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Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Razer Hammerhead Earbuds — biggest strength: A custom-tuned DAC that pulls digital audio straight from the Lightning connector, paired with 10 mm dynamic drivers and an aluminum chassis. That combination is aimed squarely at clean, accurate sound with deep bass and no analog conversion guesswork.
• Razer Hammerhead Earbuds — biggest trade-off: It is fully wired and Lightning-only. No Bluetooth, no charging case, and nothing to plug into a 3.5 mm jack or a USB-C phone. The cable is also short at 63 cm.
• JOYROOM OE3 — biggest strength: An open-ear clip design at just 4.9 g per bud, Bluetooth 5.4, dual-device multipoint, omni-tap controls and a 13 mm dynamic driver with a bass boost mode. It stays comfortable and keeps you aware of your surroundings.
• JOYROOM OE3 — biggest trade-off: Open-ear means open-ear. It is rated IPX4, so sweat and light splashes are fine but heavy rain and submersion are not. Passive isolation is essentially zero by design.
• Who each is for: Razer for the wired-fidelity purist who wants in-ear headphones for PS5 audio routed through an Apple device. JOYROOM for the person who wants light, wireless, always-on earbuds for workouts, work and everyday listening.
The Hammerhead for iOS is a strange, specific, and honestly kind of interesting product. It is a wired in-ear headphone that terminates in a Lightning connector, and instead of letting the phone's analog output do the work, it uses a custom-tuned DAC converter to pull the digital signal out of the Lightning port and convert it itself. In plain terms, that means fewer conversion steps between the file and your ear. Razer pairs that with 10 mm dynamic drivers, neodymium magnets, and optimized inner acoustic chambers, rated 20 Hz to 20 kHz with 32 ohm impedance and 116 dB sensitivity.
Physically, it is built like a small piece of hardware. The enclosure is aluminum, the cables are flat, and the whole thing weighs around 28 g. Bi-flange ear tips give you passive noise cancellation, which is the real story here: these seal your ear canal, so game audio and music arrive without the outside world bleeding in. The in-line remote covers play/pause, track skip, call answer and end, plus volume. There is also a companion app with preset EQs, a custom EQ you build yourself, and even lighting control on the buds.
Who should skip it? Anyone on USB-C or a 3.5 mm jack, because this is Lightning only. Anyone who wants wireless freedom, since there is no Bluetooth here despite the spec sheet's odd mention of wireless technology. And anyone who needs long cable reach, because 63 cm is short — fine for a phone in your hand or pocket, tight if your source sits across a desk.
JOYROOM OE3: Who It's For
The OE3 is the opposite philosophy entirely. It is an open-ear clip-on earbud, meaning nothing enters your ear canal. Each bud weighs 4.9 g and uses a high-elastic, skin-friendly silicone body with an L-shaped extended bridge that hooks onto your ear instead of pressing into it. If you have ever given up on earbuds because they ache after an hour, that design choice is the whole point.
Sound comes from a 13 mm dynamic driver with a composite diaphragm, backed by a multi-layer spatial audio algorithm and a Bass Boost Mode for extra low-end impact. Impedance is 16 ohm, which suits the low-power output of a phone or laptop. AI ENC handles call clarity by suppressing background noise on your voice, and the app lets you adjust EQ, enable a low-latency mode, and track down a misplaced bud.
The clever bits are the quality-of-life features. Auto L/R recognition means the buds detect how you have them on and assign left and right channels automatically — no markings, no guessing. Omni tap control turns the entire surface of each bud into a touch zone, so you are not hunting for a tiny dot, and it works with long nails or gloves. Bluetooth 5.4 with dual-device multipoint lets you jump between a phone and a laptop, and there is a charging case in the box.
Who should buy it? Runners, gym-goers, commuters, and anyone working in an environment where they need to hear what is happening around them. It is also a natural fit for people who wear earbuds all day and want something that never feels like pressure. JOYROOM backs it with a 2-year warranty, and the brand has been around since 2009.
Who should skip it? If you want isolation, look elsewhere — open-ear design deliberately lets the world in, and there is no passive seal to fall back on. If you need serious water protection, note that IPX4 covers sweat and splashes but not swimming or heavy downpours. And if you are chasing the wired, DAC-fed sound signature of the Razer, the OE3 is simply a different animal: wireless, warmer, and more about awareness than precision.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for all-day comfort → JOYROOM OE3. At 4.9 g per bud with an open-ear clip, it is engineered to be forgotten rather than noticed.
• Best for workouts and running → JOYROOM OE3. The secure clip fit, sweat-friendly IPX4 rating and awareness of your surroundings all point one direction.
• Best for PS5 gaming through an Apple device → Razer Hammerhead Earbuds. This is where in ear headphones for PS5 make the most sense, with the sealed fit and EQ app doing the heavy lifting.
• Best for noise isolation → Razer Hammerhead Earbuds. Bi-flange tips and passive noise cancellation versus an open design that intentionally leaks the world in.
• Best for wireless convenience → JOYROOM OE3. Bluetooth 5.4, multipoint switching, a charging case and tap controls — no cable, no Lightning requirement.
• Best for durability of materials → Razer Hammerhead Earbuds. An aluminum chassis and flat cables are built for abuse in a bag or pocket.
• Best for call handling in noisy places → JOYROOM OE3. AI ENC on the microphone is aimed specifically at keeping your voice clear.
If I were buying for myself and my main goal was the best possible sound for PS5 sessions routed through an iPhone or iPad, I would buy the Razer Hammerhead Earbuds. The DAC, the 10 mm drivers and the sealed bi-flange fit are a combination that makes sense for immersive game audio, and the aluminum build tells me it will survive being tossed in a bag.
If my priority were comfort, wireless freedom and staying aware of my surroundings, I would pick the JOYROOM OE3 without hesitation — the 4.9 g clip-on design and Bluetooth 5.4 multipoint are genuinely useful in daily life.
Two different jobs. Pick the one that matches yours.
FAQ
Not directly. The OE3 is a Bluetooth open-ear earbud, and a PS5 does not output audio over Bluetooth without extra hardware. The Razer Hammerhead is the more natural fit if you want in-ear audio for PS5 through an Apple device.
Neither product here carries an IPX7 rating, so I would not frame either as one. The Razer has no stated water rating, and the JOYROOM OE3 is IPX4, which handles sweat and splashes but not immersion. If waterproofing is your top priority, keep looking.
Only the JOYROOM OE3 has a battery at all — it charges in about 2 hours and comes with a charging case. The Razer Hammerhead draws power from the connected device over Lightning, so there is no battery to manage or recharge.
That depends entirely on what you need. Check the current price on Amazon for both and weigh it against the feature sets: the Razer for wired fidelity and a metal build, the JOYROOM for wireless convenience, comfort and a 2-year warranty.
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