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If you want a desk organizer that doubles as a virtual surround-sound hub for a wired PC headset, choose EKSA Headphone Stand; if you need an actual headset to wear — with a boom mic, 50 mm drivers and detachable cat ears — choose ONITOON Gaming Headset. One stores and processes audio. The other delivers it to your ears. They solve completely different problems, so the real question is which problem you have.
• EKSA Headphone Stand — biggest strength: it turns an empty corner of your desk into a 7.1 virtual surround station with two USB 2.0 ports and three 3.5 mm jacks built into the base.
• EKSA Headphone Stand — biggest trade-off: the 7.1 effect is software-driven. You have to download and install the driver from EKSA's website, it does not work on Mac or Windows 8, and not every headset is compatible.
• ONITOON Gaming Headset — biggest strength: a complete plug-and-play headset with 50 mm dynamic drivers, a 360° rotatable boom mic, memory foam ear cushions and silicone cat ears you can pop off.
• ONITOON Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: the surround experience is stereo-based rather than a discrete virtual 7.1 chain, and the USB cable only powers the RGB lighting — audio always runs through the 3.5 mm jack.
• Who each is for: EKSA for the PC gamer who already owns a headset and wants cleaner cable routing plus virtual surround; ONITOON for the gamer who needs the headset itself, especially on console or mobile.
The EKSA W1 is a tower-style aluminum stand with a non-slip ABS rubber base, and it is built first and foremost to hold a headset safely off the desk. The silicone contact points matter more than they sound — they stop the headband from taking wear and tear while the stand keeps your desktop organized. If your headset currently lives on a monitor arm or a chair back, this is the upgrade that cleans up the visual clutter.
What makes it more than a hanger is the connectivity in the base. There are two USB 2.0 ports that handle USB headphones and also work for charging and data transfer, plus three 3.5 mm ports: a mic-and-sound 2-in-1, a dedicated sound port, and a dedicated microphone port. That means a wired headset can route through the stand instead of you crawling behind the case every time. The 7.1 virtual surround comes from a driver you install from EKSA's website, and the goal is directional awareness — hearing which side an enemy is coming from.
The RGB base offers three modes (rainbow loop, single static color, breathing) and a fingerprint-touch switch to toggle them, so you can kill the glow in one tap without hunting for software. Two caveats worth knowing before you buy: the driver is Windows-only in practice, and not all headphones are compatible with the 7.1 processing. If you use a Mac, or you expect surround to work out of the box with zero setup, this is not the right pick. Skip it also if you need an actual headset — this is an accessory for a headset you already own. Assembly is a small job: you align the bracket with the base and tighten four screws with the included screwdriver, and I'd suggest seating all four screws loosely before tightening any of them so the base sits flush.
The ONITOON X80 is the opposite kind of product: it is the thing that goes on your head. It is an over-ear wired headset in black with an aluminum headband and soft memory foam cushions, and it pairs a 50 mm dynamic driver with a 32 ohm impedance, a 20 KHz frequency response and 105 dB sensitivity. Practically, that 32 ohm impedance is the number that matters most for buyers — it means the headset is easy to drive from a controller, a phone or a laptop jack without needing an amp.
Connectivity is straightforward 3.5 mm, which is why the compatibility list is broad: PC, laptop, PS4, PS5, Switch, tablets, game controllers and cellphones all work. The one thing people get wrong is the USB cable — it powers the RGB lighting only, so if you plug in USB and hear nothing, you have not plugged in the audio jack. The microphone extends and rotates a full 360° so you can park it right at your mouth, and it retracts out of the way when you're not on a call.
The design is deliberately playful. The cat ears are soft, eco-friendly silicone and detachable, so you can go from streamer-cute to plain black in seconds. The "Abyssal Mirror" RGB finish is the visual centerpiece. With noise isolation on the earcups and touch controls on the headset itself, this is aimed at kids, teens and female gamers who want a headset that looks like a statement rather than a black brick — and it's a reasonable gift for that audience. Who should skip it? Anyone who wants a discrete virtual 7.1 setup with software processing, and anyone who wants wireless — this is a wired-only headset.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for virtual 7.1 surround processing → EKSA Headphone Stand, since the surround effect is generated through its driver and USB/3.5 mm ports.
• Best for console and mobile gaming → ONITOON Gaming Headset, thanks to 3.5 mm compatibility with PS4, PS5, Switch, controllers and phones.
• Best for desk organization and cable management → EKSA Headphone Stand, with its aluminum tower, rubber base and multi-port hub.
• Best for comfort on long sessions → ONITOON Gaming Headset, with memory foam cushions and an adaptive headband that spreads pressure.
• Best for a distinctive look → ONITOON Gaming Headset, with detachable silicone cat ears and Abyssal Mirror RGB.
• Best for charging and data while you game → EKSA Headphone Stand, via its two USB 2.0 ports.
• Best for gift-giving to a younger or newer gamer → ONITOON Gaming Headset, since it is a complete, plug-and-play package with a 12-month warranty.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the ONITOON Gaming Headset — because it is the complete product. It works on PC, console and mobile, needs no driver, and gives you the mic, the drivers and the comfort in one box. In my opinion the EKSA Headphone Stand is the smarter buy only in one specific situation: you already own a wired headset you like, you game on a Windows PC, and you want virtual 7.1 plus a tidier desk. Buy the stand to organize and process. Buy the headset to actually play.
is surround sound headphones good for gaming
Yes, when it's implemented well. Virtual surround is designed to help you judge the direction a sound is coming from, which is exactly what the EKSA stand's 7.1 driver targets. The ONITOON headset takes a different route, using 50 mm drivers to deliver a wide, immersive stereo image rather than discrete virtual channels. Both approaches help; they just get there differently.
is 7.1 surround sound good for gaming headphones
Virtual 7.1 can genuinely help with directional awareness, but it is not automatic. On the EKSA stand it requires downloading and installing the driver from EKSA's website, it is not available for Mac or Windows 8, and not all headphones are compatible. If you want zero setup, a straightforward stereo headset like the ONITOON is the simpler path.
do gaming headphones have surround sound
Not always. Some headsets are stereo only, and some — like the ONITOON X80 — use large 50 mm drivers to create an immersive stereo experience rather than a true multi-channel one. Surround is a feature to check for specifically, not something to assume. The EKSA stand is the product here that actually adds virtual 7.1 processing to a headset you already own.
which is better for a PC setup, the EKSA stand or the ONITOON headset
They do different jobs, so "better" depends on what's missing. If you have a headset but no clean place to store it and want virtual 7.1 plus USB ports, the EKSA stand fills that gap. If you have no headset at all, the ONITOON gives you audio and a mic immediately. For a Windows PC gamer who already owns a wired headset, I'd add the stand; for everyone else, start with the headset.
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See also: EKSA Headphone Stand vs ONITOON Girl Gaming Headset, Tilted Nation Gaming Headphone Stand vs YINYOO CCZ Melody inear, Tilted Nation Gaming Headset Stand vs Lenovo H110