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If you want to upgrade the earbuds you already own for PlayStation gaming — better isolation, a locked-in fit, and less ear fatigue over long sessions — choose COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement; if you need a complete wired in-ear monitor built for FPS positional audio and marathon play, choose KZA COUSTICS Axas.
• COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement — biggest strength: True memory foam tips that expand to seal your ear canal, plus a built-in TechDefender guard that keeps wax, moisture and debris out of the earbud sound port.
• COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement — biggest trade-off: It's an accessory, not a headset. You need Pulse Explore earbuds already, and it does nothing for your audio hardware itself.
• KZA COUSTICS Axas — biggest strength: A full wired IEM with a dynamic driver, 10–20kHz range and a detachable 2-pin cable you can replace or upgrade later.
• KZA COUSTICS Axas — biggest trade-off: It's wired 3.5mm only, and this version ships without a mic, so it won't handle wireless or native voice chat on its own.
• Who each is for: COMPLY is for the Pulse Explore owner chasing comfort and isolation; Axas is for the gamer who wants a dedicated wired IEM from scratch.
This is a three-pair set of black memory foam ear tips in small, medium and large, made from Comply's True Memory Foam. It's a narrow, specific product: it's cut to fit the Pulse Explore earbuds for the PS5. If that's your setup, this is the kind of upgrade that changes how the earbuds feel rather than how they sound on paper.
The pitch is isolation and fit. Foam conforms to the shape of your ear canal instead of sitting against it the way silicone does, which is exactly what you want when a game's audio cues matter — footsteps, reloads, directional noise. It also means the buds stay put. Anyone who's had an earbud work its way loose mid-match knows how annoying that is, and the foam is designed to prevent it.
Who should buy it: Pulse Explore owners who game for long stretches, want more passive isolation in a noisy room, and are tired of tips slipping. Who should skip it: anyone without Pulse Explore earbuds, and anyone expecting a new headset — this is a wear-and-tear part, not a device. Comply also notes you should clean them with warm water and a soft cloth, and avoid alcohol-based cleaners or lotions, which degrade the foam. Worth knowing before you buy.
KZA COUSTICS Axas: Who It's For
The Axas is a different category of product entirely: a wired in-ear monitor with a 3.5mm jack, a dynamic driver, 20 ohm impedance and a 10–20kHz frequency range. It's white, it's in-ear, and this configuration is the "3.5mm NO Mic" version — meaning no inline microphone. Plug it into a controller, a PC, a handheld or a DAC and it just plays.
The design brief is clearly competitive gaming. The shell is lightweight with soft silicone tips in three sizes, and KZ claims no pressure and no slipping across long sessions. The deep in-ear seal is what delivers the passive isolation, and that seal is what creates the "intimate soundstage" they describe — the effect where positional audio cues feel close and easy to place. If you play FPS titles where hearing a footstep direction is half the fight, that's the selling point.
KZ also lists hardware-level AI noise cancellation for filtering ambient noise and keeping in-game voice chat steady. Note the limits here: with no mic on this version, that's about the audio path rather than giving you a mic you don't have. And "AI noise cancellation" in a wired passive IEM is a processing claim, not active noise cancellation in the headphone sense — the real isolation comes from the seal.
The cable is the standout spec for anyone who's killed a pair of earbuds by snagging the cord. It's a 2-pin gold-plated detachable design, advertised as ultra-low signal loss, wear-resistant, and replaceable or upgradeable later. That's a rare bit of future-proofing at this tier.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best if you already own Pulse Explore earbuds → COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement. It's made specifically for them.
• Best if you need a complete headset → KZA COUSTICS Axas. One purchase, ready to plug in.
• Best for long-session comfort → COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement. Ultra-soft foam aimed squarely at ear fatigue.
• Best for positional audio and FPS cues → KZA COUSTICS Axas. 10–20kHz range and a deep-seal soundstage tuned for footsteps.
• Best for repairability and longevity → KZA COUSTICS Axas. Detachable 2-pin cable you can replace or upgrade.
• Best for protecting your existing gear → COMPLY Memory Foam Replacement. The TechDefender guard shields the sound port from wax, debris and moisture.
• Best for wired, latency-free play on PC → KZA COUSTICS Axas. 3.5mm wired with 20 ohm impedance, easy to drive.
• Best for voice chat out of the box → neither, in this exact form. COMPLY adds no mic, and this Axas version ships without one.
If I were buying for myself, I'd go with the KZA COUSTICS Axas. It's the more complete product: a real IEM with a dynamic driver, a gaming-tuned frequency range, deep passive isolation and a detachable cable that means the thing can survive a snag instead of dying with it. In my opinion, it's the better pick for someone building a wired gaming setup from zero.
The COMPLY tips are genuinely good at what they do — I'd recommend them without hesitation to a Pulse Explore owner who wants better isolation and less ear fatigue. But they only make sense if you already own the earbuds they're built for. Otherwise the Axas is the one that actually gets you playing.
FAQ
Gaming earbuds are in-ear headphones tuned for play rather than casual listening — usually emphasizing positional audio, isolation and low latency so you can hear cues like footsteps and stay locked into a match. The KZA COUSTICS Axas is a wired example; COMPLY's memory foam tips are an accessory that upgrades an existing pair.
what is best gaming earbuds
There's no single answer, because "best" depends on your setup. If you own Pulse Explore earbuds, in my opinion the COMPLY memory foam tips are the best upgrade for fit and isolation. If you need a complete wired IEM with a detachable cable and FPS-tuned audio, the Axas is the stronger starting point.
what gaming earbuds are good
Good ones tend to share a few traits: a secure seal, comfortable tips for long sessions, and audio that makes directional cues easy to place. The Axas covers that with a deep in-ear seal, three tip sizes and a 10–20kHz range. The COMPLY tips cover the comfort-and-seal half for Pulse Explore owners.
what is the best gaming earbuds for pc
For PC, wired is the safe route because it avoids wireless latency. The Axas runs a 3.5mm jack at 20 ohm impedance, which is easy to drive from a motherboard, controller or dedicated DAC. Just note this version has no mic, so plan for a separate mic if you use voice chat.
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