Earbuds normally don’t have a place in a gamer’s arsenal. Also, some prospective users are put off by the idea of sticking little balls of rubber into their ear canals. Even if you fall into that camp, the SteelSeries Flux In-Ear Pro headphone just might win you over.


These $130 earbuds are a steep investment, especially when you could easily find larger, over-the-ear options with full surround-sound support for the same price. They don’t look like much and they aren’t designed by Dr. Dre, so why they heck would you spring for them? Because you’re a gamer on the go.


Bulky headsets are tough to lug around, especially if you already have a 12-pound monster of a gaming laptop. Keeping full-size headphones safe is a hassle that many gamers would rather avoid. The Flux In-Ear Pros give you the best of quality and portability.


SteelSeriesThe Flux In-Ear Pro comes with a nice selection of ear tips.

The earbuds come with a pocket-size carrying case that holds accessories, including four sets of rubber and memory-foam ear tips in various sizes and shapes, optional wire holders so you can wear them over the ear, and swappable cable ends (a single three-pole 3.5mm jack and a combination 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack). Unless you can afford a custom-made set, few earbuds feel completely comfortable, and most have an annoying tendency to fall out. Wearing them over the ear with the right-size tips eliminates those annoyances and keeps them comfortably in place.


SteelSeriesA swappable single three-pole 3.5mm jack for music and phone conversations (left) and a combination 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack for the PC (right).

A combination inline microphone and controller provides easy hands-free calling and pause/play music control, but it sorely lacks a skip/back button and volume adjustment. Listening to music is a pain when you have to pull out your MP3 player to change tracks or adjust the volume.


The Flux In-Ear Pros offer good sound quality and great convenience for laptop gamers who need to stay nimble. The price is a hurdle that will keep budget-conscious gamers at bay, but anyone who can spare the cash won’t be disappointed.




Alex Cocilova

Alex Cocilova Assistant Editor, PCWorld


Alex covers desktops, everything from fancy to practical. He's also an avid (addicted) gamer and loves following the industry.
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