True Wireless earbuds tailored for gamers

The Edifier GM6 wireless earbuds in their case while on a keyboard.
Credit: Edifier

There are a plethora of options for truly wireless earbuds on the market today. A simple Amazon search reveals that companies know we hate wires and want to give us options – too many options. Edifier is a notable company that has jumped into the market. I recently had an amazing experience with a set of Edifier bookshelf speakers so I jumped at the chance to test the Edifier GM6 earbuds. Do they offer the same level of satisfaction as the speakers?

Designed for gamers

Out of the box, the earbuds and case tell me the target audience for these earbuds is indeed the gamer. The case is accentuated with the lights on the side that shine blue when the charge remains, and flash red to warn of the impending doom of a low battery. 

The case itself looks cool, but it is made of plastic and may not appeal to those hoping for a more sophisticated look. I argue that the case is a bit bulky as well with sides that jut out in a hex shape. The earbuds fit into the case via magnet. I love this feature because I tend to be a bit clumsy and often fumble my earbuds onto the floor while taking them out or putting them away. The magnet ensures a stable placement in the charging case and reduces the risk of drops. 

While the earbuds feature similar style lighting on the sides, they could be used for a multi-purpose approach and don’t necessarily scream “I’m a gamer” to the world. In other words, wear them in public and they mostly look like a black pair of AirPods. This makes them wearable for the closet gaming businessman (me) and the teenage gamer alike. The lights appear red while charging, flash blue and red while pairing, and flash blue while paired and in use. They auto pair with your device once taken out of the case, and begin charging when placed back in the case. 


Form over function


Perhaps the most surprising downside to the earbuds is that the charging case still uses a micro USB charging cable. These earbuds came out this year and I expect newer devices to stay with the times and use USB C at this point. Oh well. Another cable I can toss in my cable bin I won’t open for years to come. Obviously, this isn’t a purchase-breaking issue, it is mostly just annoying. The earbuds are comfortable overall. They fit into my ears well and need very little adjustments. Pairing is straightforward and intuitive, and I was able to use them with my phone and PC for gaming. 

The touch controls are, in a word – awful. There is no way to adjust the volume on the earbuds themselves. The only way to turn these buds up or down is to use the device you have them paired with. You can still skip songs and pause etc., however, I often struggle to get them to respond the way I like. I end up switching songs and pausing with my phone to avoid the hassle. It is a frustrating experience. Taking an earbud out should pause music as well but just touching the earbud for minor adjustments frequently paused the music without resuming. Again, the controls need a lot of work and require too much effort from the user. 

Sound for everyone

I tried the headset for mobile and a bit of PC gaming, and thankfully, the GM6’s sound really good. In both gaming and listening to music I was particularly impressed with the low end of sound range. Bass was deep, immersive, and full. Mids and highs were acceptable with no surprises overall. 

The earbuds are designed to reduce latency, and I did not notice any delays in sound in my test. The microphone is average. Phone conversations were on par with what I expect from earbuds today and no one complained of background noise.  

The bottom line


Can sound make up for sub-par functionality? With the GM6’s it can, but why sacrifice when you don’t have to? With endless options available for earbuds, I don’t believe you should have to sacrifice one feature for another. If you love mobile gaming and want a cool looking set of earbuds that don’t break the bank, these might do the trick. However, I think you can find a better set of earbuds that check more boxes on the features list.