HECATE GX07 review: "Great gaming earbuds that can do everything well"

Edifier's audio pedigree has been earned through more than 25 years primarily making speakers, and that shines through in the Hecate GX07 gaming earbuds. And these buds intend to catch the eye visually as well as catch the ear audibly: the GX07 stand out from the crowd with its angular design, RGB lighting, case wing doors (like that of gullwing doors on supercars), and, oh yes, this rather 'subtle' (not subtle) colour of yellow. This flies in the face of most buds on the market, which are tame black/grey blobs or white AirPod imitators that we’ve got used to over the years. 

However, the funkiest-looking entries into the best gaming earbuds market won’t matter if they don't have the feature set and audio quality to back it up. And these do sound great and do have the features to boot. Throw in gaming chops like low latency, and this set of buds could challenge the best gaming headsets, even with its $149 MSRP.

Design & Features

You are reminded the Hecate GX07 are unlike any other earbuds every time you open the case: the scissor/gullwing doors open to reveal RGB lights on the shell and white lights on the earbuds themselves to really help make you stand out while wearing them (don’t worry, you can turn this off in the companion app). The angular design combined with these RGB lights, do signify the tell-tale signs of a product aimed at gamers - but I think it rubs enough jazz on it to make it cool.

To accommodate the unique door mechanism, lights, and 19.5 hours battery the case is rather large at 6cm x 7cm x 3.5cm, it’s not ideal to have in your jeans pockets all day as it's not as compact as something like the Razer Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds (of any generation), but it’s totally worth it for when you do open the case in front of someone (subject to taste).

The buds themselves are light and one of the most comfortable I have ever worn. To confirm the battery life of five hours with ANC on, I used these at work daily and had no discomfort - in fact, a few times I completely forgot I was wearing them. As well as being comfortable, the buds are pretty secure as well, I’ve been for a few runs and gym sessions without them budging at all or feeling worried they might fall out.

One feature I feel I should mention is the notifications you get whispered into your ear. When I say whispered, it's more like someone is trying to tell you a sexy seductive secret…that noise cancelling mode has been enabled. It’s rather distracting at first as it sounds so out of place and a bit jarring - but I got used to it. You can also turn it off in the app settings under prompt volume if it gets too annoying.

And it is said app, the Edifier Connect App, that is essential in making the most of these buds - especially if you want to turn off the lights and stop yourself from looking like Buzz LightEars. The app also shows you the buds' battery life, and lets you tweak levels of ambient sound, auto shutdown timings, tap sensitivity, and play with other customisations. It’s a great app and much better than some out there.

Performance

In short, these buds perform very well indeed for gaming, music and video, and everyday uses. 

When gaming, the ‘Game Mode’ stood out to me in particular - this kicks in a 60ms low-latency setting, and helps you by ‘optimizing gunfire and footsteps’. Backed up by a great overall sound quality that is crisp, it’s clear what direction the gunfire is in during the battle royales I tested it on. Of course, these aren't going to provide the same experience as the best wireless gaming headsets or a set with full 7.1 surround sound but these earbuds are meant to be used throughout the day playing music, listening to podcasts, and videos while also being a dab hand at gaming - mobile gaming particularly. They might not have the best brutal K/D ratio - it's more about them being an MVP overall. 

When it comes to the audio outside of gaming, Edifier’s audio pedigree shines through. Sound is delivered through 8mm dynamic drivers that support both AAC and LHDC audio codecs. The sound is well balanced with highs that are crisp and defined, and bass notes that pleasantly rumble in the background. Normally with earbuds I delve into the app and have to play with the presets, however, the Hecate GX07 sound great with everything I’ve thrown at them and I’ve not touched the sound presets once. 

The ANC is a nice bonus feature to have too. These buds have both ambient and noise cancelling modes through four mics that help ensure you get the most out of each setting. The noise cancelling can counteract noise around you down by -38dB and while it may not be the best in the market, for the price, it's great. The four highly sensitive microphones do a good job of picking up your voice and what really makes the difference is the ambient noise remover. This makes your voice clearer but also removes any background noise. I’ve had hour-long meetings with these and taken long phone calls as well and everyone has been able to hear me clearly throughout. During a gaming session, they are great for warning teammates that someone is behind and never allow any background noise to bleed in. 

Just remember that these are purely Bluetooth earbuds, so are not compatible with PlayStation or Xbox consoles, but could be perfect as an also-mobile-capable PC headset for gaming or Nintendo Switch headset.

Should you buy the Hecate GX07 earbuds

Technically, audibly, and functionally, these are great gaming earbuds that can do everything well - but aesthetically they won’t be to everyone's taste. If you want some gaming earbuds that look unique to the competition and fancy the jazzy design language of the GX07s then these are easy to recommend. The only caveats I’d highlight are the size of the largest charging case I’ve seen for years and the price: at $150 the GX07 have a lot of competition and they’ll probably get lost in the plethora of recognisable brand options you’ll have available - or just lose out to cheaper option like the Turtle Beach Scout Air buds, or the super budget-friendly Roccat Syn Buds Core. However, should the GX07s get slashed for any reason - such as during Prime Day 2022, when the price dropped below $100 - then these would be fantastic value for money.

How we tested the Hecate GX07 earbuds

I used the Hecate GX07 earbuds for two weeks as my daily headphones. I used them at work to edit voiceovers recorded on a professional mic, edited videos, and mixed music.

When I got home I used them on my PC while playing a variety of games from battle royales to open-world RPGs. On the way to work, I tested the earbuds with podcasts, music, and playing on my Nintendo Switch on a crowded and noisy bus to really test the noise cancelling. 

You can read more about how we test gaming headsets as well as how we make all our recommendations in the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

We're also rounding up plenty more options for console users, like the best PS5 headsets and the best Xbox Series X headsets. Or, for a budget buy, check out the latest cheap gaming headset options.