We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-06 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a do-everything wireless headset for gaming, calls and long sessions at your desk, choose Black Shark Gaming Headset; if you need an open-ear headset that keeps your ears free and your PC connected through a dongle, choose ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone. I'll frame this whole comparison around Bluetooth headphones for PC, because that's the job both of these are really being asked to do — plus a note on where each one fits if you're shopping with swimming in mind as well.
• Black Shark's biggest strength: a full over-ear gaming build — 40mm drivers, virtual 7.1 surround, a 120° adjustable noise-cancelling boom mic, and up to 40 hours of battery.
• Black Shark's biggest trade-off: it's a 325 g over-ear headset with a fixed boom mic, so it's built for the desk, not for wearing out and about.
• ZGUKJ's biggest strength: open-ear comfort plus a USB-A and USB-C dongle in the box — plug-and-play audio for PCs that have no Bluetooth at all.
• ZGUKJ's biggest trade-off: only around 10 hours of battery, and its dongle handles audio only — it won't drive a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard.
• Buy Black Shark if you want immersive game audio and long battery life on PC, PS5, PS4 or Switch.
• Buy ZGUKJ if you take calls and meetings all day and want your ears left open to the room.
The Black Shark Goblin X8 is a proper gaming headset first and a Bluetooth headphone second. The 40mm magnetic neodymium drivers and 2.4GHz lossless wireless are tuned toward virtual 7.1 surround sound, which is exactly the kind of processing that makes footsteps, engine notes and directional cues in FPS, RPG and racing games feel placed around you rather than flattened into two channels. Latency is rated at 20 ms, and the frequency range runs 20Hz to 20,000Hz at 39 ohm impedance — a normal, easy-to-drive spec rather than something exotic.
The connectivity story is the part that matters if you're pairing it with a computer. Black Shark lists triple-mode connectivity and wide compatibility: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox, laptops, tablets, TVs, iPads and phones. The included wireless transmitter ships with both USB and USB-C adapters, so you pick the port that fits your machine and get a plug-and-play link. Bluetooth range is quoted at 10 meters, and there's a 3.5mm jack as a wired fallback when you'd rather not think about charging. On the mic side you get a 120° adjustable, high-sensitivity boom with omnidirectional noise cancellation, plus on-ear volume and a one-touch mute switch.
Battery is the headline comfort: up to 40 hours, or 20 hours with the RGB lighting on, from a roughly 3-hour charge. Physically it's an over-ear design with an adjustable ergonomic headband and breathable protein leather cups, weighing 325 g, with metal and plastic in the build and a push-button control scheme that also handles calls and media playback.
ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone: Who It's For
The ZGUKJ is solving a completely different problem, and it's honest about it. The open-ear structure sits outside the ear canal, and the earpiece shape is a hook with a silicone enclosure, so nothing is jammed into your ears during a long workday. The adjustable boom mic is there for PC calls, online meetings, remote work, online teaching, driving and call-center style tasks — the kind of use where you're talking more than you're listening to a soundtrack.
The connection method is where this one earns its place next to a desktop. It includes a USB Bluetooth dongle plus a USB-C adapter, which means plug-and-play audio on computers that don't have Bluetooth built in. That's a genuinely useful detail for older desktops and locked-down office laptops. The dongle is audio-only — ZGUKJ explicitly notes it isn't for Bluetooth mice or keyboards — so treat it as a headset link, not a general-purpose radio. On top of the dongle you get Bluetooth 5.1 with Qualcomm audio technology supporting aptX, aptX LL low latency and aptX HD, with quoted range of 33 feet.
For voice, there's ENC environmental noise reduction to pull your voice forward of background sound, and a dedicated mute button for calls, classes, webinars and video conferences. Battery is a 250mAh cell good for up to about 10 hours of working time after roughly 2 hours of charging at DC 5V. The neckband fit is lightweight and stays put without entering the ear, which is the whole point for long calls, commuting, studying and daily listening.
One spec worth reading carefully: the driver type is listed as a bone conduction driver. That tells you the sound reaches you through vibration rather than a sealed speaker in your ear canal — which is exactly why it can stay open. Who should buy it: PC callers, remote workers and online teachers who want ears-open awareness and a dongle that just works on a Bluetooth-less computer. Who should skip it: if you want deep, isolating game audio or you're away from a charger for very long stretches, the 10-hour battery and open design will feel limiting.
• Best for immersive game audio → Black Shark Gaming Headset. Virtual 7.1 surround and 40mm drivers versus an open, bone-conduction-style design.
• Best for long battery life → Black Shark Gaming Headset. Up to 40 hours, or 20 with lighting on, against roughly 10 hours on the ZGUKJ.
• Best for PCs without Bluetooth → ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone. The USB-A and USB-C dongle is plug-and-play; Black Shark also ships a USB/USB-C transmitter, but the ZGUKJ is positioned squarely at this problem.
• Best for all-day calls and meetings → ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone. Open-ear comfort, ENC mic and a mute button are aimed at exactly that.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone. Nothing blocks the ear canal.
• Best for noise isolation from your side → Black Shark Gaming Headset. Active noise cancellation and sealed over-ear cups; the ZGUKJ relies on passive noise cancellation.
• Best for console gaming → Black Shark Gaming Headset. PS4, PS5, Switch and Xbox compatibility plus a low-latency wireless link.
• Best for travel-friendly, lightweight wear → ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone. A silicone neckband beats a 325 g over-ear headset on a commute.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Black Shark Gaming Headset for a PC-and-console setup, because the combination of virtual 7.1 surround, a noise-cancelling boom mic and up to 40 hours of battery covers more of what most people actually do with a headset in a week. It does the Bluetooth headphones for PC job well, and it doubles as a console headset without extra fuss. I'd only steer you to the ZGUKJ Open Ear Headphone if your day is mostly calls and meetings and you want your ears left open — and if swimming is anywhere in your plans, remember that neither of these is a swim product; for that you'd be looking at bone conduction headphones for swimming or the best in ear earbuds for swimming, and you'd want to check whether they offer usb c charging bluetooth headphones for swimming before committing.
FAQ
how to connect bluetooth headphones for pc
how to use bluetooth headphones for pc
Once paired, set the headset as both your output and input device in your sound settings so the mic works on calls. The Black Shark adds on-ear volume and a one-touch mic mute, plus a 120° adjustable boom. The ZGUKJ gives you a dedicated mic mute button and ENC noise reduction for voice.
how to bluetooth headphones to pc
If your computer has no Bluetooth radio, you can't — so use a dongle. The ZGUKJ ships with a USB-A dongle and USB-C adapter for exactly this case, and it's audio-only. The Black Shark's transmitter also comes with both USB and USB-C adapters for plug-and-play wireless.
how to pair bluetooth headphones pc
Keep the headset within range — about 10 meters for the Black Shark, 33 feet for the ZGUKJ — and re-pair from the PC's Bluetooth menu if the connection drops. The ZGUKJ's Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX LL is aimed at keeping latency low for calls and video. Beyond that, both behave like any standard Bluetooth headset.
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