HyperX Cirro Buds Pro review

The idea of “gaming TWS earbuds” is odd, given the wireless category’s issues with latency over the last decade. However, that hasn’t stopped companies like HyperX from getting in on the action, as there is actual demand for lightweight wireless earphones to replace bulky gaming headsets, particularly in the mobile space. But are they any good for that purpose? Let’s find out.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro?

The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro is rather unassuming, thankfully eschewing the usual “gamer” design cues like loud colors, cheap-looking shiny plastic, and all-caps lettering. Instead, the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro looks like any other true wireless earbuds you’d find on the market. This is good: these buds can pretty much go anywhere without looking too out of place.

Inside the packaging, there’s a USB-C cable for charging, two extra sizes of silicone ear tips, a charging case, and the earbuds. Additionally, you’ll find some documentation, including the quick start guide and the safety information covering topics like batteries and recycling the product after it dies. While there are no supplementary ear tip types like memory foam, this isn’t uncommon for basic earbuds. The upside is that you’ll likely only ever use one size, then discard (or accidentally lose) the rest. If you’re planning on sharing the earbuds, please don’t.

Upon inserting the earphones, note whether or not you feel any pinching, excess pressure, or looseness. If you find that the earphones push themselves out of your ear or they’re causing pain: use a smaller ear tip. Use a larger ear tip if they never make a seal or fall out. While the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro are pretty easy to get in place, thanks in part to the earbuds’ 8g mass, fit is everything and can affect everything from sound performance to isolation to comfort. I could wear the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro for 3 hours at a time, but I generally find earbuds of all kinds uncomfortable.

Gaming with the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro is an interesting experience, though using the SBC codec means there will always be some delay. When you toggle the game mode, you can expect a 90ms delay, which is just a hair under one-tenth of a second — not bad, but it is there. Compatible with PC, smartphones, and the Nintendo Switch, the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro isn’t for use with XBOX or PlayStation. The IPX4 moisture rating is a nice feature, meaning you could use these for workouts too.

How do you control the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro?

Because HyperX elected to make all the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro controls a part of the product itself and not a function of some app, the controls are mercifully straightforward. They’re not locked behind some constantly-changing and dubiously-compatible software.

If you find these controls lacking, there’s little to be done, as there’s no way to alter or customize them. However, anything not covered here should be able to be handled by your phone.

How do you connect the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro?

Assuming everything is charged, you can connect to your source device in the same manner as you would any other true wireless earphones. Thankfully, the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro makes this process as obvious as possible with the giant pairing button on the front of the charging case.

How long does the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro’s battery last?

In our labs, we simulate plausible use of the products we test. The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro lasted 4 hours and 39 minutes with the ANC on, though your mileage may vary if you listen at lower (or higher) volumes, turn the ANC off, or turn the transparency mode on. Battery life can be a moving target, but the four-and-a-half-hour ballpark is about what you can expect for most typical use in a single session. Taking breaks to charge the earbuds will net you the best long-term results, so we recommend doing that. HyperX claims you can get up to seven hours on a single charge with all specialty modes turned off, but we did not specifically test this in the lab.

How well does the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro attenuate noise?

Considering the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro’s price point, it can cancel outside noise quite well — a big check in the “plus” column if you’re looking for something to quiet your surroundings. Anecdotally, reviewing these earbuds came at a great time, as my neighbors chose the day I wrote this review to mow seemingly every rock in their yard. Normally on a beautiful summer day, this would be a massive annoyance with the windows open, but the swearing and engine sounds were well attenuated when they reached my ears.

Of course, you don’t need to have the ANC enabled if you’re going to be at home and don’t particularly care about maximum noise attenuation. You could also turn on the transparency mode with the app to stay connected to the world around you. Even if you turn the noise control off, you can still expect a decent isolation level should you have a good fit — which is critical. The ANC works best on the lowest lows and only adds a bit of attenuation from 300Hz on up, so a compromised seal will sound like your ANC isn’t working too well. If you notice that you can hear a lot of outside noise, chances are you’ve enabled the transparency mode by accident or need different ear tips.

How does the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro sound?

After you’ve ensured a good fit, the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro doesn’t sound bad. It’s a little strange that the only codec supported is SBC, but it’s come a long way, so you won’t notice it too much. As gaming headsets go, this one does a decent job of following our preferred headphone response curve. Of course, some expected underemphasis in the mids (200Hz-1kHz) leads to greater bass and treble perception. We recommend using an equalizer app to turn down treble above 1.1kHz by about 3-5 dB to make things easier on your ears.

If you’re trying to interpret what a squiggle on a chart means for sound, the long and short of it is that kick drums and bassy rumbles will be a bit louder than vocals and other instruments that occupy the mid-range. The boosted upper mids provide a bit of clarity.  In gaming, this king of sound works well as it’ll make heavy footsteps, explosions, and objects moving in deathmatch-style games like Counterstrike and Overwatch 2 a bit easier to hear. RPGs or puzzle games that rely more on the music side of things for gameplay, though any titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will get the best of both worlds due to the open-field combat and enemies that attempt to approach you from behind.

How good is the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro’s microphone?

We found that gaming clients like Discord and the team speak function of Blizzard and Steam-based games handled the speech from the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro competently. However, this isn’t a great competitor to the boom microphones of dedicated over-ear gaming headsets. Also, be aware if you’re out and about that the microphones struggle in the presence of wind noise. You might have difficulty being heard if a gust of wind comes through.

HyperX Cirro Buds Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

HyperX Cirro Buds Pro microphone demo (Office conditions):

HyperX Cirro Buds Pro microphone demo (Windy conditions):

Should you buy the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro?

If you’re looking for really decent ANC earbuds that cover all the basics for under $100, the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro is an easy pick. It might not knock your socks off in the sound department, but it’s a product that doesn’t get ahead of itself: it doesn’t try to do too much, and you can get good results without relying on an app for essential functions. I’m impressed, anyway.

Of course, this is a set of relatively cheap earbuds, so plenty on the market could suit your needs if they deviate even slightly from “gamer that wants earbuds for phone and console.” These will make everyone happy simply because the TWS market is so crowded with other options that suit the needs of many better. The HyperX Cirro Buds Pro fills its niche nicely.

What should you get instead of the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro?

There is no one option I’d recommend that’s an entirely analogous upgrade to the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro for the niche it fills. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 might be a little fancier than you’re looking for and are an excellent set of earphones. Alternatively, you could go even less expensive and grab the Anker Soundcore Space A40. Many options under $100 are decent nowadays, so poke around.

If you’re primarily looking to get into gaming headsets, however, there are almost too many competitors to count that can hang tough for the money — including many from HyperX. Assuming you want something to work with your PC or Nintendo Switch, you might be better served with a wired headset.

Frequently asked questions about the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro