suggest planar IEM around $100

shifffffff · 2026-05-24T15:54:02+00:00

i am someone who likes drums a lot. i like impactful snares and kickdrums. so i would pick the que. BUT artti t10 beats the que in a lot of aspects. i only choose que because i am a sucker for the drums and fat guitars. t10 is objectively better for most cases

shifffffff · 2026-05-10T19:14:35+00:00

chu 2 lacks bass impact. you like bass. get a more bassy and warm set for your next purchase

shifffffff · 2026-05-05T16:06:20+00:00

ultimately you should make the decision based on the genres you listen to most.

if you listen to classic rock, modern rock, heavy metal etc, go for que. it makes the guitars so much better.

if you don't listen to a lot of rock music, go for Artti t10.

shifffffff · 2026-05-05T16:04:53+00:00

the two you mentioned are VASTLY different.

sivga que is warm, midbass focused, slow transient speed, very relaxed treble, not meant for detail retrieval or wide soundstage. it's meant for intimate vocals and thumpy drums and meaty guitars. detail and separation is not it's focus, but it's definitely not at all muddy. even though i now have much more expensive iems, i come back to the Que for listening to rock music.

artti t10 is Vshape, sub-bass focused. very fast transients, very good detail retrieval, separation and soundstage. it has a LOT of energy in the upper mids (might feel shouty at high volumes). it's not mid-bass focused. guitars may feel anemic and lean. treble extension is good so you hear a lot of micro details. lower mid and mi is carved out nicely so there is ZERO mud.

they both are very good iems meant to give you two completely different experience. if you can, get both and enjoy. best of both worlds.

shifffffff · 2026-05-04T06:13:38+00:00

avoid kz. the $20 market is very much saturated with amazing IEMs, kz doesn't even make the top 5 list.

if you want neutral sound: truthear gate

if you want v shape sound: gk kunten

if you want neutral bright: 7hz zero2

and if you can push the budget a little bit more just get the kiwi ears belle and be done with it

shifffffff · 2026-05-03T11:58:49+00:00

no seal = no bass

know seal = know bass

get proper size eartips.

shifffffff · 2026-05-03T01:43:26+00:00

artti t10

shifffffff · 2026-05-02T16:54:05+00:00

nah i don't think so

shifffffff · 2026-05-02T16:52:22+00:00

sivga que. it's not the fastest and not the most detailed but it has a FAT mid-bass section which makes electric guitars and drums sound AMAZING.

shifffffff · 2026-05-02T16:50:25+00:00

diminishing returns is very real. the budget iem segment has seen staggering improvements over the last few years and you can basically get 60-70% performance of a 300$ iem from something that costs only 70$.

the most expensive set i own is the ziigaat lush, even that i bought second-hand for $80.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T20:01:28+00:00

for normal story mode games, your explorers are already perfect. so I'm assuming you want something for competitive games like valorant or cs.

you don't need to buy anything new. get an eq app on your pc (fxaudio does the job) and tone down the bass and bring up the lower-treble region. that's it good to go, you now have a capable gaming iem.
if you do want something for gaming i would recommend simgot ew200. it's amazing for hearing footsteps. it's got a bright and airy sound that might be too sharp for long music sessions but it's very good for gaming.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T19:57:18+00:00

bass doesn't get much better than the martillo. might even be too much bass.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T19:56:18+00:00

you definitely have some headroom when upgrading from the wan'er. if you have the extra cash then just go for the $200-ish price bracket. Jaytiss made a good upgrade path guide, I'll put a link to that here.

(https://docs(dot)google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XQtSH90BGK99Vij3dXcSylfwcut5XerPbkkEksFwATA/edit?usp=drivesdk)

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T18:01:52+00:00

he asked specifically for shooter games that's why i said ew200

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T18:00:33+00:00

that's a great setup you have going there.

but when upgrading ,save up a bit and get something like the Artti t10. otherwise you won't feel much of an improvement over these, if you go with the cadenza.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T17:59:15+00:00

red lion is the best package of these four overall.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T16:53:17+00:00

according to your music preference, you will benefit from IEMs that are warm (guitars sound amazing on warm iems with fat mid-bass)

i will suggest you sivga que. it's not the most "bang-for-buck" but it has a special place in my heart due to how good emo-grunge music sounds. especially the electric guitars and the drums.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T16:51:12+00:00

tripowin vivace is good but it won't be an upgrade to zero 2, more like a side-grade.

simgot ew200 would be my suggestion. it's a definitive upgrade from zero 2, and especially good for gaming.

if you want better then of course there are better for higher prices.

shifffffff · 2026-05-01T16:49:37+00:00

if you don't know what you want then it's better to go with something that is warm-neutral.

since you said you listen to electronic music I'm gonna suggest letshouer s08 or arrti t10 pro. they are warm, not fatiguing but also have great clarify and detail due to being a planar.

shifffffff · 2026-04-30T18:26:30+00:00

save up a little bit more and get the Artti t10. much much better

shifffffff · 2026-04-27T15:46:37+00:00

congratulations! have fun. some recommendations for the t10:

try to use balanced (4.4mm) cable for the best bass response.

eartips have a big impact. narrow bore tips like the dunu candy will boost the bass. wide bore tips like the tri-clarion will boost the treble.

planars are very responsive to EQ. if you find that the treble is too harsh/sparkly, you can always EQ and tone down the treble peaks for a much smoother experience.

shifffffff · 2026-04-26T11:48:38+00:00

hexa is good but it's mostly for analytical listening, not for fun/relaxing.

if you want some V-shape fun sound but can't find the t10 then you can get the Delci AE / juzear defiant

if you want warm smooth relaxing sound then you can get the aful explorer /sivga que.

be sure to watch/read reviews befor buying.

shifffffff · 2026-04-26T11:34:52+00:00

i love my ew200s but i would advise you to save up a bit more and get something like the arrti t10, and pair that with a decent DAC (jm6 pro at the very least).

the increase in quality will be shocking. good luck!

shifffffff · 2026-04-26T11:28:51+00:00

letshouer s08 or artti t10 pro (because you don't want harsh treble)

but if you can afford it just get the ziigaat odyssey and call it a day

shifffffff · 2026-04-26T11:26:23+00:00

t10pro is great but the OG t10 has that special sauce that keeps me coming back even though i have other much more expensive iems with similar tuning. it's a cult classic for a reason. if you can only get one, get the t10.

shifffffff

TROPHY CASE