I’ve always thought of wireless earbuds as the audio option you use for convenience’s sake. When I’m out and about listening to music or podcasts, a decent set of earbuds will do the trick and be a lot less cumbersome than moving in public in a pair of headphones. And sometimes wired earbuds plugged into my PlayStation or Xbox controller are just good enough. There are certainly high-end earbuds out there, but wireless options are often beholden to Bluetooth connectivity and in the context of gaming, the latency is certainly a deal-breaker. But one of the few pairs of earbuds that bridges the gap–the Razer Hammerheads (the Pro Hyperspeed model, specifically)–offers both great audio quality and low-latency connectivity.
But if the question is can earbuds–the Razer Hammerheads in this case–replace a gaming headset, the short answer would be: yes, but with some notable caveats. While they shine with bold sound and solid bass, the battery life is the main drawback, especially when it comes to long gaming sessions. The Hammerheads have useful features to boot, like active noise canceling (ANC), ambient listening mode, and a low-latency wireless mode in addition to the 2.4GHz dongle that offers even lower latency. This gives them a level of versatility rarely seen in other gaming-centric audio devices, just expect to be popping these into the charging case often. And expect to drop a whopping $200 USD for them.
Sound Quality
I’ve used the Razer Hammerhead earbuds for about a week, replacing my standard Apple AirPods for listening to music and podcasts from my phone and the various headsets I have for my multiple gaming setups. This includes a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Asus ROG Ally handheld, and gaming PC, all of which let me experience how the Hammerheads perform in varied contexts.
