Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds

WIRELESS EARBUDS are a curious proposition for a gaming brand. For starters, they’re wireless, which puts some gamers off due to the potential for audio latency. And they’re earbuds. Razer is a gaming brand; over-ear headphones are usually the way to go.

So the Hammerhead earbuds are a strange option, supposedly more for gaming purposes than the comparable AirPods. But it doesn’t matter how strange it is, because these earbuds are seriously good. The custom-tuned 13mm dynamic drivers push incredible sound quality directly to your ear holes, with crystal-clear high notes and thumping bass that we’d have thought impossible in such tiny earphones.

They’re controlled by tiny touchpads that take the appearance of the iconic green Razer logo, with small taps and holds for commands such as pausing music and adjusting volume. They’re also voice assistant enabled, allowing you to use Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant via the surprisingly good mic. It’s fine for hands-free calls, but due to its omnidirectional pickup pattern, a separate mic is best if you want to use voice chat while gaming.

The latency is near-unnoticeable at 60ms. Mobile gaming is a potentially great avenue, as the carry case is easy to slip into a pocket. Like an AirPods case, it charges the earbuds, which snap into it via concealed magnets. Even if you’re not a gamer, these are a high-quality pair of buds and far cheaper than Apple’s solution.– CG

$100, www.razer.com