Gaming in Ears

[LetsBuildPc]

I'm currently looking to buy gaming in ears as I have always used open back headphones(audiotechnica ATH 700x).  I was curious if there are any good in ears that offer good directional hearing as well as comfort.  I understand that comfortability won't compare to what I'm using now but I'm curious what's out there. 

[Uptivuptiz]

I use the Sennheiser IE 80S when I want to have really nice gaming audio. As for the directional hearing: they play in stereo so take it as you want  

[Patsfan469]

I just use my Apple headphones that came with my iPhone and they work great for the price (free with phone lol). Maybe the new airpods would be good for gaming?

[AnonymousGuy]

If your budget is $400 or so, you can get custom-molded in ear monitors.  The comfort is fantastic because it's molded to your ear and overall "quality" is good because they also act as earplugs providing huge isolation from ambient noise.

[Uptivuptiz]

11 minutes ago, Patsfan469 said:

I just use my Apple headphones that came with my iPhone and they work great for the price (free with phone lol). Maybe the new airpods would be good for gaming?

I my mind I would say the the Airpods is more for music than gaming, but I guess if you really wanted to you could game with them  It would be expensive though (lol its Apple ) 

[BrinkGG]

19 minutes ago, LetsBuildPc said:

I'm currently looking to buy gaming in ears as I have always used open back headphones(audiotechnica ATH 700x).  I was curious if there are any good in ears that offer good directional hearing as well as comfort.  I understand that comfortability won't compare to what I'm using now but I'm curious what's out there. 

Here's the thing; most IEMs (in ear monitors) are designed to be for musicians on stage or travelers. They are not designed for well placed directional audio or specifically hearing gunshots or footsteps as well as something like the hyperx Cloud II, G9xx series, astro, etc. 

THAT BEING SAID, for a while I was heavily involved in the PUBG competitive community which has had many lans where the players are required to wear IEMs with noise cancelling headphones over them. Most of those players used Shure SE215, Sennheiser IE80, and the Razer Hammerheads. All three had their advantages: SE215 were by far the most clear, gunshots and footsteps were crisp and clear but had slightly less bass then the IE80s. The IE80s (my personal favorite) while the worst at positional audio, had the most realistic sound while not being fatiguing when used for extended play sessions. The Hammerheads, while the least expensive, were the best at positional sound (they're made by a gaming peripheral company so that doesn't surprise me.), but were also the muddiest and worse at sound quality. 

 

TL;DR: look at the SE215, Sennheiser IE80/IE60, and Razer Hammerhead. I personally own the IE80 and like them, but they aren't the best at positional audio. 

Hope this helps. 

Cheers!