Affordable Earbuds for Gaming and Everyday Use
Whilst admittedly in a pretty privileged position, I’ve fast lost count of the number of earbuds that have been slammed in my ears over the years. That number exploded as Game Pass and Cloud Gaming came to our phones, as the once limited Xbox ecosystem opened up to a whole new range of player.
For the most part, the vast majority of those earbuds have been great too; whether they be the cheap and cheerful or the much more expensive, professional level audio grade providers (and yes, I’m looking at you Audeze Euclid).
In and amongst those have been some surprises too, as well as many from what others may consider to be a ‘No Name’ brand. That’s the case for the Tagry X08 Wireless Earbuds. Don’t get me wrong, these are far from the finest buds to have ever provided audio pleasures, but they are absolutely fine for most use cases. And yep, that does include using them for easy Game Pass play through mobile.
Generic Design with Decent Audio Quality
It’s hard to get too enthused by what Tagry have created here, as the X08 earbuds feel very generic; AirPod ish in style, with obvious cues taken from what Apple have honed over the years. If that’s what you want from a set of buds, and need to do so on the cheap, fill your boots as you’ll be happy with what is offered. But if you want more…
Stemmed in design, the X08’s are truly wireless, ripped from their case and simple to partner up via Bluetooth to the device of your choosing. We’ve done that and made the most of these linked to our Android phone, kicking back in the corner of a room, heading out to coffee shops, partaking in some Game Pass play along the way.
Black and grey in style, the X08 buds look pretty good; far from exciting but ultimately decent enough to whack in your ears. With multiple silicone tips for various ear sizes, it’s a cinch to get a neat fit too. However, you’ll want to ensure that fit is correct, because if the X08’s aren’t properly in place, they do sound extremely tinny, audio running high.
Once in place though, the sound provided is fine. It’s just about bassy enough for our liking and even when pumped full with volume, they are clear and concise. But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t kill for some kind of equaliser or bass boost. Remember though, being simple buds are all these attempt to be.
They get loud enough as well, and whilst there’s no active noise cancellation in place, ramping volumes up should mean you can switch off from the wider world if required; something we all need to do once in a while.
Features and Functionality
With a built-in mic for calls, and the promise of about 6 hours of use on a single charge, these should cover most users. An IPX5 waterproof rating is a tad disappointing though, as even though they are capable of handling sweat and are resistant to water, full waterproofing is not on the cards. Do you need that in a set of buds though? Probably not.
That charge length can obviously be extended by slamming the buds into their slightly-pill shaped case. Black and plastic all over, it’s of a good size, easy to pocket and relatively hard wearing. We’ve been using these for a few weeks and have yet to see anything other than the tiniest of scratches on the case.
Flipping open the weighted top ensures easy charging placement of each bud, slotting in without hassle. The only thing we’ve found is that the lid to the case is extremely happy to close by itself, and so there is a knack that needs to be learned. Once you’ve got the hang of things there, you’ll be slotting those buds in and out without a second thought.
The front of the case comes with an easy to read display which shows current charge of the case, as well as incremental bars for each bud, signifying charge status of each. It’s a nice addition to have, but does feel pretty old school in design. Again though, these are not expensive earbuds, and it’s shown in that plastic case. It’s good then that wireless charging or a USB-C port delivers power. It allows us to make the most of a plethora of USB-C cables that are scattered around, even though an extremely short USB-C to USB-A cable is also included in the box.
The buds themselves are fairly easy to use too. We’ve come from the brilliant Steelseries Arctis GameBuds and its physical buttons, and honestly, it’s that which we prefer over the touch sensitive buttons on the X08 buds. There’s just more confidence in real buttons, however, get your finger placement right and the usual controls are found on each bud; track progression, volumes sitting under a tap and hold, and triple hitting for the assistant of your choice. It’s just that occasionally finding the sweet spot for the required tap is a bit hit or miss.
With single bud and stereo usage available, as well as auto power on/off, if you’ve ever used earbuds before (and if you haven’t, what have you been doing over the last few decades!), you’ll be more than at home with these.
A Solid Budget Option
The overriding feeling with the Tagry X08 Wireless Earbuds is easy to sum up – fine, but generic. Expect to be wowed by these and you’ll walk away disappointed, but come to them with knowledge of Tagry’s attempts to deliver a cheap alternative to the norm, and everything will be fine in the world.
Huge thanks go out to Tagry for providing the X08 True Wireless Earbuds for review. Grab some for yourself from Tagry direct, expecting to pay around $49 which feels about right.
Strangely, Amazon have them listed for £165 – that’s a crazy price.
