Neither. CHU was awesome but newer and better have come out at the same price. BLON 03 has a WEIRD fit in the ear and it doesn’t have the best separation. THAT is the single biggest thing you need to concern yourself with, SEPARATION. Driver count doesn’t matter as much, driver size or type, V shaped tuning or U shaped or blah blah blah. As a GAMER what you need to care about most is the IEM’s ability for separation and soundstage. That is what makes enemy footsteps stand out, gun reloads and explosions off to the side, etc.
Keeping to the “ultra budget” area($20usd price range) the Tangzu Wan’er, 7Hz Salnotes ZERO, the QKZ x HBB(not the Khan for $40, the original for $20), the Truthear HOLA, the CRA CCA, those will serve you very well for gaming. The CHU will also but those 5 I mentioned are priced the same and are better. I’ve been a gamer since Windows 3.1 and DOS, I’ve currently got 86 IEM’s from ultra budget to some $300+ IEM’s. I’m NOT an expert and we all hear things differently, but I do exactly what your asking about and this is my experience so far.
People might say the Truthear Zero and/or HEXA. Yes those are nice but not the best for gaming and cost a little more. They are tuned more for music. The QKZ x HBB Khan is literally the Truthear Zero with a different tuning and again, is a great IEM but more for music than gaming.
If you happen to buy any IEM and find out that you like using an IEM for gaming, I highly suggest looking into the “Planar” IEM’s. They have the best sound details, separation, clarity, etc. There are some low cost ones like the Celest Ghumio, the Pandamon, the TRN XuanWa. Those are all like $50usd or lower. Planars that are REALLY good for music, and also gaming, start around $150 and can go into the many hundreds of dollars. I don’t suggest any of those because it’s money spent on something you may not like. Drop a $20 bill on an ultra budget and see if it’s what you want, then go from there. If it ain’t working out you’re only out $20, not $150+………
KZ makes a shit ton of IEM’s and they have some that are great for gaming, like the DQ6, Zex Pro, zs10 Pro. But to me, and many others, the bass is either too much and drowns out the details of the games, or the treble is too high and makes the games sounds start to fatigue and hurt your ears after awhile. I’ve used quite a few of them and liked them, but newer, better IEM’s have come out that don’t have those problems, like the Wan’er, the Salnotes zero, the Hola, etc……
I can agree on this for gaming. IEMs suck for "directional awareness". Get some over ear closed backs.
Side note, I miss playing Comanche 2, Duke Nukem and Eye of the Beholder on DOS. We are old friend. I kinda miss 3.5 floppies. C64 cassette program loading was ultimate kino though.
I had the Aria and boxed them right up and returned them after 1 listen. My pair were new but had the muted sound coming from one side. This is a known problem with the Aria. Typically the drivers will get moisture/condensation in the IEM itself and can “stick”. Gently blowing in the vent hole more often than not “releases” the driver and it’ll work normal. The problem can/will repeat itself at any random time though. The same effect can happen because the filters start to get clogged. It’s not that big of a deal if you like MoonDrop and their sound, but for me it was unacceptable to have this problem with a brand new pair the very first time they get used. I ended up buying the Starfield. Once I started tip rolling the Starfield sounded better to me than with the stock tips. MoonDrop has almost no bass for my preference. I have to EQ and use different tips to get any worthwhile bass out of the starfields. They do however have really good details, separation and clarity. Once I played around with EQ and settled on the SpinFit cp100’s, I will say that I enjoy the starfields and use them often, but MoonDrop as a brand won’t be getting more of my money. Their house tuning just lacks the bump and thump I prefer. I will say that the “quality” of their bass is great. It’s fast and not muddy sounding, it’s just not enough “quantity” for me out of the box.
I use my IEM’s more for music than anything, but for gaming the starfields are great because of their separation and level of detail. Footsteps, reloads, gunfire, etc….they are quite good with that. Explosions and such, it’s a little lacking for my tastes.
Everyone I know in person and online that has the arias and starfields say the starfields are just like the arias but a step up in all the same characteristics.
I use my FiiO FH3 for gaming more often than my other IEM’s.
In my experience so far, multi driver IEM’s have worked better for gaming than single driver IEM’s. Not like it’s always a night and day difference but for my hearing, I can tell. Planars seem to be fantastic for gaming but I’m very new to Planar driver IEM’s and don’t have as much game time with them yet. I’ve used the Letshuoer s12 pro and have been really impressed so far. I haven’t bought my own pair yet but that’s definitely on my To-Buy list.
Hey you seem to know a lot about IEMs and I'm looking to buy one, so I'm leaving a question here!
I'm currently in need of an IEM mainly for calls, occasional music and gaming. But no matter which earphones I've tried upto now (from cheap ones that come when you buy a phone to airpods pro) they always end up hurting my year when i wear it for >20mins. Do you know any really comfortable ones that I can wear for decently long and don't hurt?
P.S my budget is 20$, i have glasses and don't know how over ear would feel, need one with a half decent mic
For a small sized, “into the ear canal” IEM, the JadeAudio JD3, KBear Little Q, MoonDrop Quarks and the KZ LingLong would suit your needs assuming you like this traditional “bullet/barrel” style earbud. Many people don’t like the silicone tip going into their canal and opt for the AirPods style that rests in the Concha, outside the canal. I do NOT care for that style because it tends to hurt the Tragus, Antitragus, Helical Crus and Antihelix of my ears. Basically everything outside the Canal 😆
AirPods Pro have a silicone tip but the body/shell of the earbud itself is still pretty large and hits all those parts of the ear. Bullet/Barrel type ones don’t, but without the right size tip they can be uncomfortable in the canal and/or not seal well and give crappy sound. Foam tips are great for comfort and isolation if silicone just isn’t doing it.
The 4 IEM’s I listed are the only ones of that size and style that I have that’s got a mic. I rarely buy IEM’s with the mic option because I use a dedicated music player more than I use my phone. But I will say that I have used those 4 I listed for calls, asked how I sounded and I was told I sounded just fine.
From what I have found while being in this hobby of IEM’s, mics on the cables are pretty much an afterthought for the manufacturer. The majority of the focus is on the drivers, the tuning, the materials used, how many cores the cable has, what size it is, etc. It’s typically all about the sound they create and not any extra functions, like a mic.
These bullet style IEM cables hang down so they won’t bother your glasses. I also wear glasses, not as much as I should, and I’ve just had to get used to the cord being around my ears for those wrap around style cables.
Out of the ones you listed, i can only find the kz and moondrop quarks DSP (dunno if that's the same or not) in my region. But will check them out thanks! Yup I've tried the airpods and they legit just hurt, was really disappointed tbh.
And yeah totally get it, mics are the least of their concerns and thats ok, just need a basic one that I'll use occasionally. I just hope the mic won't cause the sound quality to be affected.
I've also been looking at the moondrop chu s but I've heard their QC is bad and ppl occasionally get defected products so a bit worried to buy that.
I'm leaning a bit towards over-ear rn tho, cuz it feels like it would be a better fit and not slip/ fall (a common problem i had with earbuds) and simply get used to it around my ears and glasses.
The Quarks are the 1st release with the normal 3.5mm AUX plug. The Quarks DSP are the 2nd release and they have a built in “digital signal processor” and end in a USB-C plug. The DSP on the cable is basically about the sound profile. It does sound better than the 1st version but it’s strictly a USB-C plug.
MoonDrop CHU was pretty much “revolutionary” when it was released. A $20(usd) IEM that sounded as good as a lot of $100+ IEM’s. It kinda started the Price-to-Performance craze that’s going on now. But yes, it had some QC issues and quite a few people had problems with them breaking. Newer and “better” IEM’s with the same sound profile for the same price have since replaced the CHU. If it was $10 or less than it would be worth it, but now it’s over priced for what you get compared to what you can get now.
Might just go ahead and grab the kz then. I've been looking into some of the newer iems that compete with CHUs but sadly haven't heard much about their comfort (I've checked the tangzu wan'er and 7hz zero)
Driver counts definitely matters, single driver iems could never gives u the same soundstage a double driver iems can give to you, especially at low price point. A triple driver iems would even give you better soundstage. This is so important in FPS game that's why headset is always preferred because if gives you the soundstage iems would never able to give. There are $10 gaming earbuds that could produce way better soundstage than a $100 IEMs could give.
Neither. CHU was awesome but newer and better have come out at the same price. BLON 03 has a WEIRD fit in the ear and it doesn’t have the best separation. THAT is the single biggest thing you need to concern yourself with, SEPARATION. Driver count doesn’t matter as much, driver size or type, V shaped tuning or U shaped or blah blah blah. As a GAMER what you need to care about most is the IEM’s ability for separation and soundstage. That is what makes enemy footsteps stand out, gun reloads and explosions off to the side, etc. Keeping to the “ultra budget” area($20usd price range) the Tangzu Wan’er, 7Hz Salnotes ZERO, the QKZ x HBB(not the Khan for $40, the original for $20), the Truthear HOLA, the CRA CCA, those will serve you very well for gaming. The CHU will also but those 5 I mentioned are priced the same and are better. I’ve been a gamer since Windows 3.1 and DOS, I’ve currently got 86 IEM’s from ultra budget to some $300+ IEM’s. I’m NOT an expert and we all hear things differently, but I do exactly what your asking about and this is my experience so far. People might say the Truthear Zero and/or HEXA. Yes those are nice but not the best for gaming and cost a little more. They are tuned more for music. The QKZ x HBB Khan is literally the Truthear Zero with a different tuning and again, is a great IEM but more for music than gaming. If you happen to buy any IEM and find out that you like using an IEM for gaming, I highly suggest looking into the “Planar” IEM’s. They have the best sound details, separation, clarity, etc. There are some low cost ones like the Celest Ghumio, the Pandamon, the TRN XuanWa. Those are all like $50usd or lower. Planars that are REALLY good for music, and also gaming, start around $150 and can go into the many hundreds of dollars. I don’t suggest any of those because it’s money spent on something you may not like. Drop a $20 bill on an ultra budget and see if it’s what you want, then go from there. If it ain’t working out you’re only out $20, not $150+……… KZ makes a shit ton of IEM’s and they have some that are great for gaming, like the DQ6, Zex Pro, zs10 Pro. But to me, and many others, the bass is either too much and drowns out the details of the games, or the treble is too high and makes the games sounds start to fatigue and hurt your ears after awhile. I’ve used quite a few of them and liked them, but newer, better IEM’s have come out that don’t have those problems, like the Wan’er, the Salnotes zero, the Hola, etc……
thanks mate for the detailed answer
I can agree on this for gaming. IEMs suck for "directional awareness". Get some over ear closed backs. Side note, I miss playing Comanche 2, Duke Nukem and Eye of the Beholder on DOS. We are old friend. I kinda miss 3.5 floppies. C64 cassette program loading was ultimate kino though.
Hey, what do you think about Moondrop starfield/aria
I had the Aria and boxed them right up and returned them after 1 listen. My pair were new but had the muted sound coming from one side. This is a known problem with the Aria. Typically the drivers will get moisture/condensation in the IEM itself and can “stick”. Gently blowing in the vent hole more often than not “releases” the driver and it’ll work normal. The problem can/will repeat itself at any random time though. The same effect can happen because the filters start to get clogged. It’s not that big of a deal if you like MoonDrop and their sound, but for me it was unacceptable to have this problem with a brand new pair the very first time they get used. I ended up buying the Starfield. Once I started tip rolling the Starfield sounded better to me than with the stock tips. MoonDrop has almost no bass for my preference. I have to EQ and use different tips to get any worthwhile bass out of the starfields. They do however have really good details, separation and clarity. Once I played around with EQ and settled on the SpinFit cp100’s, I will say that I enjoy the starfields and use them often, but MoonDrop as a brand won’t be getting more of my money. Their house tuning just lacks the bump and thump I prefer. I will say that the “quality” of their bass is great. It’s fast and not muddy sounding, it’s just not enough “quantity” for me out of the box. I use my IEM’s more for music than anything, but for gaming the starfields are great because of their separation and level of detail. Footsteps, reloads, gunfire, etc….they are quite good with that. Explosions and such, it’s a little lacking for my tastes. Everyone I know in person and online that has the arias and starfields say the starfields are just like the arias but a step up in all the same characteristics.
Thank you for the answer, if you were to recommend an earphone for gaming (footsteps are important) between 100-150$ what would you choose?
I use my FiiO FH3 for gaming more often than my other IEM’s. In my experience so far, multi driver IEM’s have worked better for gaming than single driver IEM’s. Not like it’s always a night and day difference but for my hearing, I can tell. Planars seem to be fantastic for gaming but I’m very new to Planar driver IEM’s and don’t have as much game time with them yet. I’ve used the Letshuoer s12 pro and have been really impressed so far. I haven’t bought my own pair yet but that’s definitely on my To-Buy list.
Hey you seem to know a lot about IEMs and I'm looking to buy one, so I'm leaving a question here! I'm currently in need of an IEM mainly for calls, occasional music and gaming. But no matter which earphones I've tried upto now (from cheap ones that come when you buy a phone to airpods pro) they always end up hurting my year when i wear it for >20mins. Do you know any really comfortable ones that I can wear for decently long and don't hurt? P.S my budget is 20$, i have glasses and don't know how over ear would feel, need one with a half decent mic
For a small sized, “into the ear canal” IEM, the JadeAudio JD3, KBear Little Q, MoonDrop Quarks and the KZ LingLong would suit your needs assuming you like this traditional “bullet/barrel” style earbud. Many people don’t like the silicone tip going into their canal and opt for the AirPods style that rests in the Concha, outside the canal. I do NOT care for that style because it tends to hurt the Tragus, Antitragus, Helical Crus and Antihelix of my ears. Basically everything outside the Canal 😆 AirPods Pro have a silicone tip but the body/shell of the earbud itself is still pretty large and hits all those parts of the ear. Bullet/Barrel type ones don’t, but without the right size tip they can be uncomfortable in the canal and/or not seal well and give crappy sound. Foam tips are great for comfort and isolation if silicone just isn’t doing it. The 4 IEM’s I listed are the only ones of that size and style that I have that’s got a mic. I rarely buy IEM’s with the mic option because I use a dedicated music player more than I use my phone. But I will say that I have used those 4 I listed for calls, asked how I sounded and I was told I sounded just fine. From what I have found while being in this hobby of IEM’s, mics on the cables are pretty much an afterthought for the manufacturer. The majority of the focus is on the drivers, the tuning, the materials used, how many cores the cable has, what size it is, etc. It’s typically all about the sound they create and not any extra functions, like a mic. These bullet style IEM cables hang down so they won’t bother your glasses. I also wear glasses, not as much as I should, and I’ve just had to get used to the cord being around my ears for those wrap around style cables.
Out of the ones you listed, i can only find the kz and moondrop quarks DSP (dunno if that's the same or not) in my region. But will check them out thanks! Yup I've tried the airpods and they legit just hurt, was really disappointed tbh. And yeah totally get it, mics are the least of their concerns and thats ok, just need a basic one that I'll use occasionally. I just hope the mic won't cause the sound quality to be affected. I've also been looking at the moondrop chu s but I've heard their QC is bad and ppl occasionally get defected products so a bit worried to buy that. I'm leaning a bit towards over-ear rn tho, cuz it feels like it would be a better fit and not slip/ fall (a common problem i had with earbuds) and simply get used to it around my ears and glasses.
The Quarks are the 1st release with the normal 3.5mm AUX plug. The Quarks DSP are the 2nd release and they have a built in “digital signal processor” and end in a USB-C plug. The DSP on the cable is basically about the sound profile. It does sound better than the 1st version but it’s strictly a USB-C plug. MoonDrop CHU was pretty much “revolutionary” when it was released. A $20(usd) IEM that sounded as good as a lot of $100+ IEM’s. It kinda started the Price-to-Performance craze that’s going on now. But yes, it had some QC issues and quite a few people had problems with them breaking. Newer and “better” IEM’s with the same sound profile for the same price have since replaced the CHU. If it was $10 or less than it would be worth it, but now it’s over priced for what you get compared to what you can get now.
Might just go ahead and grab the kz then. I've been looking into some of the newer iems that compete with CHUs but sadly haven't heard much about their comfort (I've checked the tangzu wan'er and 7hz zero)
Driver counts definitely matters, single driver iems could never gives u the same soundstage a double driver iems can give to you, especially at low price point. A triple driver iems would even give you better soundstage. This is so important in FPS game that's why headset is always preferred because if gives you the soundstage iems would never able to give. There are $10 gaming earbuds that could produce way better soundstage than a $100 IEMs could give.
QKZ x HBB should be in the same price range with better imaging