rant: about "headphones/IEMs for gaming"

I have always been asked at some point by newbies in audio who look for headphones or IEMs for gaming. Honestly, when asked this over and over again, it really becomes irritating for the ones giving the advice to newbies who only plan to use the audio gear for gaming. But here is what I'll say:

It doesn't matter.

The best "gaming" headphones or IEMs is the one you like the most.

Why? I will elaborate this throughout the rant.

Audio in games has basically become inevitable at this point. Whether it's a competitive game like CS2, a mostly single-player game like Elden Ring or lots of rhythm games like osu!, audio gear always enhances the experience with these games in comparison to no audio gear. It's also inevitable that a lot of influencers will recommend certain headphones or IEMs for specific games. But why doesn't it matter?

First of all, as audio is a highly subjective thing, there is no such thing as the best headphones/IEMs for any person. Believe it or not, people have preferences in sound. Not everyone desires their headphones to sound like the extremely popular Kingston-made HyperX Cloud II, for instance. Some people want something with "cleaner" and immersive Bass. Some people want something fatigue-free which can still show footsteps in comp games very clearly. Some people only want soundstage. To me, it doesn't make sense to recommend the same headphones, for example, the HyperX Cloud II, in every single situation. Not just that, I think most gamer-branded headsets sound terrible for gaming. But alas, you can think whatever you like. Go grab your Razer, Logitech G, Corsair, HyperX, or whatever headset you have and just use that. If it sounds good to you, it's good for gaming - for you.

But it's not all about sound - while gaming, you want something very comfortable to your ears or your head so you can use it for longer gaming sessions, no? Anything which isn't usable for long hours of gaming would be a straight pass. That's where it becomes hard for me to even recommend anything I like. Because what I find comfortable doesn't have to be comfortable for everyone else. In case of headphones, head shapes matter. I, for example, have a smaller than average head, and therefore I have to avoid headphones which are too big, for example, Hifiman open-back Planar headphones. (which, ironically enough, are apparently "good for gaming") For IEMs, the shape of your pinnae and your earholes matter. Again, the same procedure happens here, my pinnae and earholes aren't yours. If the IEMs don't fit in your pinnae, either because it's too big or too small, you can't wear it for longer sessions. If the nozzle is too short or too long, you can't wear it for long either.

So in conclusion, you can basically use everything for gaming, as long as it sounds good and is comfortable to YOU.

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