The SANWEAR HARDWIRE Gaming earbuds from Sansound are wired gaming earbuds designed to deliver a high-quality audio experience at a more budget-conscious price point. Featuring planar-dynamic drivers, built-in amplifier, DAC and DSP worked into the physical design, the SAAWEAR HARDWIRE aims to provide an all-in-one solution for portable USB-powered audio listening.
The design of the HARDWIRE provides a nice departure from standard earbud design. The sharp angles of the earbuds’ cover plates instantly stand out and create a unique aesthetic. The white version (also available in black) provided for review looks great and delivers a distinct look and feel.
The earbuds are comprised of a hard plastic, with the earbud tips constructed of soft silicone. Sansound provides a plethora of silicon tips for both the earbuds and additional sports hooks to ensure the HARDWIRE stay firmly in place. I was quite appreciative of the wide selection of additional hardware, as the pre-installed tips and hooks were a little large for my ears. However, I was able to easily find a set that worked well for my ears. The result is a comfortable wearing experience.
“The SANWEAR HARDWIRE Gaming earbuds from Sansound are wired gaming earbuds designed to deliver a high-quality audio experience at a more budget-conscious price point.”
The cabling for the HARDWIRE is composed of a fibre-weave material. It provides a durable finish but is still quite flexible. Additionally, the cable is 48 inches long, making it ideal for mobile, handheld and even PC gaming.
One key and unique feature of these USB-C wired earbuds is the inclusion of an inline Audio Cortex system that powers the 8mm planar-dynamic drivers. The Audio Cortex is an AI-driven audio enhancement system that essentially combines an amplifier, DAC and DSP into a single unit. The result is a powerful audio experience, driven and balanced by an onboard digital mixer system.
The Audio Cortex also includes a programmable button (for media control), single-zone RGB and a built-in microphone which works well. Finally, the USB-C connector carries the same angular style as the earbud casing, tying together the stylized look of the HARDWIRE. The USB-C connector is slightly longer than most USB-C cables by design. Due to the stylish yet bulky casing around the USB-C connection, some devices would bump against it before fully connecting. This longer USB-C connection solves the problem nicely.
The audio listening experience of the HARDWIRE is solid with a few small caveats. The HARDWIRE are designed as a plug-and-play solution, so plugging it into your phone, handheld, Switch 2, PS5 or PC automatically adds it as an audio device. No extra work required, which is quite nice and gives me a single solution for the multiple devices I would take while travelling.
The default sound profile is solid, offering a fairly well-rounded listening experience. Though these are marketed as gaming earbuds, the music listening experience is quite nice. Though the low end can get a little muddy when listening at full volume, the overall mix is still fairly clear and warm. Frequency tests were mostly clean with a little bit of the definition getting lost on the low end, and as noted, translating to a slightly less defined low end.
The low end is still quite powerful, which is especially welcome when it comes to gaming. In these tests performed on both PC and mobile with a series of titles, the audio mix was actually a bit brighter and provided a solid, immersive gaming experience. By default, audio felt distinct and provided clear directional and distance representation. My only small critique was that the high-end could be a little too bright, which I suspect is due to the processing provided by the DSP. Overall, though it sounded great.
“The design of the HARDWIRE provides a nice departure from standard earbud design.”
While the hardware is quite impressive for the $99.00 price point, Sansound’s Soundscape software needs improvement. While connecting the HARDWIRE to the app is straightforward, the settings and app response are a bit of a mess. For example, while the default audio profile sounds great, the other two presets, Game Mode and Movie Mode, don’t often activate on the first attempt. Using the custom EQ at present doesn’t actually change the audio profile and, as such, is useless. Other features, such as RGB controls, are pretty limited: colour cycling is the only available mode, and there’s no option to turn it off.
When it comes to scoring the HARDWIRE, I am of two minds. The hardware, design and built-in Audio Cortex are all solid and provide a great plug-and-play USB-C audio experience. With adaptability in both device connectivity and fit, the HARDWIRE is a great pair of earbuds. The software, by contrast, is terrible, but there is promise that the company is continuing to work on it.
I appreciate the time and effort put into the design and implementation of the HARDWIRE Gaming Earbuds. The overall sound quality, construction, and compatibility make them a great choice for someone looking for a solid audio experience without breaking the bank. What holds the SANWEAR HARDWIRE Gaming Earbuds back, though, is their lack of software support that would truly help push these gaming earbuds to the next level. As software can improve, I still have high hopes for the HARDWIRE Gaming earbuds.
