TWS true wireless earphones - under $25
FOUR STARS - The Haylou GT7 sounds so energetic and aggressive, it comes down to your taste if you like it.
Haylou GT7 specs and features:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC codec
4,5 hours playtime on a single charge
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 3 times
Comes with three ear tips and USB-C cable
$25 - Check price on AliExpress (possibly cheaper link)
Below this Haylou GT7 review, you will find comparisons of the Haylou GT7 vs QCY T13, Baseus W12, Mpow M13 and Fiil T1 Lite.
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Design, comfort and battery life
There's a neat little thing about the charging case of the Haylou GT7. You can see through the dark grey lid, so you'll see the earbuds' red or white charging lights underneath it when you put them in the case and they start charging. The case is compact enough, with rounded corners and the USB-C charging port on one of the round sides, along with a case charging indicator.
The earbuds have a familiair design. They have the o-so popular oval shape which lies diagonally in your ears, attached to a medium-length stem. The matte black design comes without any branding and looks plain and generic, but it's okay for this price.
Haylou uses oval rubber ear tips on the GT7, and they're placed at a specific angle that makes the stems point a bit forward when you're wearing them. Thanks to their moderate size, they're still easy to fit and comfortable to wear for a few hours.
The battery reaches up to a standard 4,5 hours of playtime on a single charge, and the case can recharge the earbuds three times fully before needing new power itself. Unfortunately, Haylou doesn't provide a waterproof rating for the earbuds, but it should survive some rain as the housing doesn't have holes on the top end.
Controls and connectivity
The Haylou GT7 has a limited and unlogical control scheme, and the GT7 always takes a little time to pick up your input.
Tap L or R to play/ pause music
Double-tap R to skip a song
Double-tap L to (de)activate the gaming mode
Triple-tap L or R to activate the voice-assistant
It's impossible to return a song on the earbuds, and volume controls are also missing. Meanwhile, the voice assistant is tied to two sides - the controls don't make sense. Activating the gaming mode is also inconvenient, as the beeps du-DUM (activate) and DU-dum (deactivate) are too much alike.
Connectivity is good. The Bluetooth signal keeps strong up to 9-10 meters away from your device, and the earbuds pair and connect quickly enough when you take them out of the case. It's possible to switch between listening to two or two earbuds at all times, but music doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out.
Calling and watching movies
Phone and video calls like Microsoft Teams and Zoom meetings are easily doable with the G7, as your voice sounds loud and clear enough. Brighter background noises like claps, chatter, and accelerating scooters do come through in calls and can cause a dip in your voice, but in most circumstances, calling shouldn't be a problem.
Video playback is also good, with flawless synchronization between audio and video on Android and iPhone.
The gaming mode helps to reduce the delay in sound effects while you're playing games, although not at the level of competitors like the Edifier X3s or Redmi Buds 3 Lite. Expect a spacious and very explosive sound in games - read the next part to see why.
Also read: The best wireless earbuds under $25
Sound quality of Haylou GT7: Very energetic
The Haylou GT7 has an energetic sound - and then some.
It's easy to say the Haylou GT7 bass is more pronounced than other offerings from the brand, like the AirPods-like Haylou GT6 or the older but beloved Haylou GT1 Plus.
The GT7's mid-bass delivers a strong and deep thump that especially energizes modern genres like hip-hop and dance; it provides a nice and quickly paced push. When a song pushes bass out of itself, it becomes apparent that bass tones last longer than average - they bloat a bit - and the bass can get muddy.
The same goes for the sub-bass, the darkest tones you can feel as much as hear: the subs go deep and it can deliver strong rumble, but when a song leans into it, it also becomes loose - a bit muddy like the mid-bass, and it starts to depend on your taste whether you like a big full rumbling, or prefer something tighter and cleaner.
The brand altered the top-end of the Haylou GT3, and in the higher frequencies, there's now a better balance between clarity and sharpness. The elevated upper-mids bring very forward female and brighter male vocals with some nice detail, and lighter instruments like violins and trumpets sound clear. They aren't too bright, but border on harsh and can be a bit peaky. Still, there's enough emphasis on lower mid-tones (like drums and darker electronic tones) to give music a warm undertone.
What you can't read between the lines yet, is that the Haylou GT7 sounds rather aggressive. The strong and quick bass thumps, forward upper-mids, AND lower-mids emphasis make the sound powerful - but it can also be too much - even though there's quite a bit of air in the sound. The emphasis on all the frequencies doesn't feel streamlined, and it doesn't help that the bass can come with a slight crackle, and higher male vocals and guitars can sound raw.
With almost no rest in the sound, the Haylou GT7 challenges you. It's a nice choice to have if you're seeking an energetic sound on a budget, but if you love a more balanced signature, consider looking elsewhere.
Haylou GT7 comparisons
Haylou GT7 vs Earfun Free Mini
The Earfun Free Mini may have bigger and less comfortable earbuds, but its high waterproof rating and slightly longer battery life are advantages over the Haylou GT7. It handles phone and video calls just as good, and most importantly, it has a better implementation of an energetic sound than the GT7. The differences aren't even that big on lower volumes - but things change on active listening levels. The Earfun's mid-bass has a bit less impact, but as the forward upper-mid vocals are less bright, and lower-mids are boosted further, the Free Mini sounds warmer and more pleasant - while still uplifting enough.
Earfun Free Mini review ($20)
Haylou GT7 vs QCY T13
The QCY T13 is Scarbir.com's top recommendation for wireless earbuds under $25 as it's versatile. It has a steady mid-bass, its sound feels wide, and there's enough emphasis on mid-tones to handle rock and acoustic genres just as well as dance and electronic genres. Indeed, it does all those things better than the Haylou. Dissecting the sound, you could point higher vocals have more detail on the GT7, that the bass goes deeper, lower-mids have more texture, and that there's more air on top. But in truth, the more balanced, well-rounded, and more natural-sounding QCY T13 feels like a bit of a homecoming after listening to the shouty GT7. The QCY also has more spatial details and much better battery life.
QCY T13 review ($25)
Haylou GT7 vs Baseus W12
The Haylou GT7 has better call quality than the Baseus W12, and it has a gaming mode you can actually activate on the earbuds, whereas Baseus doesn't deliver on that promise. The Haylou has a much more aggressive sound than the Baseus, with harder-hitting mid-bass and crisper, more forward vocals. In songs that aren't too crowded, like dance and hip-hop tracks, the GT7 also shows more space in the sound. The Baseus W12's added weight in the mid-tones makes acoustic instruments sound more natural and give (lower) vocals more body - while still triggering a satisfyingly deep bass. The Baseus is more balanced and versatile, the GT7 more energetic but shouty.
Baseus W12 review ($25)
Haylou GT7 vs Fiil T1 Lite
An energetic sound that tries to emphasize lower and higher frequencies? The $35 Fiil T1 Lite plays the same tune, but even the Fill is a little more laidback than the Haylou. The T1 Lite doesn't push upper-mid vocals as far, avoiding the raw edge the Haylou has. Mid-instruments have more space in the T1 Lite sound, resulting in more natural guitars, male vocals, and piano play. Music is a bit rounder, a tad fuller. The Haylou GT7 has more air on top, and its mid-bass thumps are harder and deeper than the Fill (with the Bass EQ activated!), but it's also shoutier. Considering the Fiil also has a dedicated gaming mode, app support that lets you change controls, and 6 hours of battery life compared to Haylou's 4,5 hours, it may be worth spending more on the Fiil.
Fiil T1 Lite review ($35)
Verdict
The Haylou GT7 sounds so energetic and aggressive, it comes down to your taste if you like it. With good comfort, a gaming mode, and very acceptable call quality, it's a nice option to have in the overly crowded budget TWS segment.
Four stars - Good
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Check price on AliExpress
Check price on AliExpress (alternative link)
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