Can TWS Buds Replace a Headset? Arctis GameBuds Reviewed

[@matthewcase5348]

Been waiting for this video!!! Time to sit back and enjoy the show!!!!

[@mathewzuppan]

Dude your content is excellent. Thank you for all the great videos and thorough information! 👍😎👍

[@GadgetryTech]

Thank you SO much for your generosity! Really appreciated. I'm glad you find it helpful

[@Skaal_Prime]

Thak you for your EQ tuning, it sounds awesome with the Gamebuds!

[@h2opiays753]

Been wanting this for a while. Thank you for the review! Steelseries really got something special here I think. I always never went wireless earbuds since I worried about the latency for gaming but this seems to solve that. Def gonna give them a try when I can cop.

[@akaChriss4L]

Omg been waiting for this exact product review!

[@GadgetryTech]

Hopefully you got the info you were looking for!

[@akaChriss4L]

@ I did! Both the subjective and objective audio were the deciding sections for me.

[@Kennycheeseman]

Ive had since launch, great for gaming and are well loud on my iphone...love them.

[@CvejaWarframe]

Does dongle work on iphone? Hows latency for gaming over Bluetooth on iphone? Im on 16 pro

[@Kennycheeseman]

@@CvejaWarframe im on 16pro aswell, dongle does work on iphone but i just use the bluetooth

[@CvejaWarframe]

@@Kennycheeseman wooow, good news, i ordered them already and was tempted to switch for razer hammerhead pro hyperspeed. Have you tried gaming via Bluetooth? Like fps games or sth?

[@CvejaWarframe]

@@Kennycheeseman im worried that latency via Bluetooth will be bad

[@Kennycheeseman]

@@CvejaWarframe it’s good, not delayed in the slightest

[@xuxon24]

I was looking forward to this review, as an Xbox gamer we don't get many options for this type of buds so it's nice to see that they work well. As someone always looking to have my ears cool this is excellent is going to be a definitely cop once there is a deal. I'm coming back for that link.

[@ryanspartan7853]

Have had my set since launch, the app is much better now. Overall I think it is the best all-around TWS for strictly gaming. Thanks for the vid Joe

[@vded13]

Thanks for the great and in depth review! Was awaiting for it! I have the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X since August 2024 but I'm looking to change the headset to these GameBuds. I think they would be way more comfortable than the headset around the head!

[@ralphmiranda2077]

Good work. Thank you for the in-depth review.

[@GadgetryTech]

Thank you!

[@yredpanda]

Thanks for the review been eager to watch your review.

[@Stylesclashxx]

I have been waiting for this review and for it to be added to squiglink! Thank you!

[@GadgetryTech]

I got you!

[@netocaste1510]

As always, great review!! Thanks

[@hoover9390]

thanks for the thorough review!

[@ichirp]

@GadgetryTech I may have found a incorrect Q for the 8000hz in your EQ you provided. THe numbers you gave were 3 but when adding this the graph was slightly off compared to the video, I did some tweaking to it and I believe I found the correct # of 1.5 for both 6.5k and 8k hz. Let me know if this is accurate. I also had a question regarding the EQ bands, when you go to adjust band in the top right of the pop up window it gives you a drop down if you click on peaking EQ. Anything in that drop down that is helpful for tuning FPS footstep audio? Thanks for making the video! I have the gamebuds and enjoy them alot. I you have the time to respond Id appreciate it.

[@HammJay96]

Perfect timing. I was considering moving from Headsets to Earbuds. Let's see what Joe thinks about them.

[@graelstream2353]

This review is a Godsend thank you so much. Been eyeing this, the razer one, rog cetra and I think the sennheiser momentum buds. Looking to use it on my handheld since I'm using the apos refine for my pc.. I hope you test more of this buds to get a wider choice hehe thank you for doing vids like this, it really helps alot.

[@GadgetryTech]

Thanks so much! Best of luck with whatever you decide to go with.

[@kevinoconnell2269]

Love this content, so in depth but user friendly

[@GadgetryTech]

Thanks so much!

[@ourteammate]

Thank you for listening to and fulfilling my request ❤️

[@JTB--]

Hey Joe... GREAT job on The Headphone Show Stream. You killed it man!! I'm curious... Is that the New xDuoo TA-32 DAC/Hybrid Tube Amp over your Right shoulder on the table in the stream? I just took a leap of faith and ordered one from Apos with the additional AKM DAC Card. Hopefully I made the right choice!! 🤞

[@zanychelly]

Tips are really important, for my pulse explore i had to get a Comply foam ear tips in order for it fit and get a proper seal.

[@xuxon24]

The thing is how to choose the right one because I have seen them and there are so many that is so difficult to choose.

[@Jamespeterstu]

How do these stack up to the inzone buds? It's great to see more longer battery life ones showing up.

[@joesipr]

this sound 10 times better trust me have both

[@florent9555]

​@Solve_Q Do you have an issue with the buds where you set the companion app poweroptions to never and the buds still turn off after 15 min? I use them also for work

[@chronicmayhem]

The video i was waiting for 🍻

[@GadgetryTech]

🍻!

[@tpro7224]

New subscriber... very much enjoying your content. Tip fitment was valuable info being a new IEM user. Kinda newbie question... do IEM users upgrade cable to 4.4mm balanced? If my desktop DAC or dongle DAC has 4.4mm, I've always upgraded my headphone cables. Maybe it's my imagination, but the sound upgrade is well worth the price?

[@GadgetryTech]

Thanks! Balanced is never needed. Some amps are louder in balanced mode, and some people think that alone is worth it. Purely on sound quality though, you shouldn't hear any difference.

[@briangadsden841]

I'm liking mine. My first pair had an issue where the left earbud had a persistent noise when transparency mode was enabled so I exchanged it and the new one is fine.

[@joesipr]

mine have distortion when anc is on, but i cant take they back , best buy are out of stock so if i do that going to lose it 😢 , i used with transparency and normal and sound perfectly

[@Absence_ov_Faith]

I have the PS version since release, got the low volume on the PS5 and sound popping-crackling with ANC on bugs. The low volume I ¨fixed¨ by making a custom EQ and cranking up everything. The ANC problem got fixed with the latest firmware update. For me even after the update the sound on PS5 is still somewhat low compared to PC and my Nvidia Shield, I'm still using the custom EQ on the PS5. I'm going to copy your EQ to test it, thanks.

[@Zelaya97]

How's the sound for you with the Nvidia Shield?

[@CvejaWarframe]

Hows the latency for mobile phone gaming? Im on iphone 16 pro, dont know if dongle will work with it, i might have to use Bluetooth..

[@mcdadas25]

Hey nice Video. Have this a white noice or something like the sony inzone buds?

[@GadgetryTech]

I haven't had any white noise. Any time you activate ANC, there will be a faint hiss sound, which is common with all ANC products

[@EdwardDantes6]

Hey ya Joe excellent vid. I was wondering if you get a call while gaming does it automatically switch to Bluetooth so you can answer the call or do you have to physically switch the buds to Bluetooth mode to answer

[@alexparkinson5254]

I really like them and I find the noise quality pretty good especially while playing single player games. Comfort is absolutely fine for me too, I just needed to put the small caps on for both ears. The one thing I wish they could do would be to have 2.4ghz mode working on my PC then Bluetooth at the same time on my phone. For example the 2.4ghz sound coming from my pc and then if I want to call on my phone and play I would hear both.

[@DocRye1228]

Have you tried the Soundcore VR P10? They are the first to do these.

[@GadgetryTech]

I have not, no

[@natalioguerra96]

Hi Joe!! For pc only. Delta 2 or cloud 3 wireless?

[@GadgetryTech]

Delta 2 if you have a larger head or prioritize FPS or like having Bluetooth. Purely for the money, if you can software EQ on PC, then I think the Cloud 3 is a slightly better value

[@joesipr]

i really love it but the anc never worked for me , distortion or beep soubd when they are turn off with custom eq are the best gaming buds that i used

[@1zhidaie]

I got these over the holidays and the app on android simply doesn't work for me. That is something to be aware of. I use a Pixel 9 Pro and after the initial connect and setup, any subsequent connections over Bluetooth would hang on device initialization. The only fix for me was to force stop the app and retry, even then it is not guaranteed to work every time. Just wanted to share my experience with the phone app, so folks using android are aware of this. I did reach out to the steelseries team and I've heard absolutely nothing back

[@hogibunz834]

Random… but dope shirt. I love that ep from Rezz and X1-Y2, you got good taste 👌🖤

[@GadgetryTech]

haha thanks! Such a great EP! I bought the shirt and the vinyl record. She printed it in red-dye so the record itself and the artwork is awesome

[@ad6m.]

these + standalone mic is nice, tempted to buy them but worried about the ear fit, i prefer the earbuds with the stem designs like the logitech fit buds

[@frankwoods9680]

Hi Joe, I've been studying your videos day and night trying to figure out how to set up. Im planning on getting the Edition xs and a real streaming mic 🎤 and am overwhelmed with info & options here. I'm very new to the audio side and would just like to ask a few questions, if you would help me.. I game on pc AND Ps5, which Dac would interchange automatically between PS and PC without pulling cables in and out, and which could also get the MOST out of the edition xs... And one more question, could it do the same with a Microphone, as in I plug it in once and can switch between PC and PS5 easily? I dont even need any cool features, just something that can go between pc and ps5 easily, same with microphone, and that will make the most out of the edition xs?

[@aihji]

How do they compare to the pulse explore?

[@enmamail8800]

Are there any good alternatives?

[@Justmeandmy20cents]

Yes, you got the first Epos Gtw270 hybrid, The Sony Inzone buds, Playstation Pulse Explore and the razer hammer head pro. I think the Steelseries gamebuds are the best due to features but the Inzone buds sound better, not by a mile but that's if sound quality is your first concern.

[@Uthur]

Tied these on day one, had a weird rubbing sound on Bluetooth. Still looking for Bluetooth with low latency dongle and a Bluetooth hi res option for Android.

[@huntergault6499]

Hey, I have a question. I’ve been trying a bunch of different headphones and items for gaming and competitive gaming. I’ve tried the hd560s, kiwi orchestra lites, pc38x, Logitech g pro x, truthear zeros, and hyper X cloud ll. And they were all paired with the zen dac v2. And some reason I feel like the directional audio isn’t great for some reason on many of these. I feel like everything starts blending together. But I always end up going back to the cloud ll for some reason. Also I feel like my dac/amp isn’t the best option but idk. Sorry for the rant but I guess my question is what would be the best the close back headphone and dac/amp for competitive gaming? It can have a mic or no mic. I was looking at the mmx 300, but I want your opinion on which is the best. Or for each section What would be the best close back, open back, and Iem for competitive gaming? Thank you so much!!!

[@fullmetaflak]

Odd question, but is there any chance this works with the Nova Pro's receiver?

[@TheCretaFamily]

Thank you SO much for this. I've also had these for 2 months and have been waiting for your review. I use these when gaming (with Sonar) and watched your segment on the EQ settings. I understand how you can equalize using the two methods. However, if I recall, Sonar was usable if I set the Gamebuds EQ to "flat" (or at least I remember seeing a warning to do so). So I guess I'm asking if you set up the Gamebuds EQ per your settings AND you use Sonar? Or do you set the Gamebuds EQ to flat and use Sonar for the equalization? I play CoD BO6 and have been using your Sonar tuning for BO6 to date. Thanks again!

[@garethg8226]

If you are using Sonar with them then you set the EQ to Flat in Engine.

[@TheCretaFamily]

@@garethg8226 thanks. I play CoD and have been using his Sonar Eq settings for Bo6. If I understand correctly, he made adjustments to draw out frequencies for things like footsteps. I'm beginning to appreciate that the Sonar settings are for the game but also depend on the headset. I guess I would try to merge the two eq settings? (sorry I'm not an acoustic/audio expert)

[@rossprentice3374]

by nay chance do you know if your bo6 sqig link eq works for delta force ?

[@Boostedbeard]

Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeed comparison?

[@michael_c2]

For gaming, I would just go with an analog connection. Doesn't have to be a wired gaming set. I would get IEMs like tin t2 or maybe headphoen like X2hr, or something similar, with an added mic via third party.

[@GadgetryTech]

Some cheap wired IEMs are so good!

[@brownjerry3478]

Ps5 low volume is depend on the game.. if you play stellar blade volume is still low.. thanks joe for the review btw

[@kevink3874]

I wanted to know if we can make the update by the app on the phone ? Or how the way to update to get the last update. Tks

[@acscw8408]

only via the GG app. gotta connect the case while the buds are in the case and then the dongle on the other side also connected to the computer

[@kevink3874]

@acscw8408 thanks

[@Rustydude2030]

I wonder how these compare to other tws earbuds. I have a pair of Anker/Soundcore liberty 4 pro earbuds and always wondered if they would be any goopd for gaming. Also, any way one could get a hold of your WZ2 tgt? I still play a lot of DMZ...

[@GadgetryTech]

I wish I could get my hands on more stuff for testing but the time investment has been a real challenge

[@Rustydude2030]

@ for sure. I always wonder how much you and other tech reviewers that don't get all the stuff sent to them spend each year. Lol. They are only like 60-70 on sale. But I understand it all adds up.

[@GadgetryTech]

If I had to guess I spend at least 5-10k each year on stuff that isn’t sent for review, excluding guilty pleasures like the ZMF Caldera. That was more for me

[@BassThrashin]

I’ve had 2 pairs. Loved them till they failed. Something to do with the ANC. I ended up getting a loud screeching sound and it did not take long for this to happen both times. Anyone have an idea if this has been fixed as I did love these things. I’m one of the glasses wearers.

[@GadgetryTech]

Man, that's sad to hear. I literally used mine for 2 months before doing the review because this can be such a finicky type of tech, I really wanted to get the coverage right. Mine has been flawless, which is great, but I feel for those who have had any issue with them. I really enjoy mine.

[@BassThrashin]

@ I believe you 100%. Just frustrated I can’t use them. Maybe I’m doing something wrong with them

[@GadgetryTech]

I wouldn’t blame yourself. The setup is rather simple. Charge, update, connect and play. If its’s failing then you either have bad luck or I have good luck. Either way, sorry you’ve had issues

[@joesipr]

​@@GadgetryTechu have good luck , much people that have the x version have that issue

[@joesipr]

but when u turn off the anc work fine?i use with anc off and transparency and work perfectly only have distortion in anc on mode

[@HeroSTB]

I got the Arctis nova 5 based on your review and the PEQ + custom presets makes them great for both PC and phone use. However the ear pads seem a little bit small vertically, it doesn't quite fit over my whole ear. Do you know of any pads that are both bigger and would fit on the nova 5?

[@GadgetryTech]

I will be releasing my own pad for them as soon as a month or two from now! Trying hard to finish production but it takes weeks/months. Otherwise, the Wicked Cushion Freeze pads are bigger in size than stock!

[@HeroSTB]

@@GadgetryTech Well that's interesting. I can try something super cheap from China until then. Will whoever you're partnering with ship to EU though?

[@corazinedorado6840]

Good afternoon I'm new here I really liked the channel I have several headphones the youngest now and the headset Xbox Wirelees of the microSFT model BlueTho 1944 would like you to talk about it has a very good record.

[@DengKevin]

What do you think of these compared to the Sony Inzone Buds in terms of sound quality?

[@GadgetryTech]

With the inclusion of EQ, these are better. If you can't EQ or prefer not to, the Inzone Buds are still really nice (but no Xbox support).

[@joesipr]

and yeah they fixed that low volumen in ps5 but not the anc , i buying they in best buy was thinking to takey they back or change for antother pair but they are out of stock here in PUerto rico so if i do that dont going to have it more so i take they back and used with anc off 😢

[@anddo24]

Thanks Joe, for the video. I've owned these since launch (PS5/PC) version. I think they are average at best. I think they are extremely buggy. The ANC is problematic. The earbuds are overly sensitive to bass. I was pretty close to RMAing my buds. But the latest firmware fixed things enough, to the point I feel they are worth keeping. It's a good first attempt by SS. I think they are feature rich. The sound and volume are okay...But my pair came with growing pains.. edit: stock tips must go. I replaced them with Spinfit Omni

[@jello2tube]

Ty Joe

[@VanillaGorilla_808]

Would the Playstation version work with Xbox dongle from my Arctis Nova 7 headset?

[@GadgetryTech]

It will not. You would need to purchase the Xbox version for full console support

[@LycisAhara]

These buds are a disappointment for me -- mostly because of its transparency mode. It actually works well but it makes my audio sound very tinny compared to what I get in ANC mode. I've updated the firmware, tweaked all the settings, and the issue remains. I don't have this problem with my INZONE ear buds or my Airpods Pro 2.

[@salvadordonoso840]

Do they work for PS4?

[@maybebutwhatever]

PS4, PS5 and switch

[@Boostedbeard]

I need wireless mic monitoring through my Goxlr with zero delay on PC tho

[@GadgetryTech]

Wireless + zero delay is next to impossible, sadly

[@iuliani1663]

Yo Joe, sorry for the offtopic question: am looking for something a bit "smaller" in size than the Orchestra Lite however with the same clarity, accuracy and technicalities. Any recommendations? main purpose is gaming.

[@ArtieFlavor]

Mic sounds way better on Bluetooth lol. Interesting.

[@5_i_v_e]

🙌🏽🔥❤️🔥🙌🏽

[@corazinedorado6840]

Here and Brazil jacutinga mg 🙂

[@CraciunAlexandruGh]

170$ TWS and only SBC ? There are half priced TWS with AAC and LDAC support.

[@andrewalexander9508]

That kind of ignores the point of this device with the dedicated transmitter. The Bluetooth functionality is more of an added feature rather than a primary function. Now they probably should have supported aac (APTx requires Qualcomm hardware and LDAc extra Licensing) anyways. But probably not a reason to buy or not to buy the device.

[@NyteStalker89]

Yeah cause these are totally just meant for music 🙄 as the other comment on this said, it’s got a dedicated dongle that transmits better quality than most of the Bluetooth codecs.

[@xuxon24]

As an Xbox gamer you need something that actually works with the console and this is one of the few.

[@Thevillain17]

These to me are the best gaming earbuds after EQ. I also own the Sony inzones, Asus true wireless speednova, JBL TWS, and the Razer hammerhead hyperspeed. The JBL surprisingly sounds great but the battery time is terrible and the ANC is non-existent. The ASUS buds are close second but ANC is not as good as the steelseries. Definitely recommend a standalone mic for any of these buds

[@r3mixdaxim3r]

Didn't even realize they had an Xbox version.

[@GadgetryTech]

I'm very grateful they do.

[@DeplorableKitty]

The answer is yes but not these.

[@Rambo9700]

The mic is dreadful.

[@MrDoordude125]

Best gaming earbuds are Logitech g fits by far. Sound incredible and best fit possible only thing is the price is so high. Worth it IMO

[@jeremysumpter8939]

That graph looks awful...I dont normally go by graph alone but that looks thin, muddy and peaky....maybe for gaming only but for anything else it looks god awful. I think I have honestly just run out of love for dynamic drivers. Headphones especially...some IEM with dynamic/BA I still like but pure dynamic driver sound just doesnt do it for me anymore. I have become a full planar fanboy i guess

[@laithorabi9571]

Every video you keep surprising me with your professional reviews and for sure your personal opinions that I do take by for sure. I'm looking for a headset within the price range of 150$ such as the following headsets and lower, which headset would you recommend for me in that price range for movies, music, and mixed gaming SP/MP games? Epos H6 Pro Closed Back Steelseries Nova 7/3/1/Prime Turtle Beach Stealth 500 Gen 3 / 600 Gen 3 / 700 Gen 3 / 600 Gen 2 Max / 700 Gen 2 Max Razer Blackshark V2 / V2 Hyperspeed Razer Kraken V3 X / V3 / V3 Pro / V3 Hypersense / V4 X HyperX Cloud 3 / Alpha / Alpha S / Alpha Pro Logitech G Pro X 2nd Gen Beyerdynamic MMX 150 Astro A40 / A30 Corsair HS80 / 65 / 55 One last option I have is the FiiO JT1 which I can buy with a seperate mic as the VModa Boom Pro or a standalone mic like the fifine AM8 If your answer is the H6 Pros, would you recommend the closed back version as my room is a bit noisy so I can't get open backs? Note: the H6 Pro and the JT1 are on sale that's why I considered it actually. Also Even though I'd love a wireless headset but I'm trying to stay away from wireless unless it has a dual wireless / wired option due to my doctor's instructions.

[@solidcrusader8935]

This may sound weird but I enjoy Steel Series Arctis Gamebuds over Astro A50 Gen 5 headset for PS5 gaming. The Arctis Companion app on phone has tons of various games equalizer preset to choose from to experience actual sound profile for that particular game. However the only issue is that I didn't get different ear tips sizes hence I had to order one from Amazon 'Comply Foam New TrueGrip Premium Memory Foam Tips for Sennheiser Momentum 3, 4 & ACCENTUM, Assorted S, M, L, Black 3-Pairs - Superior Noise Isolation, Increased Comfort, Secure Fit w/Cleaning Tool'