Review: Wireless gaming earbuds perfect for Switch and mobile gamers
Audio gear that’s as portable as the Nintendo Switch itself.
The Nintendo Switch is portable, but for a while it couldn’t connect with wireless Bluetooth headphones, which was a bummer. However, now that the functionality is available, it’s nice having the best wireless headphones to use with it, whether you’re playing on the couch or on-the-go. These provide easy Bluetooth pairing, excellent sound quality, and a wireless connection to make your gaming experience that much more convenient.
I recently had the chance to test the EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds. They’re the perfect Switch accessory since they’re small, have great sound quality, and are just as portable as the Switch itself. I can even toss the charging case with the earbuds into my Switch case and take them all together whenever I leave the house!
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds:
Price and availability
What’s good
What’s not good
The competition
Should you buy?
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds
Bottom line: These earbuds offer great sound quality and excellent battery life to last you all day long. While there are touch controls, there aren’t any volume controls, but that won’t be a problem if you adjust volume from your Switch or phone.
The Good
Compact charging case
Comes with three eartip sizes
Comfortable fit
Super clear sound clarity
36-hour battery life
Easily switch between music and game modes
The Bad
No volume controls
Inconvenient way to check battery life when not in the case
No EQ app
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds: Price and availability
The EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Earbuds can be purchased from Amazon or EKSA’s website for $46. They come with a sleek cobra-head-shaped charging case and offer up to 36 hours of battery life. While they aren’t the cheapest wireless earbuds on the market, they’re still super inexpensive and are far from being the premium pick.
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds: What’s good
Just as you’d expect with any wireless earbuds with a charging case, the buds come out very easily and magnetically attach back in to ensure that they charge up whenever they’re in place. The box comes with three different eartip sizes so you can find the ones that fit your ears perfectly. It comes with a USB to USB-C charging cable and there is a USB-C port on the back of the case for easy charging.
Category
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds
Earphone type
In-Ear
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.0
Range
10m or 33ft
Latency
38MS
Speaker Sensitivity
101dB ±3dB
Speaker Impedence
32Ω± 10%
Microphone
Yes
Battery
36 hrs, 50mAh
Charging Time
1.5 hrs
Number of Charges with Case
4-5 times
Touch Controls
Yes
Water Resistance
IPX4
Weight
5 oz
Price
$46
The “Cobra” part of the name comes from the fact that the charging case was designed to look like a cobra head. The buds themselves go for a gamer vibe as well and have a viper design complete with two eyes on either bud. Overall it gives off an edgy feel and seems in place with other gaming designs out there.
While plugged in and charging, lights show up on the front of the case, giving an indication of how full of juice it is. However, there isn’t a quick way to check the battery life when it’s unplugged unless you use your phone’s Bluetooth function to check. However, upon using the earbuds for awhile, I found that I could get about four or five recharges out of the case before it itself needed a recharge, so it’s not something you’ll be needing to know often.
To check the clarity and volume of the earbuds, I played Hades on my Nintendo Switch and also paired them with my phone to listened to music and make a few calls. The pairing process was super easy in both cases and only took a few seconds. Sounds come through very clearly and these earbuds have no problem hitting both high and low notes. I didn’t notice any lag whatsoever and they feel so comfortable that I completely forgot they were in my ears at one point. When I made a call, my voice came through loud and clear thanks to the included microphone and I easily heard the person I communicated with. The built-in mic is nothing extraordinary, but picks up sounds beautifully. I found that tapping between Music and Game modes changes the sound balance a little bit for a pleasing experience in both cases. Which one you decide to use will really just depend on your preferences.
They feel so comfortable that I completely forgot they were in my ears at one point.
As is common these days, these earbuds also have touch controls. By tapping either earbud a certain number of times you can turn them off or on, turn on pairing, pause your music, activate a voice assistant, change listening modes, or even answer, reject, and hangup on phone calls. Blue lights blink on the sides and a voice speaks letting you know what action has been taken in response to your finger taps. While this was useful overall, the controls didn’t always pick up on the correct number of taps my fingers made and sometimes performed the wrong command.
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds: What’s not good
My biggest complaint with these earbuds is that they don’t have volume controls. You’d think that given their touch control capabilities this would have been one of the functions available. Now, if you’re simply using them with your phone or your Nintendo Switch, you can easily adjust the volume on the device itself. However, you’ll be at the mercy of your device’s volume capacity.
On that note, there is no app for these earbuds and thus no way to manually customize the sound balance. So if that’s improtant to you, this might be a deal breaker. That being said, I felt that the sound came through really well while listening to several genres of music and playing my Switch games.
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds: Competition
There are probably thousands if not millions of wireless audio options on the market today. If you’re looking for a more traditional headset you should check out the EKSA E910 Wireless Gaming Headset. It has good sound quality and features read lighting on the sides.
Looking for something a bit more flashy? Easy SMX V07W Wireless Headset is another great option, only this one features RGB lighting on either headphone for a fun effect.
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if …
You want something compact
You want to go wireless
You want something with good sound and clarity
You shouldn’t buy this if…
You want something with volume controls
You’re looking for the most inexpensive option
You prefer a headset
Whether you’re playing games on your Nintendo Switch or phone, having a good pair of wireless earbuds can really make your experience better. The EKSA GT1 Cobra is a great option since they’re compact and just as portable as either of those devices. They handle a wide sound range with excellent clarity and plenty of comfort. You can even use the touch controls to switch modes or take other actions more easily.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of volume controls, so you’ll have to use your Switch, phone, or any other compatible paired device to turn your audio up or down. As long as that’s not an issue, these will be a great buy for any gamer.
EKSA GT1 Cobra True Wireless Gaming Earbuds
Bottom line: Bring these earbuds with your Nintendo Switch or phone to play any games or listen to music on the go. They offer great sound and plenty of comfort!
