TRUTHEAR - Gate

My personal rankings for stuff I've heard. I'm a neutral/neutral bright guy. (My post on reddit goes somewhat in depth on all of these, sadly I'm not very technical in my language) Kotori Audio Zephyr (Duh) Truthear Hexa Tangzu Yu Xuan Ji (might be too bright for some but easily looks the prettiest by a *BIG* margin) Truthear Gate (My current set, would upgrade to one of the options in the list in a few months) Tanchjim 4u (Bang for buck) Truthear x Crinacle blue 2 (tachjim 4u has better value) Aful Magicone (very similar to hexa) Moondrop May (A default starter set for almost everyone regardless of taste.) Letshouer s08 (not my taste, great value, premium for the price) Letshouer dz4 (not my taste, great value) Moondrop Chu 2 (My previous set that are lying around somewhere) Tangzu x hbb Xuan Nv (just because of the fit) Kotori Audio Vampire I'll check out your YouTube!

I’d recommend the truthear gate, it’s pretty clear and tuned really well

Truthear gate is the best one, the wan er 2 is also good but only for flushed 2 pin connectors

ew300 are a nice allrounder that will do any genre nicely. also comes with different nozzles that slightly alter the sound profile. its a nice choice on a blind buy for those reasons if you just want to just get a set and be good for a long time truthear gates are nice if you want to get your toes wet with lower investment

o i had a stroke wtf i read that as truthear pure in your title lol gates are a great set yes. kz zvx pro i've personally been also using and I'm very surprised at all the things you mentioned really . detail, imaging, clarity these were able to provide + full metal build quality for like 12$ if you want a set for the longrun and like a more vocal focused tuning then consider wan'er 2 if those are under 25$, great iem on their own (build quality is pretty cheap though) but you get an excellent cable plus and stellar set of included eartips that people go out of their way to buy on their own to use for much more expensive sets i'd personally take the cheaper zvx pro as its just a sidegrade to the gate but should be a good amount cheaper or spend abit more for the wan'er 2 for the great accessory package

Tangzu Wan'er, Truthear Gate, Salnotes 7hz Zero 2 x Crinacle. You can't go wrong with either of the three.

Gate if you want a brighter sounding IEM, Wan'er or Zero 2 if you want warmer. You couldn't go wrong either of the three but personally, I'd pick the Wan'er for its beautiful vocals.

Alright so everybody here has an opinion, most of them based on "trust me bro". There is a bunch of ~20usd iems, all of them having very similar tuning (tuning is ALL that matters in the sound of earphones/headphones). A lot of them, because they are cheap, come with bad cables that break over time (cables are usually the nost fragile thing on this stuff). Thus I would recommend the Truthear Gate, it comes with a cable that is far better than even cables that vome with iems costing 5x the price. Under 100usd, I would recommend the the Truthear Pure. It is tuned to be what we call neutral now (jm1 and -1db/Oct. Tilt), leaning a bit warm. KZ is... questionable. Some praise it for its price to performance, others hate it. What we are certain about is that they do not sound *objecitevly* correct, not even close to it sometimes. On top of that, they got questionable QC... and marketing practices (paying reviewers, silent revisions for the worse...) 7hz Salnotes Zero:2 - is a good option with a solid tuning, but many find it uncomfortable. Edit: The moondrop chu2 is also a solid option, but I would still go for the Gate.

Truthear Gate & Moondrop Chu 2 seem to be decent options below 2k. Both are comfortable, sound good & have mics. Go for Gate imo.

It's nice to hear your impression of them, given you have experience with other sets. I have been using them since Jan 4, swapping between the ZERO:2, Truthear Gate, Zero RED and Hexa and the Moondrop MOCA. At first I was reluctant about placing them above the Zero RED, and got blasted in the comments for saying they sound better than budget wired IEMs. But honestly yes I agree with you. The ROBIN have excellent sound presentation.

truthear gate is also a great $20 chifi! i personally liked it better the standard 7hz and both chu’s.

I got the Truthear Gate In-ear monitors a few months ago. They cost me 15€ shipped on Amazon when they were new, now they cost 21€. They are great and you can‘t go wrong with these especially for the price. Bought them in black for my black iPod 5th gen but I want to buy a second pair in white just so that my white iPod 5th gen has its matching IEMs😆

It's a quite overwhelming world indeed! The thing is no one can guess what IEMs will sound best according to your taste. The soundest strategy is perhaps to get three or four "best" budget IEMs (less than $25 each) with wildly different sound profiles, beta test them, find out what sound profiles you like the best and move upwards from there. At least, that's what I plan to do. I am just starting with the cheap Truthear Gate.

I'd suggest truthear gate. Similar amounts of bass to wan'er, good vocals and well tuned highs, easy to listen to. Comfortable and light shell. Comes with two types of eartips (wide bore and narrow bore tips) and a pouch. The cable is also one of the best at this price point. The version with mic has volume + play/pause. No type c (dsp) variant though only 3.5mm. it's a well balanced set and great value for price.

i use Tangzu - Wan'er S.G [https://www.headphonezone.in/products/tangzu-waner-s-g?variant=42845633642684](https://www.headphonezone.in/products/tangzu-waner-s-g?variant=42845633642684) and dongle dac Venture Electronics - Abigail Pro [https://www.headphonezone.in/products/venture-electronics-abigail-pro](https://www.headphonezone.in/products/venture-electronics-abigail-pro) but i recommend u go for FiiO X Jade Audio - JA11 [https://www.headphonezone.in/products/fiio-x-jade-audio-ja11](https://www.headphonezone.in/products/fiio-x-jade-audio-ja11) For IEMs*, you can review and compare these options, than select based on your individual preferences.* Here is my suggestions: [TANGZU Wan'er S.G Dynamic Driver IEMs](https://www.headphonezone.in/products/tangzu-waner-s-g?variant=42845633642684) or [7HZ x Crinacle Zero: 2 10mm Dynamic Driver In-Ear Monitor](https://www.headphonezone.in/products/7hz-x-crinacle-zero-2) or [Truthear GATE Dynamic Driver In-Ear Monitors](https://www.headphonezone.in/products/truthear-gate) for FLAC i highly recommend apple music

I've never done video mastering, but I'd assume you want something fairly neutralish. Maybe with a little of the V-shape signature that is so popular these days. I'd recommend the Truthear Gate. It's one of a few Neutral-ish options under $25. (Tangzu Wan'Er Studio and Simgot EW100P being the other two I would recommend) What sets the Gate apart is that it comes with a better cable than the other two, and includes a carry pouch. The three sound very similar to each other. The Simgot has a bit of extra top end, and the Wan'er Studio is a tiny bit warmer. The Gate sits in the middle and is very resolving for the price. Feel free to pick one of the other two if you know you prefer a bit of extra treble or a bit of extra warmth.

Got myself Truthear Gate and Honestly it has better sound quality than Viper cloudX

KiwiEars Airoso. Get it while its still under $100. >Truthhear Gate, Tanchjim Bunny, and KZ Klean for a blind buy or the Truthhear Hexa, Truthhear Nova and Letshouer 12 Pro (but my friend said the 12 Pro has weird bass) Gate = No. Plastic shell resonates. Feels like garbage. People that love the gate, i question all of their listening tastes. Bunny = Fantastic. Probably one of the best $20 IEM's available. The USB DSP and app make it more fun. KZ Klean = Uh... Kefine Klean, maybe? Kefine Klean is a great choice at $50. But i think the Inawaken Dawn is better. Hexa = Good, but very dull to someone who is new to the hobby, and used to V shaped tunings (i.e. boosted bass and treble, Hexa is very flat) Nova = Tuned to the popular Harmon Curve. Which is very V shaped. THe Simgot SuperMix4 is a common alternative. S12 Pro = Planar. Fantastic IEM. BUT...and this is probably why your buddy said ti had "weird bass", it will require you to use a higher powered Dongle DAC/Amp, because Planars need a lot of power to push around. If you underpower them, they sound muddy, thuddy, and dead. With enough power, they have amazing tactility and speed. But they do suffer from a somewhat metalic timbre that can be off putting to some people, as they are not "natural" sounding. But very fun. Overall, like i said, i think the KiwiEars Airoso is your best bet. It is a hybrid IEM that plays very clean, provides tons of detail, and bass when you need it. And seems to play about every genre of music you throw at it, without feeling like its lacking. Its not a neutral tuning, but it plays naturally. If that makes sense?

I like the Gate. You may just have to get your ears used to them. And even if you don't at least you're not out a lot. I will say that I'm completely happy with the kefine klean. It's been my go to ever since I got it a couple months ago. When on sale you can find them for $40. Jump up just a bit in price and the sound gets better.

If you're looking to find your sound signature then just get two or three of the budgets. Truthear Gate, Moondrop Chu2, and Tangzu Wa'ner. 3 different sounding budget iem's.

The Klean is indeed the new budget king. And it can be for about $35 currently on AliExpress. With coupon and coins. Edit: if you don't wanna spend that then there's the Truthear Gate for $13. It's a great all arounder. Nice and clear. Then there's the $6.99 Fiio JD10. You would never guess that it's a seven dollar iem. It's got a fun v shaped tuning. And it's done really well. The cable sucks but it's only $7 ...

I'm using the same iem too but the stock tips fitment is just hit or miss. Do you think the spinfit tips fix the fitment problem?

Depends what you compare them to . Against Bluetooth earbuds and normal wired earbuds? Iems are insane value for money . 20 USD can buy you something like the Truthear Gate. And generally, good iems are cheaper than "good headphones".

Build quality, it's plastic. Sound is okay but it's really bright. Separation on a $25 iem, don't expect much. The highs sound one dimensional. 

totally. it's not bad, i just find it too bright. it fits really well, it's very light, decent cable. to get that "holy shit" sound youll have to spend 100-200. after that it's harder to hear the differences.

I think there's better options than all of those for gaming specifically but gaming/music it will be the same thing, there's not really a specific "for gaming" IEM, they can be used for anything, the biggest factor you'd want to consider is probably if there's an optional mic and whether the soundstage and imaging are decent... which is hit or miss. Less bass, $80ish Truthear Hexa. It's the only one I'll mention that I haven't heard. Neutral with slight bass lift, Truthear Zero Red but it has a huge nozzle that many find uncomfortable, these are large IEMs. I use these for gaming with a different cable that has a mic. When using the 10-ohm adapter it takes away the shrill from gun shots in video games that plagues all of my budget IEMs. You think you don't want bass - but I'm telling you that if you listen to sharp sounds like gun shots you DO want bass, just not a crazy amount of it (Blon BL03). Truthear Gate I found bright. Couldn't stand it at high volume. Has an optional mic. Feels cheap and plasticky but I trust Truthears build quality. Safe picks: 7hz zero 2 (optional mic) and Moondrop Chu 2 (doesn't come with a mic, fit is excellent because they're tiny). Cables with mics are $1-$10 from aliexpress. Get a zero 2. However, I think the Chu 2 sounds better overall and is a little more V-shaped and it has a metal shell which for me means it'd be pretty durable. Very lush and inoffensive sound that borders between engaging, little bit bassy but fairly "neutral". It sounds more exciting than my zero red, less exciting than my Gate. KZ has a terrible reputation here lol. They were caught silently revising IEMs and paying people for reviews. For a market that is so word-of-mouth based they really fucked up. Literally all of these are good picks with KZ being at the bottom. Someone mentioned "I find the Zero 2 muddier in the mids...and treble is a bit dark." and I would agree. While it's tuned very safely I found it less transparent/lush than things like the Chu 2 which are slightly more exciting while avoiding sibilance and boringness. If your version of "too bassy" is Beats By Dre or Skull Candy, none of these will even come close to bass like that (maybe the castor pro) so don't worry about it. Worry about how bright they are and how well people say they fit.

Gate sounded very low res. That said, I bought like 5 boxes of Gates. Those cables are so goated. I pretty much have a bunch of Gate cables.

They all perform pretty similarly. I'd have to A/B to remind myself but I *think* the Chu 2 is slightly ahead of the rest. The Gate might be a bit wider sounding actually because it's a bit brighter than the Chu 2, but IMO it's not as well tuned as the others and can sound a bit "scratchy" at times. If you want to avoid too much bass, you will probably prefer the 7Hz Zero as it's a bright-neutral tuning (Chu 2 & Gate are both mild v-shape, Wan'er & Zero 2 are warm-neutral). With that said, none of these are basshead. Bear in mind that soundstage is a psychoacoustic effect anyway, so what sounds wider to one person might not sound like that to someone else. Very broadly, a slight v-shape with a lean towards more treble and less mid-bass will sound wider, but there's no guarantee everyone will hear it that way.

Kefine Klean if it's in budget. Otherwise the Truthear Gate. The Artti T10 has an even better cable (going up in price a bit). The T10 and the Klean are both excellent IEMs that punch well above their price point, in addition to coming with a decent cable. The Gate has one of the best lightweight cables around, but it's not a particularly good IEM IMO. It's OK, but it's not one I find myself wanting to pick up and listen to (I mainly bought it for the white cable). Also the Chu 2 cable is pretty good (just behind the Gate one) and IMO it's a much better IEM than the Gate. Although some people do run into issues with clogged filters (although lots of people don't have any issues so I wouldn't get over-concerned about that). If all you need is a cable, have a look on Aliexpress to see what KBear cables are on sale. The 8-core, 16-core and ST12 are all excellent cables. They rotate what's on sale, but there's usually at least one under $7. Only thing to watch about the KBear cables is they mostly use semi-flush connectors. That's better for most IEMs because they'll fit in a shallow recess and they won't stick out awkwardly on a flush IEM, but they don't do a version that will fit in a deep-recessed socket. They don't fit the Chu 2 properly, for example. The Kefine Klean and T10 cables are both fully flush, so they won't fit an IEM with any sort of recess. The Gate and Chu 2 cables both use micro connectors that will fit anything.

I would recommend the Chu 2 over the Gate. The treble on the Gate is a bit peaky and sounds unnatural at times. The 7Hz Zero (the original one not the Zero 2) is also closer to flat neutral if that's something you're looking for. I prefer the Chu 2 as it's a bit smoother and more engaging with a bit more bass. The Chu 2 is a mild v-shape, but not so v-shaped that anything is "missing". If you want neutrality though, the Zero is closer to that. Either one will give you good clarity, details etc. The Chu 2 feels a bit higher quality and the accessories package is a lot nicer, especially the cable. Because it's metal, it does require a bit more careful looking after than the Zero, which is plastic, because metal shelled IEMs are a bit more prone to moisture-related issues. The main thing is it's important to give the IEM time to rest and dry out between uses. If you live somewhere humid, it's best to invest in some silica gel to help with that. Otherwise just leave them out of the case somewhere warm and dry for a couple of hours to dry out before putting them away.

All of them are decent for a first IEM, but it depends on your preferences. The problem is, if you haven't had an IEM before, you won't know what your preferences are. You need to start somewhere, so my recommendation is to buy the cheapest thing that's good and focus on comfort first. That's why I recommend one that's not on your list: the KZ EDC Pro. It's got a good all-rounder tuning (a slightly warmer version of the Chu 2) without any of the harsh peaks KZ often have issues with. But also, it's only $7. It's got one of the smallest, most ergonomic shells and smallest nozzles on any IEM. So there much less risk that you run into comfort issues with your first IEM and can focus on listening for a month or two and deciding what you do or don't like about the sound. The main downside of the EDC Pro is that the stock cable isn't great. But you can listen to it for a week or two and if you decide it's going to be your only IEM for a while, just buy an upgrade cable. KBear have a lot of good options that will fit it and the 3.5mm versions can usually be found on sale around $5 (look for 8-core, 16-core, ST12, ST16 - I have the KBear Chord on mine, which is very nice but it's usually a bit more expensive). Otherwise if you're going to upgrade to something else, you'll at least know what you want from a slightly more expensive IEM, and you've got a backup that only cost $7. The other one worth considering using the same logic is the Gate, but the main advantage of the Gate is that it comes with a pretty nice cable that you might want to steal and use on a future IEM. Personally I think the EDC Pro is tuned a bit better than the Gate, but for a first IEM you probably wouldn't notice. The stock tips with the Gate are slightly better as well (Whizzer SS20), but they aren't expensive, and KZ Starlines aren't bad tips either. The price difference is probably more than the cost of the tips + a decent cable anyway. However you can usually find the Gate on Amazon, which gives you 30 days no-questions returns.

Well it depends of course on your music preferences, finances and source of music. May I suggest you disclose a couple of tracks you absolutely adore and would want to sound brilliant with the new IEM. Based on the genres you're into, the recommendations will change. Also mention your budget. Second, unless you are monitoring recorded/ live studio music, analysing technicals, you are not going to enjoy flat tuned iems that people generally recomend. Most people prefer iems with overall good textured thumping bass and sub bass rumble, clean strong vocals and airy crispy treble with a wide soundstage. If you have the option to physically try out IEMs before buying them, you might be able to first time right on purchase. Else, start small and go for starter iems and accessories. Once you are sure about what you like, you'll be able to research and find your endgame iem. I am listing some starter iems based on my listening preferences: Single Drivers. 1. Truthear GATe - Good single 10mm Dynamic Driver, fun sound tuning. Nice bass and vocals , smooth treble. Can be Equlised to make it amazing. Cons. Cheap cable, plasticy, needs 8 core upgrade cable to improve music quality and eq above 4 db boost. 2. Kiwi Ears Cadenza - Good single 10mm DD , fun sound, nice bass , smooth vocals, smooth treble. Can handle EQ well. Looks great. EQ can boost bass and treble and vocals . Cons. Bass is good you will love iems with more thump. 3. 7Hz Crinacle Salnotes Dioko - Single planar driver 14.5 mm. Clean tuning , focus on mids and vocals. Great for vocals and classical music. Can EQ will to boost bass and treble to sound amazing. Good looking set and kit Cons. Can sound muddy with EDMs with out EQ. 4. ARTTI T10 . Good single planar driver 14.2 mm. Great tuning , good bass texture , mids and lows. Sounds amazing on female vocals and instrumental tracks. Good kit, ok looks . Cons. Looks, needs EQ to boost lower mids for male vocals . Tambre is very planar and may sound different to sensitive ears. I recommend Truthear GATe with a better cable or the Kiwi Ears Cadenza as is. Multiple drivers. 1. Kz Vader. 3, 8mm dd drivers. Good bass, mids and treble. Nice soundstage, can handle eq boosts well. Good sound stage. Cons. Need cable upgrade to 8 core (qkz t1 cheap will do) . 2. Kz AM16 bass edition- 8 driver all BA. Good bass, good vocals and treble. Great musicality and comparable to expensive DD iems. Cons. Need better cable 8 to 16 cores. EQ is tricky as the low frequency BA driver is easy to boost , mids not so much. 3. Kz Castor Pro. 2 10mm DD driver. Good bass , good mids and treble.. Can be Equalised to boost bass and treble to sound like endgame bass iems like Punch audio Martillo . Cheap and dynamic. Cons. Need a 8 or 16 core cable (qkz t1) . With EQ this can amaze people . 4. Letshuoer DZ4- three 6mm DDs with a passive radiator. Great sound, good bass and treble. Sounds nice without EQ. Mid focused and perfect for vocals . Good kit and cable. Cons. Looks. 6mm dds do not handle much EQ. Sound is not the best for EDM. I recommend the KZ Castor Pro bass version or the Letshuer DZ4. With EQ and new cable the KZ Castor Pro or Vader will sound better than others.

tysm, ive been looking for good budget iem's for a while now your comment just confirmed my thinking these iems were good for valorant. Here's a cookie 🍪

Yeah when i bought my truth ear gate iems i found the ear tips very chalky and ended up using some old ones from my nothing ear 2s

The sound quality is pretty similar however i do wish there was a set of iems with transparency mode i find that during games it sometimes feels a little akward wearing them and not being able to hear things around me

i have both truthear gate and kz castor personally i think that vocals are very muted on castor and rest is boosted too much and they dont have a punchy bass while gate has everything balanced bass isnt outstanding but its more punchier i enjoy gate more cuz its also smaller fits better and it feels more premium

Even if it is plastic you cant say anything bad about them i actually dropped them few times by accident and they are perfectly fine

well i have both of them also now i have experience with more expensive iems and i can easily say that gate is a lot better than castor dont worry gate will handle every genre u listen to i listen to almost everything and gate never fails to deliver a good listening experience compared to castor so gate easy recommendation for every genre castor isnt bad but its just worse compared to gate

Truthear Gate is my pick in the <$20 range.

bro neither 💀 get the truthear gate from headphone zone. its on sale right now as well. available only for 1700. much better than both these iems. also better than wan'er & chu 2. or wait for the wan'er 2 (coming out in early march). also use headphone zone for buying iems. they have fantastic customer service & u also get points for buying stuff (which u can later use to get discounts on other products). i can tell u more about this stuff if u want 🙌🏻

please don't make the mistake of buying kz iems. just get the 7hz zero or zero 2. or you can buy truthear gate (best gaming iem under 2k). all of these are much better value than kz iems. kz iems have a terrible cable + they only give 3 pair of eartips inside the box & nothing else. while, tangzu wan'er or truthear gate or zero/zero 2 give you 6-7 pairs of eartips + a cleaning cloth or case to carry your iem + truthear gate has the best cable quality of any iem under 3k.

if you buy truthear gate, you will be set for the next 3-4 years minimum. you can get gate at 1600 during sale from headphone zone. you can also get tangzu wan'er 2.

if you listen to both english & hindi songs, and prefer balanced sound then - truthear gate. but if you want a little bass heavy sound signature then 7hz zero 2. now, if you only listen to hindi songs, then tangzu wan'er 2. (note skip og wan'er sg as wan'er 2 is the upgrade & has better cables, better sancai eartips & better build.) these all sell for around 1.5k - 2k and skip everything else such as moondrop chu 2, any kz iem (dont ever buy a kz iem), skip og 7hz zero as well. SPECIAL: if you can spend around 3k, then just blindly go for 7hz G1. currently the best budget iem. proper v shape fun sound signature, with great clarity & separation. metal build. truly fantastic if you dont want reference grade & just wanna enjoy & vibe to your music with great clarity.

get truthear gate. perfect package with 7 rubber tips, a carry case & great cable. plus mic & perfect for gaming.

i too come from a cheap tws and got the same iem and yeah i did notice a rather bigger difference in sound quality, instruments separation was better, hella lot more clarity and balanced bass rather than just bass, im happy with the upgrade

KZ is trash, buy Moondrop Chu II or Truthear gate instead 👍

Chu II or Truthear gate is better

I'm in the same boat as you .. I bought the Truthear Gate, Nova and Zero Blue 2, which should arrive tomorrow or the day after. I've spent several weeks watching EVERYTHING on youtube and tried to read as many reviews as possible. But everyone has a different opinion about which is the best 🤷‍♂️ I really enjoyed the "old" Zero Blue, which had amazing sound. But the nozzle was just slightly too big for me, which should have improved with the new ones + Nova and Gate. You can also find comparison between some of the different IEM's here: [https://youtu.be/l5ssUlY4Tfg?si=NxdF2phsGIN4mSvd](https://youtu.be/l5ssUlY4Tfg?si=NxdF2phsGIN4mSvd) I might actually buy the Aful Performer 5+2 at some point, cause they seem to do pretty much all of it as well 🤔 No wonder people refer to this hobby as a rabbit hole 😅💸

Absolutely love my Truthear GATe paired with spinfit w1 tips. Just the build quality of the IEM themselves is plastic and feels fragile, but besides that, the cable and sound are what makes this IEM favorable for me

Whatever ultra-budget IEM I have on me. If it's going outside, I'm keeping it cheap in case it needs replacing. Currently it's the Truthear Gate.

I got introduced into the world of iem with the truthear gate and was wondering why it had the anime theme me not being into any anime.

I got 2 gate both has channel imabalance lol...I am frustrated af now

Truthear Gate probably. It's a bright leaning Harman tuning with almost no bass. Quite similar to the HD650.

I am a little disappointed in the responses here, but not surprised. I see a lot of excuses being made for what amounts to a poorly executed audio reproduction device. The harsh reality is that custom molds generally have pretty terrible frequency response and the market in general is way behind the times. There have been a few custom molded IEM's measured at sites like ASR and boy do they look bad. Doesn't matter how much you spend either, these companies are mostly focused on creating molds with good fitment, sound quality is typically considered after that (if at all). Here's a $2000+ JH pair with atrocious response. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/jerry-harvey-jh-custom-iem-review.56926/ And here's a $17 IEM. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/truthear-gate-17-iem-review.61784/ It kind of makes you wonder what is even going on at these custom IEM companies. They certainly have some catching up to do, but most are still stuck in the past of ridiculous marketing like multiple drivers which data shows are clearly not necessary. My band and myself all use cheap off the shelf IEM's for performance and often tracking/jamming and I've never gotten a complaint. I did purchase one pair of custom IEM's from ultimate ears but was shocked to find they sounded and measured terribly. I only use them as ear plugs now.

Not OP, but I really appreciate this comment. I got Truthear Gates a little while ago and am looking for ~$100 or less hybrid to try. Been stuck between the Hexa and Pure. Liked the Hexa for the smaller physical size and assumed I could EQ the brightness away. Pure is likely a better sound signature for me but the larger size and tacky logo kinda bug me. There are so many options, it's easy to get lost.

Hello, What IEM guys are you using for c2? I was using Truthear Zero Red but difficult to ear steps, currently usonf Truthear Gate and they are ok for a budget iem. Looking for a new pair with the best image and detail t pinpoint positions. Currently looking: - Simgot EM6L - Simgot ew300 - Supermix 4 Trying to keep in 100 euros range. Thank you :)

The same but with 50% L/R isolation. They are not the worst but a budget ones with a different sound assignature like Truthear Gate its a lot better in terms only of imaging and steps. I just bought a few minutes the simgot ew300 tomorrow I will leave feedback here with the comparison to Gate if the improve of imaging was good enough to spend the money.

yes definitely. I didn’t think the supermix 4 sounded much better, but the highs were much more aggressive. I played for 1/2 hour and was in pain. It’s very difficult to review CS. Thanks to Amazon.es, I tested them all... I ordered them, tried them for 1/2 weeks and returned them. I also had the Zero Red, gate and hexa but the order for me was em6l, ew300, tripowin, red, supermix, hexa and gate.

Bhai get iem they will be much more better than normal ones for under 2k you can get truthear gate and for under 5k get truthear zero

I would buy the cheapest starting point you can—like a Truthear GATe for $20-25—and then use that to gauge your taste, and then from there you can upgrade to a set between $50-$150 once you've figured out what exactly you like. In over-ear headphones, the most oft-recommended "blind purchase" option under $200 is the Sennheiser HD 6XX, which is a warm-neutral option that, while perhaps not the most "exciting", is the least likely to be heard as outright *wrong* for your music. I think the closest analogs we have to this headphone in the IEM sphere are the Truthear Pure and Hexa, the former being warmer, the latter being brighter. Personally I think the Pure is the safer option, especially if a lot of the music you're listening to has real instruments. That said, I'd still recommend trying GATe first to get a sense of your taste for treble with a fairly safe option. If you are willing to take a chance and spend a little bit more than Pure/Hexa—which I will reiterate, I *don't recommend before you've got a sense of your taste*—the CrinEar Daybreak is a more "fun" IEM with extra bass and treble that doesn't destroy the naturalness of midrange elements like guitars, snare drums, and vocals. I'd just not recommend it as a first IEM considering $170 is a lot of money.

Save yourself the trouble and get a tanchjim bunny or a truthear gate

Already bought the Truthear Gate and I am loving it thus far. Was watching a Band show called Hibike Euphonium and you can clearly hear whether the sounds/voices are coming from the indoor/outdoor. The clarity and details are insane in IEMs.

wan'er 2 and tanchjim zero ultima is around the corner so i guess i'll just better off waiting for those. I was just wondering how much bass i really needed lol when i bought the gate i thought it lacked that punch and when i got the klean i wanted to see if i can handle more bass.

I've been feeling this with my first iem truthear gate for the past week. will be upgrading to the Hexa soon.

Truthear Gate, that's the most neutral IEMs that I've ever heard

7hz Salnotes Zero:2 are great as well, super neutral. And the Truthear Gate. Both very cheap and neutral.

Truthear Gate - slightly bright balanced sound, comfortable, has mic, looks minimalistic yet beautiful and 3.5mm connector

Chu 2 - balanced Truthear Gate - balanced and bright (more treble) 7hz Zero 2 - v shaped (focus on bass and treble and recessed mids) Choose any one according to what you think you would like and these are best options and you will be impressed by them Just get the apple dongle

go with the kinera wyvern black or the bunny; bot have okay cable. bunny more detailed and wyvern more bassy with sligthly better cable. i really didnt like the way the gate sounds, its too boring

I have the gate. Vocals (male) dont sound natural at all. Wouldnt recommend this iem. The Chu 2 is good for that purpose. Kind of flat sound. Just take care of it. As with all metal iems, they are prone to humidity.

Iva had a bunch of those, i can give opinion: - Chu 2: sound good, nice bass and detail. Sadly the tip started leaking green liquid and clogging all the time, not very good on the go, had to unscrew it to dry. The cable and eartips were awful and i bought other ones. The pouch, looks nice but its whatever, does its job. - 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2: didnt have it myself but asked a guy who was wearing it and it sounded bass boosted but kinda dead compared to the Chu 2. Kinda weird fit too, didnt really feel comfortable to me. - Tanchjim Bunny: Sounds good and similar somewhat to the Chu 2 (with default of the box EQ). Had some issues on the other iems that i used a dongle dac to use on the phone but they had a very annoying background electrical buzz to it, probably bad dongle but i had tried 2 brands same issue. The cable usb c that comes with this one finally solved that problem for me, no background hiss at all. Eartips are ok so is the cable. I've been trying a Truthear Pure eq profile these days. Without EQ (not the defaut, just a custom one i made all to 0) they are very bassy. - KZ ZSN ~~Pro~~ : i had the not pro version of this one, my first chifi. Good sound, just not that good as the other ones. High pitched noise on some tracks that was unconfortable. The cable, ass, it broke in half. The iem itself broke at the connector too, i left it once on the sun and then it fell off the cables. The eartips, they were the worst, but i didnt really care at the time. - Truthear Gate: The best cable and eartips of the bunch, even the pouch is really good, very confortable fit. The sound? Hot garbage, sounds the same as some cheap earbuds. And i mean earbuds, not iems. No bass no treble, nothing. Most boring sound ive ever heard (and im eq the Pure to my bunnys, mind you, that one is supposed to be no bass and its way better). - Moondrop Quark: It sounded ok. Cable bad, but not as bad as the chu, eartips ok. It was ok. I prefer the ear over cable iems, just more confortable. - Truthear Zero Blue: i had it for very little, it felt very big to my ear insides. It sounded ok and bassy The dongle DAC i had were some CX31993 and ALC5685

I have the truthear gate. They are not fun to listen to

Very easy to resist. Like c'mon. Just go with an actually viable choice..if you want a heavy hitter multi driver buy the Aful Performer P5+2 for 250. Sub 50 dollars? Just buy one of the many IEMs that have proved themselves time and time again, IE: Moondrop Chu 2, Tangzu Wa'ner, 7hz Zero, Truthear zero, Truthear Gate, etc. If you want a good tribrid for still pretty cheap get the Simgot EW300. (80 bucks) If you want a good 1DD+3BA hybrid for pretty cheap, get the Truthear Hexa or Truthear Pure. (80 bucks) More drivers doesn't mean better, and in lower price brackets it more often than not means that they have sacrificed actual performance for having "better specs" and more flashy marketing.

Gate is a tad bit better than the wan'er but a bit worse than the zero2, imo.

I just got the Truthear GATe and they're good, I won't lie. There's a slight increase in the clarity and quality of sound but I dont find MUCH of an improvement considering I used cheap TWS before. I've seen a lot of people praise this IEM for its quality so I'm not sure if it's just me,the defect with the product I bought or if its just like this.

Only tried 3 so far. Kz edx pro, truthear gate and kz castor bass edition. Gate had the best treble

1500 INR? * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver * KZ EDC Pro If you can at least push it at 2k INR, I would suggest * Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 * Tangzu Wan'er SG * Truthear Gate * 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 * Kiwi Ears Dolce * Moondrop Chu 2 Prices are HeadphoneZone, Audio Store, and Concept Cart If Amazon * KZ EDC Pro above 1.5k INR * Tangzu Wan'er SG 2 * Tangzu Wan'er SG * Truthear Gate * 7Hz x Crinacle Zero 2 * Kiwi Ears Dolce * Moondrop Chu 2 * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver

- KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver - KZ EDC Pro - Tangzu Wa'ner SG/Wan'er SG 2 - 7Hz Salnotes Zero/Crinacle Zero 2 - Truthear Gate - Tanchjim Bunny

All under 3k INR (based on ConceptKart website) Neutral (including warm and bright) * Tangzu Wan'er SG (neutral warm) \*\* * Tangzu Wan'er 2 (neutral warm) \* * Tanchjim Bunny DSP (neutral bright) \* * Tanchjim One DSP (neutral warm) * Moondrop Chu 2 DSP (neutral bright) * 7Hz Salnotes Zero (neutral bright) * Truthear Gate (neutral balanced) \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Qing (neutral balanced) \* * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver (v-warm-ish to neutral bright) \*\* V/U-shaped (including warm and bright) * Tanchjim Bunny 3.5mm * Tanchjim One 3.5mm * 7Hz x Crinacle Salnotes Zero 2 (mild v-balanced) \* * ND Planet (v-warm) * Rose Technics (Roseselsa) Aurora Ultra (v-warm-ish) \* * Moondrop Chu 2 3.5mm (mild v) * DUNU Titan S2 (v-balanced) \* * BLON BL-03 (v-warm) * BLON BL-03 II (v-warm) * Kiwi Ears Dolce (u-bright) * TRN Conch (mild v-bright) * Moondrop Chu 2 3.5mm (mild v-balanced) \* * Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss (mild v-warm) * Tangzu Shimin Li (mild-v bright) * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Silver (mild v-warm-ish to neutral bright) \*\* * KZ Castor/Castor Pro Black Improved Bass (v-bass to v-bright-ish) \*\* * KZ EDC Pro (u-warm) \*\* * KZ EDX Pro (v-bright) (\* recommend | \*\* personally I own)

I got my first IEM’s today the Truthear Gate, they sound really good i also have only used cheap earphones/headphones and these sent shivers down my spine they are really good. The sound is balanced and very clear also they come with good accessories so totally worth it. I bought them from headphonezone for 1990₹

truthear gate - balanced sound profile, wide sound stage, tight responsive bass and and best cable quality in the segment. tangzu wan'er - warm sound good bass but idk much as i own the gate

Honestly 20$ IEMs like Truthear Gate are already better than AirPods. So anything will work really.

Truthear GATe is my first iem. As you said you are using a tws which is bass heavy so you won't notice any upgrade in bass. You can appreciate vocals as they are clear. If you love vocal forward music than it's gonna be your choice. To appreciate the difference, play one song in your tws through your phone and play the same somg through your pc via headphones jack. Sync the timing and listen. now you will find what's the difference.  I love vocal forward songs like ghazals and bollywood classics and 90s indie pop so it fullfill my requirement. It doesn't have rumbling or thumping base but have optimum base which is required. 

Personally I would go for the tangzu wan'er 2. my reasoning is this: 1. The Wan'er 2 comes with great eartips (Tangzu Sancai tips) which you can then use on any future IEMs you buy 2. 7Hz Zero 2 has a terrible cable, you will find it getting tangled all the time, the Wan'er 2 cable is far better. 3. The Moondrop Chu 2 also has a pretty bad cable, nowhere near as bad as the 7Hz Zero 2 but still inferior to the Wan'er 4. Many people have issues with the Chu 2 within a couple of months. This is because the filters will get clogged up. Most IEMs in this price bracket are of similar "audio quality", the main differences between them come down to tuning style. Since you don't yet know what type of sound signature you want, I suggest going for something that has good accessories that you can continue to use in the future. So I recommend the Tangzu Wan'er 2. Or if you want another option, the Truthear Gate.

Probably truthear GATe? A little of extra bass but much more comfortable to me (or just buy a pair of zeros if you really like how they sound) Edit: Idk about gaming because skill issue

It's less about being worth the upgrade if you already own one of the other sets, to me at least. I find that the question is more about just spending the little bit of extra money to begin with if it's within your budget. If it's not then an upgrade would also be out of the question either way, so that's not the focal point. As you said, the Cadenza just take EQ really well and have solid technical performance for their price, so even if you don't enjoy the tuning, they can be a really good deal. From there, newbies can easily play around with different signatures and AutoEQ other IEMs onto the Cadenza to get a fairly good impression of what they enjoy. I consider the Cadenza to be a great starter IEM for that reason and would argue that if you're looking to eventually upgrade or expand your collection, they are a top notch recommendation. Where I agree with you is that they are not ideal as a standalone one-of product. As part of an arsenal or as a first entry point they can shine but if you're only ever planning on one "do-it-all" IEM, then the 7hz Zero:2, Tangzu Wan'er and (as much as I dislike them) KZ Castor Pro are better in that regard. One last thing too, and this is a very minor criticism: Since you mentioned the Truthear Gate, which are considered very treble forward and the sharpest sounding non-KZ IEMs in their price range, I think it's a moot point to argue about the perceived sharpness of the Cadenza, especially given that a simple tip-roll can solve that issue entirely. I agree that the problem exists, I just wouldn't outright fault the Cadenza for that when other IEMs that people might be upgrading from had even sharper treble, even with better tips. Still, the default upgrade path here would go through the Truthear Zero:Red, not the Cadenza for most people and I'd levvy a lot of the same criticism against those as well (nozzle size -> stock tips, good technical performance, minor price difference to other entry level IEMs). I think it's more of an issue with ultra-budget and budget IEMs just not being all that different from one another and the most notable differences only coming once you invest more, which many people want but can't do. Then they opt to make marginal upgrades and end up disappointed at the lack of a difference. It's more of a customer behavior issue, not a product issue inherently if you ask me. Other than that, great stuff, appreciate the attention to detail.

I dont agree competitive iem or headphone are better without too much bass and hexas have been said to be pretty decent at gaming. For gaming you dont want hard bass you want precision and good soundstage and detailed sound and thats why iem's like 7hz salnotes zero , truthear GATE , KEFINE delci and others are consider top 10 in there respective price range in gaming (in fact zero are consider top 3 in there price range and delci are top1 in there price range)

I'm in a similar boat, and I'm deciding between the Tangzu Wan'er and the Truthear Gate. I'm leaning toward the Gate since I've heard the Tangzu has some build and cable quality issues. If any of you own one of these, I'd love to hear your experience.

Kz Castor is technically superior to Gate , but has a bad tuning...If you know how to EQ , Castor's output becomes much better than the Gate....But Gate is more Comfortable than Castor for wearing.

the gate isn't bad but is in no way good, I recommend for budget get the tangzu wan'er or the 7hz zero2. but honest at this price range it won't be any really bug upgrade if you wanna hear major difference you gotta bring your budget to around 50 with things like the simgot ew300, crinicle project red or the tangzu Xuan nv

I'd say save the money and go for 1500-2000 budget when you can. The performance difference is noticeably good on IEMs like truthear gate, salnotes zero, chu 2 etc.

For the price I enjoyed a lot the Truthear Gate

I know there's a quite a few people who have been waiting for me to finally make this post. I apologize for the delay, I was still waiting for an iem to be delivered. A little background: I've been an fps gamer all my life. I used to play cod semi-profressionally and participated in both online and LAN tournaments for money. The main fps games I play today are apex, cod and siege. Ever since I discovered the audiophile world with studio headphones I was amazed how much better headphones sounded compared to gaming headsets. Fast forward to present day and I am now into IEMs and discovering which ones are the best for gaming. As a disclaimer my thoughts and opinions are my own. I understand there are YouTubers such as Fresh Reviews, Ryan Ho, and Gadgetry Tech that may or may not agree with my takes. So please take my thoughts and opinions with a grain of salt as I am just a chill guy who likes to game competitively. The way I determine if an iem (or headphone) is good for gaming is by 3 main categories: soundstage, imaging, and sound separation. A good and accurate soundstage has good width (x), height (y), and depth (z). Imaging, or stereo imaging, is the spacial perception and ability to perceive the precise placement of sounds. Essentially directional audio. I.e left, right, center, back, top left, etc. Sound separation in a iem or headphone is the ability to pick up different sounds at once without it overlapping each other. So the ability to hear explosions go off, gun shots, gadgets, footsteps, etc without distorting the other sounds. With that being said here's the list of iems that I've tried each with a short review and a rating out of 5 for gaming (3 is usable, anything less is not): CCZ BC01 Pro (1) - way too bassy, bad vertical directional audio. Better options CCZ BC04 Pro (2) - same issue as the BC01 but a much more tolerable bass. Better options Moondrop Chu 2 (1.5) - sound is okay, soundstage felt narrow to me. Imaging was okay. Sound separation was below average. Premium feel and build but I didn't like how heavy they were on my ears. Better options Truthear Gate (2) - sound great but not good for gaming. Narrow soundstage, imaging is okay, below average sound separation. Better options Truthear Zero Red (?) - literally couldn't fit in my ears properly without severe pain. So I couldn't test the IEM and returned it. Will be testing the zero 2 tho Truthear Hexa (4) - comfort is not that good, better than the zero reds tho, soundstage and imaging is okay, sound separation is decent. Also not a fan of how they sound tbh. Too neutral for me Tripowin Vivaci (3) - nearly identical to the zeros 2 in technical performance but I like the zero 2 more in terms of overall sound. And for $5 more you can get the 7Hz G1 which is better than both 7Hz Zero (2.5) - a bit too bright, zero 2 is better 7Hz Zero 2 (3) - average soundstage, decent imaging, below average sound separation. Best $20 iem imo, better options as you continue to go up in price 7Hz G1 (4.5) - a Klean but cheaper with a more fun v-shaped sound signature, get this if you're on a budget 7Hz Sonus (4.5) - the most underrated iem for gaming, great imaging and great soundstage but average sound separation. EW300 is a bit better cuz it has better sound separation Kiwi Ears Canta (3.5) - a bit too bright for most people, good imaging, okay soundstage, below average sound separation Kiwi Ears Quartet (4) - best soundstage imo, super comfy fit, imaging is okay and sound separation is average Kefine Klean (4.5) - a better Delci, better sound separation and arguably better sound signature imo Kefine Delci (4) - good soundstage and imaging, slightly above average sound separation Simgot EW300 (4.5) - nearly endgame but still needs better sound separation. Simgot EM6L (5) - endgame, great soundstage, great imaging, great sound separation. Can't recommend it due to it's nozzle QC issues. Otherwise I probably wouldn't use any other IEM for gaming but this Simgot Supermix 4 (3.5) - not endgame. Might get some hate for this but I was really not impressed by this iem for gaming. It had a narrow soundstage and okay imaging, good sound separation tho. EM6L is way better Other IEMs I am planning to review: ND Planet, Tangzu Waner 2, KZ EDC Pro, Truthear Zero 2 Blue, and Kiwi Ears Airoso Note - in the end I recommend the 7Hz G1, 7Hz Sonus and EW300. The DT 900 Pro X and 770 Pro X are my reference headphones for directional audio for competitive fps games. Those headphones essentially make me feel like I have wall hacks and the iems perform 85-90% as good. The best was definitely the EM6L where I felt nearly no difference in performance with my headphones but I can't recommend it because of the nozzle QC issue. It is an easy fix by super gluing it back on but that shouldn't even happen for an iem worth $110 in the first place. With that being said I will still review iems (and headphones) above and below the respective prices but I feel that you will be perfectly happy with the performance of the iems I recommended. Side Note: I'm currently in the process of building a website with the best gaming peripheral recommendations which includes not only iems but headphones, keyboards, mice, monitors, even pro controllers and more. Hope you all have a blessed day and find this helpful in your purchasing decision!

since youll be wearing it for longer hours, trust me, you need an iem which fits flush with your ear(like truthear gate), or has a small form factor (like Blon BL-03). Most of the offerings from kz, cca, and even tangzu have big shells which after sometime may hurt. My first iem was Salnotes Zero. Had such a pointy shape it started hurting after 15mins of use. Even tho i liked its sound, i had to return it. I say buy Truthear Gate, and a dac like KZ AM-01(i daily drive). Gate has a sound which you can listen to for hours, and it sits flush with my ear (my ears are big). Soo yea, try them out. One can always eq with wavelet to get a different sound signature, since eq is the only thing we budget sound enthusiasts got. Money? no bueno.

I’m going to buck the trend here and suggest you skip the $20 bracket. There’s almost always gotchas to get the price that low. Specifically, my experience has been: - Truthear Gate: Only ear tips that have ever given me a reaction (they made my skin break out and itchy).  - Tangzu Wan’er 2: Very poor cable that already had a short it in, no chin cinch, inconsistent molding on ear hooks. The IEM’s shell is so bulky it prevents a good fit.   Ultimately, these turn into e-waste and wasted money after you inevitably upgrade. My suggestion would be to pick an uncontroversial $70–$150 IEM and utilize the return policy if you don’t like it. 

Personally I’d go with the truthear gate great price for an all around enjoyable experience. Truth ear makes great stuff and for the price range you get a warm sounding pair that’s able to preforms wonderfully. I use it as my out and an about set when I’m on campus. Feel Vernice for the price and have one of the more premium unboxing experiences for a iem in their price range. Best of luck deciding what you’d like.

Tangzu Wan'er 2 — these are the powerhouse for the money. Very engaging sound. Tuning is almost perfect. Easy on ears for long sessions. Not very detailed though. Microcontrast is lacking. Macrocontrast is very good. Easy to drive off a potato thanks to 19 Ohm impedance. These DON'T scale up with more powerful source. Overall good fit, shells are light, but nozzles are stupid short. You likely would want a deeper insertion. Tip rolling is a requirement. I didn't like Tang Sancai tips supplied in the kit with this IEM. Truthear Gate — these have lower macrocobtrast, but microcontrast is better. Extremely low distortion, clean sound, punchy bass, overall the most flat, neutral tuning among those I suggest to you. Harder to drive due to 30 Ohm impedance. These DO scale up with more powerful source. Very good technicalities. Good fit. Tip rolling is the easiest among all. Tanchjim Zero Ultima — straight fit, non-detachable cable. Very clean, crystal clear tuning, good instrument layering, fast and punchy, tactile bass, ideal for classical music. Harder to drive due to 30 Ohm impedance. These DO scale up with more powerful source. Very good technicalities. Super lightweight (only 2.3 grams per shell), very thick and long nozzles for deep insertion — with narrow ear canals might not fit properly. Tip rolling is a must, though supplied silicone tips are among the best in the biz. KZ Saga Neutral — lower microcontrast, lower macrocontrast, more of a safe tuned mild V-shaped sound. Good, but not very engaging compared to those above. Easy to drive. These DON'T scale up with more powerful source, can be run off a potato. Shells are made of metal — premium quality feeling, but the heaviest of all. With some tip combinations might not fit properly and fall from ears due to improper fit and the sheer weight. Nozzle size is normal. Weight is the problem.

(amongst the iems have I owned) s tier: kiwi ears ke 4 and truthear hexa a+ tier: Ikko OH10, Pula PA02, Shuoer s12 pro, Sennheiser ie200, Kefine Delci, Dunu Titan S OG a tier: Dunu Titan s2, Tanchjim One, pre revision CCA CRA+ A- tier: Binary Chopin, Tangzu Waner Studio, KZ PR2 pre revision, Tripowin Olina SE B+ tier: Kiwi Ears Quintet, Tangzu Xuan Ji, Simgot EW 200, Truthear Gate and Hola, Tangzu Wan'er SG B tier: Moondrop Chu 2 and OG, KZ EDA Balanced, Kiwi Ears Quartet, Moondrop Aria Snow, FiiO Jade Audio JH3, Tripowin Lea B- tier: 7hz zero OG, Truthear Zero Blue, Whizzer BS1 C tier: KZ CRN D tier: Moondrop Quarks honorable mentions: Koss KSC75 in A minus, Porta Pro in B, Moondrop Space Travel in B-, Galaxy Buds Plus and 2 in A minus along with Airpods Pro Gen 1, and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro in A plus.