paying for EQ. Ear tips play a major role in the experience of an IEM and the same IEM can change dramatically just from a different tip. Spend some extra money and explore the aftermarket.
i have purchased the mooddrops and now i recently got the kiwi ear orchestra lites and love them. thanks art
I bought the Truthear Zero Red 6 months ago and honestly havent looked back since, one of the best IEMs I've ever had, the tuning is perfect imo, I've got several that are over $500 which were highly recommended but honestly are not great imo, the tuning on Red is perfect and the subwoofer only kicks in a certain range which is way better than constantly active
What about simgot em6L vs zero red for footsteps?
@@shotonpotato14em6l is advertised as a gaming iem and costs more than double (in my region) when compared to red so I'd say em6l is better
thank you so much... for telling us about the "diminishing return" on high end iem, really... i know most reviewers always recommending the best of the best which is in itself is good but hearing someone actually saying the hard fact about the diminishing return on these iem is great.
please do alot of comparison with iem and where the diminishing return in iem is prevalent.
most of us are just casual people with normie wallet trying to venture into enthusiast territory without having to say to ourselves, "this sounds just like that iem" or "this doesnt sound that different from that iem", most places dont have a good return policy too so we can't try n return nor that we have the time to audition for these iems. So these vids are a god send to me n im sure most people.
thanks and subscribed.
I finally bought a pair of these in the prime day sale just out of pure curiosity after seeing so many people switch to them. I got the Truthear Novas and while they do sound pretty nice, something I've hardly seen mentioned in any review of IEMs for gaming is how loud your own voice is as a result of the classic in-ear headphone sound occlusion effect, which is a particular issue playing warzone in a squad where you're talking a lot, giving comms etc. Its the same effect that's created when you put your fingers in your ears. Maybe i'll get used to it but as it stands it doesn't really compare to a decent set of over-ear headphones for me. I tried mitigating with the smaller, thinner tips but it didn't really seem to help much. The main advantage of IEMs for me is that during the summer you don't have big heavy, fluffy things covering the sides of your head making you hot, otherwise I think I will stick to DT 700 and 990 pros.
Yoooo dude, thank you for these videos on IEMs! I just spent a bunch of time doing research, but using your videos as a baseline, and well, I just got my Truthear Nova set, and I am in love with them so far!
I have a few IEMs, favorites being the Tin T3+ and Final VR3000. The VR3000 is the best at gaming but I find the Tin to be better overall primarily due to the more preferential tuning (heavy bass, warm, not much treble sharpness). Despite this, I use headphones for gaming most of the time as I like to listen to music simultaneously. My two most used headphones are Philips SHP9600 (open back dynamic), and Hifiman HE400SE (open back planar). I'm not too serious about positional accuracy of sounds (aka "imaging") but the SHP9600's have decent positional accuracy but the Final VR3000 does it even better, which is strange coming from an IEM but it of course won't sound as wide as most open back headphones.
IMO the best headphones I have are the Hifiman HE400SE (open back planar) and BASN ASONE (planar IEM's). They both do extremely well for detail, soundstage, and separation (sounds not muddying together). Unfortunately I have to EQ both of them, the ASONE absolutely requires EQ in the upper treble (around 6k all the way to 16khz) due to how insanely sharp it is.
IEMs really do appear to punch above their weight for sound quality and tuning (most of the time, haha), but in my case I'm not very competitive so I use what I want depending on how I feel, and I switch to the better pairs when I really want to dig into my music.
Lastly on your comment of "driver fatigue", that is associated with poor separation. Separation generally means how clearly you hear sounds while other sounds are playing. As an example, a terrible headphone during a heavy bass hit will easily drown out the other sounds, but a good headphone can play that bass while other sounds can be heard. It's also worth noting that masking effects play a part in this, so tuning can actually contribute to perceived separation quality.
Just putting in my experience and insight, I hope this is not a bother.
I’ve used over 6 IEMs so far. My favorites out of them being the Aria snow edition the reviews on these were pretty bad for the most part but personally they sound leaps and bounds better than the Truthear Crinacle Blues I still recommend the hell out of the Zeros specifically the OG blues. I also used the Zars, Quartets, Quintets, Aria 1 & snows).
Crazy part is I actually prefer headphones. I’ve owned a bunch of Audeze/Beyers/Senheisers. I still love to use my IEMs every so often but I ended up daily driving headphones (especially since it’s gaming 99% of the time). Which for anyone curious, is the beyerdynamics DT 900 Pro X. They are insanely comfortable & the sound on them is clinically amazing.
Great review Art!
I have the DT 1990 Pro’s. Seems you have experience with a similar headset. Would IEM’s be a noticeable improvement from my 1990 pros?
I tried the Crinacle Zero Blue for Tarkov and had to send it back. It was so quiet, yet it felt like I was hearing everything loudly simultaneously, making it challenging to hear and locate footsteps. I can't quite explain it, but I much preferred my regular headset. It was oddly frustrating. I even experimented with EQ settings using an APO app and Steel Series GG, but it still didn't work for me. It just felt weirdly quite and loud at the same time. It was my first ever IEM. I'm currently using the Artic Nova Pro.
try xenn tops or yanyin canons 2 and skip the lower range whatsoever if you can splurge a little bit more. they’re just so much better imho
Its dad for the KZ Zar, found them for 60€ on Aliexpress which is a Banger at this price point but certainly not at 90$.
I bought the KZ ZAR and the Kiwi Orchestra lite and After 2 weeks they get confortable to my ears and I cant go back, The orchestra lite are incredible
Keep up the great content brother! Been waiting for this 🔥
I own a pair of the Nova's and wish that I had found you a bit earlier. I am not unhappy with them, but since I just recently started playing FPS games I was curious about better audio. So as of right now I ordered a pair of your gold standard list since I had a gift card. Can't wait to get them in and give them a go.
Great video man. From someone already using decent headphones (PC38X), would you still recommend switching to something like the orchestra lites? Ive been reading/watching good reviews on both, but nobody ever really compared gaming with good headphones and good iems, and what they would prefer over the other. Im happy with my pc38x, but i feel like im missing some directionality and detail in some scenarios which is why im on the fence on trying out new stuff.
Between the audio tune, and grabbing a pair of the 7HZ Sonus....I'm excited to play Warzone again. I'm blown away. A+!
Those were the first ones I bought and I couldn’t agree more. They are fuckin great! I bought the orchestra lites and love them even more but
The sonus really aren’t that far behind. You made a great choice.
@@skwirl865i’m new into iem. i want to start with the 7HZ SONUS and there are 3.5mm or 4.4mm on amazon. what‘s the differnce? and how do i know if my power output is enough so i dont need the usb to headphone jack adapter from apple?
@@corvusgaming1577 the only time u would need the 4.4mm jack is if u had a dac with a 4.4 balanced output that u wanted to use. Get the 3.5.
As far as the Apple usb adapter is just really good for the $9 it costs on Amazon. It’s usually louder and sounds better than the motherboard headphone jacks but they don’t require a lot of power. Anything will push them just fine and they sound great regardless. U don’t “need” the adapter. I just like the extra power being there if I want it. They’ll be plenty loud enough for gaming and normal music listening with your pc output or really anything else.
@@skwirl865 you‘re the goat. thanks a lot for the quick reply. 💪🏼
@@corvusgaming1577 no problem man. Lmk if that or a variation of it ends up working out for u. With enough tinkering, I think u can find a way to make them comfortable. It just ain’t easy and takes some time. I sure af sucks until u do though, especially because they’re so good before they get intolerably uncomfortable.
Yanyin Canon II are insane, really recommend them.
With your music tastes, it will be a blessing
Insane in game
Agreed. Would be interested in Art's thoughts.
I have them as well, really really good both for music and gaming
Hey Art, Love the content great video. I'm using a "gaming" head set right now and after researhcing and seeing your videos among others, I'm thinking about switching to IEMs with the inline microphone you suggested. Would this still work if i plugged it straight into my PS5 controller (playing warzone on a PC)?
Yes it does. I have it for Xbox. Though I got some IEMs that he didn't like lol
what squiglink do you use for the truth ear zeros on the latest warzone tune? my game doesnt sound great all of a sudden
Hi everyone! Just a quick tip to somebody who has a problem with non vented IEMs, like the Orchestra Lite (which I love). I'm using different ear tips to counter the pressure. They're called LINSOUL TANGZU Tang Sancai. Give it a try, it helped me enjoy the Kiwi's to full extend without changing the sound signature. And thank you Art for all your great vids!
Are we able to run IEMs with a PS5 setup? Currently using Astro A40TR?
If you got a mix amp you can, they’re just different headphones
I also have this question 🙃
Love the content brother! New subscriber. Question, which would you recommend for a game like Escape from Tarkov?
I know that planar drivers aren't for everyone but I love the sound I get from my 7hz Timeless.
Try the ThieAudio Monarch MKIII. I have the Xenns Top and love them but that is my personal endgame.
I want the format of the iems, are they good for music as well?
Dude never heard of IEMs before and I’m a bit pissed. Got me a pair for about $110 and really cannot believe the quality I’ve had turtle beach pros Astros etc.. the astros and turtle beach headsets were amazing but these IEMs are so much more comfortable and the audio is probably the same if not better.
Which ones did you pick up?
Which did you get?
Will a dac help with footsteps?
I don't play FPS type games, how much better would a IEM be over a headset? My current headset is the sony H9, mostly happy with them, but not sure they were worth the price lol I mostly play RPGs and MMORPGS: also own the everyday raycon earbuds
are iems also good for story mode games like ex. Wukong which i started playing
I've subbed. There are a million tech reviewers but only a few float to the top. You're one of them especially as it pertains to sound tech.
You mention the closed/non vented on orchestra lites, are all of the others vented to avoid that problem?
Oh man I was in the market I’m for an iem for gaming and I threw my hands up an the chu 2 as that’s what I’m listening to your video with 😂
I'm new to IEM. I'm undecided whether to take the Crinacle Zero OG or the 7hz Sonus.
are iems comfortable with glasses?
10:05 in the review you said you could plug and play bc of the low ohm rating, do i need one of those adapters as well?
Are IEMs good for console ?
Just ordered the 7hz with your link. Its 15% off right now in case anyones interested
Just bought the SIMGOT EM6L for $109.99 and they came in today so I’ll be giving them a try but I might just end up dropping a little extra for the novas at $149.99 ! Thank you for the suggestions 🤟🏼
How did you like the em6l?
Do any of these come with microphones?
Are iems just for pc? I’m on console would any work for it.
Dude aweseome , Ive had the chu 1's for over a year; they came with a mic built in that bumped them up right at $25
How good do the original Kiwi orchestras sound?
glad I came across thischannel. I don’t know if you got a chance to review them but the Linsoul KZ ZS10 pro iem’s are my personal go to. I’d love to hear your impression of them (unless you’ve already done so) they are great and at $50 they are imo very hard to beat. I upgraded the cable to a braided type with a built in mic for gaming. Great video, subbed 🍻
Looking to switch off of chunky headsets before my dent touches my brain. Awesome video thanks so much!
@ArtisWar is the Truthear nova is good enough or the kiwi orchestra light? And is the orchestra light that good to pay double the price on the nova?
Is the cable on those Novas good enough or should i buy the iem cable you're recommending?
Put the spinfit w1 on the Simgot EM6L. Makes it more spacious
Hey sir, awesome video. I will probably go with the truth ears to "dip" my toes in to get away from my astro a40s. Now with that being said, am I plugging those straight into the pc, controller, or what do I need for them. I'm a casual gamer who streams for fun, so I don't need the top of the line. But I also want a good experience and don't mind spending a little money of it will make the sound a little better. Again, great video and thanks for taking the time to make it.
Seconding this. Fantastic breakdown that has me interested in changing. The cable length of 1.2m is the only barrier for me. A budget amp/dac could solve the issue but is it necessary for the 7hz Sonus that I want to buy for first IEMs? How much would that improve the experience? Is there a 6ft or 10ft Cable that is recommended if the amp/dac isn't worth it? Thanks in advance
Get the Apple dongle trust me it makes a huge difference
@@Strabury you could try Moondrop Dawn Pro DAC where the price is not that expensive and yet it gives you a bit wide soundstage and slightly accurate imaging.
Looking to get a pair of the orchestra. Do I need an amp to be able to use its full potential?
Is there a new update coming to the sound settings soon?
Is truthear nova good for warzone?
what do you recomment for a microphone to use with any of these recommended IM audio devices?
What about kz castor bass version ive ordered it kinda confused whether is it good or not
So should I get the 3.5 or the 4.4 tho??
Do you need an amplifier for IEMs or can I just plug straight into pc?
You can plug them in directly but I recommend using the front headphone jack or getting a dac adapter like he recommends.
Final Audio’s VR lineup is missing - the VR series is the real GOAT of gaming IEMs🫠🧐
Going from gaming headsets to IEMs could be the best upgrade you can make after a new GPU, genuinely. I started with £40 IEMs which instantly replaced my SteelSeries 7X I bought at nearly £200 at launch. I now use the Moondrop Katos which are great and fit nicely in the budget gap on your vid at £189. I have them paired with the kimura mic cable which you mentioned on the vid which I also recommend.
Art if you have any of these IEM what amp would you recommend plugging them into? Thank you
Can I use my turtle beach amp and connect the kiwi orchestra lites? Or should I buy a dac? Or connect it to my controller? Or behind the motherboard?
The kiwi's or the dt 900?
Hi there… have you ever tried the Shure? Not any specific, just in general, thx
Hey Art, the tune used to work great, but now I don't know what happened it feels like I lost the directional sound. I ear that someone is in the building but I cannot tel if up, down, left or right. I just "ear" the footsteps everywhere. I know that the sound in this game is atrocious, but is there a step that I'm missing? I did your guide step by step, flawless, but it seems that something is not right. Maybe it's because it's the Rebirth Map?
Are these style better than over ear ? I mean say vs “gaming” headsets ?
Any advice of good iem for apex legends? Budget 50 or around that
What about iems for ps5?
Most likely any IEM with an audio jack or USB type c will just plug in and work with your ps5/controller
I am wondering if you have any experience with the bone induction technology as far as gaming. I just discovered these the other day and was kind of blown away, but not sure how it would go with gaming. My ears are odd shaped and I've found that in ear speakers don't work well for me because they start hurting after a while and giving me a headache, and If I'm exercising they just fall out alot. I had to get ear molds made to fit my airpods so they wouldn't hurt or fall out. But this bone induction thing seems kind of cool, but not sure if I want to give up my noise cancellation yet.
I have the EM6L, Fudu, Truthear Zero blue and red, EW200, Fiio FH3 and the Kiwi Ears Melody.
My ranking for gaming:
1. Melody for SP and EM6L for MP
2. Tangzu Fudu
3. Truthear Zero blue
4. Fiio FH3
5. Truthear Zero red
6. EW200
The EM6L does not sound like it got no Soundstage to me, at least when I used the Spinfit W1 tips. I found it sufficiently wide, similar to the Fudu. But when you play The Finals or Battlefield where there's a lot of things going on, the EM6L performs noticably better than the Fudu. The details and separation come off so clearly, similar to the Orchestra Lite you described no matter if there were 3 buildings crumbling around you with other gunshots and an RPG all around you. That was when I was blown away by an iem.
The Kiwi Ears Melody is simply the most fun set I own, more than anything I own. It's very bassy, more than the EM6L, Fudu and Truthear Zeroes, yet had a lot of clarity. BUT I've heard that the Melody being a planar set needs a good DAC amp to play well, and I have the iFi Zen DAC which powers it well. If you have a good source and play single player games, just get thr Melody. Again, Spinfit W1s do well on them. Also the Tangzu Sancai.
Spinfit w1 are definitely my favorite tips along with Feaule h570 latex.
Most likely he used stock tips on the em6l, probably stock cable so he couldnt get a deep enough fit. On my em6l I use a regular .78mm 2 pin cable from my aful performer 8 and spinfit w1. The separation, imaging and stage are unmatched at its price IMO.
Yeah, a poor fit could be why he didn't notice any bass. It's quite bassy really. I didn't notice too much difference between it and even the Legato, but I didn't get a super fit with the Legato myself.
@@zerotactix5739 legato is definitely bassier lol, but it’s not tight bass like the ziigaat doscinco or hype 4. Legato is pretty decent with wide bore tips, balances it out quite nicely and it actually has a pretty decent headstage. I have spiral dots on mine, but tri clarions work pretty well. The em6l definitely has bass, but not a ton. More than the Hexa and other simgots. I really like the smooth sound of the em6l and its technical ability, It was a daily driver of mine for awhile actually which says a lot because I have a lot of iems of various prices. It’s not my best iem, but one of my favorites.
Do the Orchestra Lites pair well interfacing via GOXLR Mini?
i think we have same type feeling regarding sound sir,
have you tried simgot ew200?
Sorry new to this genre. Current use the pulse ps5 wireless. The truth ear nova I am interested in. What is the best suggestion for mic for playing Warzone if I get these for my ps5?
Get the kinera gramr or Kinera ruyi. You can also try the kimura mic. Just make sure you get the 2 pin if you get the Nova.
Do the Nova’s need an amp/DAC?
hey there. what do you use when gaming?
Salnotes is not the brand for the Zero. 7Hz is. Just a little correction ;)
W video! been using the kiwi OL's for about a week now & I love them
Do cables change the audio of the iems
What do you think about the shure se215’s?
So I am new to iems and earphones, and I just recently bought the Truthear X Crinacle Red. I was wondering if the audio chip of my computer motherboard affects the quality of these IEMs. If yes, does it have a high difference? Should I buy an amp or DAC to improve the quality?
DAC affects about 20% of the sound
Can you try out the mangird tea pro vs the ziigaat arete?
I currently have the nova pro wireless and I’m about to buy a set of 7hz sonas can I use the steel series dac with them or should I buy a better one?
I have the same question but for Xbox Series X.
@@aj2536 iems didn’t work when I plugged it into the dac. Maybe try the Apple usb c dongle and plug directly into your controller but then you lose the ability to tune
Would you recommend we get an DAC/AMP for kiwi orchestra lite? If so which DAC? If not does that mean is just a simple plug and play?
What to buy for playing warzone to about 150$ ? Tx
Is the same audio set up? Just change headset name to the ims one is using?
Which Eartips would you suggest for the orchestra lites?
What is your opinion on the Moondrop Aria and Aria 2's?
Would appreciate an iem option for console
WAIT what is the cable you use for all the iems ?
I have waited with much hype and expectation for this video!!! Greetings 🙌
any idea on which are good with mics included/attached?
how we feeling about RAPTGO x HBB Hook-X for competitive fps games?
Hey Art, what would you advice for PS5 players? Is there any way we can use similar sounds settings that you use on PC ?
I haven't seen the whole video yet so forgive me for this question. I'm thinking about the Antlion Kimura DUO as a purchase option because of the built in mic. But since Antlion also sells the mic separately, should I pair that with a different IEM for a better overall solution? I want to use it for gaming in first person shooters specifically. Also, what inexpensive but good performing DAC would you recommend to pair with the IEM setup? Thanks again.
Continuing to look at the video. Would you say that teaming up the Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite IEMs with the Antlion Kimura Mic would be a better solution for gaming than just using the Antlion Kimura DUO with the built in mic? Either way, could you recommend a good DAC as well? Thanks.
What about the KZ Zar?
Whsts the best headset for Apex? Does bass effect it the same way with the footsteps or would it be some other criteria ?
Awesome content. Would like you to try using Moondrop Kato for gaming. I personally use it, its a single DD IEM and it sounds great with better timbre than the pure BA setups with enough separation and soundstage with tip rolling.
Do you need a Amp for the novas? Or can it go directly to my pc? Idk if there's a specific spot to plug them in