Truly wireless earbuds are truly magical devices. Unfortunately, you often have to cough up serious money for premium earbuds. We’re reviewing the Haylou GT7 to see how much value you can expect from a $20 pair of earbuds. The results at this price point might surprise you.
Haylou GT7 TWS Earbuds
Product Summary: Good Sound Quality, Great Value
The Haylou GT7 earbuds can often be bought for less than $20 dollars when on sale. In 2022, that’s not a huge surprise, as there are a ton of cheap truly wireless earbuds on the market. Few can deliver audio quality and features that compete when compared to the Haylou GT7. The GT7 wireless earbuds have Bluetooth 5.2. That’s the latest version to provide a reliable, stable connection to your device of choice. You can also use either earbud independently in Mono mode. This means you can use your preferred earbud when listening to music, watching video, or playing games.
Speaking of games, the Haylou GT7 is a dedicated ultra-low latency mode for gaming. A double-tap of the left earbud enables low latency game mode. Latency under the low latency mode is an extremely impressive 65ms! You’ll also get an ultra-light design, call noise cancellation, AAC audio codec support, Bluetooth 5.2, and great battery life. These are some of the best headphones you can buy at this price point. We’ll break down everything in the rest of our Haylou GT7 review.
Design and Comfort
The circular charging case for the Haylou GT7 earbuds is compact and black. The folding top on the charging case is transparent with Halyou branding. This allows you to see the charging lights on each earbud as they charge. A charging light and the Type-C charging port can be found on the side of the charging case. You will find the Halyou GT7 has a stem body design that’s popular these days. The stem connects to the round part of each earbud which holds the ear tips. There is no logo or brand on the actual ae
Small, medium, and large ear tips are provided with the GT7 earbuds. The medium tips are installed by default. You should definitely experiment with each of the ear tips to figure out the best seal. A tight seal will be needed for great sound and bass. With its relatively lightweight, wearing the Halyou GT7 for hours was pretty comfortable. There should be no issues with movement once you find the right ear tips for your ears.
Battery Life and Controls
You’ll get a solid 5 hours of battery life from the Haylou GT7 on a single charge. The compact charging case will provide an extra 15 hours of battery life. That’s an impressive 20 hours in total of extended battery life. The ergonomically designed wireless earbuds also sit nicely into the provided charging box. You can re-charge the charging case using a USB Type-C cable.
Touch controls are always one of those features that sound good. Unfortunately, they have to be implemented correctly. Touch inputs were not always as responsive as I’d like. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced this with TWS earbuds. It typically gets better after spending more time with the earphones. Here is a breakdown of controls for the Haylou GT7.
- One Tap on either earbud to play and pause audio
- Double-tap right earbud to skip playback forward
- Double-tap left earbud to toggle low latency mode on and off
- Triple-tap either earbud to summon voice assistant
The touch control scheme is definitely a little convoluted and has its issues. It actually solves one common problem. Even with more premium earbuds, there are control limitations when using only one earbud. You’re out of luck using the left earbud if only the right earbud can pause playback. You will need to grab your phone. That may be a niche concern though. The Haylou GT7 still addresses it by allowing you to pause and summon the voice assistant with either earbud. Unfortunately, there is no ability to adjust the volume or go to the previous track when listening to music. I have a feeling the trade is worth it for some and not for others. In my opinion, it’s worth the trade for an office environment where your phone is often within reach.
Call and Sound Quality
You won’t find a balanced sound signature when listening to music on the Haylou GT7 earbuds. There’s a warmth to its sound signature. That includes some bass that is impressively deep and forceful for a pair of small earbuds. The detail and clarity on these earbuds was admittedly a little better than I expected at this price point. Vocals do not get overshadowed and come through well. Some vocals and instruments will definitely carry that additional warmth. You’re getting a dynamic sound signature that is bass-heavy and in-your-face with the Haylou GT7 earbuds.
While the bass from the GT7 earbuds can be hard-hitting, it can also get a little boomy and distorted at times. Especially on tracks where a lot of deep bass notes are called for. Some won’t mind this. It will likely be a better fit for bass-heavy genres like rap or electronic. The GT7 earbuds are a great budget option for fans of bass-heavy headphones.
The Haylou GT7 supports AAC and SBC codecs. It also has the latest Bluetooth 5.2 and maintains a stable connection to any source device. There is no Bluetooth multipoint support. These headphones are also compatible with Android and Apple phones. The Halyou GT7 earbuds have a microphone and you won’t have any issues using it as a Bluetooth headset. Voices come through the headphones with good clarity during video calls. One of the features Haylou touts is “AI Call Noise Cancellation”. It’s an algorithm that works to reduce the impact of background noise during calls. I can’t speak for how effective it is, but the call quality was fine. Maybe a little more than I would expect at this price point, but nothing extraordinary.
Low Latency Mode
The Haylou GT7 low latency mode for gaming deserves a mention. When activated (Double-tap left earbud), latency is only 65ms. This is a convenient feature they advertise mostly for those using their headphones for gaming. The low latency mode should help avoid situations where video and audio are out of sync. That’s an annoyance and a competitive disadvantage for gamers. Latency and lag issues are also a pain when watching videos on your phone or TV. The GT7’s low latency mode should negate some of those issues.
Pros and Cons of Haylou GT7 Earbuds
Pros
- Extremely Affordable TWS Earbuds
- Great Sound Quality for Price
- Low Latency Mode and Bluetooth 5.2
Cons
- Warm Sound Signature Not for Everyone
- Wierd Control Scheme
Keith Collins has been writing for over 15 years for various publications. He’s a lover of music, home theater, and excellent sound quality. His fondness for technology in addition to his non-stop curiosity fuels his writing ventures.