True wireless gaming earbuds are undoubtedly a new product category that cannot compete with the best all-purpose wireless earbuds. There will inevitably be some growing pains as companies attempt to balance gaming features with great sound and everyday usability. Logitech’s G Fits earbuds (available on Amazon for $229.99) are exactly that. At $230, their combination of solid gaming applications and otherwise lacklustre features serves as both an exciting glimpse of where the space is headed and a reminder to the masses that there’s still a long way to go before things truly get good.
Logitech G Fits Specifications
Here are some of the earbuds we tried:
Price: $230
Battery life: 10 hours of Bluetooth listening, 22 hours total with case; 7 hours over 2.4GHz Lightspeed connection, 15 hours with charging case
10mm drivers are used.
Colours: black and white
Bluetooth 5.2, LIGHTSPEED 2.4GHz via USB-A receiver, USB-A to USB-C adapter included
There are no audio codecs.
No water resistance.
One size fits all ear tips
Weight: 7.2 grammes (0.25 ounces) per earbud Special features: Eartips with lightform moulding
A word of caution to the fashion-conscious. While they are relatively light at.25 ounces each (AirPods Pro weigh.19 ounces), the Logitech G Fits have a rather bloated design. Because of the oversized eartips, the rest of the earbuds protrude noticeably beyond your ears. While this may not be an issue for everyone, those who are used to dainty, golf-tee earbuds like the Apple AirPods should tread carefully.
The G Fits also only come in one ear tip size because they are designed to fit the wearer’s ear canal.
Excellent fit and innovative technology
The setup process began with a walkthrough to fit the buds themselves after the app finally recognised the earbuds (more on that later). The G Fits feature Lightform technology, which uses a light-hardening photopolymer to mould the ear tips of the buds to the shape of your ears. This is the same technology pioneered by Ultimate Ears, which Logitech acquired in 2008.
All I had to do was relax my face (no frowning or jaw clenching) and hold the earbuds in place for one minute while the eartips worked their magic.
Any reservations I had about the technology quickly vanished. The G Fits had shaped themselves to my ear canals in 60 seconds. They’re snug and comfortable, forming an impressive seal that aids in passive noise cancellation. They’re also stable enough to go for a walk around the neighbourhood, staying put even when I bend down to adjust a dog leash or tie my shoe.
The emphasis on gaming features is appropriate.
Almost every piece of technology built into the G Fits is geared toward gaming, which is fitting. It all starts with Logitech’s multidevice, low-latency 2.4GHz Lightspeed connection. The technology is found in other Logitech gaming products such as mice and keyboards, but the G Fits are the first earbuds to include it.
This Lightspeed connection is made possible by a USB-A dongle and an additional USB-C add-on, a clumsy combination that appears wildly out of date given that most modern consoles accept USB-C natively. Nonetheless, the G Fits can be connected to a PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Android devices. If you prefer Bluetooth, the G Fits have two distinct modes depending on your needs.
The standard Bluetooth connection on the buds is ideal for listening to music or watching videos while attempting to conserve battery life. Switching to Game-Mode Bluetooth reduces latency, but at the expense of additional battery life.
The G Fits app’s equaliser tab even includes two gaming-specific presets designed to improve audio when playing an FPS or a MOBA/RPG, respectively. Logitech went above and beyond to ensure that the G Fits are solely for gaming. They succeeded, albeit at a high cost in comparison to the rest of the competition.
Good sound
To give credit where credit is due, the G Fits sound great. There are far better sounding earbuds for the money, but the G Signature equaliser preset that the G Fits default to offers a pleasantly balanced sound signature that complements most music played through the earbuds’ 10mm drivers.
When gaming, the FPS preset complements the intended content by emphasising higher frequencies and heavily dampening bass. The MOBA/RPG preset curves the lower frequencies less sharply, but it follows a similar pattern.
Playing music through one of the gaming presets, and vice versa, is a huge letdown. In FPS mode, Guns N’ Roses’ Welcome To The Jungle sounded like it was coming out of a tin can, rather than a dazzling display of audio. So, whenever possible, stick to the presets.
The two built-in beamforming microphones found in each earbud may be the best aspect of the G Fits audio experience. They worked well together to ensure solid, clear communication, whether on the phone, in a Zoom meeting, or while playing online with friends.
