Kiwi Ears - Astral

The Astral are slightly better than the Horizon for gaming based on Fresh Reviews opinion and some others. I also disagree with (any IEM does gaming) cuz I own the astral and it's the best gaming set I've tried compared to budget hybrids. For music however I haven't tried Horizon yet but I assume it lacks bass punch, and it's aimed for detail and brightness. As bro said bellow you should wait, if you can't get the Astral imo.

so, 6 months later, i pick these up because i wanted to see if i could find something that are 560s levels of imaging and have some soundstage. The astral are iem that i can finally say headphones arent needed anymore. imaging is on point, to boot its tune really good. its v shape sure but done really well.

Had a couple of people DM me asking for some recommendations on anything good to look at during the Prime Deal Days. So instead of copying and pasting the same text a bunch of times. Figured I would just make a post, and farm some of those fake internet points, so I can tell my imaginary friends people on the internet think I'm cool. So, couple things first, NONE of these product links are affiliate links. I am no ones bitch. No one pays me to say this. All recommendations I make, are on products I OWN! I am not graph sniffing and guessing. Same as above applies...I dont get free shit. So this is LITERALLY my money doing the talking. Biggest thing to remember is this...DONT BUY INTO FOMO!!! You DONT need new IEM's! OK?! Buy within your means! Dont see a sales sticker and think its a good deal. A LOT of products on Amazon jump in price, only to be put on "sale". Always double check an Amazon price tracking site to make sure its an actual good deal, and not just some marketing bullshit. Hell, they had a 20% off "Flash Sale" on the Astral when the sale started. The flash sale ended, and an hour later, it was $24% off. How many people got suckered into the Flash Sale, and didnt even realize they could have saved an extra $15? Answer: Too Many. The best rule when buying is this: if it isn't discounted 20% or more. It's not a deal. 10-15% coupons and deals happen ALL YEAR ROUND! So dont get suckered in by a big red SALE tag, and click buy. Look at the discount percentage. Under 20%, shit. Over 20%, is probably a good buy, but remember to double check that price tracker first to make sure it isnt a swindle. And last but not least, and this goes back to the FOMO, there are still a BUNCH of sales to come before the end of the year. Prime Day, 11/11, Black Friday, Boxing Day, etc. etc. So there will be PLENTY more opportunities to buy things later this year for as good, nearly as good, or maybe even better prices. So dont feel like you will miss out. There will always be another sale. There may be some gems out there, but dont panic buy. With all that said...lets get to it. ----- Easily the biggest deal on Amazon right now, **Kiwi Ears Astral - 24% off - $227.24** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F37H5F71/ Simply put, its the best IEM value at under $250. Period. I would say its 95% of the Tea Pro. A slightly more bright/neutral option to the Tea Pros warm/neutral presentation. The Tea Pro does extract a little more texture and nuance, but at this price, you are talking about a $130 difference. Its also a more neutral and tonality to something like the Hype2, which can come off almost feeling V Shaped, with its more authoritative bass impact. Overall, the Astral is a great set. This is the lowest price its ever been. Absolute quality set for people who like a variety of music. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Kiwi_Ears_Astral,Xenns_Mangird_Tea_Pro,Thieaudio_Hype_2 ----- Second best deal, IMHO, **Pula PA02 - 32% off - $128.52** Want a AFUL Performer 5? Cant afford $175? Well, this is your answer. The PA02 trades blows with the performer 5, and i kinda like the P5 more than the P5+2. The PA02 has a little more sub bass emphasis, and extends a little further than the P5 as well. Which makes it a nice option right in between the P5 and P5+2. The musicality and warmth of the P5, with the airiness of the P5+2, but without the all resin nozzles, or the micro planar glare some people dont like on the P5+2. Honestly, this is an absolute steal of an IEM for this price. Im tempted to buy another pair, because...damn, under $150 for this kind of performance is crazy. Yes, the cable could be better. Yes the tips could be more premium. But for this price. Who cares. You will have plenty left over if you want to upgrade later. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,PULA_PA02,AFUL_Performer_5 ----- At the lowest price i have seen it in a while, **ZiiGaat Odyssey - 25% off - $171.75** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHZ755GD/ The Odyssey really doesnt need an introduction or an explanation. Its a softened interpretation of the JM-1 "meta tune", and pulls down the upper mids, and softens up the sub bass a little, and rolls off the treble past 15k. Its gives a much more balanced tonality than the KE4, with less sub bass slam, and that makes for fuller feeling mids. Again, great all arounder for any genre of music. One of the better sets under $200. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Ziigaat_Odyssey,Kiwi_Ears_KE4 ----- Honorable Mention goes to the ** ZiiGaat x Hangout.Audio: Odyssey 2 - 20% Off - $199.20** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLK2NRPY/ This is a borderline deal for me, and normally i wouldnt include it. But this set is new enough that to be on ANY sale, is a bargain. To be on a 20% off sale, almost unheard of. This is a great set at $200. Metal shell. Great modular cable. Excellent tips selection. And a quality carrying case. This is even MORE "meta tuning" than the Odyssey. But if you thought that the Crinear Daybreak had too much upper mids, and was too vocal forward. Or the Odyssey or KE4 had too much treble extension, but not enough vocal presence, than this would be a perfect choice for you. And with the all metal shell, it should hold up well long term as well. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=ZiiGaat_x_Hangout_Audio_Odyssey_2,ZiiGaat_Odyssey,CrinEar_Daybreak,Kiwi_Ears_KE4 ----- Many peoples best IEM of 2024 **AFUL Performer 5+2 - 20% - 191.99** Again, another IEM that needs little introduction. Much beloved by everyone. Amazing detail and texture, easy on the ears (some people do find the upper treble extension from the micro planars a little bright, be warned), hard to find better technicalities and detail retrieval under $200. AFUL has a very unique approach to tuning that i find super refreshing, and doesnt really adhere to any target curve but their own. Great vocal emphasis, tight bass presentation. Can place most any genre well. Superb fit and finish. Great cable. The only downside is the tips, and thats because of the smooth resin nozzle. I much prefer the Spinfint W1 on the 5+2, not only do i think they sound better, but they fit snug on the nozzle. At this price, adding the W1 is easy to stomach. The P5+2 hasnt gone on sale but a couple of times. Usually only 10-15%. Cant talk about the P5+2 without its older brother **AFUL Performer 5 - 20% off - $175.99** Often unfairly overshadowed by the 5+2, the Performer 5 is, to me, the more musical of the Performer series. It is not quite as exacting as the P5+2 in the technicalities. And the bass is not near as tactile as the double DD 5+2, but that slightly slower bass response makes the bass feel just that little but more rich and creamy. It also brings the vocals a little more forward by having a slightly higher upper mids rise in the Pina Gain region, and the treble carries a more flatter that the P5, but not quite as far. So you lose some of that air and sparkle, for a little more presence, and playfulness. And the comfort...top notch. One of the easiest sets to disappear in my ears. Like the 5+2, highly recommend some SpinFits. CP145 pairs well with the P5, along with the W1 and Neo. Likewise, you can just buy the PA02, because it is just too good of a deal. My ears like the P5 better. $35 better??? That's tough. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=AFUL_Performer_5,AFUL_Performer_7 ----- **ZiiGaat Lush - ~20% off - 136.04/143.20** (Depending on colorway) This is a super flat, super neutral IEM, with jsut enough tweak upwards at either end to make things a little mroe lively. Very much Meta Tuned, but a very reserved approach top it. Great for studio monitoring, and mixing. If bigger V or U shaped sets arent your thing. This is a good alternative. Much better than the graphs would have you believe. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Ziigaat_Odyssey,Ziigaat_Lush ----- Honorable Mention goes to the **DUNU X Koto Ito - 20% off - $171.99** Full disclosure, I DO NOT OWN the Ito, but i have spent some time listening to it. And I think its the best basshead IEM under $200. If the price point of the Punch Audio Martillo is a little steep, this is a fantastic alternative. I think it gets about 80% of the way to the Martillo. Obviously it isnt as resolving, or as tactful int he bass. But it offers a level of competency at this price point that little else can in the basshead segment. It does well with vocals, balances sound in an engaging V shaped presentation, and was an impressive surprise. Like the Odyssey 2, 10% off for an IEM this new is almost unheard of. Which makes it a great deal. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=DUNU_x_KOTO_ITO,Punch_Audio_Martilo ----- If you love your Bunny, but want something better, **Tanchjim Fission - 20% off - $103.99** This is a fantastic set for $100. If you have the Bunny, but want more of everything, this is it. Amazing driver, comes with a modular cable, and plenty of tips and tuning accessories (maybe too many). The most important inclusion in the set, however, is the USB adapter on the modular cable, that you can connect to the Tanchjim App to get full DSP functionality with. Giving you a ton of tuning options and preferences. This is basically an Origin for $100, with DSP. Great build quality, great looking IEM. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,Tanchjim_Fission_(Nozzle_S_Switch_Default),Tanchjim_Fission_DSP_(Popular),Tanchjim_Origin_Nozzle_L ----- Just pretend it doesnt have Zeos face on it, **Juzear Defiant - 20% off - $79.99** How do you make the best IEM at $100 better? You make it less than $100. Great all arounder. Fantastic sound signature. A set that is right at home with something like the PA02 tonality wise. Obviously the PA02 has better quality drivers in it, and does a much better job at bass tactility, and overall detail. But for $80...a freaking STEAL! Absolute banger of a first IEM. Only downside is that the cable, while nice, does not wear well (it gets plasticy), and the BA configuration can cause some pressure build up. Some people have it worse than others with this set. I am sensitive to pressure build up, and id didnt bother me too much. But some people hate it. https://atechreviews.squig.link/?share=Harman_2019_Target,PULA_PA02,Juzear_x_Z_Reviews_Defiant ----- **Tangzu Xuan Nv - 20% off - $63.20** This is such a rad little set. Dual DD. Warm tuning. Good vocal representation. Soft DD treble presentation with no harshness. Great air and extension. Comes with a nice set of Tang Sencai Wide Bore and Standard tips. Overall a fantastic little IEM with a cool design, that i think gets overlooked way too much as a first time buyers IEM. And a nice upgrade for someone coming from the Wan'er. At $60, i think it represents a good value. I would buy this over the EW300, any day. https://audioamigo.squig.link/?share=Tangzu_x_HBB_Xuan_Nv,Simgot_EW300_STD_Gold,Tangzu_Wan_Er_S.G. ----- And now for something you have likely NEVER heard of **Jialai Carat - 50% Off Coupon - $29.99** (after coupon at checkout) This is a cool ass little IEM. 10mm Titanium metalized DLC diaphragm. All metal CNC shell. Super small! If you have tiny ears, this will fit. Guaranteed. Good little accessories package and tip selection. Cable isnt bad either. So what the hell is a "Jialai"...no idea. But they are a sub brand of NiceHCK, and this is their first IEM release under the brand name. I think this IEM is actually worth every penny of a $50 price tag. I think it is a FANTASTIC alternative to the Kefine Klean, and is actually better built, and has a better driver. I dont expect this IEM to stick around long term. I feel like it might go the way of Soratune, because it jsut never got off the ground in terms of market recognition. But I'm telling you about it, and for $30...what have you got to lose? https://cqtek.squig.link/?share=JIALAI_Carat,Kefine_Klean_Silver ----- Some non-IEM things... **AZLA SendaEarFit Crystal - 20% off - $25.60** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B78F5C1/ These come onsale only a couple times a year. Great matte liquid silicone ear tips. One of my favorites. Lots of other AZLA tips are onsla,e so be sure to click around. **Kiwi Ears Flex Tips - 30% Off - $10.49** https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXXC8BQ3/ This is a soft silicone ear tip, with a flex joint barrel like a SpinFit. Great for IEM's like the KE4 or Astral that like a deeper fit, and have a little treble zing at the top. These help to tame that a bit, and unlike the Spinfits, these can get a deep fit without really gripping onto your inner ear, and the flex joint angles them nicely into your ear canal. Its a shape these tips dont get more praise. They are fantastic. And this price makes them accessable enough to be worth trying. ----- And finally, i wanted to end on a "Deal not a deal" like i was talking about above. The Ziigaat Luna. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F99M49W8/ This IEM is labeled at "25% off" at $285. And it shows the MSRP of $379. The Luna has never sold for 379 on the street. Its been between $325, and $350. So, at best, youre only looking at 15% off of actual street pricing for the IEM, which isnt fantastic. Yes it is the first time it has been below $300. Which is great. But its not the best deal you could get, despite what they are trying to sell you. And this is where the price checkers really come in handy. Hope this helped some of you find some deals. And if anyone else finds something they think is of good value, post it up for everyone else to see. And remember, you dont need it jsut because its there. Shop smart people.

He said its a very good IEM that is competitive with the other IEMs he tested in the same tier. He never said its the best IEM. In fact look at his wallhack certification tier list, its on the same ranking as quite a lot of other A ranked IEMs he previously reviewed incl the tea pro. That doesnt mean the astral is the best, but it doesnt imply that its the worst, or in-between either. Don't take reviewer's words as gospel. Audio is always subjective. You're always going to find opposing opinions every now and then.

The astral is already on his wallhack tier list. It was rank A last I checked, same as the tea pros and several others. Also saying something is his new favourite doesnt necessarily mean its the new reference or best. If you bought the astral right now, you may end up being disappointed if its not the kind of sound you prefer, or if it somehow doesnt perform up to the hype. As mentioned previously, audio is very subjective.

>I agree with you but HOW to know if it’s the kind of sound I prefer. Unfortunately, you wont know until you try out different types of IEMs and you'll eventually learn what kind of sound you prefer. This is where the budget range comes in, you can buy several cheaper sets to "sample" and you will find yourself developing a preference. Alternatively you can use your music player software to EQ the sound according to taste. This works especially well for fixing IEMs that already sound good to you, but have certain nitpicks you dont like. Im guessing you havent tried a variety of IEMs yet. So blind buying a mid range like the Astral is always a risk. It kinda follows the meta tuning, which has elevated sub bass with plenty of air and presence in the upper mids, but also not sibilant. I only briefly demo'ed the astral at canjam singapore last month. I think they're great, almost bought a set right there myself. But whether or not its good for the cinematic experience you're looking for, I cant say. The chifi scene has been quite good lately and almost everything being put out now is good, and fresh reviews is usually quite spot on with his take on audio. Its up to you if you want to get the astral based on that trust alone, chances are you will like it anyway.

Em6L or Supermix4, top end being Kiwi Astral, Ziigaat Crescent, Punch audio martilo are going to be the top for gaming outside of spending $450-550, get a Dac and amp or an all in one combo, life will be perfect afterwords for gaming and everything else, movies even single player games. Highly recommend dx5ii for gaming and scalpel like clean precise sound, you'll be clairvoyant in FPS where sound is mandatory.

Hey, i'm selling a perfect pair of kiwi ears astral for 200€. They're should fit your needs pretty well i think, i love how they souns but after few minutes i start to feel some pain. I've to say that's a problem i have with lots of iems cause i got very small ears. My "normal ears" friends found them pretty comfy. If you're interested you can check out my post on avexchange

I'm in UK and just got my Astral today from Amazon with a 10% off code (£249), whereas I got my Tea Pro during Prime Day for £271 (now priced at £310 with a code). It's worth keeping in mind that Fresh Reviews' testing is mainly based on FPS games like Apex, Valorant, and CS:GO. If you're looking for more all-rounder reviews, it's better to check out other videos on YouTube. For example, Jay's video shows the Astral has less sub-bass than the Tea Pro, while in Tim's video, he mentioned the Astral's treble might be too hot or spicy for some. https://preview.redd.it/3vfgwncd1nze1.jpeg?width=1943&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8eccb1c0a5a0d0ce509001c8727f89590ba45a67 Since I mainly play RPG or open-world games, I tested both in Cyberpunk 2077 & Baldur's Gate 3, as these two games have large environments with lots of NPCs walking and chatting in the background, which I think makes them good examples for testing. **Tea Pro:** The bass is more prominent and satisfying, with a good amount of sub-bass. While the overall sound is a bit laid-back or relaxed, as Fresh Review said, it provides a more comprehensive picture than the Astral. This translates to a wider soundstage and better imaging when 20+ NPCs are speaking in the background. **Astral:** The stage feels closer, making the sound more vivid, live, and fun – more immersive and exciting, especially during fighting (shooting) scenes. However, a side effect of this is that it can be more listening-fatiguing. To summarize, I think the Tea Pro and Astral are a bit like the Audeze EQ preset versus the immersive EQ preset on the Audeze Maxwell. For long, marathon gaming sessions, I would prefer the Tea Pro and have decided to return the Astral, not to mention that the package and build quality of the Tea Pro is a lot more premium and stylish.

For bass, the Tea Pro is definitely better, as the Astral is more balanced-tuned (critical listener would prefer this for music though). While the "cinematic" feeling is a bit subjective, if you prefer closer vocals and a more immediate, exciting, and immersive experience, then the Astral might suit you better. On the other hand, the Tea Pro is more refined, resolving, and spacious, giving you a more "3D feeling." I find it gives me a thrill when the sound feels like it's literally coming from the back of my brain. I prefer this type of cinematic (holographic) experience over the close-excitement cinematic.

It’s the Kiwi Ears Astral for my ears

Kiwi Ears Astral, insane

Kiwi Ears Astral! Excellent for gaming and for the occasional music session. They are my daily drivers

For me, I find the treble and bass balance excellent. You don’t get the muddy bass or high treble. So you are able to hear foot steps while maintaining great atmospheric separation. Which coincidentally works with music really well.

Get a good set and learn to eq, that will give you all you need. Kiwi Ears Astral is meta tuned and will sound neutral and natural which imo goes really well for japanese singers/songs, especially old ones. There's also the Yu9 Que which has a less natural but still overall quite natural tone that gives vocals a bit more body, especially male ones/female ones that go a bit lower. These both have excellent technical abilities like bass quality and imaging, which is how precise the instruments are in a room if you close your eyes. others will suggest iems that are a bit vocal forward/shouty and i dont have much experience with those types of sounds/tuning. And that's why i said you should learn how to EQ, you do it and you're good to go. Yo can just tweak the sound to match your preferences later on. If you're into that, think about it, if not then you can just get new iems. I think it's best to spend 20 dollars and get a moondrop chu2/7hz zero 2 or something and then see if you like the sound, make eq tweaks and stuff and see if you like those tweaks. Then based on the tweaks you look for your next iem. The main thing you need to keep in mind about IEMs is that it's all relative. Your ears want a certain type of sound and a certain type of fit. What's perfect for one person will be horrendous for you. That's the tricky part. So just be safe and don't waste too much money, that'll make you sad.

Dusk is great if you care about listening to multiple different tunings to find out your tastes. If you don't want that, then the Kiwi Ears Astral will give you the same quality for less. Also keep in mind dusk has a usb-c dongle dac so you get a "free" dac with it although it is more expensive. I would never suggest buying it at 400 USD. I got it for 355 USD a few months ago on sale, get it on sale or go for Astral If you can stretch your budget to 400, buy the Yu9 Que and you can essentially be done with the hobby. Everyone says it is more technical than the DUSK which already is incredibly technical for me. The only way to one up the Que in every way fathomable is to pay 3x more with the monarch mk4 for a small upgrade or to pay 5x more to get a U12T for an actually big upgrade. The Yu9 Que is the tipping point of diminishing returns rn imo tho some can argue for it being around the 50-200 dollar range, I'll say for audiophiles after this point you've hit a high ceiling and topping it is going to be significantly more for less critical upgrades. I personally have not tried the Que but people I trust have and I'm basing this off of their discussions. Just clarifying. I'm a DUSK owner and I love tinkering and stuff and the USB c cable is a nice addition so I went for it, if I knew about the astral I might have gone for it if the DUSK weren't on sale.

if the que is not to your tastes then go for the Hisenior Mega5EST. It's a proven winner and anyone who says no is lying. If you want something cheaper the Kiwi Ears Astral is there. Most of the Mega5EST's technicalities but at a far cheaper price point. That's diminishing returns for ya And I use the Moondrop DUSK, i got it at sale for 355 USD instead of 400 USD, so if you're getting this, I'll only get it at sale. The Astral is the DUSK but cheaper. I only got DUSK because I needed to try out different tunings with the DSP cable that you get with it. And i really like the look. Plus I love Moondrop. The Blessing 3 will be VERY flat and not fun at all for you. The DUSK with the DSP cable (or if you use the 3.5mm cable just use the dsp's tuning in an EQ) you're gonna have a very nice response. Really, if you wanna go for the Xenns feel free to, the sound will be exciting and the technicalities will be nice. I just personally have had bad experiences with poor QC in general when people have never complained so i cant imagine how bad it must be having a 500 dollar iem that breaks down easily.

Thanks for the review. I’ve got these IEMs and am impressed with them thus far.

Sweetspot for Classical Music is Kiwi Ears Astral Unfortunately they are a bit over budget but maybe there is a sale

ok great, my question was related to it's app. Basically if u don't like the default tuning (which is close to JM1 or meta tuning) you can change it via presets or make ur own tuning. That tuning gets saved on the cable of the IEMs (hence my recc for DSP) That app is only available on type C DSP versions and that preset thingy works only on Android (iOS doesn't allow changing EQ thru that app). You'll just need it when you wanna change not always so it's not important. If you don't have any major issues with iems then I'd again recc u to get something like the Kefine Klean or if u have more budget, Ziigaat Lush, Kiwi Ears Astral etc

OK. I like V shapes closer to the extreme side like ZiiGaat Estrella for metal and balanced/neutral for rock like Aful Performer 8. New meta all rounders like Kiwi Ears Astral and Xenns Tea Pro are also good but I prefer more contrast and energy for metal. If you don't have any idea if you are sensitive to treble or how much bass you want, Astral and Tea Pro would be safe choices. Also check out some ThieAudio Hype 4 reviews.

I have quintet and astral. Trying to decide if the upgrade is worth it. Will need couple of days to test. A quick test tells me that astral is slightly better with sub bass. Need more time.

I'm definitely loving the astral. There is a definite uplift in the overall quality and I find myself enjoying it more for sure. Sub bass is great. Wider soundstage as well. Sound separations are great! Nothing but good things so far. I'm planning on getting Softears Volume S and will compare to Astral. Will end up with one of these 2 for sure.

Best? Hard to say but Kiwi Ears Astral and Xenns Tea Pro are TOTL. While having both i want to say that you don't need such expensive IEMs for gaming. I play tarkov/arena and am highly competitive even with a $25 tangzu waner. $30 Tripowin Vivace $60 Kefine Delci AE $100 Simgot EM6L $150 Simgot Supermix4 $220 Ziigaat Arete $300 Kiwi Ears Astral $350 Xenns Mangird Tea Pro Pick your poison.

kiwi ears astral, mangird tea pro, & softears volume s are the best for competitive fps gaming. just pick which tuning you like.

Honestly, with my current collection, I think the P7 is amazing. I prefer it over my Volume S and Mangird Tea Pro. I think the only few IEMs that beats it for me are the Kiwi Ears Astral and Ziigaat Luna (sometimes). Let me know if you have a few specific IEMs that you're interested in, I can try give my impressions of them if I have them.

From what I have, the Kiwi Ears Astral. However, the Performer 5+2 is also amazing especially considering its cheaper as well. I would take 5+2 over Odyssey and over Luna (this one just because of price). Odyssey for general overall usage over Luna as well.

The Astral and the Klean graph similarly though, maybe you just need to spend more time with the Astral to hear the differences. Also, the Klean just sounds so right out of the box you really have to be looking at something specific (treble peak? resolution?) to see it fall behind against another IEM. [https://vortexreviews.squig.link/?share=Kefine\_Klean\_Silver\_Nozzle,Kiwi\_Ears\_Astral](https://vortexreviews.squig.link/?share=Kefine_Klean_Silver_Nozzle,Kiwi_Ears_Astral)

It's funny you would say that. I first began my journey as a basshead the more I've gone along the iem journey, the more I've leaned more towards favoring vocals and detail Retrieval. When ever dealing with a balanced set, I'm never going in and expecting Crystal clear vocals from a V shape IEM. But within the realm of balanced sets, what the Top Pros offered couldn't be matched. When I get in vocal mode I change the EQ to a custom EQ to match the Mystic 8's tuning (Glorious vocal experience). But I'd say the Kiwi Ears Astral EQs the best for vocals which is part of the reaskn why it's the set i use the most. Since you're a vocalhead; have you tried the ZiiGaat Arcanis? Holy shit man! The vocals on that set has not yet been matched by anything in my collection. I'd definitely recommend using it with a 3.5mm cable on a low gain setting. Boost the volume up and you will be in absolute awe once you play I Love You by Billie Eilish ✨️

#1 Personally, I'm going to have to go with the Xenns Mangrid Top Pro. For the price, you truly are getting an End Game quality IEM. Staging, Detail Retrieval, Textured bass and Vocals that you don't only hear, but feel. Non Fatiguing set that I can listen to for extended periods without issue. You truly get lost in the music with this set. #2 Runner up for me would have to be the Juzear X Defiant. I honestly thought it was just hype. But for 89 bucks, this set just completely punches above its price tag as well. It is a great casual or starter set to have for recommendations or any collection. Balanced and comes with a great tuning. What surprised me the most was just how crisp the vocals were without being muddied by the bass. #3 Is actually the IEM I listen to the most. The Kiwi Ears Astral. This set is a masterpiece for the price. The standard EQ is amazing, but this set just EQs so well that it can transform into whatever you ask it to. Want bass? EQ It to match the Punch Audio Martillo. Want an amazing vocal and technical set? EQ it to match the Mystic 8 *highly recommend* It's been a great year for IEMs so far. Price to Performance has definitely been the theme this year.

I’m using Kiwi Ears Astrals ($250 on Amazon) and they’re top tier in my opinion. Ziigaat’s Arete’s are in Amazon used “like new” condition for $125. That’s a steal for the quality

Look at fresh reviews on YouTube. He has reviews of both, and a tier list. Astrals are ranked A- by him and are ranked best 2025 gaming IEM over on r/IEMS. Arete were #1 in 2024

I've tried Cadenza, Pure, S12, EM6L, Kiwi Ears Astral and ZiiGaat Arete. The jump from cadenza to em6l is larger than em6l to astral/arete. So something in that 125-175 will be good. I use fresh reviews tier list as a rough guide. Everytime I have put more money in and gone higher up tier list I generally find meaningful improvements and I've settled now on the Aretes. The highest scoring one in your budget is the ZiiGaat Lush. (I can't link the spreadsheet but its in his youtube description)

I've tried Letshuoer S12, Simgot EM6L, Kiwi Ears Astral, Ziigaat Arete and briefly the Softears Volume S. In terms of ability to pinpoint enemies the Astral, Arete and Volume S are the best but EM6L is close. So any of those will generally do you well. Imo the S12 and Volume S are too treble leaning and just makes it generally unpleasant to listen to most the time. The Astral is very V-shaped and has a tonne of bass which can be fun for some games but in competitive ones gets annoying (I had to EQ them to bring the bass down). For me the Arete and EM6L is more subtle and simple and I have no desire to EQ it. Also the tea pro is probably just not worth that amount of money, from my testing after £200 you really hit diminishing returns fast. I personally use the Aretes.

Get a pair of Kiwi Aethers and a FiiO KA11 Dac and spend some money on finding the ear tips you want. Well under your budget and these IEM's bang with other IEMS more than twice the money. If you dont want planar i really enjoy Kiwi Astral as well.

Considering on the gaming aspect if it's FPS games the Astral is way ahead in imaging accuracy than the Horizon.