SANWEAR-HARDWIRE Gaming Earbuds

Written by Eric Hauter on 3/15/2026 for AV  

It has been quite a while since I've reviewed a product that I was torn on the way I'm confounded by the Sanwear-Hardwire Gaming Earbuds. Here we have a set of earbuds that does so many things right—but ultimately stumbles by hitting the market without the ability for users to adjust the experience to their liking. 

But before I get to my overall issue with this beautiful set of earbuds, let me talk a bit about all the ways this product is wonderful. The Sanwear-Hardwire Gaming Earbuds have some of the best packaging I've seen. They arrive in a fantastic little cube which splits open to reveal an array of different sized "eartips" and "sport hooks." These buds are specifically designed to not only fit snugly into your ear canal, but also to lock into place. This is important, because the earbuds themselves are bulkier than you might be used to, and definitely have more weight to them than standard earbuds. 

Potential users are warned in the packaging's ample documentation that not achieving and maintaining a good lock will result in tinny or hollow sound—and this warning is 100% accurate—so it behooves new consumers to take the time to get it right. Rather than selling a bunch of different sizes separately, the designers at Sanwear just give you a full spread, allowing you to mix and match until you get the appropriate fit. I ended up carefully trying every combo possible until I settled on the right size for my ears, which took about a half hour of fiddling.

Even then, I didn't quite have it right until I dug further into the instructions. It turns out that you have to insert the earbuds a little offset from where you want them and then rotate them in your ears to "lock" them in place. You'll know immediately when you get it right, because the sound will suddenly fill up your head in a way that it hadn't before. The earbuds will also stop falling out, which they totally do until you get them locked in. That lock mechanism isn't immediate or intuitive, but once you get it, you get it. The Sanwear-Hardwire Gaming Earbuds are beyond just "noise cancelling," as well. I literally had to take them out to hear my kids talking, even without any music playing through them. It's like having a good set of ear plugs in.

The earbuds are perched at the end of a 3-foot cord—not overly generous, but generally okay for most uses. Some people might balk at the wired nature of these earbuds, but I was delighted to have a set of earbuds I could easily move between my phone and my PlayStation. I don't love Bluetooth earbuds, as I find them too easy to lose (or get stolen by my rotten cats). So, I've basically been without earbuds for my phone for the last two phones, since Google did away with a headphone jack. Being able to slap the cord into the USB-C port is a blessing, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention that these work well with Xbox, too (sorry, Switch owners, Nintendo doesn't support sound output on the USB on their controllers).  

So far, so good, right? So, what's the problem? Out of the box, the earbuds sound terrible. That probably sounds harsh, but it is absolutely true. 

The selling feature here is the earbuds' ability to deliver resounding bass, and they massively succeed on that front. So much so, in fact, that it drowns out all of the sound in the mid to high ranges. Even at half volume on my phone, songs like Public Enemy's "Don't Believe the Hype" and MC Breed's "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'" rattled my jawbone. I was afraid to turn the sound up any louder for fear of doing permanent damage to my hearing—and I tend to absolutely blast music. The bass sounds and feels like it is coming from a much larger source than these tiny earbuds.

But in delivering this bass, the earbuds completely neglect any highs. This is some of the muddiest sound I've ever heard. All of the nuance in the mix of songs like "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit" is completely lost. The vocals sound like they are being delivered from a cardboard box, and some of the samples are almost completely lost in the overwhelming bass. The sound is lifeless and dull, just a rumble with zero brightness. 

The same goes for gaming. I played everything from Diablo IV to Injustice with these earbuds, and the result was the same. The game worlds felt lifeless and artificial, as though I was only getting half of the intended sound (because I was). Deadpool's gunshots in Marvel Rivals sound hollow. Punches in Tekken thump hard, but the music sounds like it is coming from the next room.

Of course, all of this is likely remedied by the app that Sanwear is working on to accompany the earbuds. The pamphlets that come with the earbuds clearly state that users will be able to adjust the experience to their liking. But, for whatever reason, the app is not yet available to download. The links in the pamphlets led to an app specific to Bluetooth headsets, which would not recognize the wired earbuds. Press was not provided access to the correct app during the review period (I reached out specifically to request it but was informed that the app would not be ready to go during my time with the earbuds). 

It gives me no pleasure to write this, as I know—I absolutely know—that these earbuds probably sound incredible once appropriately configured. But I can only review the product in front of me. There is no way for me to tell how much better the earbuds will be when I am able to adjust them with the app, so I am left reviewing a product that I find to be substandard to the point where I will not bother to use them. They are clearly of a quality build, and beautifully packaged, but ultimately not worth the hassle of set up in their current state.