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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 USB plug-and-play headset for softphones, video calls and computer-based work, choose EKSA Headset; if you need a wired headset that plugs straight into a desk phone's RJ9 handset port, choose Arama Phone Headset. These two look similar on a shelf and get lumped together under the same "call center headphones" search, but they connect to completely different things. One talks to your computer. The other talks to your desk phone. Get that wrong and nothing else matters.
• EKSA Headset's biggest strength: a USB connection that works with PCs and laptops, plus active environmental noise cancelling with a dual AI mic array — the sheet claims it suppresses up to 96% of unwanted background noise.
• EKSA Headset's biggest trade-off: it is USB-only, so it is useless on a traditional landline or IP desk phone with an RJ9 jack, and at 308 g it is not the featherweight of this pair.
• Arama Phone Headset's biggest strength: an RJ9 plug that connects directly to a long list of specific Polycom, ShoreTel, Nortel, Siemens and similar desk phone models — plug-and-play on the phones it supports.
• Arama Phone Headset's biggest trade-off: it does not work with cell phones or computers, and compatibility is limited to the specific desk phone models listed — you must check your phone model before buying.
• Who each pick is for: EKSA for softphone, Skype, webinar and computer-based agents; Arama for anyone anchored to a physical desk phone at a call center, front desk or telemarketing desk.
The EKSA headset is built around one idea: clear voice on computer calls. Its headline feature is an environmental active noise cancelling chipset working alongside two AI noise cancelling microphones. The design monitors surrounding sound and produces an opposing signal to cut it down. According to the spec sheet, that pipeline can suppress up to 96% of disruptive background noise. In a busy room — a call center floor, a shared office, a home desk near a TV — that is the difference between a caller hearing you and a caller hearing everything around you. The mic itself is unidirectional (cardioid), so it picks up from one direction and ignores the rest.
Connection is USB, and that shapes everything. It works with PCs and laptops with a USB audio port, and the sheet lists Windows 7, 8 and 10, plus Mac OS X, iOS, Android and tablet devices with a USB jack. There is an in-line controller for volume and mic mute, and the cable runs 2.1 m — long enough that you are not yanked back to your desk mid-sentence. The build is on-ear with protein leather and memory foam padding, an adjustable headband you can bend to fit, and a plastic-and-metal frame the sheet describes as flexible and hard to snap. Weight is 308 g. That is a real number, and it is on the heavier side for an on-ear headset, though the padding is designed for long sessions.
I would point a softphone agent, a Skype or Teams user, an online tutor, a webinar host or a gamer-at-work at this one. If your job lives inside a computer, the EKSA fits. Skip it if your calls run through a physical desk phone with an RJ9 handset port — there is no adapter in the box for that, and the USB plug simply will not fit.
The Arama A600S1 is a landline headset, and it is unapologetic about it. The connection is an RJ9 jack, the same little connector that goes into the handset port on a desk phone. The sheet is blunt: not for cell phones and computers. Instead, it targets a specific list of desk phone models from ShoreTel, Plantronics, Zultys, Toshiba, NEC, Aspire Dterm, Nortel, Norstar, Meridian, Siemens, ROLM, Packet8 and a long run of Polycom SoundPoint and VVX models. If your phone is on that list, this is a plug-and-play, hands-free upgrade. If it is not, keep looking.
The audio approach is different from the EKSA's. Instead of an active cancelling chipset, Arama uses speakers with a high signal-to-noise ratio, an independent cavity design and passive noise cancellation. That means the physical design reduces background noise rather than an electronic circuit doing it. For a quiet-ish office it works well; on a loud floor, active cancelling usually has the edge. Comfort is the other focus. The ear cushions are replaceable foam, the headband is a one-piece metal construction, and the whole thing is pitched as ultra-lightweight — Arama claims it is lighter than other professional headsets in the same range. Volume control sits on the cord.
So who buys this? Front-desk staff, receptionists, telemarketers and call center agents who take calls on a Polycom or similar IP phone. Anyone who wants to stop cradling a handset against their shoulder for eight hours. Skip it if you work from a laptop, use a softphone app, or your "office phone" is really just a cell — none of those will connect.
• Best for computer and softphone calls → EKSA Headset. USB into a PC or laptop, no adapter hunting.
• Best for desk phone and IP phone calls → Arama Phone Headset. RJ9 into the handset port of a supported model.
• Best for heavy background noise → EKSA Headset. Active environmental noise cancelling with a dual AI mic array, rated to suppress up to 96% of disruptive noise.
• Best for a quiet office on a landline → Arama Phone Headset. Passive noise cancellation and a high signal-to-noise ratio are plenty when the room is calm.
• Best for long-wear comfort → Arama Phone Headset. Ultra-lightweight build, replaceable foam cushions and a one-piece metal headband.
• Best for durability on a metal frame → Arama Phone Headset. Metal headband and precision plastics, built to survive daily desk life.
• Best for flexible placement and cable reach → EKSA Headset. The 2.1 m cable and in-line volume/mute give you room to move.
• Best for cross-device use → EKSA Headset. The sheet lists Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android and tablets with a USB jack — far wider than a single desk phone.
In my opinion, the deciding question is not which headset is better — it is what you plug it into. If your calls happen on a computer, I would buy the EKSA Headset. The USB connection, the active noise cancelling and the 2.1 m cable make it the more flexible tool for softphone, webinar and home-office work, and I would accept the 308 g weight for that versatility. If your calls happen on a Polycom or another phone on Arama's compatibility list, I would buy the Arama Phone Headset instead: lighter, metal-framed, plug-and-play, and built for exactly that job. Buying the wrong connector is the one mistake neither headset can fix.
FAQ
No. It connects by USB only, so it needs a PC, laptop or other device with a USB audio port. It will not fit the RJ9 handset jack on a traditional desk phone.
No. Arama states directly that it is not for cell phones or computers. It is designed for specific desk phone models, so check the compatibility list against your exact phone before ordering.
On paper, the EKSA Headset, because it uses active environmental noise cancelling with two AI mics and claims suppression of up to 96% of disruptive noise. The Arama Phone Headset relies on passive noise cancellation through speaker and cavity design, which suits quieter rooms.
Start with your phone system, not the headset. USB computer calling points to the EKSA Headset; a supported desk phone points to the Arama Phone Headset. Once that matches, check the current price on Amazon and let your budget finish the job.
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