The StygianForce Wireless Earpods were recently sent to me. Part of their StygianForce Professionals Kit, these true wireless earphones were reportedly designed to bring mobile gamers to the highest tiers of play with Bluetooth 5.0 functionality and extremely high battery life. But with so many other gaming earphones to choose from, what case can the StygianForce Wireless Earpods make so they stand out?
About
StygianForce is an up-and-coming Singapore-based start-up creating a top tier line of mobile gaming accessories. Run by true-blue gamers themselves, StygianForce saw the problem many mobile games have: awkward controls, bulky accessories, and general clunkiness of playing with only two thumbs.
Really, there’s a lot of “mobile gaming accessories” out there, but most of them feel cheap over overly gimmicky, and there’s no one solution to the problems mobile gamers face. Personally, I’ve gone through a lot of these “mobile gaming accessories” and have always been left wanting.
Thankfully, StygianForce recently released their line of mobile gaming accessories that they say will be “necessities for every user that dreams of gaming at the highest tier.” Bold statement, and today we’ll be putting it to the test through one of their products, the StygianForce wireless earbuds.
Build Quality
Out of the box, the StygianForce Wireless Earbuds feel nice and weighty, about as heavy as your run-of-the-mill Apple Airpods. With the buds inside the case, the whole thing measures about 56 x 44 x 21 mm, weighing in at about 45 grams.
The charging case is built from a solid plastic material with a matte finish, adding grip. The earbuds as well come with that matte finish and a polished aluminum button hiding the copper pins that attach to the charging case.
Design
The design for the StygianForce Wireless Earpods is minimalist to its core. It adopts the classic Airpods design, right down to the charging case. It’s a good move, in my opinion; this design has been tested and proven for years, and sometimes innovating on what’s pretty much a perfect design is not always a good thing.
So, about that charging case: the only embellishment you’ll see here is the logo up front, which looks gamery as heck. It’s not a bad logo, and it totally fits into the all-black aesthetic that StygianForce is going for with its StygianForce Professionals Kit.
Another cool thing about the charging case’s design is how it will fit into most Airpods sleeves. Since there’s a ton of those out there people looking for extra protection for their Earpods can pick up a third-party silicone sleeve to help absorb impact.
As for the buds, nothing remarkable or unique about how it looks. The matte-like finish is a great choice, as it does add grip to the buds. It didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. The fit felt snug and didn’t fall off when I used it on the treadmill. I imagine they won’t fall off if I start banging my head on a wall when I get tilted on CoD: Mobile either.
Overall the StygianForce Wireless Earpods’ looks are hardly new, but it’s a design that works. And like I said – innovating on perfection is not always good, so I’m glad StygianForce stuck to something that works, at least on the design front.
Features
But maybe it’s the features that can make it stand out?
The StygianForce Wireless Earpods use Bluetooth 5.0. Those who play with wireless earbuds that support earlier Bluetooth versions will know how big this is. Bluetooth 5.0 – while still imperfect – reduces latency massively. Playing games where sound cues are important are usually gimped by Bluetooth, as the latency causes the sound to be around half a second late. Those are 500ms that would have alerted you to your doom.
The earbuds are fitted with true wireless stereo, and are capable of HiFi sound effects from your phone, such as Dolby Atmos. It has touch control support as well, meaning to control your earpods to answer calls or skip songs, won’t require you to push down on your earphones, which can be uncomfortable. It also eliminates that loud, audible “click” that buttons make. It’s a welcome feature, but one that should be standard with all true wireless earphones.
The buds are rated for up to 2-3 hours of listening time and take 1 hour to be charged up to full. Unless you’re a full time streamer, you’re probably not going to take up to 3 hours playing mobile games on your phone, so its battery time should be more than enough.
Performance
So I tried them on. They fit pretty nicely in my ear, and the grip from the finish helps keep it secure. Pairing was a breeze as I just had to turn on my Bluetooth and was paired in two taps. I played a song on Spotify at its highest bitrate and long story short: these earbuds sound great.
Let’s talk about the lows: they’re decent, even for earbuds this size. Usually, bass needs a lot of room for air to flow through to get a solid thump. Surprisingly however, StygianForce managed to make their Earpods sound as boomy as they are. It also helps the soundstage feel a lot bigger compared to even Airpods.
The mids are clear and defined, as synths and vocals together, both sounding very distinct. As for the highs, they’re crystal and soaring. Hi-hats and keys weren’t muddy and there’s a certain ring to it that helps bring out the clarity of the highs. All these was written before a burn-in of the drivers, so I’m excited to hear what it’ll sound like past the burn-in point.
Which brings us to its gaming performance, what the StygianForce Wireless Earpods are designed for. I tested CoD: Mobile, Cytus, and Mobile Legends just to see how each genre would feel like.
CoD: Mobile found me hearing footsteps without any latency, and gun sounds are amazing. I was ready to hit dropshots as soon as I heard people coming from the corner. Cytus was amazing as well. The low latency allowed me to hit notes with accuracy and right timing. Finally, Mobile Legends were great. Even with the amazingly bright graphics and multiple audio cues during a team clash, I found myself hearing the cues I needed to hear.
Wrap Up
Overall, its performance is stellar. While the design is uninspired, it’s still a really solid pair of true wireless earphones that work really well for gaming. Bluetooth 5.0 really makes a difference in today’s mobile gaming landscape. Plus, it makes gaming on the go really convenient as you don’t have to bother with wires. It works really well with the entire StygianForce line and I highly recommend picking one of their Professionals Kits to enjoy it to its fullest.
These earpods are pretty much exactly what I’m looking for except around-the-ear hooks, and I’m worried about only 2-3 hours of play time. Those are just extra thoughts though if anyone has comments on fit and use time, my real question (which might be dumb) is are they Switch compatible?