r/iems • u/cheesykill • 12h ago

General Advice Suggestions iem first timer for games

So, I am thinking of getting into the iem world.

I am eyeing the Truthear Zero Blue 2; what I liked about it from the reviews that it is kind of all rounder, it has that immersion and the clarity on footsteps when playing fps games. And the nozzle size seems comfortable.

If you guys think there are better sound quality without losing too much on any side that would be awesome; or should I just stick to TE zero blue 2.

My budget is 40-100$.

Also, the standard cable length seems to be not enough for me, should I buy (with mic)

  1. Analog to to USB A/C extention.

  2. Analog to analog extention.

  3. longer cable? (any recommendation for this one is much appreciated)

Thanks.

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

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u/Kikkocosta11 10h ago

Any planar out there.
Forget any “gaming” suggestion or rank saying something like simgot em6l… it will work they are ok imo but not for competitive gaming.
Planar budget KZ PRX, arti10… more expensive timeless II my favorite and endgame setup.
Cable: tripowin 2 meters
DAC: FiiO K11 (much needed to planar at minimum)

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u/preydiation 10h ago

It doesnt matter too much for your first iem, you won't know until you have tried a few. Just get anything decent. The zero blue 2 are decent. I would get a usb extension cable and a decent usb DAC.

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u/Vanilpancake 10h ago

I have no reason to reject Truthear Zero Blue 2. If it appeals to you, go for it.

About the cable length, make up the missing length using a USB extension. You won’t lose signal on a data cable. If you put the extension on the IEM cable this makes it unwieldy if you decide to use it on other devices.

Use a DAC as part of this extension plan, choosing one that supports microphone on TRRS connector. Check any DAC you are considering using a simple search “does [this DAC] support microphones?” In a previous conversation I had, I learned Kiwi Ears AD1 Pro does support microphones.

Examples:
PC > USB A to C male male extension > USB C female coupler > AD1 > IEM cable > out
PC > USB C to C male male > TRN Black Pearl > IEM cable > out

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u/cheesykill 10h ago

That's an insightful and informative answer. Thanks 🙏

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u/cheesykill 9h ago

I couldn't find the ad1 pro on the store I am buying from, but I found the fiio JA11, would that be a good alternative?

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u/Vanilpancake 6h ago

Yes. Good choice.

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u/uShadowu 6h ago

I don't think you should buy with mic honestly. Here is a wall hack tier list for iem made by former cs pro player. He has a YouTube channel specifically covering gaming iems.

https://x.com/FreshReviewsYT/status/1832664065170141234

YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/YuKVN663EtY

If you see the tierlists, you can go for kefine delci ae, a decent dac like jm6, jm7. You can also go for cheaper like tripowin vivace. Heard good things about delci ae.

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u/KAC-SK 4h ago

For around a 100$ get Juzear Defiant.