We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want the lowest-latency wireless connection for competitive PC and console gaming, choose EKSA Gaming Headset; if you need serious hybrid noise cancellation, marathon battery life, and travel-ready portability, choose iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. One is built for footsteps and gunshots; the other is built for airplane cabins and open offices.
• EKSA Gaming Headset — biggest strength: a 2.4GHz RF dongle connection rated at under 35ms of latency, plus a 7.1 surround mode and a 50mm dynamic driver tuned for positional audio. In this comparison, it is the faster, more gaming-focused option.
• EKSA Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: wireless only through the USB-A dongle, with no Bluetooth at all, so phones and most tablets are off the table unless you fall back to the 3.5mm cable.
• iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: hybrid active noise cancellation rated to cut up to 40dB, driven by five microphones, paired with up to 75 hours of playback and a foldable, rotatable frame.
• iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: its gaming mode latency is listed at 60ms — usable, but roughly double the EKSA figure, and it runs over Bluetooth 5.2 rather than a dedicated dongle.
• Who each pick is for: EKSA for the PC/PS5/Switch player who wants the tightest wireless response; iKmai for the traveler, commuter, or work-from-home user who wants quiet and endurance first.
The EKSA E1000WT is, first and last, a gaming tool. Its headline feature is 2.4GHz RF wireless through an included USB-A dongle, and the spec sheet puts the audio latency at 35 milliseconds. That number matters more than it sounds: it is the delay between the game's audio event and what reaches your ears, and keeping it low is the whole reason 2.4GHz dongles exist instead of Bluetooth. In fast-paced shooters, that is the difference between hearing a footstep as it happens and hearing it after the moment has passed.
Around that connection sits a deliberately gaming-flavored feature set. There is a plug-and-play 7.1 surround mode, no software installation required beyond plugging in the dongle, and 50mm dynamic drivers covering a 20Hz–20kHz range. The tuning is described as bass-forward — stronger sound waves, more sub-bass — which is exactly the profile that makes explosions land and, more usefully, makes footsteps and gunshots easier to place directionally. The microphone gets its own AI noise-cancelling chip that the sheet says eliminates up to 96% of background sound, which is the part your squad actually hears.
Comfort and endurance are handled with memory protein sponge earpads on oval earcups, plus an adjustable headband designed to spread weight evenly. Battery life is listed at 36 hours with a 2.5-hour charge, and volume is controlled remotely rather than on the earcup. There is also a 3.5mm wired path, which is what makes Xbox Series consoles workable, since the wireless side is USB dongle-based.
Buy it if you game primarily on PC, PS5, PS4, or Switch, you want the lowest wireless latency in this matchup, and you care about directional audio and a clean mic more than noise cancellation. Skip it if you want Bluetooth for a phone, if you need to silence a plane cabin or a noisy office, or if you want a headset that folds down small for travel — none of those are what this one is built for.
The iKmai BH001 is the opposite kind of product, and it is honest about it. The name on the box is the feature: hybrid active noise cancellation rated to reduce up to 40dB, handled by a five-microphone array. Hybrid means it samples noise from both outside and inside the earcup, which is the more effective approach for steady low-frequency drone — jet engines, air conditioning, train rumble, the hum of an open-plan office.
Everything else about it is built for long, portable sessions. Battery life is listed at 75 hours, which is more than double the EKSA figure, and the earcups fold and rotate for packing into the included drawstring pouch. The connection is Bluetooth 5.2, with both USB-C and a 3.5mm jack available, so it works with phones, laptops, tablets, and in-flight entertainment systems. There is a gaming mode with latency listed at 60ms — fine for casual play and watching video, but not the equal of a dedicated 2.4GHz dongle.
Two details are worth calling out because they are genuinely unusual. The first is Auracast audio sharing: the headphone can broadcast music or voice to other Auracast headsets via public codes for group listening, with the caveat that password encryption is not supported. The second is the sound tuning — a built-in 2EQ with deep bass, a clear midrange, and treble described as transparent without harshness, over a 20Hz–20kHz range and 32 ohms of impedance. That is a music-and-calls profile, not a positional-audio profile.
Buy it if you commute, fly, work in a noisy space, or just want one headphone that lasts most of a week between charges and travels flat in a bag. Skip it if competitive gaming latency is your priority, or if you specifically want a boom-style gaming mic setup — this one is aimed at clear calls rather than team chat.
• Lowest latency for competitive gaming → EKSA Gaming Headset. 35ms over a 2.4GHz dongle versus 60ms in the iKmai's gaming mode. For reaction-critical play, that gap is the deciding spec.
• Best for noise cancellation → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Up to 40dB of hybrid ANC from five microphones is a feature the EKSA simply does not have.
• Best for battery life → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. 75 hours against 36 hours. If you hate charging, this is not close.
• Best for PC and console gaming → EKSA Gaming Headset. Dongle-based 2.4GHz, 7.1 surround, and a 3.5mm fallback for Xbox covers the gaming platforms directly.
• Best for travel and commuting → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Foldable, rotatable, pouch included, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 3.5mm cable for airplane seatback screens.
• Best for team voice chat → EKSA Gaming Headset. The AI noise-cancelling mic is built to isolate your voice from up to 96% of surrounding sound.
• Best for music and calls → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. A 2EQ tuning and a five-mic array are aimed at listening and conversation, not positional audio.
• Best for sharing audio with other people → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Auracast group listening is a niche feature, but nothing on the EKSA side matches it.
If I were buying for myself and my main use was gaming, I would take the EKSA Gaming Headset. In my opinion, the 2.4GHz dongle at 35ms is the single most important number in this comparison, and the 7.1 surround mode, 50mm drivers, and AI noise-cancelling mic all reinforce the same purpose. The 36-hour battery and memory-foam comfort are more than enough for long sessions.
If gaming is a side activity and quiet is the point — flights, trains, an office, a shared apartment — I would take the iKmai instead. In my opinion, 40dB of hybrid ANC, 75 hours of playback, and a folding frame are worth more than a latency edge you will never notice while watching a movie. Just check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both go on sale at different times and the gap between them shifts.
what are low latency headphones
Low latency headphones are headphones designed to minimize the delay between the audio source and what you hear. Wired connections have almost none; wireless adds some, and the amount depends on the technology — a 2.4GHz RF dongle like the EKSA's is built specifically to keep that delay low, while standard Bluetooth generally adds more.
how much low latency is good for gaming headphones
There is no official threshold, but the lower the better for fast-paced games. In this comparison, the EKSA lists 35ms over its 2.4GHz dongle and the iKmai lists 60ms in gaming mode. Both are workable; the EKSA's figure is the tighter of the two and is the one I would pick for reaction-critical play.
Yes. Its data sheet lists a low-latency gaming mode rated at 60ms, running over Bluetooth 5.2. That is fine for casual play and video, but it is roughly double the EKSA's 35ms figure, so it is not the stronger choice if competitive latency is your main concern.
Not wirelessly. Its wireless connection is 2.4GHz RF through a USB-A dongle, and there is no Bluetooth listed. The wired path is a 3.5mm audio cable, which some phones can use with the right adapter — but if Bluetooth phone audio is a must, the iKmai is the better fit.
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