Let’s face it: Wireless earbuds are now a mandatory part of daily life. Trends like endless Zoom calls, solo exercise, and streaming video aren’t going away any time soon, and thanks to incredible advances in sound quality, battery life, and signal strength now is the perfect time to buy.
That said, gamers and streamers have unique demands that aren’t met by the typical cheap Apple knockoffs or scammy internet seller. Even well recognized brands are rushing to roll out high latency product that just isn’t worth your hard earned quid when comes to gaming. That’s where we come in…
If you’re thinking of buying new wireless earbuds for gaming or streaming, this list (updated monthly) will help you make the best choice with a focus on low latency and sound quality, features, and overall value for your money.
Nuraboost Edge: Editor’s pick for best wireless earbuds for gaming – £79.99 at Mifo.co.uk
Where to buy the Nuraboost Edge gaming earbuds
The best wireless earphones for gaming including streaming and all around gym/active lifestyle use come from a brand that is fairly new to the UK. But don’t let that scare you off, as these earbuds are easily some of the best we have ever tested.
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So what makes the Nuraboost Edge the best “daily driver” gaming and streaming earbuds?
The best earbuds for gaming, period. The Nuraboost Edge includes a bevy of cutting edge features that blow away higher priced brands, beginning with their form factor. Weighing in at just a few grams each, the Edge earbuds feel supremely comfortable, and include 4 silicon ear tip shapes and sizes for that perfect fit. Further, once in it’s nearly impossible to get them to fall out. Readers may remember propensity to fall out was a major problem that prevented us from recommending the Apple AirPods Pro for gaming in our last wireless review.
The lowest latency in wireless earbuds. The Nuraboost Edge include dual functionality, allowing them to adapt to your use case. Listening to music? The Edge include music mode, software that tunes and adjusts latency for sound and battery life. The Edge really shines in gaming mode, adding positional audio and totally eliminating lag for PC and console gaming or streaming. Nuraboost claim a maximum 55ms latency, which beats even the best known gaming competitors.
Excellent battery life with Bluetooth 5 chipset. The Edge earbuds themselves will play continuously for 6+ hours, a feat we tested over several days. Not only that, but the included USB-C charging case offers an additional 24 hours of play time. Rapid charging via USB-C can replenish the case in about 30 minutes.
Rich sound with passive noise canceling and dual microphones for calls and voice. The Nuraboost Edge packs some of the best bass in any true wireless earbuds we have tested. That’s particularly helpful if you prefer energetic tracks when pushing yourself to the limit. Included CVC 8.0 noise canceling allows voice calls and commands to come through clearly.
UK-based customer support. We have been continuously disappointed with true wireless earbuds in the past, even from tech giants like Samsung. Part of that disappointment comes with poor or absent customer service, particularly with regard to bargain and knockoff sellers who do not offer any domestic presence or support. We tested Nuraboost on several occasions with questions and every time received proper replies within an hour. That demonstrates commitment to the UK market and contributes greatly to our award of Editor’s Pick.
Jabra Elite Active 75t: Reliable if somewhat stale earbuds – £159.99 at Amazon.co.uk
Where to buy the Jabra Elite 75t earbuds in the UK
If you aren’t price sensitive, Jabra may be the brand for you. These true wireless earbuds come with fewer accessories and features than the Mifo O5 Plus Gen 2, but offer a wireless charging-enabled case and updated software as of late 2020.
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Why Jabra makes the list of best earbuds of 2021 in the UK
A new update for an old model. The Elite 75t made their debut in 2019, and at the time included top quality chipsets and firmware. As the product aged, so have the features, which have led Jabra to release a version with updated software to build on the platform.
Active noise canceling and wireless charging, but poor battery life. The new 75t adds most notably active noise canceling (ANC) as well as wireless charging on the included case. This would be wonderful, if we did not have to charge them so often. When using ANC mode, you should expect to receive about 3-4 hours of use on a single charge. That simply isn’t enough for a full day of use, and as a result Jabra loses marks.
Above average sound quality. When the 75t are charged and ready to go, they emit impressive sound through all ranges. While bass isn’t as rich as the Mifo O5, the overall high and low tones of the Elite 75t are more than acceptable. We’ll leave it to you to determine if they sound £160 good.
Limited sports-specific features. While Jabra does an excellent job with calls, we aren’t typically on the phone while working out. So we were not surprised when Jabra released the Elite Sport, a newer model designed just for working out. Unfortunately, it does not live up to the 75t. See page bottom for more on the Elite Sport.
Razer Hammerhead: Aging wireless gaming earbuds in need of an update – £179.99 at Razer.com
Where to buy the Razer Hammerhead gaming earbuds in the UK
When it comes to gaming, Razer certainly has a reputation for excellence. And when the Hammerhead was released over two years ago, that was certainly the case. But an aging chipset and features that now lag competitors have knocked Razer out of the top spot in our roundup.
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Why Razer makes the list of best earbuds at the nexus of value and features
Good overall quality for true wireless earbuds. Since true wireless earbuds were invented, we have lamented at poor signal quality, dropped calls, and pairing fiascos. Razer has included top quality chipsets and firmware, and we were pleased with the overall experience.
Excellent marks for sound quality. While bass isn’t as rich as the Nuraboost Edge, the overall high and low tones of the Hammerhead are quite good. We’ll leave it to you to determine if the positional audio delivers as strongly as competitors.
Low latency with some flaws. The low latency hardware and software that comes standard with the Hammerhead is passable, but it did not help in modern streaming environments, and seems to have some difficulty with certain apps, causing uncomfortable skipping and stuttering. We chalk that up to Razer’s aging product that may not be optimized for the latest smartphones and apps.
Limited gaming-specific features. While Razer does an excellent job with calls, we aren’t typically on the phone while gaming. So we were surprised to find that the Hammerhead does not add at least some voice activation features or modern positional audio.
Bose Sports Earbuds: Earphones that live up to the Bose name, with minor drawbacks – £149.00 at Amazon.co.uk
Where to buy the Bose Sports earbuds in the UK
Bose has delved into the true wireless category by focusing on sports. And while the generic-sounding Sports is an excellent first product, it suffers from an aging Bluetooth chipset and mediocre 5 hour battery life, costing Bose a higher position in our list and making it difficult to recommend for esports and casual gaming.
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Why Bose gets our approval for performance to value
Great sound that comes at a cost. While Bose has engineered a product that is indeed worthy of the name, it does come at a cost. Poor battery life of 5 hours (approximately 4.5 hours in our real world use testing) and Bluetooth 4.1 instead of 5.0 hurt the product and age it to the first generation of true wireless product.
Fun, fitness-oriented colours. Of note are the options to pick from a bright, bold, and just plain fun colour scheme. While not strictly to do with features, the Sports earbuds makes going to the gym just a bit more interesting.
Built for sports, but not for gaming. While the Sports earbuds are made for active movement, we found it a bit bulky. If you have smaller ears, you may experience some discomfort or a feeling that the earbuds may fall out. That’s not particularly comfortable when you are trying to focus on your workout. Unfortunately, Bose only includes 3 sizes of ear tips that follow the same shape, which is not adequate at this price point.
Sony WF-1000XM3: Great for sitting at home, tough to use on the go – £140.00 at Amazon.co.uk
Where to buy the Sony WF1000-XM3 in the UK
Sony spent years of research and development on the WF1000-XM3, but may have over engineered an expensive and somewhat clumsy product for movers and shakers. And while the active noise canceling and sound quality are superb, those little annoyances when gaming or streaming add up with an otherwise excellent product.
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The positives include a great sound profile that is well balanced with a light emphasis on lower tones, and an overall simple user interface that anybody can figure out. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end.
Sony stumbles when it comes to features. We gave the WF1000-XM3 a higher rating in 2020, but it’s 2021 now and there are new challenger products that outperform the WF1000-XM3 on nearly every front. That includes battery life (more below), charging capabilities, and overall miniaturization of previously large components.
You’ll get 3 to 4 hours of battery life from the earbuds themselves if you listen at high volume, and the included charging case provides an added 4 charges. That’s fine and good, but not up to par with other earbuds in this price range. In the same vein, the WF1000-XM3 are not water proof and don’t do well with repeated exposure to sweat.
Lack of gaming features mode is also a big miss for Sony. The WF1000-XM3 is simply uncomfortable to wear for longer than 10 minutes of movement. The earbuds themselves are too large for small ears, even when using smaller ear tips. They are far too easy to catch with natural arm motion, and tend to fall out when you least expect it.
We also wish Sony would release an updated model with very important features for gaming like enhanced directional sound, shock proofing, and a more durable charging case standard.
While Sony brings a decent result to the table with the WF1000-XM3, they are hurt by an uncomfortable product that should be redesigned or priced far lower than it is today.
Runners-up: Best Wireless Earbuds for Gaming
There are many, many wireless earbuds in the market. And while we attempt to test as many as possible for our readers, some units simply don’t make the cut. Here’s a quick peek at sports earbuds that didn’t make the list.
Apple Powerbeats Pro – £189.00 at Amazon.co.uk
Yes, it’s the marriage of Beats and Apple. Yes, it’s meant to be used when working out. But for the money, you can do better. The Powerbeats Pro are sleeker with better battery life than their predecessor Powerbeats model. But our biggest complaint about the Pro comes from their bulky profile. They tend to get in the way, and you can definitely feel them weighing on your ears after 20-30 minutes of use. That makes them distracting, and unsuitable for longer runs or workout sessions. Did we mention the giant clamshell charging case? Yeesh.
Apple AirPods Pro – £189.00 at Amazon.co.uk
We couldn’t do a roundup without Apple’s latest contribution to the true wireless format. The iconic AirPods now feature a revamped design, active noise canceling, and better integration with iOS. Which raises a major gripe we have with AirPods: The features are only 50% there when using Android. That combined with a stem design that easily catches and falls while moving, and we can’t fully recommend the AirPods Pro for movers and shakers.
Jaybird Vista 2 – £189.99 at Amazon.co.uk
The Jaybird Vista 2 are the next iteration of the dismal Jaybird Run XT earbuds, and are designed for runners. It’s a shame that these purpose-built true wireless earbuds don’t live up to the moniker. Jaybird has the right idea, but falls short in sound quality and Bluetooth signal strength, making them competitive with other earbuds in the price category, but still too expensive to warrant top marks.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro – £150.00 at Amazon.co.uk
The Galaxy smartphone is one of the most popular on the planet, and the pressure to create award-winning accessories is high. But from active movers’ perspectives, the Galaxy Buds don’t quite justify their price tag. Samsung tackled the challenge of an all around true wireless earbud, but failed to address gamers and streamers head on. We look forward to Samsung producing a model made specifically for gaming.