INTRODUCTION

   Never before have both consumers and professionals alike found themselves in need for a PC headset but due to COVID-19 many people currently learn/study and do work remotely from the comfort of their homes. At the same time with gyms all over the world staying closed because of the same reason many people are choosing either to walk, run and/or ride their bicycles in order to keep healthy. Now i can't speak for everyone out there but when i go out to walk (or when I’m on the treadmill) for many kilometres i enjoy listening to music and since I’m pretty certain many others like that too what could be more ideal than a headset which could be used wirelessly both at home and at the office with their PC's/MAC's and even consoles and while on the road with their smartphones? Well, this is where the brand new GTW 270 Hybrid Closed Acoustic Gaming Wireless Earbuds by EPOS come in.

   ΕPOS is an audio company developing and selling devices for business professionals and the gaming community. Based on leading and advanced technologies, the newly established Danish company EPOS will deliver high-end audio solutions designed for Enterprise Solutions and Gaming headsets – with design, technology and performance as paramount parameters. EPOS derives from Latin and ancient Greek and is used to describe epic stories, speech and poetry. The name encapsulates our dedication to create solutions that enforce ways of communication and unleash human potential through the power of audio. EPOS operates in a global market with offices and partners in more than 30 countries and builds on more than 115 years of experience in sound and innovation. Find more information about EPOS at www.eposaudio.com.

   The GTW 270 are currently available in two "flavours" the standard one which just offers Bluetooth v5.1 connectivity (15m range with support for aptX/aptX HD/AAC/SBC audio codecs via the Qualcomm QCC3034 Bluetooth audio SoC) and the Hybrid one which also gets bundled with the GSA 70 USB-C dongle that offers aptX low-latency connectivity (less than 40ms latency / 5m range) to USB devices (like the PC, MAC, Nintendo Switch, Android phones/tablets and PS4). For the earbuds themselves EPOS has used curvy shaped enclosures which are not only IPX5 water resistant certified (protected from sweat and light rain) but thanks to years of research they remove pressure on the ears to ensure the best fit possible without any pain after long hours of use. Inside these enclosures we find 6mm dynamic drivers (20Hz-20KHz frequency response with 100dB sensitivity), dual noise-cancelling microphones (100Hz-7500Hz frequency response with -20dB sensitivity) and two 60mAh rechargeable lithium-polymer batteries (3.7V) which can keep the earbuds going for up to 5 hours. As with most TWS models currently in the market EPOS also bundles a small storage/charging box with the GTW 270/Hybrid which features an 500mAh internal lithium-polymer rechargeable battery pack (3.7V) thanks to which it can provide up to a total of 20 hours of playback time to the earbuds.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The GTW 270 Hybrid are packed inside a small black box that has a large product picture at the front right beneath the company logo.

A product description is located on the left side in 6 languages, just over the bundle contents.

Another product picture located at the rear is used to showcase the main product features.

You can take the entire bundle out from the front as seen above.

Along with the GTW 270 wireless earbuds and their charging/storage case inside the box you'll also find the GSA 70 USB-C dongle with a rubber cover/sleeve, 3 eartip sets (4 including the preinstalled ones), USB-A to USB-C cable, USB-A to USB-C female cable (extension cable for the dongle), warranty information papers and the quick start guide.

THE GTW 270 HYBRID

Both earbuds are ergonomically design for optimal fit and have the EPOS logo on their exterior.

Even though both measure 23.8mm in height, 23.2mm in width and 23.7mm in length the left one weighs 6.1g while the right one weighs 6.6g.

To have a better idea about their size i placed the GTW 270 right next to the Earfun Air Pro (review soon), JBL Live 300TWS, Lenovo HT10 and the 1MORE True Wireless ANC models.

On the exterior of the left earbud, we see just an activity LED whereas on the exterior of the right earbud we see two microphone holes (top/bottom) and an activity LED (between the microphones).

At the front top of the left earbud, we also see a convenient multi-function button via which you can control both audio (play/pause/next track/previous track) and calls (accept/end/reject).

Turning the earbuds around we see left/right markings and multiple charging contacts (what seems to be an audio port is also present here).

For the GTW 270 EPOS has used 6mm dynamic drivers and even though these aren't the largest ones I’ve seen used with a TWS model they are also not the smallest.

The 61g bundled storage case seems to be made out of aluminum, measures 67.5mm in length, 33.2mm in width and 36.2mm in height.

Again, to have a better idea about size i placed the charging case next to the charging cases of the Earfun Air Pro, JBL Live 300TWS, Lenovo HT10 and the 1MORE True Wireless ANC models.

The case also has the EPOS logo at the top, 5 activity LEDs at the front right over the pairing button (earbuds need to be inside the case to pair them to your smartphone) and the USB-C port at the rear.

Here you can see the interior without and with the earbuds.

The tiny dongle weighs just 2.8g and features a pairing button and an activity LED.

EPOS GAMING SUITE

You can customize the sound settings of the GTW 270 Hybrid via the EPOS Gaming Suite but prior to using it i strongly recommend checking for possible firmware updates from the settings page.

In order to perform the firmware update you will need to connect the charging case with your PC via the bundled USB-C cable and then place both earbuds inside.

From the settings page you can also change the voice prompt language and enable/disable notifications.

Once again from the speaker tab you can adjust the volume, choose one of the 4 available presets (esport/flat/movie/music), switch between stereo (2.0) and virtual surround sound (7.1), set the reverberation level and perform a sound test.

I did mention that when using the GSA 70 USB-C dongle you can't use the dual-microphones and that's what you can see in the above picture.

CONCLUSION

   The reason behind the why EPOS released two versions of the GTW 270 is pretty clear, the regular model was meant for people who are looking for true wireless stereo earbuds to pair with their smartphones whereas the hybrid model was released for people who’d also like to use it with their PC’s, MAC’s and consoles. Unfortunately, even though audio quality is very good (even without support for HD audio codecs) with crisp and accurate mids and highs and a decent amount of bass (although clearly not enough for some music genres) the GTW 270 Hybrid are not perfect. The reason i say this is because you simply can't use the dual-microphones via the GSA 70 USB-C dongle. Luckily EPOS is very clear about the fact that the aptX low latency feature only supports the playback channel so it didn't come as a surprise. Still, it would be nice if it was possible, especially for people working from home and/or people who may want to play online games (although these are clearly marketed primarily for consoles). Another feature I’d like to see would be a hearthrough function which is a very good way to maintain awareness of your surroundings even while using the earbuds. Yes, only a rather small percentage of TWS models have that specific feature but this is something I was expecting from the GTW 270 Hybrid. As for battery life thigs are very good here since at maximum volume, I was able to squeeze up to just over 4 hours and 20 minutes from the GTW 270 Hybrid. Sure, it may not be quite close to the advertised number (5 hours) but always remember that official measurements are not taken at maximum volume.

   So how much for the GTW 270 Hybrid by EPOS? Well, it currently retails for USD199.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 199Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is very balanced for what is pretty much a universal pair of TWS earbuds (if you don’t need the GSA 70 USB-C dongle then the regular version retails for around USD30/30Euros less). Overall, the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid is a great pair of TWS earbuds, granted it’s not perfect but thanks to its build quality, audio accuracy and clarity, great fit and very good battery life (for the size) it does come close and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IPX5 Certified)
- Very Good Audio Quality
- Call Quality (Dual Noise Cancelling Microphones)
- Battery Life (Up To 20 Hours Total)
- GSA 70 Dongle (aptX Low Latency)
- Great Fit
- Bluetooth v5.1
- GTW 270 & GTW 270 Hybrid Models Available

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Playback Channel Only (aptX Low Latency Mode)