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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 desk setup that adds virtual 7.1 surround sound, RGB lighting and extra ports while it holds your headset, choose EKSA Headphone Stand; if you need inexpensive wired in-ear buds for zero-latency gaming across PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch, choose Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear.
• EKSA Headphone Stand — biggest strength: it is a headset stand first and an audio accessory second, with virtual 7.1 surround sound via a downloadable driver, 2 USB 2.0 ports and three 3.5mm jacks built into an aluminum alloy tower.
• EKSA Headphone Stand — biggest trade-off: the 7.1 surround effect is not plug-and-play. It needs the EKSA driver, it does not work on Mac or Windows 8, and not every headphone is compatible with the virtual surround mode.
• Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear — biggest strength: true plug-and-play wired in-ear buds with a 10mm dynamic driver, a 3.5mm jack and no drivers, so latency and wireless interference simply are not part of the equation.
• Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear — biggest trade-off: they are wired in-ears with passive noise cancellation only, so there is no virtual surround processing, no lighting and no desk-organizing function.
• Pick EKSA Headphone Stand if you want to tidy your desk, add ports and try virtual 7.1 surround on a Windows PC.
• Pick Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear if you want a cheap, low-latency in-ear option that works on consoles and PC without installing anything.
The EKSA Headphone Stand is best understood as a desk accessory with an audio trick built in. Its main job is holding a headset: the tower form factor, aluminum alloy build and non-slip ABS rubber base keep a headset off the desk, protect it from getting knocked around, and free up space. If your desk is currently a pile of headset, cables and dongles, this solves that in one object.
The audio side is where it gets interesting. The W1 brings virtual 7.1 surround sound, which is designed to help you place the direction of footsteps and other positional cues in games. That is the whole appeal of surround sound for gaming: directionality, not just loudness. The catch is that you have to download and install the 7.1 driver from EKSA's site, and the driver is not available for Mac or Windows 8. Not all headphones are compatible with the 7.1 mode either, so this is a Windows-PC-first accessory.
Beyond that, it is a small hub. Two USB 2.0 ports handle USB headphones, charging and data transfer. Three 3.5mm ports cover a mic-and-sound 2-in-1 jack, a sound jack and a separate microphone jack, which suits a wide range of headsets with 3.5mm plugs. The RGB base has three modes (rainbow loop, single static color, breathing) switched by a fingerprint-touch key. Assembly is screw-together with the included hardware.
Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear: Who It's For
The Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear take the opposite approach. There is nothing to install, nothing to configure and nothing to charge. They are wired in-ears with a 3.5mm jack and an 11mm standard interface that the maker lists as compatible with PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch and more. Plug them in and they work. For anyone who has fought with a wireless headset cutting out mid-match, that simplicity is the entire pitch.
Inside, a 10mm dynamic driver covers a 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range, tuned toward deep bass. The housing is plastic, the fit is in-ear, and the noise control is passive cancellation — meaning the seal of the tip does the blocking, not electronics. The cable is built from high-purity oxygen-free copper wire with a braided, high-durability jacket meant to resist pulling and bending, which is the failure point on most cheap wired buds.
The trade-off is scope. There is no virtual surround sound here, no RGB, no USB hub, no stand. You get stereo in-ear audio with no drivers, no latency from wireless transmission and no signal interference. The included components are a user manual, and the item ships as a multi-piece set.
Who should buy it: console and PC players who want a cheap spare or primary in-ear set, people who play on Switch or handhelds, and anyone who values a cable they do not have to think about. Who should skip it: anyone who specifically wants virtual 7.1 surround processing, or who wants a stand and port hub on the desk.
• Best for virtual surround sound → EKSA Headphone Stand. The 7.1 mode is its headline feature, provided you are on Windows and your headset is compatible.
• Best for zero-setup, zero-latency audio → Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear. Wired, no drivers, no wireless dropouts.
• Best for console gaming → Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear. It lists PC, PS5, Xbox and Switch support out of the box.
• Best for desk organization → EKSA Headphone Stand. A tower stand plus 2 USB and 3 3.5mm ports is a real desk upgrade.
• Best for portability → Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear. In-ears and a cable travel far better than a screw-together aluminum stand.
• Best for RGB and desk aesthetics → EKSA Headphone Stand. Three lighting modes with a touch switch.
• Best for mixed headset collections → EKSA Headphone Stand. The three 3.5mm jacks cover mic, sound and combined connections.
• Best for a cheap second set → Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear. It is positioned as entry-level, no-frills gaming audio.
In my opinion, these two do not really compete — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends on what is missing from your setup. If you are on a Windows PC, want a cleaner desk, extra ports and a way to try virtual 7.1 surround sound, I would buy the EKSA Headphone Stand. If you just want reliable, latency-free in-ear audio that works on every console and PC you own without installing anything, I would buy the Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear. Buyers who care about price should check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since both are budget-tier accessories.
is surround sound headphones good for gaming
Yes, and that is the point of it. Virtual 7.1 surround is designed to help you judge the direction of sounds like footsteps, which is a real advantage in positional games. The EKSA Headphone Stand delivers this via a downloadable driver, so the benefit only applies on supported Windows systems and compatible headphones.
is surround sound good for gaming headphones
It can be, with caveats. Surround processing adds directional cues, but it usually requires software, and results vary by headset and by how the game mixes its audio. If you want that effect, the EKSA stand is the product here built for it; the Faifxo earbuds are plain stereo with no surround processing.
is 7.1 surround sound good for gaming headphones
7.1 virtual surround is a genuine upgrade for spatial awareness in games, but it is not universal. The EKSA W1 needs its driver installed, does not support Mac or Windows 8, and not all headphones are compatible with the 7.1 mode. Check that your headset and OS qualify before counting on it.
do gaming headphones have surround sound
Not automatically. Many gaming headsets are stereo, and surround is often added by software or a separate device rather than built into the headset. That is exactly the role the EKSA Headphone Stand plays — it adds virtual 7.1 to a headset you already own, while the Faifxo Gaming Earbuds in-Ear stay stereo by design.
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