RedMagic’s $22 Wired Gaming Earphones Quietly Convey Again the three.5mm Jack

RedMagic, Nubia’s gaming sub-brand, simply expanded its wired gaming earphone lineup in 2026. No Bluetooth. No charging case. Just a cable, a 14.2mm driver, and a plug.

Price: $21.90
Where to Buy: Red Magic

The earphones are bought because the RedMagic Wired Earphones in China and because the RedMagic Magic Sound Earphones internationally. The Magic Sound model has truly been on the worldwide retailer for some time; what’s new is the China launch, which provides a 3.5mm variant alongside the USB-C mannequin. The world retailer now lists each plug choices too, though the USB-C SKU has been the better of the 2 to seize. Pricing begins at CNY 89 (about $13) at house and lands at $21.90 abroad, which remains to be low-cost by gaming earbud requirements.

RedMagic has dipped into audio earlier than. It put out TWS gaming earbuds as early as 2020 with the Cyberpods, and adopted up with the higher-end Cyberbuds DAO TWS in mid-2023. The 2026 push for the wired Magic Sound line, particularly the brand new 3.5mm SKU in China, is the model’s quiet guess that wired audio nonetheless issues for aggressive gamers who care about latency, battery anxiousness, and a connection that doesn’t drop in the midst of a ranked match.

Why wired gaming earphones, in 2026?

Wireless earbuds have taken over informal listening, however aggressive cellular gaming has a unique set of priorities. Even low-latency Bluetooth modes nonetheless add tens of milliseconds of delay, commonplace Bluetooth audio can run properly over 100ms, and over the course of an extended session, a wi-fi pair finally wants charging. A wired pair plugs in and performs, with no pairing, no firmware updates, and no lifeless earbud in your case when the boss is about to spawn.

RedMagic is leaning into this with the Magic Sound Earphones. The pitch is easy: hear footsteps, hear gunshots, and do it with out desirous about battery life.

Design and match

The earphones use a semi in-ear form, the identical open-fit type Apple has used on its earphones and earbuds (AirPods) for years. They sit on the entrance of the ear canal as a substitute of sealing into it. That means you retain a small window to ambient sound, which is beneficial in public, however it additionally means passive isolation will not be on the desk. If you need to silence the world round you, this isn’t that product.

The housings are aluminum alloy in an area grey metallic end, with sharp sides that look pulled straight from RedMagic’s cellphone design language and a laser-etched mark on the casing. They are mild, and clearly meant to be paired with a RedMagic handset. RedMagic additionally claims the cable shrugs off knots, which might be a quiet win for anybody who has yanked a wired pair out of a backpack mid-commute.

Sound: 14.2mm dynamic drivers

Inside every earpiece is a 14.2mm dynamic driver paired with what RedMagic calls a excessive constancy composite diaphragm. That is a big driver for an earphone at this value, and the model is pitching it as a technique to widen the soundstage and convey out small particulars. Gunshots and footsteps get referred to as out by identify in RedMagic’s advertising and marketing because the in-game cues the tuning is supposed to carry out.

Whether the tuning lives as much as the spec sheet is a separate query, and we’ll want a overview unit to search out out. On paper, an enormous driver in an affordable wired shell is a recipe that audio tinkerers have favored for years.

In-line distant and mic

Halfway down the cable sits a three-button puck: play and pause, quantity up, quantity down, with a mic baked in for calls. That is sufficient for taking calls, leaping into Discord, or shouting at a teammate with out choosing up your cellphone. The semi in-ear match additionally means your personal voice doesn’t get trapped in your ear, which normally helps you discuss at a traditional quantity.

USB-C vs 3.5mm: which one issues?

This is probably the most attention-grabbing a part of the launch. RedMagic is without doubt one of the few cellphone manufacturers nonetheless placing a 3.5mm jack on its gaming flagships. By providing each a USB-C and a 3.5mm model in China, it’s giving its personal clients an actual selection, not only a leftover SKU.

For everybody else, the worldwide USB-C mannequin works with most fashionable Android telephones, Windows laptops, and iPhones with USB-C, together with the iPhone 15, 16, and 17 sequence. RedMagic’s world retailer additionally lists a 3.5mm model of the Magic Sound Earphones at $21.90, although the USB-C SKU has been the better of the 2 to seize. The USB-C model virtually actually carries an inner DAC, since RedMagic markets it as suitable with Android, Windows, and iOS, and iPhones with USB-C solely work with digital USB audio.

Plug-and-play conduct can nonetheless fluctuate by cellphone, so a fast examine before you purchase is sensible. The 3.5mm model will plug into just about something with a headphone jack, together with a Nintendo Switch, a Steam Deck, a PS5 controller, and any older handset nonetheless rocking the port.

Price and availability

The RedMagic Wired Earphones value CNY 89 (roughly $13 or €11) in China for both the USB-C or 3.5mm variant. The worldwide RedMagic Magic Sound Earphones are listed at $21.90 on RedMagic’s world retailer for each the USB-C and three.5mm variants, with guarantee protection and free delivery when bundled with a cellphone. The USB-C variant has been the better of the 2 to truly purchase.

At that value, they don’t seem to be actually competing with premium TWS gaming buds just like the Cyberbuds DAO TWS, which sit at $229. They are competing with low-cost wired pairs and those nonetheless rattling round within the backside of your drawer.

Who should purchase them

The RedMagic Magic Sound Earphones make sense for cellular avid gamers who need a no fuss audio improve, anybody who nonetheless owns a cellphone with a 3.5mm jack, and tinkerers who need an affordable, giant driver pair to mess with. If you want lively noise cancellation, a quiet commute, or premium codec help, have a look at true wi-fi as a substitute.

Price: $21.90
Where to Buy: Red Magic

For underneath $25, although, it’s a enjoyable reminder that wired audio will not be lifeless. It is simply ready to return again, one funds earbud at a time.