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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a truly wireless earbud with a 65 ms low-latency mode and an LED light ring for casual gaming and music on the move — including a flight where you don't want a cable snagging on the tray table — choose Soul Electronics S-TRON True; if you need wired USB-C earbuds with a 16 ms latency figure, a built-in DAC sound card, 5 EQ modes and a 3-year warranty for serious gaming and voice work, choose SustainaNest USB C.
• Soul Electronics S-TRON True — biggest strength: fully wireless Bluetooth 5.3 design with a 65 ms ultra low-latency gaming mode, an LED light ring and 8 hours of battery average life per charge.
• Soul Electronics S-TRON True — biggest trade-off: 65 ms is low for Bluetooth, but it is still roughly four times the latency figure SustainaNest quotes, and there is no wired fallback when the battery runs down.
• SustainaNest USB C — biggest strength: a 16 ms latency figure, a built-in DAC sound card, 12 mm drivers, 5 EQ modes including an E-sports mode, a matrix microphone and a 3-year warranty.
• SustainaNest USB C — biggest trade-off: it is a wired USB-C set, so it only works with devices that have a USB-C port, and it gives you no wireless freedom at all.
• Pick Soul Electronics S-TRON True if you want untethered listening and a gaming mode you can switch on without plugging anything in.
• Pick SustainaNest USB C if you want the lowest latency figure of the two, app-controlled tuning, and a microphone built for team chat and calls.
The S-TRON True is a wireless in-ear bud built around one headline idea: a 65 ms ultra low-latency gaming mode. In Bluetooth terms that is genuinely quick, and it is the number that matters most if you play mobile games and you are tired of hearing a sound effect a beat after you tap the screen. The earpiece shape is a rounded tip in an in-ear fit, the enclosure is plastic, and the whole thing is controlled with media controls on the bud itself.
The design detail you either love or ignore is the LED light ring. It is a cosmetic, gamer-flavoured touch, and some people will find it fun while others will find it draws attention. Either way it does not change how the buds sound or fit. Battery average life is listed at 8 hours, which is a normal single-charge figure for this class of wireless bud — enough for a long-haul flight, a workday, or a full evening of gaming before you need to recharge. Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.3, which is the current mainstream wireless standard and the reason this pair works with phones, tablets and laptops without a dongle.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants wireless freedom first and low-latency gaming second — commuters, mobile gamers, and travellers who would rather not deal with a cable on a plane. Who should skip it: if you need the absolute lowest latency figure you can get, if you rely on a wired connection for a desktop setup, or if you want app-based EQ tuning, this is not the pair for you. In my opinion it is the more flexible of the two for everyday life simply because nothing is attached to it.
The SustainaNest USB C is a wired in-ear headphone that plugs into a USB-C port. The spec sheet is unusually detailed for the category: a 16 ms latency figure, a built-in high-fidelity DAC sound card, a 12 mm balanced armature driver, 16 ohm impedance, 98 dB sensitivity and a 20 KHz frequency response. Practically, that combination is what lets a tiny driver produce the deep bass and clear highs the description talks about without needing a headphone amp — the DAC handles the conversion, and the low impedance means almost any phone or laptop can drive it.
The feature list is where this pair separates itself. There are 5 EQ modes, including an E-sports Mode tuned for instant sound with boosted bass so footsteps stand out, a KTV Mode for a warmer, more dimensional vocal mix, and a Reverb Monitoring Mode for a bigger, more resonant vocal sound. There is also vocal enhancement and a matrix microphone for calls, recording and in-game team chat. Controls are wired or app-controlled via buttons, so you are not locked into a single tuning. The build is aluminium, plastic, metal and rubber with a PU coating, single-crystal copper wiring with anti-fracture cores, and reinforced joints — and it comes with a nylon carrying case roughly 3.4 inches square. It is also backed by a 3-year warranty.
Who should buy it: gamers who want the lowest latency figure of the two, people who record or sing and want the vocal modes, anyone who takes a lot of calls, and buyers who value a long warranty and a hard-wearing cable. Who should skip it: iPhone owners on older Lightning models and anyone whose main device has no USB-C port, plus anyone who simply refuses to be tethered. The description itself notes that Reverb Monitoring Mode is best avoided in noisy places or during physical activity, so it is not the mode for a run.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for lowest latency → SustainaNest USB C. Its 16 ms figure beats the S-TRON True's 65 ms on paper, and for competitive gaming that gap is the whole point.
• Best for battery life on a long trip → Soul Electronics S-TRON True. 8 hours average life per charge, and no dependence on your phone's port.
• Best for voice work and calls → SustainaNest USB C. The independent matrix microphone and vocal enhancement are built for recording, singing, conferencing and team chat.
• Best for tuning and EQ → SustainaNest USB C. 5 EQ modes and app-controlled buttons give you far more control than a simple media-control bud.
• Best for durability confidence → SustainaNest USB C. Reinforced joints, anti-fracture cores, a PU-coated cable and a 3-year warranty.
• Best for plug-and-play across devices → a split decision. SustainaNest works with USB-C phones, PCs and laptops; the S-TRON True pairs over Bluetooth with basically anything that has a radio.
• Best for flying → Soul Electronics S-TRON True if you want a tangle-free neckband-style, cable-free experience in a cramped seat; SustainaNest USB C if you would rather have a guaranteed, zero-lag connection to a tablet or laptop on the tray table.
If I were buying for myself, I would take the SustainaNest USB C. The 16 ms latency figure, the built-in DAC, the 12 mm driver, the 5 EQ modes and the 3-year warranty add up to a more capable, more durable tool — and for a flight, plugging into a USB-C tablet or laptop gives me a locked-in connection with no pairing hassle and no battery anxiety. The one real cost is the cable. If a cable is a dealbreaker, or if you mostly game and listen on your phone while moving around, the Soul Electronics S-TRON True is the better buy: 65 ms is still a solid low-latency figure for Bluetooth, and 8 hours of wireless listening with an LED light ring is a fun, flexible package. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, because that is the one variable this comparison can't decide for you.
FAQ
what is low latency gaming in earbuds
which low latency is best for gaming earbuds
By the numbers, lower is better, and 16 ms (SustainaNest USB C) is lower than 65 ms (Soul Electronics S-TRON True). In practice, wired USB-C has an inherent advantage over Bluetooth because there is no wireless transmission step. For competitive play where footsteps matter, the wired pair's E-sports Mode is the more purpose-built option.
what is low latency gaming mode in earbuds
It is a setting that reduces audio processing delay so game sound stays in sync with the action. On the S-TRON True the low-latency figure is a stated 65 ms over Bluetooth; on the SustainaNest USB C, E-sports Mode delivers instant sound with enhanced bass while the wired connection keeps latency at 16 ms.
are these earbuds good for airplane use
Both can work on a flight, but they solve it differently. The S-TRON True gives you 8 hours of wireless listening with nothing to snag on the seat, which suits a cable-free setup. The SustainaNest USB C needs a USB-C port on your device, so it is a better match for a tablet or laptop than for a phone with no such port.
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