We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired, metal-built in-ear monitor that blocks outside noise with a proper in-ear seal and feeds you detailed, balanced sound for music and monitoring, choose BASN Metalen 4; if you need a wireless over-ear gaming headset with a 45-hour battery, 7.1 surround and a detachable boom mic for PC, PS5 and Switch, choose syndesmos Gaming Headset.
• BASN Metalen 4 — biggest strength: Four hybrid drivers per earbud (2 balanced armature + 2 dynamic) in a CNC-milled aluminum alloy shell, with silicone and foam tips that physically seal your ear canal for noise isolation.
• BASN Metalen 4 — biggest trade-off: It's wired only, with no microphone for chat, and in-ear isolation depends on you getting a good tip seal — there's no active noise cancellation circuit.
• syndesmos Gaming Headset — biggest strength: Tri-mode connectivity (2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, wired), a 45-hour battery, 7.1 surround sound and a detachable 360° noise-isolating mic.
• syndesmos Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: It's a big over-ear headset with passive noise cancellation only, so it muffles noise rather than sealing it out the way an IEM does.
• Who each pick is for: BASN Metalen 4 → musicians, drummers, bassists and anyone who wants isolating wired in-ears. syndesmos → multi-platform gamers who want wireless freedom and voice chat.
The BASN Metalen 4 is, at heart, a monitoring tool. Each earbud packs four drivers — two balanced armatures and two dynamic drivers — which is the kind of setup that lets the low end hit hard without smearing the mids and highs. The brand describes the tuning as balanced and "original," with enhanced bass response and extra detail retrieval. That matters if you're a bassist or drummer who needs to hear your own instrument clearly against a loud stage or a loud mix.
The build is the other half of the story. The shells are carved from CNC aluminum alloy and given a hard oxidation treatment, so you get a genuinely metal, finely textured finish rather than plastic. The rounded-tip, in-ear shape is designed to sit comfortably and cut down external noise, and BASN ships both silicone and foam eartips — foam in particular is the classic trick for a deeper, more isolating seal. The result is sound isolation by design, not electronics. You also get a detachable MMCX connector and two cables in the box (one for IEM use, one with volume control and playback), so you can swap cables or plug straight into an in-ear monitoring system. Specs: 32 ohm impedance, 108 dB sensitivity, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 3.5 mm wired, touch volume control.
syndesmos Gaming Headset: Who It's For
The syndesmos Gaming Headset is built for the opposite job: sitting at a desk or couch, switching between platforms, and talking to people while you play. Its headline feature is tri-mode connectivity — low-latency 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and a wired 3.5 mm option — which means it can follow you from a PS5 to a PC to a Switch to a phone without you juggling dongles. The 45-hour battery claim and 2.5-hour charge time matter here: fewer mid-session charging breaks, and a headset that survives a long weekend of play.
Comfort is clearly a priority in the design. The ear cushions use cooling-fabric memory foam meant to reduce heat and sweat over long sessions, the headband is adjustable and reinforced, and the ear cups fold flat for storage or commuting. The 50 mm dynamic drivers push rich bass and clear highs, and the 7.1 surround processing is aimed at positional cues — hearing footsteps and direction in competitive shooters. The 360° omnidirectional mic is detachable and plug-and-play, so you can strip it off and use the headset as a plain pair of lifestyle headphones outdoors.
Noise control here is passive: the over-ear, circumaural cups physically block some ambient sound, but there's no active cancellation. Specs: 32 ohm impedance, 95 dB sensitivity, 20 Hz response, 20 ms audio latency, Bluetooth range 33 feet, 7.04 oz, ABS plastic body in white.
Buy it if you game across multiple platforms and want wireless freedom plus a boom mic. Skip it if you need serious noise isolation for a loud environment, or you want the sealed, detailed sound of a proper in-ear monitor.
• Best for noise isolation → BASN Metalen 4. In-ear silicone/foam tips seal the canal, which is far more isolating than passive over-ear cups.
• Best for wireless freedom → syndesmos Gaming Headset. 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, and wired, with a 45-hour battery.
• Best for voice chat → syndesmos Gaming Headset. The BASN has no microphone; the syndesmos has a detachable 360° noise-isolating boom mic.
• Best for audio detail and monitoring → BASN Metalen 4. Four hybrid drivers per ear versus a single 50 mm dynamic driver.
• Best for long-session comfort on a desk → syndesmos Gaming Headset. Cooling-fabric memory foam and a foldable, adjustable frame.
• Best for build quality and repairability → BASN Metalen 4. CNC aluminum shells and a detachable MMCX cable you can replace.
• Best for multi-platform gaming → syndesmos Gaming Headset. PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Steam Deck and mobile are all covered.
• Best for musicians and stage use → BASN Metalen 4. Designed for drummers, bassists and performers who need isolation and detail.
In my opinion, these two barely compete — they solve different problems, so "which is better" is the wrong question. If I had to pick one for a loud, isolating, wired listening or monitoring setup, I'd buy the BASN Metalen 4: the sealed in-ear fit, the four-driver array, the metal shells and the swappable MMCX cable are exactly what noise-isolating in-ears should be. If your priority is gaming wirelessly across consoles with a mic and a battery that lasts, I'd buy the syndesmos Gaming Headset instead. Match the tool to the job, and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
how to noise cancelling headphones work
Active noise cancelling uses microphones and electronics to generate sound that cancels ambient noise. Neither product here uses that method — the BASN Metalen 4 isolates by sealing your ear canal with silicone or foam tips, while the syndesmos Gaming Headset uses passive, over-ear cup blocking.
how to use noise cancelling headphones
how to test noise cancelling headphones
Play steady background noise, then compare how much disappears with the product on versus off. With the BASN, try both silicone and foam tips to hear the isolation difference; with the syndesmos, check whether repositioning the cups improves the passive blocking.
what's the difference between these two for gaming?
The syndesmos Gaming Headset is purpose-built for it: wireless 2.4GHz/Bluetooth/wired, 7.1 surround, a detachable mic and a 45-hour battery. The BASN Metalen 4 is a wired, mic-free in-ear monitor — great for music and monitoring with strong isolation, but not designed around voice chat or console wireless.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Cypher.V Replacement Audio Extension vs ZIUMIER Pink Gaming Headset, Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs IFYOO RGB Gaming Headset, Sehawei Horizontal Stand vs Gvyugke Gaming Headset