Description
The SteelSeries Tusq is a pair of wired in ear gaming earphones with an ear hook design and two microphones: a small inline unit built into the cable, and a detachable boom that clips on when a better microphone is needed. The connection is a 3.5 mm analog plug, and SteelSeries lists compatibility with PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and smartphones.
The format is worth being clear about because the listing muddles it. These are earphones that sit in the ear canal, held in place by a hook that goes over the outer ear. They are not over ear headphones with cups. Anyone wanting a full size headset should look at the Turtle Beach Recon 50 or the SteelSeries Siberia v2, and other in ear options are covered by the ROCCAT Syn Pro Air listing, although that product is in fact an over ear headset filed in the earbud category, which is the reverse of this one.
The Two Microphone Arrangement
The dual microphone system is the most useful feature here and it is a sensible design. A small microphone is built into the cable for everyday use, so the earphones work for phone calls and casual voice chat straight out of a pocket with nothing attached. When better voice quality is needed for a game session, a boom microphone clips on and positions itself near the mouth.
That covers two very different use cases with one product. An inline microphone picks up a lot of room noise because it sits on the chest, while a boom positioned near the mouth captures far more voice relative to background sound. Being able to switch between them, and to leave the boom at home when commuting, is more flexible than either arrangement alone.
The product title describes the earphones as noise cancelling. Nothing in the listing indicates active noise cancellation, and on a wired earphone with no battery and no electronics box, active cancellation is not possible. The noise cancelling reference almost certainly describes the boom microphone’s directional design rather than any noise reduction for the listener. Buyers wanting active cancellation should look elsewhere.
Fit, Comfort And Connection
SteelSeries supplies three ear tip settings to fit different ear sizes. Tip fit determines almost everything about how an in ear earphone performs: a poor seal loses bass entirely and lets in outside noise, while a good seal delivers both. Three sizes is the minimum acceptable provision and it is what most manufacturers include.
The ear hook design keeps the earphones in place during movement, which is why this pattern is common on sports and gaming earphones alike. SteelSeries describes the design as lightweight, though no weight figure appears anywhere.
The 3.5 mm analog connection is the practical strength. It works with a PlayStation controller, a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, a laptop, a phone with a headphone jack, and a PC. There is no charging, no pairing and no dongle. The corresponding limitation is that phones without a headphone jack need an adapter, and the listing does not mention one being supplied.
What The Listing Does Not Provide
The specification block on this listing is completely empty. There is no driver size beyond the phrase premium dynamic driver, no frequency response, no impedance, no sensitivity, no cable length, no weight, no microphone pickup pattern and no statement of what is included in the box beyond the ear tips implied by the title.
There is also no customer rating and no review count on the record at all, so there is no peer feedback to weigh.
The fifth feature bullet is worth quoting because it demonstrates the state of the data. It reads, in part, a one year gate warranty from Japan, followed by the phrase 0.14 inches, 3.5 mm, analog connection repeated five times in sequence, and ending with made in China. That is a machine translation of a Japanese listing that has broken down completely. The only recoverable facts in it are that the connection is a 3.5 mm analog plug, which is stated elsewhere, that the product is made in China, and that some form of one year warranty is mentioned, though the terms and the responsible party are not clear.
Highlights
- In ear earphones with an over the ear hook to hold them in place.
- Built in inline microphone for everyday use.
- Detachable boom microphone for gaming and voice chat.
- 3.5 mm analog connection with no charging or pairing.
- Listed compatibility with PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and smartphones.
- Three ear tip sizes supplied.
- Dynamic driver, described by SteelSeries as premium.
Things To Consider
The complete absence of specifications is the main problem with this listing rather than with the product. A buyer comparing in ear gaming earphones normally looks at driver size, frequency response and impedance, and none of the three is available here. The absence of any customer rating removes the fallback of peer experience.
The garbled warranty bullet is a genuine concern in its own right. A buyer cannot tell from it who provides the warranty, what it covers or how a claim would be made, and the reference to Japan on a product sold in the United States raises a question about which distribution channel this listing represents. That is worth clarifying with the seller before purchase.
The in ear format also carries inherent trade offs against a full size headset. Isolation depends entirely on tip fit rather than on ear cups. Soundstage is narrower, which matters for positional audio in competitive games. And in ear comfort over a multi hour session is highly individual, with some people finding pressure builds up in a way that headband headsets do not cause.
Against that, the portability is real. A pair of earphones with a removable boom fits in a pocket in a way no headset does, which suits handheld console play and travel. Readers comparing options can browse the headsets category and the earbud headphones category.
Who It Suits
The Tusq suits a player who moves between a handheld console, a phone and a PC, wants one wired audio device for all three, and values being able to attach a proper boom microphone for gaming and remove it for commuting. The dual microphone arrangement is a genuinely well judged design for that pattern.
It is the wrong purchase for anyone who wants active noise cancellation despite the title’s wording, for players who prefer the isolation and soundstage of a full headset, for buyers who need documented specifications before purchase, and for anyone who relies on customer reviews, since this listing carries none at all.
