RedMagic, Nubia’s gaming sub-brand, just 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 sold as the RedMagic Wired Earphones in China and as the RedMagic Magic Sound Earphones internationally. The Magic Sound version has actually been on the global store for a while; what is new is the China launch, which adds a 3.5mm variant alongside the USB-C model. The global store now lists both plug options too, although the USB-C SKU has been the easier of the two to grab. Pricing starts at CNY 89 (about $13) at home and lands at $21.90 overseas, which is still cheap by gaming earbud standards.
RedMagic has dipped into audio before. It put out TWS gaming earbuds as early as 2020 with the Cyberpods, and followed up with the higher-end Cyberbuds DAO TWS in mid-2023. The 2026 push for the wired Magic Sound line, especially the new 3.5mm SKU in China, is the brand’s quiet bet that wired audio still matters for competitive players who care about latency, battery anxiety, and a connection that does not drop in the middle of a ranked match.
Why wired gaming earphones, in 2026?
Wireless earbuds have taken over casual listening, but competitive mobile gaming has a different set of priorities. Even low-latency Bluetooth modes still add tens of milliseconds of delay, standard Bluetooth audio can run well over 100ms, and over the course of a long session, a wireless pair eventually needs charging. A wired pair plugs in and plays, with no pairing, no firmware updates, and no dead earbud in your case when the boss is about to spawn.
RedMagic is leaning into this with the Magic Sound Earphones. The pitch is simple: hear footsteps, hear gunshots, and do it without thinking about battery life.
Design and fit
The earphones use a semi in-ear shape, the same open-fit style Apple has used on its earphones and earbuds (AirPods) for years. They sit at the entrance of the ear canal instead of sealing into it. That means you keep a small window to ambient sound, which is useful in public, but it also means passive isolation is not on the table. If you want to silence the world around you, this is not that product.
The housings are aluminum alloy in a space gray metallic finish, with sharp facets that look pulled straight from RedMagic’s phone design language and a laser-etched mark on the casing. They are light, and clearly meant to be paired with a RedMagic handset. RedMagic also claims the cable shrugs off knots, which would be a quiet win for anyone who has yanked a wired pair out of a backpack mid-commute.
Sound: 14.2mm dynamic drivers
Inside each earpiece is a 14.2mm dynamic driver paired with what RedMagic calls a high fidelity composite diaphragm. That is a large driver for an earphone at this price, and the brand is pitching it as a way to widen the soundstage and bring out small details. Gunshots and footsteps get called out by name in RedMagic’s marketing as the in-game cues the tuning is meant to bring out.
Whether the tuning lives up to the spec sheet is a separate question, and we will need a review unit to find out. On paper, a big driver in a cheap wired shell is a recipe that audio tinkerers have liked for years.
In-line remote and mic
Halfway down the cable sits a three-button puck: play and pause, volume up, volume down, with a mic baked in for calls. That is enough for taking calls, jumping into Discord, or shouting at a teammate without picking up your phone. The semi in-ear fit also means your own voice does not get trapped in your ear, which usually helps you talk at a normal volume.
USB-C vs 3.5mm: which one matters?
This is the most interesting part of the launch. RedMagic is one of the few phone brands still putting a 3.5mm jack on its gaming flagships. By offering both a USB-C and a 3.5mm version in China, it is giving its own customers a real choice, not just a leftover SKU.
For everyone else, the global USB-C model works with most modern Android phones, Windows laptops, and iPhones with USB-C, including the iPhone 15, 16, and 17 series. RedMagic’s global store also lists a 3.5mm version of the Magic Sound Earphones at $21.90, though the USB-C SKU has been the easier of the two to grab. The USB-C version almost certainly carries an internal DAC, since RedMagic markets it as compatible with Android, Windows, and iOS, and iPhones with USB-C only work with digital USB audio.
Plug-and-play behavior can still vary by phone, so a quick check before you buy is wise. The 3.5mm version will plug into pretty much anything with a headphone jack, including a Nintendo Switch, a Steam Deck, a PS5 controller, and any older handset still rocking the port.
Price and availability
The RedMagic Wired Earphones cost CNY 89 (roughly $13 or €11) in China for either the USB-C or 3.5mm variant. The international RedMagic Magic Sound Earphones are listed at $21.90 on RedMagic’s global store for both the USB-C and 3.5mm variants, with warranty coverage and free shipping when bundled with a phone. The USB-C variant has been the easier of the two to actually buy.
At that price, they are not really competing with premium TWS gaming buds like the Cyberbuds DAO TWS, which sit at $229. They are competing with cheap wired pairs and the ones still rattling around in the bottom of your drawer.
Who should buy them
The RedMagic Magic Sound Earphones make sense for mobile gamers who want a no fuss audio upgrade, anyone who still owns a phone with a 3.5mm jack, and tinkerers who want a cheap, large driver pair to mess with. If you need active noise cancellation, a quiet commute, or premium codec support, look at true wireless instead.
Price: $21.90
Where to Buy: Red Magic
For under $25, though, it is a fun reminder that wired audio is not dead. It is just waiting to come back, one budget earbud at a time.
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(as of June 8, 2026 01:12 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
