For immersive single-player RPG gaming like RDR2, don’t chase “competitive FPS” tunings with ultra-thin bass and sharp treble....
You will need and enjoy a good staging natural timbre and controlled bass much more
Around your baller budget....
I’d suggest looking at Aful Explorer if you want a very immersive and musical experience... great sub-bass rumble and relaxed music listening
If you want something more technical and spacious with cleaner imaging and sharper detail retrieval
Then look into Simgot SuperMix 4 though it can sound slightly more analytical compared to Explorer.
Also keep in mind that “wide soundstage” in IEMs is relative — positioning, layering, imaging, and tuning matter more than raw width.
For PS5 usage both should run fine from the controller itself, but a small dongle DAC later can still help a bit.... cant be 100% sure you have to research about that cuz i aint gonna do a sin of touching a ps5 yuck... other then that keep looking for more bro👍✨️
the easiest way to describe them is that VR3000 is tuned to make you feel inside the game world
the A4000 is tuned to make you hear every detail
as for the A5000 feels like the refined high-end version of both ideas combined.... It’s easily the best technical performer here while still being fantastic for gaming
so your choice is between vr3000 and a5000 since your budget is 18k
I’ve undergone probably the same amount of headphone/iem interest as most for gaming purposes. Came across reviews stacking against everything and anything on the astrals so I picked them up.
First off, to everyone claiming they are airy and have good treble/presence I feel that’s a direct lie. It sounds as if all highs are being pitched through a sounding board made of tin(which was fixed using an EQ bumping up a hill around 12-15k). Regardless, they have some of the most amazing technical soundstage separation I’ve heard in a good while.
But that’s honestly all I’m appreciating with them, it’s been a week with them and I’m ALWAYS messing with the EQ. Was hoping I could get some honest feedback from others about what they feel is their best casual iem for music/gaming. Maybe there truly isn’t a one set for all games?
My list:
Truthear x chronical reds (meh, not worth it)
Simgot supermix4 (tinny but technical separation was good/ they fell apart/even shocked my ears)
Final Audio VR3000 - these were my go to for years but lack technical separation and get muddy
I’ve orders some ziigaat horizons and hope the cleaner mids and the reviews about treble being technical is true. Although I feel I’ll miss the bass too much. Maybe somebody here could give me a decent recommendation below 400$ that has that spicy U curve with the bass that vibrates your eardrums and treble which isn’t muddled out by mids? Love you all, (my ears must suck to appease)
Quick notes: I use a fiio K11 r2r dac/amp
Final notes after advice:
I’m probably going to have multiple pairs for different use cases.
Sticking with Astrals for that edge on imaging and soundstage for games that rely on it. I think anyone trying to find a perfect pair just won’t 🤣 to explain, tarkov, GZW, valorant are heavily reliant on sounds in the higher end (footsteps, abilities, clicks, etc). Astrals make me feel like I can pin their big toe on a mini map if I needed to.
The Aretes II turn up that lower end past 80khz and I wish they focused more tuning wise between 78-90. Keeping the switch on is awesome but some layering suffers vs the astrals. (Definitely the more relaxed listening and RPG experience).
Im learning and the tips/info provided made some choices that much easier. This is what Reddit is about :) (as long as people are honestly constructive lel)
Tips… tips are important boys ;) (still messing with different brands finding that fit/sound for my current pairs)
I use Final VR3000 on PS5. I didn't even EQ it or use Sony's 3D audio and I could hear all kinds of stuff that I didn't before. It will probably perform even better on PC if you EQ it with software.
There are some Final Audio ones (VR 2000 to VR 5000). Ive always found it best to opt for single DD iems for gaming, especially fps games. But that's in my limited experience and limited to these titles.
Bitter_War_2387
