TRUTHEAR - Hexa

I recently bought Truthear Hexa from Headphonezone, and I'm getting inverted directional sound while playing games I'm playing on xbox series X In every game sound is inverted

Yea, I've used it multiple times at this point, and it's the same issue every time

Don't have experience with the expensive stuff. But I do think Hexa's are one of the best I have heard. Tho you might wanna look into Kotori Audio's Zephyr. I listened to them side by side and my god. I think it is better. But that's just my opinion.

I am a newbie with just 2 cheap IEM's and wanted to try some for my more expensive 3rd upgrade. I made a first impressions post on reddit for a lot of IEM's I tried over at a store. I'm copy pasting it here. Yes I'm fangirling lol. " Excuse me, this will be obnoxious... OH MY FUCKING GOD. THEY ARE SO. FUCKING. GOOD. IF I HAD THE BUDGET I WOUDLNT EVEN BLINK BEFORE EMPTYING MY WALLET. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THEM. 10/10. IF I SEE SOMEONE WEARING THIS, FUCK YOU, I WILL STEAL THEM. Phew. Anyway. Here are my impressions. These are chonkers in terms of height outside your ears. I keep my IEM's in my pocket without worrying about them. I have never used any cases. These definitely need to be kept in their case while travelling. However they fit amazingly. They have a very odd shape which made me think they won't fit, but they had the best fit among all I tried. They sound super natural. They are my perfect IEM's I don't even know how anything can be better than this. And are definitely an upgrade from Truthear Hexa (my favourite except this one) and I think is definitely value for money. I say these are the best IEM's I have heard. Suprisingly even my friend liked them a lot. The sound has great "texture". The start of Bille Eilish's "watch" has a matchstick burning and it sounds PERFECT. Honestly If I speak about them more I would just be giving vague words like "AMAZING" and "PERFECT". Honestly if your budget can stretch, buy these. Or atleast test them out. If these had a waifu on the box art I would be stealing these from their warehouse. (And yes I do think having a waifu on the box makes IEM's sound better, got a problem?) Hand's down the best thing to exist for me. Though it's a chonker so makes me sad I can't bring it with me everywhere. Oh also, the wire was meh. Definitely pretty average cable (had the same quality as tanchjim 4u which is a 4.6k IEM) I say 8/10 overall just coz of practicality of using them in daily life and taking them with you. But sound is easy 11/10. "

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!

so true, it doesn't have no bass, it's tasteful

The truthear hexa are the best neutral iem under 100$ right now

Tons of reviewers have mentioned that the hexa competes with iems up to 150$, so I wouldn’t worry too much abt that,I’ve never used 6.3 so I can’t comment on that, the iem is actually much smaller in person, is the most comfortable truthear iem behind the gate

That’s how I felt initially but after a while I got used to it, still rocking them after 5 months

One more vote for Hexa. Very natural sound, good build quality.

1.) Headphones > IEMS in most cases when it comes to spatial awareness. 2.) If youre still considering buying IEMS, try the ff: -Simgot Em6l ($110) -Truthear Hexa ($80) -Truthear Red/Blues ($50) -Tangzu Waner ($20) Dont go over $110 if you'll be buying IEMS purely for gaming. And I also want to add that the Truthears nozzles are bigger compared to the others, so if you have a small ear hole, be advised. The only pros I see with IEMS are +No head dent (yay) +Lighter +Easy to bring anywhere u go

Nice pick. One of the best set on that price range

If you're having problems with the W1, try the Spinfit Neo. I also have the hexa, and I used the W1 SS size with it before. I don't have that many problems with it, but I want a deeper fit, and the Spinfit neo provided me with that.

I dont even consider the thing i mentioned "collecting" - it is just a upgrade path. I could justify buying multiple mid-fi to higher-end iems with different sound signatures and i could probably enjoy having them simultaneously. Ever since i got my blessing 2s, i was unable to listen to my hexas for more than 10 minutes - they are just that inferior. Thats why i cant imagine enjoying a collection like this.

Most of what you have said makes sense to me, but while comparing the Hexa and the B2 where both of them are hybrid iems with almost the same configuration, how come is the B2 more detailed? Is it the drivers themselves that are different? Or is it a complete placebo? Or perhaps is it caused just by the difference in FR? Or is it caused by the difference in how each driver is tuned in the configuration? A combination of all of these above? These are the kind of questions I am asking. Also thanks for a response like this, this is exactly what i was hoping for.

Same here lol I started off with the 7hz ZERO 2 last January then months later made the jump and ordered the Truthear Zero RED and a week later ordered the Truthear Hexa which ended up arriving before the REDs 😂

Actually the Hexa are noticeably cleaner and has better instrument separation than the REDs, it even feels strange at first being able to hear everything in the tracks, so I'd say they are the "true audiophile experience" and the REDs are more fun sound in comparison. The Moondrop Aria 2 seems like a nice choice as well. I haven't tried them but I have a good impression of its specific Dynamic Driver it uses. The same DD is used on the Moondrop MOCA which I own and it certainly delivers good performance despite Bluetooth limitations, so a wired pair would definitely sound great. Last week my Moondrop ROBIN (same Dynamic Driver as the Aria 2) arrived and I'm kinda confused about the fact it outperforms the Truthear Zero REDs in technicalities.

personally a huge truthear hexa fan

Next expensive set of IEMs I have are the Truthear Hexa, which might be an upgrade for some, but also a downgrade for others since the Hexa have less bass. The Wan'er 2 are amazing, but I own both a set of Moondrop x Crinacle Dusks as well as a set of Softears Volume S, which both are much better than the Wan'er, or at least they are to my ears. It just depends on your preference. But generally speaking, sets that are significantly more expensive will most likely be better than the Wan'ers

7hz, Truthear, Mangird, Dunu. Lots of different options at different price points, and every year the tech gets cheaper/better implemented so an $80 IEM at this point is pretty close to a $300 IEM from 5 years ago. Truthear Hexa is my go-to recommendation, has a really natural presentation and good bass.

take the time to watch a few "how to EQ" videos. It'll be helpful. Just raise the Lower bass shelf... slightly. Takes the guess work out of "which band to choose" Also...I like using a flange style tip for my Hexa. Definitely a deeper insertion (which might be uncomfortable for some) huge improvement on the bass response for me.

I like Truthear Hexa to watch movies with since it provides good details for its price points, has pretty forward vocals, and is comfortable for long stretches (at least for me) at medium volume. But I don't only watch blockbusters. So if you want something bossier, check something else

At that price, iems are the better choice. Just add more a little bit cash and get the Truthear Hexa.

Of course it's better.

Truthear Hexa. The sub-$100 IEMs I've tried include KZ ZS10 Pro, CCA CXS, Tinhifi C3, KZ PR2, CCA Rhapsody and Truthear Hexa. I've EQ'd all of them but the Hexa requires the least to sound good to my ears. Just a single bass boost at 85 HZ, 2.8dB, Q = 0.5. I still prefer the sound of my EQ'd Ikko OH10s (2nd gen) but the hexas are hella comfortable and much cheaper! Without EQ, the hexas beat the OH10s.

The most important thing with stage IEMs imo is the isolation and fit along with a very clean sound signature without anything being boosted too much. Additionally your instrument should sound as natural as possible through your iem mix. This is especially important for brass and singers imo. This may result in a sound signature that is not very mainstream / fit for music listening which is not very marketable for manufacturers. I used thruthear hexas and novas on stage and have just made the switch and got custom molded Vision Ears for on stage use.

https://preview.redd.it/dxjv889dzvwe1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e2b56dd148764914d6bc91923424c96408acc23 Same as OP, I just bought Hexa and recently received my Tangzu Fudu... good to interchange them once in a while.

Get a pair of Empire Ears Odin and call it a decade. For a real answer, I like the Truthear stuff, namely the Reds and the Hexa.

Here's my audiophile journey so far from the chu 2 to the ew300 to the hexa. **Moondrop chu 2 :** Bought the moondrop chu 2 about 2 months ago. Impressed me a lot coming from oppo enco buds 2. The bass was punchy. Everything was more clear. More details in song. I did found it to be a bit sibilant and fatiguing. This must mean my preference is the V shape signature but with a little lower treble than the chu 2. So I got greedy, decided to upgrade and returned the chu 2. Also, the chu 2 were pretty mediocre for gaming. Too much bass made hearing footsteps hard. I play CODM a lot (one of those ranked sweats), although gaming is not my priority here. **Simgot EW300 :** I was first looking for something with lower treble. Found the tangzu waner to fit my needs. Waner 2 was releasing at that time. Decided to wait for it and did a lot a research at that time while also saving money. Choice then became truthear zero red and later decided to go for the ew300 or the hexa after various reviews. The hexa had supposedly lower bass as per everyone in this subreddit and the bass in the chu 2 was one thing that impressed me a lot. So EW300 was the way. And after a month of returning the chu 2, I finally bought the EW300 HBB edition. Had a lot of hopes. and..................... It was a **TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT**. The bass was not punchy and was too fast, the mids were recessed and muddled in busy tracks (most indian songs are pretty busy imo). The piezoelectric timbre and peaky treble gave it a somewhat unnatural sound, lacking coherency, especially noticeable at higher volume. At first I gave it sometime to adapt. After 3 days, brought audiocular d07 dac (CX30993 MAX97220) fearing that the iem maybe underpowered since it has a micro planar. Nothing changed, other than the fact that now I max out at 30% volume instead of the 80% without the dac. EW300 has its positives. The build, cable and looks felt very premium. It was very good for gaming also. Locating footsteps was very easy. It did suffer a bit when a lot was going on and the bass was still on the higher side for competitive gaming imo. Now I was confused about what sound signature I actually liked lol. As a last resort, tried to exchange the ew300 for the hexa. The thought was 'I can live with boring neutral sound with no bass but can't bear this muddled, recessed mids and metallic treble timbre'. Here's the thing. I bought these iems from headphonezone which is the best store for iems in India. They have this policy of one time exchange only and I had used it with the chu 2. As a student, 7400 inr (85 usd) was a lot and I can't save it one more time. So I emailed them if they could give me one more exchange chance and they agreed. If u are from india, just buy from them. Conceptkart and audiostore have bad customer care apparently. Else buy from linsoul and pray for no customs. So, I returned the ew300 and bought the hexa. **Truthear hexa :** Didn't expect the hexa to impress me as it doesn't have good bass and V-shape signature. and.................... it freaking impressed me, **A LOT.** Everything was way cleaner and sounded right. Holy details in every song I hear. Handled busy tracks like a champ. Bass was just enough, it did lack that exciting punch a bit (maybe I am not much of a bass head after all). Treble didn't felt peaky at all, maybe at high volumes (still way better than the chu 2). All this after hearing it for like, an hour. Will be using these for a long time to come. Extremely happy that I exchanged the ew300 for these gem of an iem. Coming to gaming, again it performed very well in busy gunfights. U can easily separate the footsteps, gunfights etc. The only downside I felt was the soundstage. Its not bad but ew300 performs little better in that regard. With the hexa, I can hear the footsteps and gunfights but can't locate it easily. The ew300 does this effortlessly. If u are looking for a gaming only iem, buy the ew300 and eq down the bass (for competitive only). **TL;DR : There's a reason the hexa is still the number one in this subreddits ranking under 100 usd. Don't underestimate the so called 'boring' neutral sound of the hexa. At least give it a try if u are new to this.** Thanks for all the help I received from this subreddit. Special thanks to dr\_wtf guy. U helped me a lot brother, keep up the good work.

I got **Truthear Hexa** as my first IEM (also I got the cheapest 4.4mm DAC from Aliexpress and a 4.4mm cable) and I was astonished by the quality of sound. But one thing (besides the eartips but this wasn't that much of a problem) left me wanting more, and it was bass. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the way the bass sounds on Hexa, it is strong, punchy, it is practically perfect, except its quantity. I always though of getting a second pair of IEMs specifically for electronic music with lots of bass. After doing some research, I decided to pick **Kefine Delci**, as it was praised for its bass. Additionally to it, I got Divinus Velvet and Dunu S&S eartips, as well as FiiO KA15 as a replacement to my first DAC. When I got the package, I started with the eartips so I can first get the perfect seal before I listen to the IEMs. The eartips are great for me, and I put the Divinus Velvet on my Hexa and Dunu S&S on the Delci. FiiO KA15 is a great DAC, but I don't have much to say about it. And when I tried the IEMs, I was a bit disappointed. There was definitely more bass, but it lacked that crispness, that quality that I like so much on Hexa. **Considering my experience, does anybody know any IEM they can recommend to me that I might like under 100 USD?**

I got Hexa as my first IEM, but wanted a bit more bass. Was a bit disappointed with Kefine Delci, as it wasn’t the type of bass I looked for. Thinking about getting Kiwi Ears Melody next whenever possible to try it out. Did anyone here manage to find something with clean and detailed bass (like on Hexa), but stronger, while keeping the rest more of less the same?

Had the same experience with the hexa. The sound is clear but sterile. I tried the red truthear zeros after that and I like them way more. They have the fun feeling you’re looking for.

this is just gonna be a popularity contest. hardly anyone buying iems at this price range have experience with more than one and there is a general lack of knowledge/insight into what actually makes an iem sound good. that being said, Truthear Hexa* and Artti T10 (if similar to the S12 as frequency response and reviews suggest) are easily the better picks over ANY single dynamic driver.

and how did you come to that conclusion? have you even tried a good BA tweeter implemented iem? Hexa has objectively better treble extension as it is less prone to harmonic resonance due to its BA tweeter implementation. An inherent flaw of in-ear dynamic drivers is their inability to accurately reproduce treble frequencies due to pressure chamber conditions, where an observable drop in spl post harmonic resonance is appreciable across every single DD implementation, the severity of which is dependent on the weight of the diaphragm. Hence, we see lightweight elements/compounds such as beryllium and LCP being used in most modern dynamic drivers, yet, they still struggle in post resonance conditions regardless of how "high quality" (a joke btw) the material is. The only single DDs on the market which don't suffer as much from this flaw are the sennheiser IE600/900/200s which have resonance chambers to transform high-Q resonance to low-Q. Dynamic drivers in over-ear headphones and loudspeaker tweeters are acceptable as there are no pressure chamber conditions for ear canal harmonic resonance.

Among these I would definitely go with the Tangzu, provided that you will use a balanced output as already said here. They sound amazing for the price and have a very good staging and imaging. The bass are very well present without compromising the details. I tried the Truthear and I don't like them. The Simgot are nice but not great, while the Moondrop are not worth compared to the Tangzu.

I would definitely suggest the Truthear Hexa if you want maximum fidelity. Otherwise, the Tangzu Xuan Nv are perfect if you want a warmer tuning.

I've never gone above $80 in the IEM hobby. After blowing money on beats headphones when I was younger and seeing how much better IEMs are, I told myself I would never go above $150 in this hobby. Still to date, the most expensive IEMs I own are the Truthear Hexa and the Kefine Delci. And to answer your question, of the ones I tried, the Hexa if you prefer something neutral, the Delci if you want something warm and bassy, and the Kefine Klean if you want something in between in terms of tuning. My favorite out of what I own, which are mostly budget sets are the Kefine Klean. They are probably the best IEM I believe at $50 and the tuning is almost exactly what I like for the type of audio I listen to. You should consider the type you listen to along with your personal preferences before making a decision with whatever you go with next.

I can't comment on the others you mention, but I have the Hexa and the Performer 8 and I think the P8 fits the bill per your outline. Slightly better bass (but not excessive at all) and not shouty, either. Decent details.

Great choice. Love mine

Even after spending time with more expensive IEMs like the Elysian Pilgrim, Moondrop Variations / Blessing 3, and QDC Neptune, I keep going back to the Truthear Hexa every now and then as a palate cleanser for my ears. At $80, it punches above in terms of technicalities. And it just sounds so... *pure*. No wonder why people are still talking about it 2 years later.

I own both the Truthear Hexa and Kiwi Ears Cadenza. After listening to both, I really can’t decide which is better. Hexa costs twice as much.

Had the zero's for like 5 months, and recently switched them with a pair of simgot super mix 4. They are decent for music, the bass and the mids are nice and natural but the highs are not defined and lack luster, but it's not scratchy so if you're sensitive it's okay. So if you enjoy rap or edm the red's are good enough, but if you want clarity and detail just go 30$ more and get the hexas

Wait for a sale: - Pick up a Simgot Super Mix 4 for just over $100($150 MSRP) - Truth Ear Hexa is a solid all rounder for $68($80 MSRP) - Truth Ear Zero or Zero Red both good for around $50. Even cheaper on sale.

Love my Simgot EW200 for budget gaming and music. Sound great on Warzone and Valorant. Far more comfortable than the Crinacle Zeros that everyone recommends, although the audio quality is similar IMO just different tunings. For $80 the Truthear Hexa is great and for around $100 the Simgot EM6Ls.

Truthear Hexas & Moondrop Dawn Pro Dac is my recommendation. This combo will give you a fairly neutral/analytical sound, good instrument seperation albeit with a narrow sound stage. The DAC I named is pretty transparent and offers a balanced output as well if you want to try that later on.

I just bought mine a few days ago. Absolutely blown away by how it sounds.

Buy both (and more) on Amazon and return the ones you don't like. I was surprised how easy they made it. You don't know what you like yet, and no amount of research beats sticking them in your ear. People love the Hexa, I returned it- I understand why its rated highly, but I didn't like it. You should 100% try an Arrti T10 as well. I love it- the one I stuck with after testing the common budget picks. Cheap dongle is more than loud enough - I listen at about 55% volume on my Pc with it with the T10.

I just bought my first IEM that is Truthear HEXA. I get the hype for this now because it sound pretty good and totally my taste of tuning. I just want to share it and asked some questions. First, what is the best earstips for the HEXA? I find the stock one very uncomfortable to wear for long time. Second, I have a Xperia phone that have 3.5mm jack, is that enough to listen to lossless music (yes i have lossless music files) or i would need a DAC/AMP? Thanks everyone and sorry for my bad English.

I bought the HEXA based on my budget and a lot of research to match my tuning preference. I don't like the feeling when i wear foam tips and the music is also not good on them. Better stick to silicone tips.

Well i am new to the audio hobby so I can't describe exactly what it sounds like to you. But yeah i also like to listen to guitar solos and i can confirm the sub bass is there but not excited as you can say "feel" it. The best thing about Hexa is the mid range, the vocal is clear and the upper mid clarity and separate of instruments is very good. I have not yet tried it with EQ but personally I'm all good with everything now. I may be wrong so i suggest you come to the store and try it. But for under 100$ Hexa is a pretty good deal for a neutral sound.

For me the bass on HEXA is enough and with the foam tips it reduce the detail of songs and as i said it too uncomfortable to wear for me.

I have the truthear reds blues hexa gate nova I think the blue 2 is a pass for me feels like a unnecessary addition and release

i’d go for the crinacle zeros (red or blue) and the hexas honestly. great for the price

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?

Absolutely the Truthear Hexa - warm neutral, great instrument separation. Not sure if you've gone down the tip rolling rabbit hole but I pair mine with Final E Audio tips and it's a great pairing. BUT, if you can go between $100 - $200, unquestionably the Kiwi Ears Aether. Phenomenal planar with gloriously wide sound stage, separation and a really rich sounding timbre. You can't go wrong with either!

1. Truthear Hexa - a little bit too thin bright. I'm using mine with Final Audio Type E eartips and the cable from Truthear Hola 2. Sony MDR-1AM2 - best treble in over-ear headphone for me so far. It's pretty muddy, but also quite fun for some music. Comfort is also great, and it doesn't need a lot of EQ to sound amazing 3. Nothing Ear (2024) - default tuning is too thin and too bright, but it's easy to EQ with built-in PEQ. 4. 7Hz Zero:2 - it's fine, very light and comfortable, but sound-wise there's nothing to talk about 5. Galaxy Buds 3 Pro - big improvement from Buds 2 Pro, but they have no midrange. I like that they moved to superior design, but they made the buds way too heavy. 6. Galaxy Buds 2 Pro - treble peak at 9k was a dealbreaker for me, they hurt after 2 hours, use stupid shell design 7. Hifiman Sundara - atrocious treble, no midbass, heavy, uncomfortable. The only 2 good things about this headphones are bass extension and imaging (which is barely better than Hexas or Sonys)

Using truthear hexa for few months and they are awesome

I own the Wyvern and Hexa. Both are good, but both are very different sounding from each other. The Wyvern has recessed treble, awesome mids, and very good bass. Don't expect a detail retrieval monster. The Hexa is a little bass light, but it's pretty accurate. Not exciting at all. Good detail retrieval, but a little wonky in the upper mids due to an odd, audible distortion in its drivers. Makes electric guitars sound *off*, and cymbals are odd sounding, too. I love my Wyvern, but it's truly not an "all-rounder" unless you're treble sensitive. My Hexas are boxed up since I've found pairs I enjoy far more. I'd just grab the Zero: Reds, or the KBEar KB01 as your first pair. Both are quite good in their price ranges, and both can be notably changed or tuned with different ear tips.

Most are going to recommend the Simgot EM6L. The KZ Vader Balanced is touted to have an incredibly wide soundstage. I've used the Truthear Hexa and the KZ ZAX to good effect in gaming, and others would recommend the Truthear Zero: Red for gaming. What someone asked above is more important, however, and that is: What is your tuning preference? Simgots are bright across the board (bright) The Hexa is pretty balanced with slightly elevated mids, but a "lack" of bass when compared to other units. (neutral) The Zero: Red is bassier without being overpowering but with recessed mids and slightly elevated highs (Harman) Then there's stuff like the Kinera Skuld, which has recessed treble and balanced mid and bass response (neutral-warm or warm) Or the FatFreq Maestro (basshead tuning) There's different driver types (planar, dynamic, balanced armature, electrostatic, etc...) and these all offer different types of sound and responsiveness. If you want a good all-rounder set to dip your toes in, the KiwiEars Cadenza and the KBEAR KB01 are almost the same IEM and both will beat the pants off your wired Apples.

You want a different flavor? The Hexas are like putting exactly what you just asked for into your ear. I'm also a "not too bassy and not too trebly" kinda guy, and the Hexas are literally that. Just get the Hexas. They have their reputation for a reason.

Do you like the way music sounds with the blues? A more honest IEM is the Truthear Hexa. (I own these) The Simgot EM6L is pretty well reknowned for gaming performance and soundstage. (Do not own) I've been having great luck, however, with the Kiwi Ears Quintet EQd to the curve of the Xenns Manngird Tea2. Those bone conduction piezo units for the ultra-highs really give an awesome soundstage and I can pinpoint locations in Fortnite, CoD, Battlefield, etc... And, with that particular EQ, they work wonders for music for me. I love mids just shy of shouty (I call it "bite") between 2K and 4.3K while sucking out 4.6K to 5.8K - 6.5K or so, and damn if these don't just hit the sweet spot. Normally, the Quintet is pretty sibilant in those areas, so be warned if you go that route. I'll gladly send you the EQ filter file I made if you grab them.

You're gonna want ones that offer more isolation in your case. You wanna block out those drums as much as possible if you value your hearing. It's tough to get great isolation. Mid forward while not overwhelming you with bass would be the Truthear Hexa. $65 - $80 depending on sales. Pair it with some memory foam tips and you should get about -28dB gain reduction or so, like a decent pair of expandable foam earplugs. You're pretty much always gonna want foam eartips, like Comply. Try others, for sure, but for blocking external sound, foam tips can't be beat. Be sure to have the sound guy EQ your drum feed a bit to reduce those cymbals so you don't wind up with tinnitus in the long run. Otherwise, grab what most would consider to be a "warm" set. Not the Cadenzas, like dude above mentioned. That guy copy-pastes that exact response all the time, and those things aren't worth the $40 when other, better IEMs exist at that price point (Kinera Celest Wyvern Abyss, KBEAR KB01, TinHifi C3, TinHifi T2 DLC) He just regurgitates that list over and over. I'm trying to tailor to your use-case scenario, and I have years of experience in audio engineering and recording, as well as a few years in live sound. Steer clear of planars for this endeavor.

The Simgot EM6L gets recommended often. So does the Simgot SuperMix4. I have no personal experience with those as I don't like brightly tuned headphones/IEMs. My go-tos have been a heavily EQd set of KiwiEars Quintets. Just picked up the Binary Acoustics Dynaquattros and, despite their bassy tuning, they're surprising me. Was gaming with Truthear Hexa, and the KZ ZAX before that. The Hexa is pretty good for games, bit can be a little piercing with reloads and bullet shells in some games. The KZ ZAX was just a treble monster, and I disliked it. You could try to find a pair of used Mangird Tea 2s as their tuning works well for games without being piercing. A word of advice regarding driving these things... If you're going to try to use a controller to drive your IEMs, try to buy a unit that gets close to 32 ohms input impedance. Any less than that and you're running the risk of serious audio issues, depending on which units ypu buy. For reference, the Simgot SuperMix4 is a multidriver unit that has a planar driver in it. The input impedance of those units is 7.5 ohms. The impedance discrepancy between drivers is large. If you run them off of a controller or a PC front panel, you'll wind up with muffled treble.

Having gamed with the Hexa... don't. Its spatial imaging is pretty rough and if you have mismatched output impedance you lose even more bass making them hella treble-y. Cymbals all sound the same due to peaky treble. Noticeable BA timbre through the mids.

this IEM came with neutral with sub bass boost tuning, not recommend for bass head person, i do have this IEM and i like it, because preference is neutral tuning. not V-Shape

I have the Hexa's and they are great mid-high. I tried to upgrade them with the ew200's, the low end is awesome but the highend has a 5-6k gain over the hexa's that is a bit sibilant for me but otherwise very similar. I'm waiting for the Simgot Supermix 4, that seems to be very similar to the Hexa but with Bass similar to the ew200. They will be my next upgrade after almost getting there with the ew200

This is what I'd have said as well. You'd have to pry my Hexas out of my cold dead ears before I'd give them up.

Another vote for the Truthear Hexa. Enough bass to 'be there', outstanding stage, and separation is very well done. Fans of 'fun' tuning always say nice things about the Hexa and always finish with something like, "It's boring". :-D Fans of the more neutral tuning rave about this now 2-year-old IEM. Worth every penny. ---I have noticed that the Hexa is very sensitive to bore width in the tips, so keep it in mind if testing them out.

Glad I could help! They are impressive. For me, with 'older ears', I can't see spending much more on IEMs. These give me everything I could have hoped for.

For classical music you want great mids and sparkling highs with a more reduced and neutral bass response that won't get in the way. I really like the hexa by truthear, but others like the simgot supermix4, letshour s12 pro (or if you can stretch your budget a bit more) the kiwiears ke4 or orchestra lite.

I have used it as my daily for the past few months (since it came out basically) and it performs very well, but for things like hip hop or RnB they do feel a bit anemic in the base department

That data doesn't particularly surprise me, the zero reds are excellently tuned, solid in terms of technicalities and at exactly the price most people are willing to pay for something like that. I also have the hexas and they are excellent as well.

That data doesn't particularly surprise me, the zero reds are excellently tuned, solid in terms of technicalities and at exactly the price most people are willing to pay for something like that. I also have the hexas and they are excellent as well.

The pilgrims are good but they lack bass even compared to the hexas, so I wouldn't go that way, the thing with the hexas is that their mids and highs are basically tuned to the meta target, with less bass, so if you want a hexa with more bass then a meta tuned iem would be perfect for you, the kiwiears ke4 is the cheapest but in your price range you can also get the dunu da Vinci or the moondrop dusk.

I found the Hexas utterly lifeless at first, too. I began listening to them first each day at work because they literally made all of my other iems sound better. After a couple of weeks, I really started to like them and often just left them in for the whole day, and now, like a year later, I still really like them. I think I just needed some "brain burn-in" or something. Like some others have said, give them some time and some exclusivity and see if that doesn't help.

You're not going to be "wowed" by the soundstage of any iem. Any iem that is praised for its soundstage is being praised relative to other iems. It's like saying, "You're tall for a dwarf." That being said, in the ballpark of your budget, both the Truthear Hexa and the Dunu Titan S are pretty good. The Hexa has a better soundstage, while the Titan is a bit livelier. Both are fairly neutral. I like acoustic instruments better on the Titan (somewhat mid-forward, so vocals and acoustic guitars sound good, and the bass has nice texture and detail to it), but I like classical better on the Hexa (better imaging, and the horns sound good, to my ears, and pianos sound lovely on it). The Hexa is a little warm, and the Titan, as I said, has a bit of a midrange focus. Both punch a bit above their weight (although not as much as they did when they were launched, as the iem space has evolved quickly). I haven't tried the Truthear Red. I have the original Zero, the blue one, but that is a different tuning, and it is something I would recommend more for pop or edm than jazz or classical, because it has a somewhat immersive bass with a big sub bass emphasis and a very sparkly, even hot and a bit sharp, treble. EDIT: Oh, I didn't read the entire post. If your budget is $200 (I just assumed Truthear Red-ish), get the Binary+Gizaudio Chopin. The Chopin is crisp, clean, and clear with a balanced sound and a punchy, detailed (although not particularly elevated) bass. Indeed, the details throughout the frequency range are quite nice. Again, the soundstage on iems is less than on headphones, which is less than on speakers, so temper your soundstage expectations, but the Chopins are an amazing set, and jazz and classical will both work well on them. They demolish both the Hexa and the Titan, but they should at that price point. The Hexa can trade soundstage and imaging blows with it though, but again, that's just two iems being tall for a dwarf. 2nd EDIT: No offense intended to any dwarves.

Moondrop Chu, and no. The Kato is the only Moondrop iem I still have and use. I liked the Aria but gave it to a friend to try to get him into iems (I failed). The Chu was good enough to get me into iems, but not good enough to keep me listening. I don't even know where they are now, lol. Of the early iems that I bought, I only have and listen to the Truthear Hexa (lifeless but decent, with wonderful imaging) and that Truthear Harmon-tuned one that Crinacle did with the subwoofer (I forget the name). It is fatiguing, but it is exciting until it wears me down. Good for techno. I listen mostly to the Aful P5, the Chopin, the Letshour S12, and the Kato now. Sometimes at home, I listen to the P8 and the Xenn Mangrid Top (they are too expensive to lug around with me--I have a $200 limit on iems that I'm willing to take in my backpack).

I’m not normally an IEM guy but since my wife has stolen my AirPods Pro (gen 1) and original CCA CRAs, I’m without travel headphones. I re-bought the CCA CRAs a while back but alas it was after the silence update and the new ones sound like crap so they collect dust in a drawer. I have a trip coming up next week so I decided to get new IEMs and decided on the Hexa after some review watching. This set seems really hyped on YouTube. After half a day of listening my main impression is that it’s bass-shy and quite dry sounding. I suppose some people like this sound profile, but it is certainly not for me. It sounds pretty thin and ethereal right off the bat. The OG CRA was much better than this at a quarter of the price (though more V shaped in tuning, which was fun for the 2 or 3 hours at a time I would listen while traveling). The Hexa seems to just surf across the wave tops of the music and never bites into the meat of it (if you’ll pardon the mixed metaphors). I listened on my Questyle M12 as well as the Schiit stack in the pics, both of which sound pretty great with my 109 Pro. I am hoping for a set with a nice warm tonal balance, and I’m dreading my upcoming week with the Hexa. I’d like to return it and get something else but only have a week til my trip and don’t know what else to go for. Overall, I’d avoid this IEM unless you just don’t enjoy bass / sub-bass.

I should add that I love the Hexa’s aesthetics with the deep black body and cable, as well as the size and shape of the shells. A+ for looks and comfort. Just wish the sound performance was more my speed.

I really love the Hexa's and run them off a Fiio K11 and for what they lack in bass (which I think is still good) they show in detail. I stopped using my DT 770 Pros because the detail is just so much better on the Hexa's imo

I just bought Volume S but have been going back to the Hexa more than the new set! Thinking about returning the Volume S and keeping on enjoying the Hexa.

To be fair I probably should give Volume S some more time to do a longer term comparison. But I tend to be a fairly low volume listener, and at the low volumes I don’t get a whole lot of the mid bass from the Volume S, which is supposed to be one of its benefits over the Hexa. It’s not until I start listening to it louder than I prefer where I get the nice mid bass it offers. For my ears, the Hexa shell feels more comfortable. The stock cable on the Volume S is not my favorite, I know I can replace it but kind of baffling how it came with this cable. Wish the Volume S was $20 cheaper without the tuning knob. Hope this doesn’t sound too harsh, it’s a nice and very competent set, but maybe I was overhyped for it and it’s not knocking my socks off like I was expecting. And maybe that’s the Volume S strength - it doesn’t really do anything wrong.

Oof, we'll be here all day . Ok here is a list , whatever comes to mind ,, the list is going to be absolutely massive. 7hz Salnotes Zero (both 1 and 2) Moondrop Chu ( 1 and 2) Tangzu Wanner Ziigaat Nuo Kiwi Ears Cadenza Simgot EW200 Kefine Delci QoA Vesper 2 Moondrop Aria 2 Moondrop May Truthear Hexa Truthear x Crinacle Zero (all of them) Simgot EA500LM Final Audio E500 - E3000 7Hz Sonus Tanchjim Zero Tanchjim 4U Tanchjim Ola and Ola Bass HZSound Heart Mirror Pro Truthear Gate Kinera Celest Pandamon (both) Kinera Celest Plutus Beast

Aria 2, Hexa , Vesper 2 , but that's just personal preference when OP makes the list you'll know what the entire sub thinks .

The vocals are fantastic on the hexa.. in the Delci they're decent.

Guitarist here. Full wireless IEM rig for our foldback. I have a few ZS10 Pros as backups, but I vastly prefer my Truthear Hexas. I honestly think what musicians really want, almost always, is neutral balance, which KZs are not exactly famous for. Never the less... - KZs are cheap. Some musicians splash crazy cash on gear, but there are so many bits of gear you need that IEMs aren't high up the priority ladder. - Musicians have mixers. I have access to all kinds of parametric EQs and other adjustments, I can make anything decent sound good with enough effort. - ZS10 Pros are much better than the Shure SE215s, for example. We started out on those because they came with our IEM wireless gear. The 215s are a reliable work horse, but they sound terrible compared to a lot of much cheaper IEMs these days. I think a lot of guys are just running what their systems came with, and from that position KZ is very good. - Marketing just worked. I don't know if it was truly grassroots stuff or if this was an intentional marketing campaign, but a lot of musicians forums and subreddits have been talking about KZ for the last year or two. Word got out, and many jumped on the band wagon. They're wrong though. I think Hexa or other more neutral IEMs would go in a lot more musician's ears if they knew about them. 🤷‍♂️

Get truthears instead, Hexas or Reds. KZ are cheap and okay, but they have a very aggressive V curve to the sound, and dodgey business practices. More musos need to get decent IEMs

They're both amazing so you can't go wrong with either of them, my personal recommendation would be the hexa, but if you prefer to have more bass then go with the ew300.

Your best choice will be to get Truthear Hexa(or zero red.But mind you the nozzle of zero red is quite large so you will have to be careful of that)

Honestly, the hexas are so good at the price point even if they are older, I say get them, you won't regret it!

Google Pixel Buds Pro. I like how small they are and the case doesn't take much space. I also have a pair of wired Truthear Hexas that I carry with a dongle and they don't take much space either. if I have to use a wired connection on a long flight then it's nice to have.

Truthear Hexa. BOOOORING. Love how subjective all this is but to my ears it was so dull.

Thanks for the clarification. Super helpful reviews - recently got a hexa since my S12's been having issues, but I find its imaging weird when distinguishing footsteps approaching from front compared to behind. Might return it and give one of your recs a shot. G1's out of stock on Amazon rn though, unfortunately.

Truthear Hexa is the go-to rec for neutral under $100.

If you can, please change the cable. The pins are actually horrible on stock truthear iems

That probably won't be an issue but my pins still broke without removing them a lot

I started with Shure SE215’s (bad,) then Truthear Hexas (better) and now 64Audio A6t’s (really really good.) I gave the Hexas to our singer and she likes them a lot more than the MeeAudio M6 Pros she had before.

Preach! My daily drivers are Hexa’s and Blue 2’s

https://preview.redd.it/2jaj7lu9n0xe1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4060aac05e1d252795725e92a9de5d1dd7d3fbc6 Hexa’s are on the right. They’re very similar I’d say. But Hexa’s feel slightly smaller Edit: added to say that the nozzle isn’t as Offset on the Hexa’s which makes a difference for overall fit.

I do prefer the nova over the Hexa, and the tuning is closer to the blue:2

I prefer Hexa since it's more neutral.

Go for Hexa, I personally just love what it is, if you really find it sounds boring, you can adjust the EQ.

I'd worry less about the treble and more about the bass/other things because you can EQ treble in quite easily whereas bass will distort or need less on the pre-gain which lowers volume in general. S12 pro can be a bit hot on the treble. Nova can sound unnatural as it has less body and has sub focus. Hexa is a good all-rounder but not particularly bassy. You want a V-shape. Sparkly highs, lots of bass. That's pretty much what a Harman tuning is. Nova with EQ seems to be that but I haven't heard it. The Nova adheres to the Harman target pretty much better than anything out there. Try EQing your reds to a davinci using PEACE and APO on PC. Really changes them. I have a red. I find them too mid-focused, lacking bass weight and they sound narrow. To EQ my reds on my phone with a 10-band EQ I do: +6@31, +3@62, +2@125, +1@2khz, +2@4khz, +2@8khz, +1@16khz, -3db gain. It just shifts the focus from the mids to the bass/highs slightly, making them more exciting. When I hear something with mid-focus is just sounds grainy and wooshy like an old radio, lacking excitement. Reds aren't particularly airy. Try a Nova!

TBH, this depends on what music you listen to. I listen to metal and deathcore and I think the bass on the hexa is close to perfect for my tastes

Hexas actual lack bass lol

Yep, only way you can get a decent amount of bass is through EQ adjustments

Truthear Hexa or Artti T10

Anything wired is going to sound better than Bluetooth devices. Both this iems have sound stage & instrument separation so yes, they have detail that your headphones lack

$200-300 is probably the sweet spot but there are some IEMs in the $50-80 range that sound pretty good. My personal favorites right now are the Truthear Hexa & Artti T10s

as my 1st IEM, Xuan nv or may because they are good all rounders & safe choice. S08 is good, but it's dark. And ew300 or artti t10 are also solid picks, but u might find them bright. Hexa is clinical, u might either love for their details or might hate them as they are unexciting.

I don’t play out (yet, 1st gig in April!) but I use Truthear Hexa IEMs. They’re pretty neutral, not too bass heavy, sound super clean and are reasonably priced. While I don’t have my monitor speakers turned up too loud, I can’t hear them at all when I have my IEMs in. It is a little awkward to take them out in the midst of a set should you need to, and it took a little getting used to having something in my ears for extended periods of time. Overall, I really think they’re worth it.

Most of the ones you've listed are good for music, with certain colourations, but probably aren't ideal for monitoring purposes. You want a mostly flat frequency response with possibly a bit of emphasis around the frequencies you care about the most, i.e., your own vocals. I would go with the Thieaudio Legacy 2. It's got a pretty neutral frequency response with a sub-bass focused bass boost, and a slight forwardness in the vocal range, which should be perfect for monitoring yourself. It's also a very comfortable IEM. The Truthear Hexa is also pretty neutral and has better treble extension than the Legacy 2, but I don't think it's as balanced sounding overall. That said as you'll probably be monitoring in mono, it might be a touch better at instrument separation, but probably not enough to swing it. The L2 is much better at stereo imaging, so if you're able to include panning in your mix then the L2 will definitely do a better job at spacing everything out. The Hexa also has slightly above average sized nozzles, which could be uncomfortable. One thing I'm not sure about is how they compare to others in terms of isolation, but I don't think there's a huge difference between different IEMs anyway. The tips almost certainly play a bigger role than anything. If you want to check isolation, I know the rtings website publishes measurements, if you can find the IEM listed on there. If you care a lot about isolation then my guess is that something like the Etymotic ER2SE is going to be better than most other IEMs. The only reason I'm hesitant to recommend it is the really deep fit. But they are designed for stage monitoring, so may be worth a try if you can get from e.g., Amazon and return them if they are uncomfortable. That one (ER2SE) has the sort of vocal-centric, neutral frequency response you want. Speaking of tips, you'll likely want to upgrade the tips if you get the Legacy 2. The stock ones are very soft which isn't the best for maintaining a good seal and avoiding them falling out. I'd recommend something grippy like Azla Xelastec, although those are pretty expensive and unfortunately do not come in any sort of variety pack, so you'll need to guess the right size based on the stock tips. Keep in mind that all tips are a different shape, as are all ears, so the even if you know the measurements they won't translate 100%, but you should be able to estimate it pretty closely. A slightly cheaper alternative to the Azla tips is [Feaulle H570 latex tips](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004883219232.html). Again you need to guess the correct size. These are slightly less grippy than the Azla ones but about 80% the same. Also slightly softer, so may be more comfortable. Cheaper again and still slightly grippy, but a lot less so are [TRN T-Tips](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001304899571.html). Again, annoyingly no variety pack, but cheap enough that you can buy the 2 closest sizes and you'll also get a bunch of spares. The colour of these makes no difference btw. I buy both and put red on the right IEM so it's easier to see which is which quickly, but they aren't always especially visible, so it's not really worth the bother. Someone already mentioned customs, which is an option but quite expensive, so I think you are right to just try something cheaper first. There is one company I know of that makes semi-custom moulds that go onto normal IEMs, so that might be worth considering for a future upgrade without the full cost of a CIEM, although it's still not super cheap. I haven't tried them myself so can't recommend them, just something I've heard about: https://snugs.com/collections/pro

1. Aful Explorer - Doesn't really have muddled mids like the EW300. It's bassy, but quite clean sounding. The problem it has is that the eargain is very low. So to me, vocals sound recessed, but also sibilant at the same time. How this sounds to you may be dependent on your HRTF as a lot of people seem to like it. It has pretty good treble & resolution too, it's just that one problem that lets it down. 2. Hexa - Is indeed pretty clean sounding, with good treble extension as well. The negatives for me are that the bass isn't great, the treble can be a touch peaky, the soundstage is narrow and the large nozzles make it uncomfortable. 3. S08 - Does not have planar timbre; it's tuned quite differently to other planars. However it also doesn't have quite the same ultra-detailed sound that other planars like the S12 have. It's much darker. I find it very tip-sensitive and it sounds wrong on almost all tips. With the right tip it's got a very intimate sound that is quite bassy, but it's let down a bit by the bass quality, which is a bit boxy. Still my 2nd favourite IEM but only with the right tips. 4. Nova - I haven't heard, but from what I know about it, the nozzles are large and it only sounds good with foam tips. At that point it does rival the Variations for Harman tuning, which is great for female vocals, but the bass tuck can ruin bass guitars etc. 5. Fudu - Honestly just sounds muddy to me, I consider it a downgrade from the QKZ HBB although it does have better build quality. The eartips are good, but it doesn't come with a full set of Divinus Velvet, which if you get them you really should get all 5 sizes. Based on your priorities I'd either go with the Hexa or the Nova depending on what you think about the trade-offs I mentioned. Or maybe consider the Simgot EA500LM - though some find it has too much treble energy; its an unusual tuning that doesn't sound like it graphs. I'd watch the Paul Wasabii review, as I think he captured everything about it more accurately than other reviews. Another one to consider is the Thieaudio Legacy 2. It's tuned a bit like the Hexa, but with stronger sub-bass, a bit more vocal-forwardness (reminds of the HD600 vs HD650) and it rolls off the treble a bit, so it sounds smoother, but possibly less extended. I find it has better soundstage than the Hexa and is much more comfortable. I also find the Kato to be more-or-less a direct upgrade from the Chu 2 and while I haven't heard it, the Aria 2 supposedly sounds almost identical to the Kato. The Dunu Kima 2 apparently sounds very similar too. These are all slightly more v-shaped than the Hexa/Legacy 2, but still a mild v, so there's more bass and the mids sound warmed-up, but not bloated.

\#1 is the Simgot EA1000. Pretty much the opposite sound to the S08. Tips I use on the S08 are Penon Liqueur Orange, but I don't mention it unless asked, in case people think I'm recommending they use the same tip. I'm not. What works in my ear very likely won't work the same in your ear. They're a good tip though and not too expensive, so worth having a set. They tend be be warmer sounding (more bass, slightly less treble). Also good if you have larger ear canals because they lean larger than average and go up to an XL, which is massive. I find tips help with both the bass quality and level on the Hexa. I use Zhulinniao Zhu Rhyme mainly for comfort reasons, but I find they also improve the bass a bit. I can definitely recommend those tips unless you have large ear canals, but if you have large ear canals then the stock tips might be fine anyway. I usually find Feaulle H570 have the best sub-bass extension in a generally neutral tip, and Zhu Rhyme are very similar but shorter/smaller.

One I tend to recommend to musicians is the Tin Hifi C2, but I put Spinfit CP-100 tips on mine because the stock tuning has a bit too much upper treble. The CP-100 tips make it pretty neutral (with slightly boosted bass, but not enough to cause muddiness). It's well extended both low and high, so everything is very clear and no frequencies are missing. I find it handles guitar timbre very well. This is a budget set btw, only about $30 and less on sale. It's a good way to get started if you aren't 100% sure what you do or don't want in an IEM. Don't be put off by the low price either, it's really good and very solidly built. Another good option is the Truthear Hexa, which I think is around $80 but probably sells for less now. It's very neutral and well-extended into the treble and very flat bass (although the bass quality is just OK IMO). The only issue is that the nozzles are a bit bigger than average so they aren't the best for comfort, but they aren't the worst either. Another one that I like is the Thieaudio Legacy 2, which is slightly more expensive than the Hexa. It's pretty neutral, with a bass boost mainly in the sub-bass. It has a bit of midrange forwardness around 2kHz which tends to bring vocals forward. Upper treble rolls off more than the Hexa and IMO it sounds better overall, but not quite as analytical in the air region. I'd probably put this as 3rd choice for guitar after the C2 then the Hexa. For vocal monitoring or general music listening I'd rank this first, then the C2, then the Hexa. This is also the most comfortable of the 3, but you'll almost certainly need to upgrade the tips. Here's a [good review by a musician](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz1oSafKlh8), which includes both the C2 and the Hexa. He happens to have an especially good ear for subtle issues with IEMs (watch the blind listening test on Super Review's channel if you want to know more). He actually rates the C2 extremely highly, though he's especially sensitive to BA timbre. Many people aren't, and may prefer the Hexa. I personally tend to notice some small issues in the tuning of the Hexa, but the Hexa probably has the flatter frequency response. Edit: I should add that I'm not a stage musician myself and I haven't considered isolation here. For the best isolation you ideally want an unvented IEM. I think Etymotics such as ER2SE are the way to go in your price range. There's an SE and XR version, the SE is the "studio edition" with flat bass, the XR is bass boosted. Just be aware that these have extremely deep insertion. I found them too painful to wear and had to return them. With that said, all IEMs will give you some degree of isolation anyway, the difference between the best and the average isn't going to be huge.

Haven't heard the Xuan Nv or the May, but understand both to be pretty safe choices. Also the Kefine Delci is around that price if you want something a bit warmer/bassier. Thoughts on the ones I have: * Hexa - Boring neutral isn't for everyone and the nozzles are quite large, so many will find it uncomfortable. There are also better options if you really want a neutral tuning. * S08 - Very good but also very tip-sensitive, so might not work for you. Quite a niche, dark tunning with slightly boxy bass. Sacrifices some of the things planars are normally good at to get rid of planar timbre. Very good imaging, but the soundstage is very small & intimate. Probably not the best all-rounder or first IEM. * EW300 - Pretty safe warm-neutral tuning except for some zingy upper treble that throws everything off (fixable with tips, but you need a tip collection). Big problem is the midrange gets very muddled with busy tracks, so $20 1DD sets will outperform then a lot of the time. Avoid.

Neutral and flat are the same thing, although neutral is often used more loosely to describe a range of things that are neutral-ish, but not necessarily dead-on flat neutral (although nothing is truly flat neutral anyway). Balanced means not tilted towards lots of bass or lots of treble, but *can* describe a v-shape (more bass & treble but reduced mids). Truthear Hexa, but be aware that the nozzles are a bit bigger than average, so avoid if you have small ear canals. It's quite flat neutral with a fairly warm midrange i.e., doesn't sound thin, even though it doesn't have a lot of bass. If not that then the Moondrop LAN which is more of a bright-neutral so noticeably reduced bass but still pretty neutral overall, just more vocal-centric. A bit cheaper than the Hexa and much better if you have small ears. If you want a balanced, mild v-shape (a bit of extra bass & treble but not enough to lose midrange clarity) then consider the Moondrop Chu 2 as well.

Unpacked now Hexa + tempotec 3blaze and very enjoying sound, transparent and punchy enough for my taste like musician. Good monitoring instruments, not too bassy or highly, its balanced

TruClear Hexas. Sound pretty good but my wires get tangled really easily.

He’s absolutely right. Great vocals, great clarity, but it’s hard to distinguish details in the AirPod pro 2nd gen. They literally are incapable of delivering frequencies that will lead to a fuller, more dynamic sound. All of my decent iems kick the shit out of them (salnotes dioko, moondrop aria, truthear hexa). I own all the iems you mentioned aside from the blon so I understand where you’re coming from, because those iems aren’t that great. There’s a huge jump in quality around the $100 mark. The kz castors have MUCH better bass than AirPod pro 2 and they’re 25 bucks.

I have the Hexa and to me it sounds quite neutral so no bass bleed

To me Hexa is not that bright. Did you try another eartip yet? I currently use Dunu S&S for it, and it sounds great without any sibilance or too much brightness.

Maybe your brain will have to “understand “ its sound signature or maybe its just not your taste. It happened when i moved from kz zsn pro to truthear hexa. At first I didn’t like the new sound signature (neutral), but now I wouldn’t come back to kz !

Maybe I am half deaf, but I returned them and kept my Salnotes zero. I thought the Salnotes had better clarity and more sparkle while otherwise sounding quite similar. I didn't get the hype tbh.

I recommend any of the Truthear Zeroes, the original one probably has bass pushed up a bit more than the Reds, but the Reds have cleaner bass imo. The Hexas have the cleanest bass but they arent as present as the other IEMs. You could also take a look at something by Kinera but I have no personal experience with them so I cant really say. Hope you get something you like tho!

I had the Hexa before, sound was nice however not very comfy for my ears so I sold them, usually I now use my Final Audio e3000 or Sennheiser ie200.

Second it. Fairly neutral which is good for a performing musician do things don’t sound out of balance while performing or in practice.

tl;dr - I want an iem that is good for critical listening (staying true to mix) and live stage monitoring (good inst. seperation), under $150 budget if possible. Side grade is okay. I'm relatively satisfied with how Magicone sounds, but I'm nit-picking certain characteristics. I prefer Neutral-leaning warm. slight fun is okay but too much will ruin what's good. I've tried the MagicOne and I definetly love how these sound. Then I tried Hexa and now i'm somewhat dissatisfied with both of em lol, though I still slightly prefer the Magicone. I want essentially best of both worlds: Hexa's subtle sub-bass presence Magicone's mid-bass presence Hexa's mid detail (honestly tie with Magicone) Magicone's instrument separation (this might have to do with the piercy 6k-8k that the Magicone has, which I don't like too much, but it seemed to be the difference of instrument details and separation between the Hexa and Magicone) Hexa's volume capability (I say this because Magicone seems to be a bit harder to drive, and has lower volume upper limit before facing distortion, especially in the lower bass) I've set my eyes on Letshuoer S08 for my next play-testing, but I want to see what any of you have to say about other iems, that are more expensive but still has the tuning profile that the Magicone has. /// Some story, and my 2 cents on the iems I've tried so far So I posted about a week ago here getting recommendations for iem under $150 and asked you guys to chime in on the most popular iems recommendations I read in the subreddit: supermix4, mp145, and s12 pro I recieved over 40 comments on various opinions of the people, and I'm so thankful. But I realized that my taste is closely following the JM-1 target, rather than the Harman profiles of these iems. In the meantime, I was able to also put my hands on the following products: Aful Explorer Aful Magicone Aful Performer 5 Truthear Hexa Aful Explorer for me was just that. Awful. Hate the mushy bass on it. hated lack of presence of air. male vocals simply did not have any air. The whole iem sounded like an edgy emo teenager type of V-shape. I get that this may be fun for some people, but I prefer more neutral, boring tuning. It was good to listen to the sub-bass rumble on these, and that's about all I have to say for these. Aful Magicone was great. A-B comparison to Explorer made it feel so lack luster in bass and have piercy irritating treble, but when I refreshed my ears, they sounded great. The only real nit-pick I have for these were the piercy peaks around 6k-8k, and maybe, just need a tad bit more sub-low bass. Certain cymbal hits, and strings were piercing my ear canal, and so in order to maintain pleasureable listening experience, I'd need to put the volume around 60% to have it be acceptable. But then, I listen to music very loud usually, and there was the limitation of the one-driver system; It starts to distort as soon as it reaches certain volume threshold. Aful Performer 5 was basically mix of the Explorer and MagicOne. Great warm bass. slightly recessed mids (in comparison to bass). Much smoother treble (peaks not there, and more balance between the mid treble and high treble range 6k-8k & 12k16k). But the iems did sound more V then MagicOne, and it seems that I prefer the Magicone for my use case of critical, true to the mix listening and live stage monitoring. I can see and hear that the P5 is superior in terms of general music listening experience and enjoyment. Truthear Hexa was very neutral - I liked the general sound shape of these. But, It is quiet... body-less in comparison to the MagicOne. Sub bass is better but mid bass (around 200) was not there, so it sounded thin, albeit clean. Mids were pretty okay, but the lack of 200hz impacted the mids to sound light-weight and cheap. It's smoother in terms of peaks when compared to the Magicone, but that seemed to make the hexa lose out on detail and separation to it. Overall, I feel Magicone is the superior. These just sound cheaper in comparison, albeit being a good sound signature. If anyone wants to chime in suggestions, please go ahead. Those who want to ask me about the iems that I've tried, feel free to do so. Thanks for reading, and I hope to engage with you in the comments :D.

In my opinion incredibly so the details on that lem I'd say compete in the 250usd price range they aren't called the baby blessing 2 for nothing this is in reference to the hexa

out of the many iems ive tried hexa's were obnoxiously bright. i absolutely hated them. loved the design and size tho.

i tried multiple tips, sizes etc. maybe it was just the set i had but it was literally the brightest iem ive ever tried. it was insane. i boxed them back up and sent them back the same day i got them.

I hated my Hexas at first until I played with the EQ and added some bass. Now I enjoy their unique sound,midrange and highs are great but they are definitely not bass heavy IEMs.

Best ones: 7hz Salnotes Zero 2 Tangzu Wan'er Truthear Zero:RED Truthear Hexa Moondrop Aria 2 (no, Simgots are not better) Edit: newlines

Thanks! I have hexa but while good I feel like they are missing something(mostly mid-bass). I was curious about this one, especially as it is a single BA and goes for about half of its original price. Will pick them up later this month.

Strange comment. I don't think most people are saying they *can't hear* the bass. Hexas just have relatively quiet bass which may or may not be preferable for certain genres.

Hexa is boring af, only use it for monitoring Love explorer Chill on low and engaging on high ,Custom' shape shell can be hit or mis, for me its 10/10 fit If u listen to a lot of metal it won't do as well there compare to sla3 High volume iem if u want vocals to pop My other iem is Myer Audio sla3 For energy and how balance they are, everything works with them. Cant find bad things, worst at osts then explorer but if u want 1 and done its the way to go

Nope. Have hexa, explorer, sla3, hola and piccolo

Hexa's are amazing.

if u want less bass than hola go with truthear hexa i use hexa for around 1,5 month and my ears are in heaven i would hurry with purchase cuz hexa is going to be replaced soon with pure that will have v shape instead of neutral which means more bass

Have the Hexa...bass is very lacking, but sounds nice. My next purchase will be probably $400+ to get a full package. If connecting to a computer, you don't really need a DAC, although it can be nice. For mobile use, I can't recommend the Qudelix 5k enough!

Any iem would be fine, unless your into a specific sound. Ive used kbear ks1 and truthear hexa.

The apple dongle is very affordable and is probably all you really need for IEMs. The apple dongle does not give its full power on Android, but again, it shouuld be all you need for IEMs. With the Apple dongle I can power all my IEMs perfectly well on an android device. I use the Tanchjim Space dongle amp/dac (\~$90). The Qudelix 5k is \~$100 and has extra features you might be interested in. It can be used as a bluetooth reciever to use your headphones "wirelessly." Its app also supports parametric EQ profiles so you could tune any IEM closer to your preferences. Of course, there are other PEQ options you can find in Android apps, too. I personally disagree with the notion that the type of music you listen to matters most when choosing an IEM. I think it's more about personal preference in bass quantity, and treble sensitivity, and also the *FIT* in your ears. I am personally happy with all my IEMs regardless of what I am listening to with them. I will recommend several well-regarded IEMs at various prices. Sennheiser IE200. should be able find it new for $100-$120. I have heard some people have issues with the cable and durability with this line of sennheiser IEMs. The sound of Etymotic IEMS is well-regarded, especially at their price. The ER2SE and ER2XR (XR variants have more bass relative to SE) can be found for \~$100 USD. Some people find the deep fit of the etymotic style offputting or just can't stand it. I have never tried them personally. If you are open to chinese IEMs there are countless other options in the range of $200 and under. Some well-regarded IEMs would be the Truthear Zero: Red ($50), Truthear Hexa ($70-80), Aful Performer 5 ($160-200), and Binary Chopin ($200) The only one of these I've personally owned is the Truthear Hexa. I think they're fantastic and they come with a good selection of ear tips.

Truthear Hexa or Gate. Gate fits me better, though.

In my personal opinion, TWS offer superior quality but come at a higher price point. As an example, I own the Sony Linkbuds S, which cost approximately 120 USD. They perform exceptionally well and provide excellent sound quality. I have customized the equalizer settings to achieve a neutral sound profile and utilize the LDAC codec. They are comfortable to wear, and the ANC works effectively. However, I have encountered minor issues with them due to my complex usage scenarios, which involve connecting to multiple devices, participating in frequent video conferences, and wearing them for extended periods throughout the day. In addition to the Sony Linkbuds S, I own several headphones, including the HD660S, MZ99, and Maxwell. This experience has helped me develop an understanding of what constitutes good sound quality for my personal preferences. Recently, I purchased the Truthear Hexa in-ear monitors (IEMs) to explore the world of high-quality IEMs under 100 USD. While the Hexa offers a distinct sound signature, characterized by crispness and detail, I find that the Sony Linkbuds S provide a more well-rounded and immersive sound experience. The Sony earphones deliver deeper and slightly softer sound, while maintaining a high level of detail. To my ears, the overall sound produced by the Linkbuds S is more satisfying and full. I also own the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, which were gifted to me. These earphones have a more bass-forward sound profile compared to the Sony Linkbuds S. However, they still offer sufficient detail and a rich, full sound. In my opinion, the Hexa does not surpass the Galaxy Buds2 Pro in terms of overall sound quality. While the Hexa may excel in certain genres such as drum-n-base, death metal, and other fast-paced and intense music, I find that the Sony Linkbuds S are more versatile all-rounders for on-the-go listening.

I started with the TruthEar Hexa, wanted something with more bass so I got the Crinacle Zero, loved them both so now the Novas are being shipped in a few days. TruthEar has great quality for the price.

Got these last month, then got the Crinacle Zero the next week, and I just received the Novas last week. Hexa is perfect for every genre, and using my BTR7 to give a slight bass increase, I can feel the sub bass. No distortion or muddying going on either. They killed the design for these too, I love the simple and small look.

It's still the best entry hybrid overall I think, and even higher priced IEMs rarely sound so tonally correct. Yes the bass doesn't have a lot of oomph but I think it's enough for most music especially after you EQ. It has much more competition these days though. For example you can get a ZS12 Pro X for half the price and it is definitely more detailed, and has better bass, but it's not as accurate tonally and there is more BA timbre. Still, I think Hexa will always be a great neutral benchmark IEM.

True for single jrpgs the truthear hexa is amazing. But I doubt they are good for multiplayer

Anything that would have "good vocal performance" with good upper treble performance (extended, but not harsh) should be fine. The ER2's in particular can extend pretty well if you insert them deep enough. Just look for the IEMs that people tend to say are the "best for vocals" and you should be fine. I personally also like really bassy IEMs for certain classical tracks (brings out the warmth in solo cello and piano pieces - I particularly enjoyed Liszt's piano arrangement of Winterreise on the QKZ x HBB's), but as a whole you want something with very controlled mid-bass. Some level of sub-bass is fine, and can actually bring out particularly pleasing tonalities in basses, trombones, french horns, tubas, etc. as well as baritone and bass vocalists. All that considered, I'd still personally opt for the ER2XR as my ideal IEM for listening to classical music. However, any IEM that fits that criteria in terms of tuning should suit you just fine. The original moondrop Chu's tuning, for example, is something I found particularly pleasing. Truthear Hexa should be good, as would the Moondrop Blessing 3. However, in terms of sheer price to performance I don't think the ER2's can be outdone, here.

No need to spend more than $10 on the dongle unless you want functionalities like PEQ, semi wireless setup etc. Interesting options and very different from each other. I hated Blue and Blue2 doesn't look much better to while Hexa is great for me. It's a very clean sound, but needs a deep insertion to get the bass which some can't get. There are plenty of options around those price points so knowing what you listen to would help since preference is what matters most.

Imo Hexa sounds the best by a decent margin, but needs a deep insert. Tangzu is nice and pleasant, bit the bass is a bit fluffy. EW300 is fine.

I'm sure it's been asked a million times, but what is the current king for IEMs in the $350-400 price range? I listen to a wide variety of music except jazz or classical (Mostly Kpop and Post Harcore/Metal) I prefer a warmer/bassier tone without being too treble-y. Currently using the Truthear Hexas and the Shozy P20 (I prefer the tuning of the P20).

Depends on price budget. When you say neutral, its going to have way less bass/sub bass than the APP2s. And "exciting" sorta contradicts neutral. Neutral suggestions: Hexas, Supermix 4, Ziggat Lush, Orchestra Lite

Below $100 - which I consider to be the budget space - is full of great options for different tunings. I am a guy for neutral tunings with a little bass emphasis. I advized a friend of mine to get the 7Hz Zero 2 and I would advize you to do the same thing. They are great, cheap, have a unique design and come in a lot of colors. In my mind they adapt well to different songs and genres. If you can increase your budget to $80 I would get the Truthear Hexas every day of the week. They are EXACTLY what you want (Neutral with a bass bump). Either way, any of the iems you brought up are really great.

Kefine Delci could be a option Hexa owner and i love those iems

Yeah, i love my Hexas, but not even with eq i can fix that flat and boring bass shelf

Oh man, I'm definitely going to try those filters on my peq parameters on the Hexa. Hexa was my first real iem and my daily driver for more than a year until when I get lost (or found?) in this rabbit hole. Thanks so much bro for this, i appreciate a lot this kind of help. Cheers!

KZ DQ6S ... sorry but hated it, gifted it to a friend. My real first IEM is the Truthears Hexa

Totally bro. That guy received that IEM and love it (is a musician, so i get it why he likes it). But i wanted more than a mediocre tuned iem with bad qc, i wanted a real IEm and the Hexa is still kicking to this day.

truthear hexa but it will have weak bass but its the most recommended, but not as a first iem though or maybe

I personally use both the Nova and the Hexas often, for gaming in particular I find them to be great, however for true everyday use except for gaming I use the Apple airpods pro 2, they are just too convenient, particularly while doing shores and in the office

Absolutely, they are particularly good as they are neutral with a sparkle on the treble which is what you want for gaming in a competitive sense, you can also EQ the bass down (they don't have much to begin with) for further clarity, there's also a warmer pair of Hexas incoming if you wish to wait however those will have more bass and are more for enjoying music, then again you can EQ the bass down

I use truthear hexas for games and they seem pretty good

Nice review, I mostly used Etymotic (not bassy ones) for a long time before getting into Chi-fi, now using Hexa and liking it, do you consider Lush to be a good upgrade path from Hexa?

I have the ZS10 and the Truthear Hexa ( very similar to the reds) and I agree to the point about the volume . Use a dongle DAC/Amp for the reds to get the best out of it. They need some extra power over the ZS10. Also,like everyone here mentioned they are both different sound signatures . It’s subjective. But I’ll tell you my experience, I liked the ZS10 initially like you but after that I got the Hexa and used the Hexa for long time (2-3 months or so ) continuously post that it was difficult to go back to the ZS10. There is a concept called ‘Brain burn in’. Your brain tends to like the sonic profile you feed it and gets used to it . Post which if you go to a new sound signature you’ll just hate it.

Hexa is a great set.

Hexa (i usually use mine for instrumentals) + KA13 :D

At first I enjoyed Hexa with the stock, silicone tips, but yes, not much bass. So i equalized with a +3db low shelf cutted to 300hz and another +3db lowshelf with cut to 70hz. Better but not enough. Then i tried the foam tips and the basses were greatly improved, keeping the previous equalization, it was perfect, but foam tips degrade pretty fast; also i don't really like the foam on the skin. Now I putted foam inside the silicone and MAN, iv'e had to completely cancel my previous equalization, not more needed. I'm not a basshead by any means, so now, with foam+silicone solution, i'm using them with a -3 low shelf filter till 300hz. (yeah, i went from +3db \[0..300\]hz and +3db\[0..70\]hz to -3\[0..300\]hz! Great isolation (much better than silicone alone, but even better than foam), basses are defined and feel almost completely natural, mids and highs seems almost completely untouched by the mod on the tips. As a general advice to ALL of you, if you feel like HEXA are lacking bass, try to put foam inside silicon tips and report back! For the record, I did not used the following procedure, but I've used a common 3M earplug cutted in hald and put an hole with an hot metal stick inside it. I've big ear holes, so you may want to try with something that fits your ear. [https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/oz6ubo/i\_decided\_to\_make\_my\_own\_hybrid\_iem\_foamsilicon/](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/oz6ubo/i_decided_to_make_my_own_hybrid_iem_foamsilicon/)

Hexa is great of course, but not flat. Maybe you’re confusing neutral with flat. Flat at $100 would be Yu9 U-556, Etymotic ER2SR. 

Not entirely sure at lower price points. The original Chu is pretty close to flat, with a bit of treble bit though.  But as I said if you’re just looking for a great all rounder, you might want to avoid a “flat” IEM. Anything that requires any bass will IMO not be satisfying enough. Hexa although not flat is pretty good for an allrounder.  You might want tri try a cheap IEM first and keep that for a few weeks or months to see what it is you want. Chu or Chu II (more bass) might be a good fit

Truthear Hexa with the Gate's cable.

For your preference, I think you’ll appreciate the Hexa. I also have the Hexa and it does sound very clear and surprisingly relaxed than I thought. It does sound concrete flat tho once you go back from other sound signatures so let your ears adjust for some time.

Preferred music genre - jazz, reggae, soul, opera, lofi, ambient music, classical music, nordic folk music, elevator music - whatever the Plants vs Zombies ost belong to Upper left to right - HiBy Beans, Kinera Celest Pandamon 2 Bottom left to right - Truthear Hexa, Letshuoer DZ4, Aful Explorer Order of preference: 1.) Aful Explorer - all-rounder for a relaxing listen and worked with all music genres I listened to - favorite IEM cable out of everything I tried 2.) Truthear Hexa - general use and palate cleanser - favorite design 3.) HiBy Beans - BASS, for lofi and sleeping purposes - favorite lightweight IEM cable 4.) Kinera Celest Pandamon 2 - for more relaxed vocals 5.) Letshuoer DZ4 - for less bass and mellow listen

teuthear hexa is more than enough

I would not recommend the Delci, it's a good IEM to listen to music but not the best choice for your case. As some others have said the Truthear Hexa is the best neutral IEM under $100 but fit might be an issue, I'd recommend buying it from Amazon so you can return if it doesn't fit, another alternative is the Tangzu Xuan Nv which is tuned almost the same although slightly less detailed than the Hexa.

As a fellow Hexa shill, I couldn't agree more. I've had the pleasure of owning the pilgrims, the zetian wu heydays, the monarch mk2 and a bunch of others but nothing beats the hexas. I've even eqd some of my other iems to the fr of the hexas just for fun

>'balanced and smooth', and I have very little idea of what that means. Pretty much does not mean anything... Do consider implications of buying IEMs instead of TWS carefully though, as someone who has a few different TWS and IEMs i'd say one does not replace another - for use outside, during some physical activity etc nothing would make me use IEMs/wired. Too annoying, no ANC, etc. Even though the sound can be better. Given there is no point of reference - not sure what to suggest though. Hexa is good, but not everybody likes it. Perhaps take a look at planars too, should be comfortable within budget. Like letshuoer s12/s12pro...

Reminder: If you can't hear bass with hexa you probably don't hear that well and have hearing loss

This goes to the peeps saying it doesn't have bass

Although I would say the hexa might suit your tuning preferences more (maybe?) the Ie200 is something to consider purely for the comfort (for your 8 hour usage). They’re are really small and fit seamlessly in the ear, they type of fit that some people have said they can sleep with. The hexas have a fairly large nozzle and a very geometric shape, so they will likely fatigue you faster. Beyerdynamic headphones have very soft pads, but they have circular and a bit smaller ear cups, so they will likely press against your ear and there’s the chance that will pinch after a while. I’m also not sure how you feel about the treble of the Beyers but that alone could fatigue you if comfort doesn’t.

There are quite a few attempts for a neutral sound in Chi fi: CCA Polaris (Underrated and surprisingly good for just $12, the treble is relatively smooth, the overall sound is quite similar to my speakers), Moondrop Lan in sub $30, Truthear Hexa in sub $80, Hisenior Mega5EST in sub $500, but this IEM (and the Moondrop Variations) has boosted Sub bass and is tuned like a speaker system with subwoofers so it depends on whether you view subwoofer as neutral or not. That being said, with these in-ear stuff, what is perceived as neutral will vary from person to person because of ear anatomy differences, hearing loss, ... So one person can find the Variations neutral, with others it might be the Mega5EST.

Hexa vai para o lado neutro e técnico, iem de referência. Sim ele é um excelente iem mesmo depois de quase três anos do seu lançamento

My first IEMs were the Hexa, the Zero Red, the Arrti T10. Hexa was way too boring, Zero Red was more fun but muddy, the t10 was the best of both. Yes it looks like a hearing aid, but it's the best $50 I've ever spent.

Hexas are reeeeeaaaaaally good. It’s probably the most solid IEM. Sounds great, looks and fits great, build is great. 70€ is a steal

Hexas are still pretty much the best you can get for this price. Frankly, they rule even in sub-150 category, in my personal opinion. You can find IEMs that do something specific differently, such as having more and deeper bass, more "fun" V-shaped sounds, brighter highs, and so on, but there's nothing that I'd call straight up "better". Hexa is a phenomenal IEM: extremely well balanced, very competently tuned and just all around great. Unless you are specifically looking for a different kind of tuning (such as warmer or brighter), get the Hexa - you won't be disappointed.

How is hexa with d07? I have a hexa like it a lot, just feels underpowered have to play at like 70% indoors and about 80% outdoors. Do you think they need amplification?

Just got a pair of used hexas from e earphones yesterday cause of this comment. From someone who is quite picky with IEMs I'm impressed I can get something sounding this good for so cheap! Definitely much less sub punch than the variations but still technical, and a lot less treble zing due to the missing est driver when compared to the variations. :)

eh depends on the eartips, I've been running the dunu s&s on these and have had to repeatedly adjust the bass shelf from -3 to -5 db accordingly (they are for some reason quite bassy to my ears)

Yeah, on most "pop" music they're one of the most boring IEMs to listen to, but I've hardly found a replacment for them since I mostly do classical and jazz. It's perfect for neutral lovers but an enemy of V shaped lovers

hmm, seems like a better overall iem since that 300-1K reigon is still lower than the hexa's that make me eq them (i eq 350hz -1.1 q 0.5) since they make it sound more muddy to my ears

Hi, I am a complete newbie currently using Truthear Hexa on the go and Sony MDR-1AM2 at home for comfort. I am looking to upgrade and after god knows how many hours of "research", I somehow narrowed it down to these 3 IEMs below: Studio4 / AFUL Performer 8 / TANCHJIM ORIGIN I would have included the new Dusk in the equation but decided not to due to the whole DSP cable and app requirements. Why do I want to upgrade? Firstly, I am not going to lie, I like the Truthear Hexa but it is quite uncomfortable to use for a long period of time. Secondly, if a sub $100 IEM already sounds this good, it makes me wonder whats possible. I figured that a mid-range IEM as an upgrade from my Hexa is sufficient to be my "end-game" IEM. I mostly listen to orchestral soundtracks (movie, game, Anime OST), classical and acoustic music. So not many bass heavy music or vocals. Although correct me if I am wrong but I heard IEMs that are good for vocals tend to also be good for the genres I listen. Bass can also be undervalued for orchestral music, so a bit of oomph would be good as long as its not the main focus and does not detriment the clarity of the instruments. I want an IEM that makes the music feel grandeur and lush with good instruments clarity, separation and sound-stage. Anyway, sorry for the ramble. I would love to hear your experience/opinions regarding any of the above IEMs. I am undergoing analysis paralysis atm hahaha. Especially since I cannot trial any of those IEMs nor afford to buy multiple IEMs just to figure out my final preference. Wish you all a wonderful day! :)

I own the Hexas. I go anywhere between "wow, lots of detail" to "wow, boring". They are reasonably neutral. Maybe you prefer a different sound signature. Every time I listen to my MP145s I'm happy.

I'll also say I enjoy the Hexas a lot more with some bass under 125hz and subtracting a decibel of treble after 8000hz.

Truthear Hexa IEMs - not super expensive but the sound is great and they come with a heap of tip options

I agree - especially in the EW300 vs SuperMix4 comparison. The EW300 with bronze nozzles is a very "crowd pleasing" tuning, and the resolution is something special, imo. So - the "roughly $80usd" recommendation is basically shared between the "correct" Truthear Hexa and "fun" Simgot EW300.

Hexa is great. Very clean sound. S08 doesn't have sharp treble. Might not be a crisp sounding as you prefer, but it's a very good option. Personal favorite in your list is the Explorer. Something about it... Kinda addicting.

(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.

The hexas made my previous sub $80 iems sound like someone was listening to music next room (reds + zero 2)

SM4 owner here and it's true, on paper it should be fun and engaging but it ends up with no weight for me, I always return to my Hexas. SM4 takes EQ very well so it's an easy fix, however for media and games, the contrast is top notch, way better than something neutral imo. Your EQ is really good, I haven't been able to find neutralish EQs to it, so this helps a lot!

Trutheat hexa will eat ie200 for breakfast.

Got the Hexas myself and upgraded to the Hidisz MP145, definitely what you’re looking for, they’re on the bigger side tho

I also found it strange, kek. Been using them regularly for about a year now and they are very smooth and absolutely not "basshead". Where the OP got "too much bass" from I have no idea. Suspect some settings of the source

Anything that's Neutral, Balance, not too bassy, boomy, not too bright, not too mid, not too flat... Just right, like the Truthear HEXA

I really don't recommend KZ because it sounds generic compared to my Salnote Zero. I mostly recommend Tangzu Wan'er, Truthear's Hexa and ZERO, Salnote's ZERO and ZERO:2, Simgot EW200. KZ is decent but their whole lineup sounds the same, that overwhelming bass and fatiguing treble is the most cons of their products.

The truthear hexa is in that budget and it's a very neutral set, high quality set.

I highly suggest Truthear Hexas for your first one. Cheap, stands out as far as tuning, and the only gripe I have is the cable (cables that come with IEMs tend to be not great, but also do not spend a mint on snake oil here). However for something like Orchestral or Piano you may want the Nova more, but honestly EQ works wonders. A ton of IEMs come out every single day with some having little difference outside of comfort and tuning, and if you can find a way to try before buying it may save you a bunch of cash. If you're on an apple device, an apple dongle will power 99% of these while you save for something better. With Android you should do more research; not all phones play nicely with USB audio, but USB Audio Player Pro will fix that (and it works as a Tidal player). Keep this heavily in mind: there are a lot of tracks that still use MQA. I would suggest the TANCHJIM Space right now due to a current sale, but it is not compatible with that.

Ended up buying these, good advice! Maybe a bit sparkly on the highs but I should still choose the right eartips.

I can speak about the Hexa and about the May. The Hexa are still among the most resolving sets that you can buy under $100, they sound pretty linear and balanced and that is also the reason why they are not for everyone since they are not a colored and fun sounding set, if that's what you search for. Not something I would pick for my pure music enjoyment. The May, instead, is a Harman-inspired IEM and has DSP presets to play with, it sounds very natural and the tuning is done super carefully. However, the technical performance isn't the best out there (especially for the price range) so keep that in mind. The DSP cable can also be used with other IEMs and it's a type-c cable too so if you buy a cheap 5$ 3.5mm cable you'll also have both options. If I were you, I would also add into the comparison: - the cheaper Simgot EW200 (a friend of mine bought it for like 30$ on AliExpress and it's still a bargain) - Kefine Klean: a good all-rounder

I'll give you a list of absolute bangers for that price that I've tried of course: Dunu Titan S2 - best package of eartips, cable, and case, decent sound quality Simgot EA500LM - Details, clarity, sharpness, and musical, guitars sound so good Nicehck F1 Pro - Planar techs and qualities on par with $100+ planar IEMs, same tuning with S12 Pro, nice treble quality, planar bass(not my type) Letshuoer S08 - a little more expensive but these are my favorite under $100, planar techs with deep punchy bass that does not sound like any other planar on this list and surprisingly good vocals, however has dark upper mids and treble, still a good all rounder Kiwi Ears Melody - V-shape, bass has good quantity but hits like a heavy pillow, mids are recessed and muddy but energetic highs, might be niche but I enjoyed them Kefine Delci - Bassy, good enough amount so don't expect a basshead type of beat, dark and bright treble, great tuning and and above average resolution but narrow soundstage. Some more to consider: Tangzu Xuan NV - sounds like Zero Reds, low/average resolution, layering is not great, but tuning is great, I'd rather have this than the Zero Red just for being more ergonomic, sancai tips, and pretty Truthear Hexa - Techs are above average for the price, tuning is flat can be sibilant and shouty, not as resolving as the EA500LM 7hz Sonus - cable is ass, pouch is meh, eartips are trash, drivers are really good, the overall techs are better than Truthear Zeros and Xuan NV. Bang for the buck all rounder IEM, great for gaming Read more reviews if you find one interesting, only you can tell what tuning is within your preference and what technicalities you can't live without.

Nah trust me watch Fresh Reviews, he is an FPS gamer and peripheral reviewer. He has in depth reviews for IEM's and first hand experience with them by playing multiple FPS games. Wallhack IEM Tier List (Budget) by Fresh Reviews: (B) Simgot Supermix 4 (B to B-) Simgot EM6L (B to B-) Truthear x Crin Zero (OG or Red WITH adapter) (B- to C+) 7hz Sonus (B- to C+) Dunu Kima (B- to C+) Simgot EW200 (B- to C+) Truthear Hexa I'd agree with this list except for the Zero Red, if solely for gaming just take the Zero Blue. In this list I own the Supermix 4, Sonus, and the Hexa. Sonus is probably the best bang for the buck, they are way better than the Hexa in my opinion. Now the Supermix4 is 2-3 levels above than my Sonus, the best for discrening distance of sound and widest soundstage.

Truthear Hexa. No budget? Campfire Audio Clara.

Headphones: HD560s > Fiio JT1 > SHP9500 ~= Koss Porta Pro iems: Truthear Hexa > 7Hz Zero 2 ~= Moondrop Aria SE.  I don't have the ear to casually tell the difference between devices nor the memory to remember since I switch things around regularly, so ranking difference is marginal

The blessing 2 auto eq preset does wonders to hexa.

I see and I need more sub bass. Comparing the presets by crinacle both the B2 and B2 dusk seem to be quiet similar except for the sub bass. With this setup I wouldn't need another iem set as long as hexa lasts. Hopefully it lasts.

Moondrop starfield 2, a downgrade in every conceivable aspect to the first.  Truthear hexa.  Looks cheap, feels cheap,  sounds cheap. 

Agree :) Still loving mine

IEMs in this price range tend to be V-Shaped Wan'er SE sounds like it could fit your needs. If you can drop a few more bucks, the Truthear Hexa will be the best at neutrality.

TruthEar Hexa is pretty great for the money.

I used em6l, hexa, kato, canon ii and orchestra lite. The best for gaming is my canon ii , orchestra lite close second. Hexa, then em6l. Em6l was to airy / tinny for me. But was comfortable. Orchestra lite are great but hurt my ear alot, got small ear holes. Super clear though. Canon where absolutely perfect for comfort, and are a better bassier orchestra lite. Hexas are really good too, I love house they sound but just didn't have the 'tech' like the OL or canon

I had the IE200 for 3 years (ear tip and cable mod), now I've switched to the Truthear Hexa and I must say that with the equalizer settings from u/oratory1990, the Hexas beat the IE200 imo

Truthear Hexa or simgot em6l would be a good neutral option. Also aful performer 5 could be there as well. Simgot supermix 4 as well, but you’ll want a low output impedance source (less than 1ohm) to match it with otherwise it’s going to be either too bright or muddy (it’s only a 7.2ohm iem) . Apple dongle would be fine

There's a lot of options out there for IEMs. I'd say your best bet under $100 based on what you want would be the Truthear Hexa. The only possible issue with the Hexa might be comfort depending on the size of your ears and how long you'd be wearing them. I own a pair myself and never found them to be the most comfortable IEMs out there. As for purchasing them you should be able to get a set from Amazon or Shenzhen Audio.

They’re probably one of the most detailed IEMs under $100 and I think the sound is perfect for what you’re looking for. I’d say it’s most the shells that I found uncomfortable. The eartips they come with are perfectly serviceable. You’d probably be totally fine wearing them for under an hour even if they weren’t the most comfortable things out there, but if I were up on stage I’d feel like it would distract me if I found my IEMs uncomfortable. Also, comfort varies person to person so you might find them very comfortable and not even need to worry about it.

Truthear Hexa!

Based on your music tastes I'd say the Truthear Hexa would likely work out well for you.

You won't like the Hexa if you're coming from the Sony XM4s. Those Sonys are bassy as hell, and the Hexa are pretty lean on the bass. The Hexa has more "correct" sound, but that doesn't mean you'll like it. I would lean toward the AFUL Explorer on sale this week for around $100. That has a warmer, bassier sound signature while still being significantly better than the XM4. You also may like the Kefine Delci for around $70, as it has a bassy, V-shaped sound signature similar to the XM4s, but better. The Kefine Klean is $50. A bit less bassy than the Delci but still very engaging.

hexas are really nice. love the tuning.

Besides the tuning, which is very subjective, I’d say a wired APP2 alternative would cost somewhere between $60-120. It has really good drivers for a consumer product, but might just not compete well with multi-drivers IEMs at this price range. Truthear Hexa would be my first pick here at $80. It does have a somewhat similar tuning, with slightly more energy at the vocal range compared to APP2.

If you don’t want to break the bank, Truthear Hexa is a really good option, especially if you have small ears. I’d also recommend buying extra 3rd party ear tips to try with the set.

I'd recommend the Truthear Hexa, along with some additional ear tips. Hexa is probably the cheapest way into the "better than AirPods" route. Depends on the seal, it might be a break to some, which is why I'd buy some ear tips with the IEMs. Later on your journey, you might want to upgrade the source game with qudelix 5K and be done. It enables parametric EQ, which comes in handy when finding your preferred sound. Start with an Apple Dongle for now and enjoy!

This is my picks under 150: - Truthear Hexa because it's very balanced - Moondrop Kato Blue for a brighter and more engaging signature with better technicality - Shuoer S12 for its exciting "planar" flavor (7Hz Timeless feels more neutral though) Honorable mention above 150: - Moondrop Blessing 3 because of its outstanding technical performance and bright tuning

Qudelix 5K. You can never go wrong with having a Qudelix 5K. It's just that good. Blind buy immediately. IEM on the other hand is tricky, since people have different preferences. Complete noobs tend to love bass, so maybe something like KZ Castor? Otherwise Truthear Hexa, preferably with Qudelix 5K. The Hexa is pretty neutral and can be boring for some, but it makes a great base for messing with EQ. Just tune it however you want. You can EQ to change tuning, but you cannot EQ technicality. Hexa fares pretty well in that regard though, one more reason to get it. Kato / Kadenz is also a safe blind buy, engaging yet pleasant with no obvious fault. Similar capability to the Hexa, but arguably not as "boring". If you want to upgrade, Blessing 2 is a no-brainer. It accepts EQ well and has awesome technical performance. Safe blind buy in my opinion. I would even recommend the Blessing 3 on the condition that you are open to EQ because out-of-the-box its sound signature is quite niche. Still a relatively safe blind buy option (if you already have Qudelix 5K).

DaVinci and B3 have similar price/performance, just different tuning styles. B3 wins hands-down on detail retrieval and clarity, while DaVinci runs circle around B3 when it comes to (sub) bass. I tried Monarch Mk2 for about 30 minutes and did not like it. The nozzles are enormous, very uncomfortable. Sound quality... is ok? Monarch didn't sound any more detailed than B3 - I couldn't really hear the praised macrodynamic. Tuning style is definitely more pleasant and ordinary. The bad fit really distracted me from enjoying it. Moondrop Kato and Truthear Timeless have similar level of technical performance - quite close to B3. Personally prefer Kato's more balanced signature. Hexa is a cheaper alternative, but it might sound a bit too neutral and thus boring (not necessarily a bad thing, easily fixable with EQ) Planar IEMs sound harsh on the treble, especially the S12 (I disliked it). I don't understand the hype around Truthear Nova and Simgot Supermix 4. I think the latter is fine for the price, about the same P/P as Kato; but Nova is just so blurry, subpar detail retrieval even when its bass is pretty light. Other IEMs under $150 are not interesting enough to me.

You can use an impedance adapter for a little bass boost. Does a lot of good things for the Hexa imo.

I only have sennheiser IE40 pro, Truthear Hexa and Fiio EM5 (earbud) and I honestly would not recommend using IEM for fps games. My headphones are Dt990 pro and He400I (2016), when I switch from headphone to IEM I feel like I'm pretty much deaf, I still can hear the sound but I could not indicate whether it is far or right in front of me. You can however get used to that but switching back to headphone it is still wayyyyyyyy better I once borrowed blessing 3 and moondrop starfield from my friend but I don't use that enough so I can't say much, but just from playing deathmatch it is already better than hexa in term of sound stage Master in Apex legends (season 8-13, stopped playing afterwards) and lv10 Faceit in Cs2. I also played a bit of MW2 and mostly DMZ with headphones only so I can't say if IEM is good with that game, since both apex legends and csgo/cs2 use the same source engine sound

Give it a go. I'd say they are aggressively v-shaped, so very fun to listen to, but non-fatiguing. On a busier tracks they do sound cramped, but that is to be expected at this price point. To me they work best with EDM. Also, the fit is very comfortable. They sound noticeably different from others in my collection. I own Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Shanling Sono, Truthear Hexa, and Letshuoer S12 Pro.

Returned the hexas immediately, too flat and boring to listen to.

There are so many, but the standard "try them" sets seem to be: Tangzu Wa'ner (2), 7hz Crinacle Zero 2, Kiwi Ears Cadenza, Truthear Zero Red, Truthear Hexa.

Your experince has some similarities with mine. I also started with the Zero (1) but it broke, so I got the Chu 2. Found the Chu 2 too V-shaped for me. Next, I got the SGOR Luna, which is like you getting the EW300. Both clearly V-shaped tuned IEM's with similar flaws. I love the Luna but it was just too V-shaped and I felt like I was missing out on the mids and vocals were distant (they never go too busy though since they're plannars). Then I got the 7hz Sonus in an attempt to save from spending for the Hexa. This was 90% there for me but it got really fatiguing ang unnatural after a month. Too "in-your-face" sound. I finally got the Hexa's and have been using them for over 2 months now. The way you describe them is almost exactly how I would too. Cheers.

If you are really keen on being scrutinous in determining the sound you like most, I highly suggest getting something in the $20 range and go up from there. Getting something neutral like the Tanchjim Bunny, Tangzu Waner (any edition), Salnotes Zero (1) or MoonDrop Chu II would be a great start. BUT just get one pair. So for example, you get the Tanchjim Bunny first. Listen to it for at least a month, then if you find anything in the frequency lacking or copious, then find your upgrade from your findings. I hope this makes sense. My biased answer is for you to get the Hexa or 7hz Zero as these are 2 of my favorite IEMs right now. Cheers.

I think most people would find the Hexa to be something you can listen to for a longer period of time, because it sounds so neutral without any offensive treble or big bass, with that being said, I think the Kiwi Ears are more exciting to listen to so I'd prefer that. But yes, if you are sensitive to treble or want something that's not gonna fatigue you, the Hexa is a nice one to look at. Not saying the Aether is fatiguing (the EW200 and the 500LM by Simgot both take the cake there) but Aether has more treble than Hexa so just be careful there Edit: Yes I would say it's an upgrade, just not as neutral.

Truthear Hexa is neutral and can be used as a reference but with a slight bass boost.

IEM's are objectively the better choice in your price bracket. Imaging (beingable to tell where sounds are coming from) doesn't depend on if it's a headphone or IEM. My truthear hexa has incredibly good Imaging, even better than my beyerdynamic dt 770. Hearing directions or above and below you is only done through software tricks. The truthear zero is a very good option in this space.

I like them very much but I have two concerns here: firstly these are not that good for gaming specifically, secondly the S12 (2024 tuning) from Letshuoer is only marginally more expensive in most place right now and provides both much better detail for gaming and arguably a less warm sound which many users will find more agreeable for music listening as well (though there's certainly also plenty of folks like me who love warm signatures), so that would be my recommendation to still stay close to the original idea of the S08 but improve on it in the regards you were specifically looking for, unlike pivoting to a completely different type of IEM. If you're looking purely for a good gaming performer in that exact price range the Truthear Hexa would be the only model I'd otherwise recommend looking into.

Hexa. And you don't need much for a DAC- just do a dongle. If it's an Apple phone, get theirs, if not something like this will work very well: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B083LC9WMB/?\_encoding=UTF8&pd\_rd\_plhdr=t&aaxitk=bf1c6d9daa28d9883b572dde206c07ba&hsa\_cr\_id=0&qid=1743087129&sr=1-3-9e67e56a-6f64-441f-a281-df67fc737124&ref\_=sbx\_be\_s\_sparkle\_lsi4d\_asin\_2\_img&pd\_rd\_w=4OLpY&content-id=amzn1.sym.8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942%3Aamzn1.sym.8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942&pf\_rd\_p=8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942&pf\_rd\_r=FN4BARKACF0DA08ED76E&pd\_rd\_wg=A5dR6&pd\_rd\_r=c204e282-31f1-461b-b062-0b247a0dc87d](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B083LC9WMB/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=bf1c6d9daa28d9883b572dde206c07ba&hsa_cr_id=0&qid=1743087129&sr=1-3-9e67e56a-6f64-441f-a281-df67fc737124&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_lsi4d_asin_2_img&pd_rd_w=4OLpY&content-id=amzn1.sym.8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942%3Aamzn1.sym.8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942&pf_rd_p=8591358d-1345-4efd-9d50-5bd4e69cd942&pf_rd_r=FN4BARKACF0DA08ED76E&pd_rd_wg=A5dR6&pd_rd_r=c204e282-31f1-461b-b062-0b247a0dc87d)

“Best” is subjective. The IEM world has so much variety and your enjoyment would depend greatly on personal preference. What’s great for one person could be trash for someone else. In my opinion, the best way to approach this hobby is to sample numerous sets of various tunings. Try not to blind buy one set, using most or all of your budget, based only on recommendations. You may end up wasting money in the long run buying expensive sets with tuning you later realize you don’t prefer. Think about your tuning preference. Do you want a lot of bass (warm sound)? Or do you want more treble (crisp/bright sound)? Do you want something balanced (middle ground)? Or do want something with a bass boost with a treble boost (V shape)? If you want a boost in upper mids (vocal forward)? If you really can’t sample first, and can only buy, I recommend starting at the low end, then upgrading from there. This is my cheap starter collection… * Bassy - Tanchjim Tanya DSP * Slight v-shape - 7hz Zero 2 * Balanced - Moondrop Chu 2 (good for smaller ear canals) * Vocal forward - Tangzu Wan’er * bright-ish - 7hz Zero (original) (If you can’t sample, most newbies favor V-shaped or balanced IEMs.) If you have a little more money to experiment with... * Bassy - Blon x HBB z300 * Warm - Kiwi Ears Cadenza * Warm leaning - Truthear Zero Blue* * v-shape - Truthear Nova * Neutral - Truthear Zero Red* * Bright-ish - Truthear Hexa, Simgot EW200 or Simgot EA500LM *thick nozzles, not recommended for narrow ear canals. Borrow or buy-try-return. After sampling various tunings, you might be surprised by what you like and don’t like. (Whatever you do, stay away from KZ. They’re a terrible company with shady practices.)

Before buying your first set, think about your tuning preference. Do you want a lot of bass (warm sound)? Or do you want more treble (crisp/bright sound)? Do you want something balanced (middle ground)? Or do want something with a bass boost with a treble boost (V shape)? If you want a boost in upper mids (vocal forward)? I recommend starting at the low end, then upgrading from there. This is my cheap starter collection… Bassy - QKZ HBB v-shape - 7hz Zero 2 Balanced - Moondrop Chu 2 Vocal forward - Tangzu Wan’er Bright - 7hz Zero (original) Unless you can sample multiple sets before you buy, try not to blind buy one set using most or all of your budget. You’ll end up wasting money in the long run buying sets with tuning you later realize you don’t prefer. If you have a little more money to experiment with... Bassy - Blon x HBB z300 Warm - Truthear Zero Blue or Kiwi Ears Cadenza Slight v-shape - Truthear Nova Neutral - Truthear Zero Red Vocal forward - Simgot EA500LM Bright leaning - Simgot EW200 or Truthear Hexa After trying various tunings, you might be surprised by what you like and don’t like.

Sounds like you’re new to this space. The IEM world has so much variety and your enjoyment would depend greatly on personal preference. What’s great for one person could be trash for someone else. Think about your tuning preference. Do you want a lot of bass (warm sound)? Or do you want more treble (crisp/bright sound)? Do you want something balanced (middle ground)? Or do want something with a bass boost with a treble boost (V shape)? If you want a boost in upper mids (vocal forward)? This is my cheap starter collection… Bassy - Tanchjim Tanya DSP Slight v-shape - 7hz Zero 2 Balanced - Moondrop Chu 2 (good for smaller ear canals) Vocal forward - Tangzu Wan’er Bright - 7hz Zero (original) (If you can’t sample these before buying, most newbies favor V-shaped or balanced IEMs.) If you’re willing to spend a bit more… Bassy - Blon x HBB z300 Warm - Kiwi Ears Cadenza Warm leaning - Truthear Zero Blue* v-shape - Truthear Nova Neutral - Truthear Zero Red* Vocal forward - Simgot EA500LM Bright leaning - Simgot EW200 or Truthear Hexa *thick nozzles, not recommended for narrow ear canals.

I’ve seen many move to the Truthear Hexa, but some complain that it’s too bright/thin. I saw one commenter say it’s because the unique shape requires a different angle and/or depth of insertion than people aren’t used to (so they don’t get the right seal and proper bass).

Before buying your first set, think about your tuning preference. Do you want a lot of bass (warm sound)? Or do you want more treble (crisp/bright sound)? Do you want something balanced (middle ground)? Or do want something with a bass boost with a treble boost (V shape)? If you want a boost in upper mids (vocal forward)? I recommend starting at the low end, then upgrading from there. This is my cheap starter collection… Bassy - QKZ HBB v-shape - 7hz Zero 2 Balanced - Moondrop Chu 2 Vocal forward - Tangzu Wan’er Bright - 7hz Zero (original) Unless you can sample multiple sets before you buy, try not to blind buy one set using most or all of your budget. You’ll end up wasting money in the long run buying sets with tuning you later realize you don’t prefer. If you don’t mind spending a bit more on experimenting, then you can try the following (one might even end up your “endgame”)… Bassy - Blon x HBB z300 Warm - Truthear Zero Blue or Kiwi Ears Cadenza Slight v-shape - Truthear Nova Neutral - Truthear Zero Red Vocal forward - Simgot EA500LM Bright leaning - Simgot EW200 or Truthear Hexa After trying various tunings, you might be surprised by what you like and don’t like.

“Best” is subjective. The IEM world has so much variety and your enjoyment would depend greatly on personal preference. In my opinion, the best way to approach this hobby is to sample numerous sets of various tunings. Try not to blind buy one set using most or all of your budget based only on recommendations. You may end up wasting money in the long run, by buying expensive sets with tuning you later realize you don’t prefer. Think about your tuning preference. Do you want a lot of bass (warm sound)? Or do you want more treble (crisp/bright sound)? Do you want something balanced (middle ground)? Or do want something with a bass boost with a treble boost (V shape)? If you want a boost in upper mids (vocal forward)? If you really can’t sample first, and can only buy, I recommend starting at the low end, then upgrading from there. This is my cheap starter collection… Bassy - Tanchjim Tanya DSP Slight v-shape - 7hz Zero 2 Balanced - Moondrop Chu 2 (good for smaller ear canals) Vocal forward - Tangzu Wan’er Bright - 7hz Zero (original) (If you can’t sample, most newbies favor V-shaped or balanced IEMs.) If you have a little more money to experiment with... Bassy - Blon x HBB z300 Warm - Kiwi Ears Cadenza Warm leaning - Truthear Zero Blue* v-shape - Truthear Nova Neutral - Truthear Zero Red* Vocal forward - Simgot EA500LM Bright leaning - Simgot EW200 or Truthear Hexa *thick nozzles, not recommended for narrow ear canals. After trying various tunings, you might be surprised by what you like and don’t like. (Whatever you do, stay away from KZ. They’re a terrible company with shady practices.)

Truthear Hexa are phenomenal for the price, IMO.

Hexa with moondrop dawn pro or fiio ka13. The dac is def a necessity when you want more volume and sound quality. The dac on your pc would be....... passable mabye. but In my experience i can't get even my more sensitive iems to the volume i want and ofc the sound quality📉

This is the way. I've been using IEM for like 20 years now, with pretty good ones for like 15 years. I still bought these KZ when the chifi-hype really kicked in. Didn't like them at all compared to my UE900 or Etymotic, but how would I know if I don't try things? My UE900 have been broken for 6 or 7 years now, but I never replaces them with IEM in that price bracket. One thing is that I like Hexas way more already and don't need to pay more, but it's also fun to explore. Before I pay 400€ again I'd rather buy a bunch of 20€ IEM, like I did with the 7Hz Zero, even if they're worse than others I own. I still have to try Wan'ers and the Bunny, I think, I never tried planars as well, stuff like that. It's a hobby, and everyone should do whatever is fun to them within that hobby. There's no "wrong".

Same. I’ve had them for quite a while now and I still love them for basically any genre (but particularly for jazz/classical/instrumental). Now though, I’m looking for something more fun and bass heavy. Still, for anyone with medium to large ear canals is my go to recommendation.

On 11.11 I ordered a pair of performer 5+2s. I think what I love the most about the hexas is the technicalities and natural sound and reviews say that they have that plus good bass and bass extension, which is what I wanted. Besides that the nozzle is significantly smaller so it might be better for my ears. I know is not a one to one alternative and is significantly more expensive but I guess I’ll see in a couple of days if it’s worth it. As a side note. I tried the ie200s and I didn’t like them. Compared to the hexas they didn’t sound very natural or spacious. It constantly reminded me that I was listening to headphones (if that makes sense) and didn’t feel spacious. Comfort wise is the best iem I’ve ever tried but I ended up returning them

I have the Hexa, the Xuan NV and the EW300. I can tell you, the Hexa are great if you want maximum linear fidelity. They look better in reality than in the photos. However the nozzles are big and the sound might be boring. My favorites are the Xuan NV, because they are exciting, with a wide soundstage and a good bass while maintaining a good linearity and balance. However, you are sacrificing a little bit of details in the mids, compared to the Hexa. Also, you need to have a good audio source to fully appreciate the Xuan, because they are not easy to drive. Having a 4.4 balanced cable is a must. The EW300 are very good all rounder. I really enjoy these, very easy to drive, nice sound with good detail and punch. It's less wide than the Xuan and less detailed compared to the Hexa, but I suggest the EW300 to everyone as their first IEMs because you can't go wrong with them. I think the Simgot are the best value for money in general.

I just bought them too as my first IEMs, got them like 3 days ago! Couldn't be happier at all. I've used massive headsets especially at my Desktop forever and my Audeze Maxwells are great, but these IEMs really feel like my first audiophile experience and they are so much more comfy as they are not as heavy. Currently wondering what kind of small-budget upgrades I can make next to the USB-C dongle to enhance it even further :)

Truthear Hexa, Budet friendly IEMs and amazing

I love my Cadenza a lot. Would recommend for first pick. But if you can stretch your budget a bit, I would recommend turthear hexa.

Damn I love the Hexas, Different strokes folks.

I have them and I think they are very good for the price. I came from dailying the very boring Sennheiser 560S and wanted something similar sounding that just isolates noise a bit better and I think I got it. Nothing about them really stands out they're just very clear and very neutral and let the music speak for itself and they do it for less than $90

This, I use the hexas as well. They are the most comfortable IEM I own

Oh there are a few. Artti T10, SGOR Luna, Truthear Hexa, KBEAR KB02, moondrop Aria 2. Just got the 7hz G1 so testing those now. T10 is my primary go to at the moment.

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!

You're sure? When I eq mine with a peak filter at 60hz, +4db, 0,5 Q, the bass becomes much more satisfying while still keeping a pretty balanced and detailed sound. Sure, they're not my go to for bass, but I found them pretty surprising with eq If you want to go the full bass shelf way, a low pass at 120hz, +4/5 db, Q 0.7 works pretty well for me, though I prefer the peak filter because I find its sub-bass to become a bit much this way

Technicality wise, Truthear Hexa is the best out of those options. Clear vocals, detail retrieval, no sibilance. However, it's not for everyone. It can be boring and "not colorful". If you want a safe bet as your first IEM, I suggest the Truthear x Crinacle zero: red. Considered as one of the best iems under $100. Great tonality, smooth, well-tuned, and accurate. Downside, the nozzle is bigger than common IEMs so fit can be an issue. Others also find the bass a bit lacking but for me, it's adequate.

If you can't audition them, I would recommend the reds for their neutral sound signature and slight bass boost. Very versatile set. The hexas I feel are more fun with a tighter bass and the wan'er are more vocal forward. If you NEED the mic, the wan'er comes with a mic option. The Truthear gate is also a strong competitor for the wan'er. I think the wan'er edges in quality but the gate has the more comfortable cable imo. I currently am dailying the ZeroReds with the Gate cables. Caveat: the Reds have a HUGE 7mm nozzle. Leads to poor seals and general discomfort for alot of people. I have huge ear holes so it's not a prob.

Well they don’t make much complete neutral iems since like how many can they sell with that market? Headphones manufacturers do though. In IEMs that won’t get too pricey Truthear Hexa are the most neutral sound and have outstanding imaging. Check them out.

You want IEMs on the "brighter side" for gaming, I'll recommend you the EW300, The explorer, the 500lm or even my hated SuperMix4 if they are on sale for less than 110dlls if not just go with the other ones. The Hexas are a benchmark already on that price set.

It'd be nice to know what music you listen to or if you have a tuning preference but here are some recommendations -truthear hexa: very accurate, detailed and clinical sounding, but at the risk of sounding boring and dry - moondrop aria2: quite v-shaped which is fun but vocals are a little less present - Dunu titan S: quite neutral with great technicalities and nice soundstage/separation. Not as "clinical" as the hexa but not as "fun" as the aria. Very much an all rounder. - dunu titan S2: I'd recommend the original if you can get it on sale. That said, S2 has a little more bass than the original and amazing included accessories. The technicalities on these are marginally better than the original titan S but not by much. Keep in mind that none of these have a mic so you'd have to get one separately. I'd say best for gaming is probably the titan S/S2, music is up to preference, best for movies might be the aria2. I recommend you finding a place or way to try these before you buy (I know ppl will buy a bunch from Amazon and then return the ones they didn't want). Feel free to ask any questions you have!

I just got mine too, coming from Moondrop Arias that had the dreaded moisture issues. They're taking me some getting used to as well, so I dialed in a bass shelf on the EQ and plan to slowly decrease it over the coming weeks to make the change more gradual.

I have the same request as yours :) Just i don't think that soundstage is so important, but definition, separation of the instruments is (at least for me). So, if there's someone's with our music taste .. I had good moment with the Truthear hexa, my SoundRythme SR5 but no doubt there's more interesting iems that the ones i have

Anything that sounds good to you will work (but probably something more on the neutral side), you'll just want something comfortable and with a good fit/seal (and a cable that you like, I swapped mine to a set by null audio, the stock was microphonic and just felt uncomfortable to me) I use IE600 when playing cs2, but found that the sound profile of the truthear hexa is similar (fit/comfort isn't the same), used to use some over ears (ATH M50) and haven't noticed any difference in my ability to hear where the players are in the 6 months of use.

I would choose the ea500lm over the hexas for better bass , build quality and cable

Thanks and same here man exactly what you said My plan is that if I am going for hexa I can go for just one more option after sometime and that would be the final investment in IEMs as there is a store here in Mumbai India for listening sessions so when I am visiting I'll give a try to other IEMs and will only upgrade if required But if I am going for Nova then that's it no more looking for another option. I am going for truthear hexa for now with a simple USB c to 3.5mm dac I am pretty sure I will love it

If you like hearing clear vocals and instruments like Classical or Indie, Hexa. If you primarily listen to edm, hip hop/bassy music, EW300. If you competitive game, Hexa Casual, solo, immersive gaming, or movies, EW300.

I bought the Truthear Hexas for $100 I believe and the Moondrop Dawn Pro for $50 on Amazon. I use them both for music and gaming and so far no complaints except for it can be hard to hear directionality sometimes (r6 but that might be because I just have the volume too loud). If you do not want the Hexas then it's fine but I highly recommend the Moondrop Dawn Pro since it's in your budget, usb-c, and easy to connect and use. Also, the bass on the Hexas is not very prominent but a little EQ can easily solve that (at least it did for me).

I don't recommend truthear hexa. From personal experience it's too cold and clear for me. I personally like more warm and more bass like the truthear zero reds.

I find the Truthear Hexa being fairly close. Tuned bright with some mid bass elevation. Some of the more egregious peaks and dips from the 770 evened out.

Dunu titan s2 or Dunu kima 2 is what I think suits your preferences. Titan s2 has good bass with textural qualities. Mids on kima 2 are more pronounced but smoother than s2. S2 has better dynamics overall and is more of a fun sound. Both have very good timbre but kima feels more natural. Hexa is more of a neutral mid range iem, it lets you observe the sound but not necessarily feel the bass defintion. I didnt really like s08, planar bass is more of a wave feeling motion and the tuning was too neutral. Nova lacks in the bass punch feel but everything is kind of smooth on it while having good vocals. Fudu is decent but the air roll off kind of is a dealbreaker for me. On a random side note you should look into kz zvx pro, it has very clean bass shelf without it feeling lacking. I know its in the budget but the tuning on it feels so technical for its price. It doesn't lack anything the staging, imaging, and layering all sound great. It blends musicality with good technicaity and I can say it rivals alot of $80 or under pairs.

https://preview.redd.it/xfvpoe6h4wre1.png?width=2159&format=png&auto=webp&s=c8248047276a8c5016030a5b5478e7e8c475dbf0 7hz salnote zero2 for me !! I do have as well the Truthear hexa which I prefer when at home (better sound although a bit too big for my ears )

I'm using the 1DD + 3BA Truthear Hexa which is surprisingly balanced and also quite small. A lot of IEMs I've seen vary in size even for just 1DD so looking up a review on Youtube might be most helpful in gauging the size. Relative to the Chu's I have they're nearly the same in footprint.

* Results.. let's start from down to top ........ ∆ The Crin Zero Reds.. -Good loudness, meaty bass but sometimes there is something off about it.. like... always.. -With trying every possible resistor: 10 ohms - more balanced bass to treable not enough rumble though, 220 ohms - quiet and clean, 47 ohms - boomy, 150 ohms - kinda quiet and clean, 39 ohms - bassy and kinda loud, 56 ohms - boomy and kinda loud, 82 ohms - bassy clean and kinda quiet, 75 ohms - boomy kinda loud and kinda clean, 15 ohms - loud and boomy, 33 ohms - balanced with good rumbles. -Can take some EQ, a lot of amp -It looks Informative .. ∆ The Aoishida E20.. -I think it competes with HEXA in treble speed and details, especially when the music is like salty twinkles. but just a little bit behind. -Similar openness like how the Tangzu Wann'er is, yet it's unlike it in loudness despite it's only 12 Ohms.. -Really quiet without amp I wouldn't listen to it unless I have to... like if I've got a headache or something.. -Tapping the vents.... results are unnoticeable. -liked how much power it can receive without timber changes.. that where it knocked out HEXA and got louder than it while feeding the kinda same sparkle. -there is a limit to the good rumble, despite Amping and EQ. -2DD, yet no good effect with resistors? -Can take some EQ -Stage is phenomenal.. like.. how could it be this huge? even when taped no changes to stage It looks Beneficial .. ∆ QKZ HBB.. -Louder than the Zero Red ,but kinda less meaty bass however much nicer sparkle, yet the same thing.. sometimes there is something really really off about it even more than the Red. -You can relax listening to it with some kind of music, just rest you back and good night, there you go. -Can take EQ, a lot of amp -it looks a scare and a greed .. ∆ Truthear Hexa.. -Smooth sparkles everywhere. -Stage is like a helmet around your head, yet you can pin point everything. -Fast track those sparkles please.. from left to right. -Do not lose that note, there you've got it. -Did i hear this before? -Why I can't touch the Bass region on EQ it goes from quite deep bass to BRRRFFF -Amp limits -Flip only one of the two (2 pin connector) you get the only beautiful IEM out of phased (kinda limited to Jazz and Classic), stage becomes WIDE like out of this world. .. ∆ Sony MDR-EX800ST -What a name. -Loudest -EQ freak.. (Try EQing it to.. APX SE, Deuce, Sony M9, 24/7 downloading wavelet from squiglink, etc..) don't forget to tune the % of the EQ on wavlet -AMP IT.. high gain please.. BASS ON -Tape the vents.... who did plug in the subwoofer? -Ears became itchy from that shaking. -Its so loud and clear, -Am I here? -should I shake my head? -Can I plant the Hexa inside these 16mm, please fast track the sparkles! -it is getting warm, ear wax is melting. -stage is a huge tall airport lounge, can be reshaped with EQ. quite mouldable. -Nausea? this is enough.. will enjoy them later. -Forget how it did sound without EQ clearly, all the other iems are cute toys to this. let's buy more toys just to see how it grew up oh no, that Aioshida just got close to my soundstage. is that Beryllium in the Aioshida toxic if it gets warm and vapour inside my ear or loses some of its particles flying around my ear canals? it was kinda clear the Sony MDR-EX800ST is still The BEST. then (it's a tie between Aioshida 20, and the HEXA), then (its a tie between the Red and the QKZ HBB) Thank you All! Goodnight.

it's like an upgrade despite the price.. yet just a bit behind in speed

if you produce on the hexa you will compensate a lot for bass, sure if you know where to adjust and keep the same profile for the rest of your productions you will eventually get good results when playing it on all kinds of gear afterwards, imo just meet up with someone who has a lot for you to try out so you can find something which sounds right to you, reddit isn't the best place for recommendations as i have experienced.

The truthear hexas are $80 if that’s to your liking. It’s tuning is even compared as basically “distilled water”, having barely enough bass that people don’t get lost. But cheaper would be the moondrop chu(the first one without the detachable cable) which just has no sub bass at all.

Ok, this was a fantastic review, thank you! I was thinking about the IE200 too, just because the price is low, , but I already own Truthear Hexa and probably the technical ability will be the same (more or less) as I can get with IE200. Btw, very surprised about mids in IE900, nice to know, thanks again! :)

Truthear Hexas are amazing for the price. Also recommended 7hz Timeless. A little more expensive, but a nice upgrade with punchier kick/bass.

I would recommend you the Truthear Hexa and the Simgot EM6L. The Hexas are on the more neutral side and some would call it boring. For me, I just like it as nothing in its sound is offensive and sometimes I just want to just chill out. The EM6L on the other hand, is a V-shape tuned set that has a pleasant treble that doesn't stab my eye and just enough bass to have some semblance of balance with the treble. While I really don't subscribe to the "gaming IEM" opinion, there are at least lots of people who think the EM6L is excellent for gaming.

I think they present fantastic amounts of detail, while the tonality is just ok and I agree they lack the punch/slam to give a really fun and contrasty experience. Different tips and eq could help but I wasn't willing to fiddle around to find out.

Don’t listen to anyone mentioning Shure or Westone, check out InEarFidelity.org and find something in your price range. A $25 Salnotes Zero2 IEM is a better value than any Shure, and if you want to spend Shure or Westone money, get something else from the reviews on that site. The TruthEar Hexa and Hola are incredible for their price.

You can definitely beat the KZ ZAS at $75. Moondrop Aria, TruthEar Hexa and Dunu Titan (which I haven't tried but it reviews well) are all at the same price point with better manufacturing and sound quality. Cables are better too.

Shure, Westone and KZ are all terrible. The sound and build quality is bad. Get some Salnotes Zero 2s, TruthEar Zero, TturthEar Hexa or Moondrop Aria. All under $100, just get some foam tips to go with them.

I also have the Chu2 and then got the HEXA , and I agree with you. Feels like hearing songs for the first time. Not punchy low ends but very clear sounding IEMs. Recently got the Ziigat Doscinco and now I am in the endgame. Hexa for movies and gaming for that extreme clarity and the doscincos for music. You can use KZ Starline eartips on the HEXA for the best sound and slightly higher bass.

Truthear Hexa. I still use them when I want very good clarity and details but my most used IEMs are Kinera Celest Relentless and CVJ Night Elf when I want more bass.

Why you just do not EQ ? I dont like explorer treble because it has one "shouty" part and lacks pinna gain in upper mids, but with eq its amazing. On the other side Hexa lacks low end a lot compared to Explorer.

They might be better but keep in mind that reds are more engaging and fun while hexa is neutral

I would say truthear hexa, pretty good soundstage but almost no bass

If you are new to iems you wont notice the difference of 1000€’s iem for gaming. Get hexa and sm4. Try them both. I own both, both of them just nice for pinpointing. Sm4 has more fun it’s bassy. Hexa is clear and analytical(or lifeless). But i use dt1990 pro’s for fps gaming mostly. People say hd800s is much better. Idk it’s a rabbit hole really. I was a global elite at cs:go when i was using samsung note 8’s akg earbuds it was around 20$’s. Now i have 500$ headphone but i can’t play it like i used to. Iem’s and headphones are kinda lie for gaming tbh. Go try it yourself. You will see it won’t change much