Orchestra Lite

I think endgame is whatever you deem to be the pinnacle of the sound that you like. I have a pair of Campfire Ponderosas which were £800 give or take but I later bought a pair of Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lites for about £260 which, in my opinion, are significantly better. So for me endgame is £260, but for you it may be something else entirely.

Linsoul ZiiGaat Horizon are fantastic, especially for $300ish. They are just so clean and detailed. They punch way above their weight. You'd probably have to spend twice that or more to begin to hear any added resolution, imaging, or soundstage. But they may sound odd to you coming from AirPod Pro Max, which are warm and bassy, "fun" sound designed for typical consumers, not audiophiles. However I bet you would learn to really appreciate their refinement and begin to hear all your music in new ways, noticing subtleties you never actually heard before. As a noob to IEMs, you'll really want to prioritize comfort. Some have huge nozzles which can become painful to someone not accustomed to IEMs. Some aren't vented, which can cause painful pressure to build inside your ear canal. I have a pair of highly regarded Kiwi Ears Orchestra Lite that aren't vented. I loved them until they gave me trouble on a long flight, which sucked because my AirPods were dead. The ZiiGaat Horizon fortunately have a nice venting system and are very comfortable.

I completely agree with diminishing returns; however you also get what you pay for up to a certain point. Unlike cheaper IEMs, the Ziigaat Horizon has dynamic, balanced armature, and planar drivers each handling the frequency ranges they are best suited for. The design works beautifully. I am also well aware of the placebo effect with expensive gear. Rather, I prioritize bang-for-the-buck. I critically listen to my new gear, comparing them to current and old, eager to return the new item if it doesn't impress. I'm biased the other way because I actually hope to get my money back! The $329 Horizons are objectively better to my ears than the $249 Orchestra Lite, which were certainly superior to my $50 Crinacle Zeros. The other consideration is the reality of this hobby is when you buy cheap, you'll soon crave the next step up, & then the next... I could have saved myself $300 if I had gone straight to the Ziigaat Horizon.

I had comfort issues with both. Orch Lites are not vented, so pressure buildup for long sessions can be an issue. Crinacle Zero are vented; however have a notoriously large nozzle that many including myself felt in my ear. For me, the Horizon was just right.

Orchestra lite not being in the list is heresy

Fiio FA19 for gaming original Xenns Top with a custom cable for music. Also own original Fiio FH7, Dunu vulkan, Tin t4 plus, Kiwi ears orchestra lite and KE4, Letshuoer s12 pro, ikko oh10 and Punch audio martillo.

That’s mostly due to each game having different audio implementations. Footsteps can sit within different frequency ranges from game to game. Other audio queues (explosions & abilities) that sit in those same ranges drowning out footsteps, can sometimes be far more transparent on a particular iem than others. It seems Fresh usually rates multi driver iems quite highly due to their competence in imaging and layering. I have purchased a few different sets based on his reviews. Primarily the Dunu Vulkan 1, Kiwi ears orchestra lite, Xenns Top and Fiio FA19. I don’t play Valorant though but i definitely think he knows what he’s talking about and not just shilling products like other reviewers.

The S12 Ultra has recessed vocals. I wouldn’t. Buy the S12 Pro or S12 2024 instead. The supermix 4 is harman. It makes thing sound thin for me but you’ll like it if you like harman.  I just picked up the orchestra lite myself