EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review

Name: EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid
Item: EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid
Rating: 6.8
Author: Prans

Product Information:

Official Store: https://www.eposaudio.com/en/gaming/products/gtw-270-hybrid-low-latency-connection-bluetooth-gaming-headset-1000230

EPOS’ GTW 270 Hybrid is a closed acoustic wireless earbuds geared for gamers that comes packed with a dedicated USB-C Bluetooth dongle so that you can pair it directly with the Nintendo Switch. Touted as having been “engineered for gaming”, are they worth a buy?

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After its branding partnership with Sennheiser, EPOS is venturing forth in the gaming peripheral market on its own. The GTW 270 Hybrid under review today is one such device from the Danish company and packs the following specs:

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Image courtesy of EPOS

Out of the packaging comes the following:

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Earbuds
Charging Case
Dongle
Dongle bumper
Charging cable
USB-C to USB-A extension cable
Ear adapter set (XS/ S / M / L)
User manuals

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If the €199 / $199 price tag didn’t give it away, then seeing the GTW 270 out of the box makes it clear: this is a premium product. The carry case (which doubles as a charging case for the earbuds) boasts a matte, all-metal finish with a nice heft to it without feeling heavy. Its lid is secured by a magnetic lock and flipping it open reveals the grooves to store/charge the earbuds and on the top, inner part is a rubberized pad bearing the name ‘EPOS’. At the back of the case is a USB-C charging port while at the front are 5 small LEDs that indicate the battery life of the case itself. These LEDs also blink red/blue while pairing which is initiated by holding the button under those LEDs for 3 seconds.

While the anodized aluminium material undoubtedly gives the case a classy look, they are unfortunately scratch-prone. This is especially the case when in contact with other metallic objects such as keys and EPOS recommends to avoid carrying the case close to other metallic objects.

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As for the earbuds themselves, they have a tough plastic shell, with the outer, visible part (when worn) packing a matte grey finish similar to the case and bearing the EPOS logo. Once fitted with an appropriately-sized ear tip (there are a couple included in the package), the comfort that the GTW 270 Hybrid offers is also noteworthy; making them suitable to use for extended hours. Being lightweight also helps in that regard. If fitted well, the earbuds do offer a decent seal from ambient noise so that you can better appreciate your audio experience.

I am particularly fond of the low-profile design as they are more inconspicuous while in use as compared to other wireless earbuds like the Apple AirPods with an end sticking out of the ear.

However, unlike other earbuds, they don’t feature any touch controls but packs a physical button on the left earbud. I don’t think it’s a particularly bad thing; in fact, I much prefer physical buttons on earbuds or audio smart glasses (which are essentially earbuds strapped to frames) as these make for easier and more accurate controls.

The control button on the GTW 270 Hybrid is rather discreet, located on the front upper side of the left earbud and is easily reachable while the device is being worn. For music, a single press plays/pauses the audio, double presses go to the next track and three presses go to the previous track. For calls, a single press accepts/ends a call while holding it for 3 seconds rejects a call. Holding the button for 3 seconds while paired to a smartphone calls up the virtual assistant (Siri / Alexa / Google Assistant).

These might sound like a lot to memorise but you do get the hang of it with time. Alternatively, you can still use the source device for such controls. However, a major missing control feature of these earbuds is the ability to adjust volume from them. If EPOS went as far as to include a physical button on the left earbud, it could have integrated a volume control option with it or even included a second control button in the right earbud for this purpose. Being unable to control audio from the earbuds is rather inconvenient as you will need to rely on the source device to do this, which means reaching out to your phone in your pocket while listening to music or moving closer to your PC when gaming. Personally, I think this defeats the purpose of wireless earphones altogether.

While in use, the right earbud controls the Bluetooth transmission and can function on its own for mono music playback or calls. As such, the left earbud can only be used when the right earbud is also used and removing the latter while both earbuds are in use will automatically pause the audio being played. Putting it back on will then resume what was playing.

Of course, since these are wireless earbuds, you should not expect audio on par with higher-end wired headphones nor think of these as fit for competitive multiplayer titles (the company shares a similar opinion as well). For single player games, which I personally prefer, the GTW 270 Hybrid works great. I tried it on PC with The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos, my Spotify playlist on my phone and while watching YouTube videos, and the experience was satisfying. The earbuds do deliver clear audio and even pick up some of the fainter audio nuances, although understandably not as much as headsets like the Creative SXFI GAMER.

With the GTW 270 Hybrid, the main enticing feature for me was its compatibility with the Nintendo Switch. Just plug in the USB-C dongle and the earbuds will connect to it. It’s a plug-and-play affair and works well, although I still miss the ability to control audio on the device itself. But I was very satisfied with the aptX audio quality that the USB-C dongle offers. I used it with my second run of Peril on Gorgon and with the indie title Genesis Noir whose strong jazz score is a characteristic feature and the GTW 270 Hybrid proves to be always up to snuff to deliver crisp and quality audio that enhances the overall gaming experience.

Being IPX 5 water resistant, the earbuds are protected from sweat and light rain, and are thus perfectly useable for sports or when going out and about. But the main draw for the GTW 270 Hybrid is for gaming as EPOS advertises that’s what it was engineered to do; and for that, the audio quality it delivers it noticeably good for a device of its size.

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On the battery side, these earbuds also perform well; offering up to five hours of listening time that can be extended up to 20 with the charge case. Of course, this depends on individual use but when switching across devices to listen to music, play games and watch videos, I found mine to last around 5 hours as well. Of note, I found my Switch’s battery to drain faster with the GTW 270 Hybrid paired to it via the dongle; so it’s worth keeping in mind.

Considering the comfort, audio quality, battery life and tangle-free experience that these earbuds offer make you appreciate what you’re paying for… almost.

Almost, because while the included aptX USB-C dongle offers an arguably better listening experience with low latency, high quality audio, aptX only supports the playback channel and leaves out the microphone functionality. This is mostly an issue with the aptX codec rather than with the GTW 270 itself but it’s still not ideal. Thankfully, the earbuds also support standard Bluetooth 5.1 connection, so you can switch to that for mic support and its dual microphone design delivers clear enough audio for a device this size, although nothing really exceptional. But you’ll have to compromise on the audio quality.

That said, I am mostly using the GTW 270 Hybrid with my Switch and this combo is what I think these earbuds are best suited for. However, Bluetooth dongles for the Switch is nothing new as the GuliKit Route+ Pro already introduced its excellent solution years ago that lets you pair virtually any Bluetooth headset to the console. So you could easily buy GuliKit’s cheaper solution to pair with your favourite Bluetooth headset/earbud and have (a lot of) cash to spare.

EPOS’ dongle on the other hand works only with the GTW 270 Hybrid from what I’ve tested. Also, this add-on seems like an afterthought for a repurposed earbud model (EPOS sells a slightly cheaper, dongle-less GTW 270 version for €169) as it has to be carried separately. It would be much more convenient to have a dedicated slot in the carry case for it. There’s an included bumper of sorts for the dongle to act as a shock absorber but a slot within the case would be more handy.

It’s worth noting that there’s also a USB-C to USB-A extension cable included in the package to make the dongle compatible with more devices and consoles. EPOS says that it works with the PS4 and PS5; although I did not test it with those devices as I don’t own them. But it's a nice-to-have, but you’ll have to keep in mind that you’ll need to compromise the mic function.

One hiccup that I came across when switching from one device to the next is about pairing. The earbuds pair easiest to the last device it was connected to and in order to switch to another device, I found it to be easier to enter pairing mode from the case (without needing to go to Bluetooth settings on the source device). On a related note, the pairing window is rather short, giving you only a couple of seconds to successfully pair with a device before being unavailable to pair altogether. It's not a deal-break per se but not very convenient either.

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I wouldn’t say that the GTW 270 Hybrid is a bad pair of wireless earbuds. On the contrary, it delivers great audio quality, is very comfortable to use and I’m particularly fond of its looks. But it’s held down by some technical issues like the lack of microphone support in aptX mode (again it’s due to the aptX codec rather than the device itself), a dongle that works with only this particular model and the inability to adjust volume directly from the earbuds. For the premium price of the GTW 270 Hybrid, these issues can’t be overlooked and make for a rather tough recommendation, unless you want to use it solely for single-player titles on-the-go with the Switch/mobile which it is best suited for.

Verdict

What We Liked ...

Audio quality
Low-profile design
Versatile
Handy wireless earbuds + dongle combo for Switch

What We Didn't Like ...

No on-device volume controls
No microphone feature with aptX dongle
Pricey
Bluetooth dongle has to be stored separately

6.8

out of 10

Overall

The EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid is a versatile earbud that delivers on the quality but is held down by some technical shortcomings.

Reactions: Deleted member 668561, Rickster, vaugerbird and 2 others

They look pretty nice, but damn that price.....

Rickster
Mar 30, 2021

I like these, if you prefer to only wear one bud, it can only be possible with the right side not the left. Not like a traditional AirPod where you can pick and choose. Yeah the pairing system is bonkers.

DKB
Mar 30, 2021

That price is rough. At that price, you can get refurbished Sony XM4's..

Joe88
Mar 30, 2021

This is way too expensive for the specs and features or lack of features I should say...

Rickster said:
I like these, if you prefer to only wear one bud, it can only be possible with the right side not the left. Not like a traditional AirPod where you can pick and choose. Yeah the pairing system is bonkers.

master/slave connection is fairly standard on cheaper earbuds (though some cheap ones support either earbud, and by cheap I mean in the $25-50 range) but why they exist on $200 earbuds I have no clue

Reactions: Rickster

Whatever "aptX" is; first time I've seen that name.

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