Over-the-ear open back headphones with surround sound are, probably, the most popular wearing option amongst most gamers but, it's a big misconception to think a surround sound headset is the only viable gaming option.
Sure, it makes sense to use a surround sound headset with games that support surround sound but, it's not a day and night advantage that you get over a stereo headset, which also does a good job of differentiating the location of sounds coming from above, side and behind you.
If you are dead on getting a stereo headset for gaming and would like a more compact audio solution than the current popular offerings on the market, the Edifier GM3SE might just be it! In-ear gaming earphones might not be the most sought-after option by gamers but, they do offer a distinctive advantage that professional gamers realize and, that is better sound isolation.
Wearing in-ear earphones while gaming allow you to wear over-ear headphones on top should you need to block out even more sound to a deafening level when needed the most like when playing LAN party multiplayer.
If you like the in-ear ex-factor and/or are used to the ergonomics of in-ears to listen to music, the Edifier GM3SE will feel like a natural choice. They offer as good passive noise cancellation and a different alternative to hearing game sounds without bulky headphones or TV speakers.
Another advantage you get with the GM3SE earphones is two separate microphones, one of which is a detachable omni-direction microphone with a boom microphone style so, the microphone sits at the tip of a bendable arm.
The bendable microphone arm measures 13cm long and weighs just 6 grams. The earphones (including the cable and remote) weigh just 24 grams; hence the total weight is 30 grams, which is very lightweight compared to the average size of a gaming headset (200 + grams).
Compared to other dual driver in-ear earphones, the GM3SE earphones are on par in terms of weight, just a tad heavier. This is no problem though, thanks to the included ear wings that prevent the earbuds from falling out.
The GM3SE cable measures 1.3 meters long and it's made with a springy rubber sleeve, which minimizes the cable getting tangled too much. At the cable end, you find a standard 3.5mm jack connector with a right-angled rubber plug that has the word Edifier imprinted on it.
The GM3SE in-ear earphones can be plugged into any 3.5mm audio source, including Playstation4, Android, iOS devices and laptop/computers. For the latter, you will need to use an audio/mic splitter cable, which is included. The audio/mic splitter cable is approximately 2 feet long.
Construction-wise, the GM3SE in-ear earphones have a hard plastic body construction with metal front covers that resemble the circular grooves of an electric cooker hotplate.
The top section of the earbuds has a shiny black finish, while the body and nozzles have a matte black finish. The GM3SE earphones are on the bulky side, measuring 3cm long and 2cm wide so, they do stick out of your ears.
The pinholes you see on top of the body of the earphones are vent holes to allow better bass response. Speaking of bass, the GM3SE have two 10mm dynamic drivers per earbud, one of which is designed to handle the bass frequencies alone. The second driver handles the midrange and treble frequencies.
Normally, dual driver setups include a balanced armature driver for the high frequencies, along with a dynamic driver. The GM3SE earphones in the other hand, have a rather unique dual driver setup because it doesn't have a balanced armature driver.
Having such a sizeable dynamic driver dedicated to the low frequencies really makes a difference to how you feel the bass. You can actually feel the bass shaking in your hands when holding the earphones between your fingertips.
The second microphone featured on the GM3SE earphones it's located on the back of the audio remote, which is integrated on the left channel cable, located approximately at neck level.The quality of the microphone is good and natural sounding. In fact, the quality of the inline remote microphone and detachable microphone is comparable.
The audio remote features a unique layout that is different from the standard 3-button remotes you see on most earphones. The GM3SE remote features a physical and circular metal button, which has the same hotplate design as the earphones covers, as well as a volume slider that makes adjusting volume much easier than pressing a button.
The circular metal button is multi-functional and controls a total of 6 functions via a series of single and double presses. Remembering all functions does take a bit of getting used to in the beginning.
Inside the box, you also get different size ear tips, different size ear wings, a shirt clip and a fabric drawstring pouch. Buy it on Amazon. Check out the review of the Hecate GX headset.