These official Hatsune Miku earbuds come with a leek case, but we can't have them

The best gaming earbuds and in-ear headphones are often packed with cases. Most of them are for charging duties and aren't much to look at, but Chinese audio tech brand Moondrop has taken things to a new level by launching a pair of Hatsune Miku buds with a leek case.

You read that right, as discovered by Dexerto, the case is shaped like the leek vegetable that Hatsune Miku is famous for holding in her version of the classic 'leek spin' meme from the internet of yore. The buds are also draped in lots of fan-friendly nods to virtual diva, but much to my (and my gaming setups') dismay, they remain a China exclusive for now.

Die-hard Miku fans will be well aware that the leek in question, as seen in the above images by AniHobby, is actually the Japanese negi vegetable, but that's besides the point. I'm just surprised to see the leek meme be referenced after all these years, especially when other audio brands' collabs don't go as hard in the branding.

Earlier this year, Sony released a pair of Hatsune Miku Limited Edition LinkBuds, which were just the same as past versions but featuring a green colorway. They did come with a set of Miku-themed goodies, including a fancy acrylic stand, but if I had the choice to pick Moondrop's version.

According to Google Translated press release shared by Finance Sina on May 20, the buds are available for 239 yuan (approximately $35) at JD.com, and are equipped with 10mm-sized dynamic audio drivers, ANC, and can connect wirelessly to devices over Bluetooth 6.0. They can also "support a low-latency gaming mode" which I assume is a reference to 2.4GHz wireless, so if you can manage to get a pair, they might just be good for gaming too.

The buds also provide up to 12.5 hours of playback, and that iconic leek (or should I say, negi) case can extend that further to 41 hours. Judging from the marketing images, the leek case also features a USB-C port, so passthrough charging as found on the Asus ROG Cetra Open wireless gaming earbuds could also be a feature. However, it's hard to decipher, given there's no English text on any of the imagery, and I can't get a hold of these myself to put them to the test.

With or without passthrough charging, the Vocaloid fan-girl within me can't help but fawn over these adorable earbuds. It's not just the case that I'm obsessed with, but the clever use of Miku's 01 tattoo iconography on the sides of the buds, and the turquoise and pink color palette that screams 'Hatsune Miku' in my eyes.

I can only hope that one day, Moondrop makes these easily accessible in the US and UK, as playing Hatsune Miku Project Diva Mega Mix + with these at two would be a dream come true. In the meantime, I at least have the Asus TUF x Hatsune Miku collection at my disposal to keep my Vocaloid fandom satiated.

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If you care more about quality than aesthetics, check out the best PS5 headsets, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Xbox Series X headsets we've tested so far.