We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want to turn the Bose QuietComfort 45 you already own into a proper gaming and voice headset, choose Gneinour QC45; if you need a standalone single-ear headset for calls, meetings and long sessions across USB, Type-C and 3.5mm devices, choose Crotrain One Ear Headset.
• Gneinour QC45 — biggest strength: it upgrades an existing Bose QC45 into a boom-mic headset with a flexible steel-spring arm, mute switch and gold-plated, oxygen-free copper wiring. Works across PS4, PS5, Xbox controllers, PC, laptop, tablet, phone and more.
• Gneinour QC45 — biggest trade-off: it is not a headset on its own. It is a microphone cable and Y-splitter kit, so it only makes sense if you already have the Bose QC45 and a 2.5mm/3.5mm connection route.
• Crotrain One Ear Headset — biggest strength: a complete single-ear headset with a 50mm dynamic driver, flexible mic boom, adjustable headband, memory foam cushion and a 3-in-1 connection kit (3.5mm plus Type-C cable and Type-C-to-USB adapter).
• Crotrain One Ear Headset — biggest trade-off: the earcup and mic side can only be worn on the left ear, and it is not compatible with older Xbox One versions. No active noise cancellation either.
• Who the Gneinour QC45 is for: Bose QC45 owners who want one cable to add clear voice pickup for gaming, streaming or calls.
• Who the Crotrain One Ear Headset is for: buyers who want a ready-to-use single-ear headset for office work, team meetings, chat and light gaming without owning any other gear.
The Gneinour QC45 is a problem-solver, not a headset. Its whole reason to exist is that the Bose QuietComfort 45 is a fantastic listening and noise-cancelling headphone, but it was never designed with a boom mic for gaming voice chat or streaming. This kit fills that gap: a detachable boom microphone with a steelFlex spring-loaded arm you can bend to any angle for the pickup position you want, plus an inline mute switch so you can kill the mic instantly without leaving your chair.
The build details matter here. Gneinour uses gold-plated connectors and oxygen-free copper conductors to keep the signal consistent, and the soft PVC cable is designed to resist tangling while reducing the stethoscope effect — that thumping noise you get when a stiff cable rubs against your clothes. It ships with the mic and a 3.5mm female-to-dual-male Y-splitter, so you can plug into devices with separate mic and headphone jacks, like desktop PCs, laptops and all-in-ones. Compatibility is broad: PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series X/S controllers, PC, laptop, tablet, iPhone, Android and anything else with a 3.5mm jack. It weighs about 5 grams, so it adds essentially nothing to what you're already wearing.
Skip it if you don't own the QC45, or if you want a headset that works straight out of the box without depending on another product. There's no driver here, no earcup, no headband — it's a cable-and-mic kit, and it only shines when paired with the Bose headphone it was built for. If you need one-ear monitoring while still hearing your room, this isn't that product.
Crotrain One Ear Headset: Who It's For
The Crotrain One Ear Headset is the opposite approach: one self-contained unit that does the whole job. It's a wired, single-sided headset with the earcup and microphone on the left ear only, leaving your right ear open to the room. That open-ear design is the whole point — you can hear your teammates in the same room, catch someone walking up behind you, or keep an ear on a doorbell while you're on a call. The brand is upfront that the earcup side must be worn on the left, so it's not a swap-sides situation.
Comfort is where Crotrain puts real effort. The earcup uses soft protein memory foam, the headband adjusts, and the enclosure mixes ABS with leather. Inside sits a 50mm dynamic driver — big for a single-ear unit — which the brand says improves sound field positioning and sensitivity. In practice that means game audio, voice chat and meeting audio come through with more body than you'd expect from a one-ear headset. The microphone boom is flexible so you can aim the pickup close to your mouth, and there's push-button volume control on the cable.
Connectivity is the standout feature. It's primarily a 3.5mm headset, but the box includes a 3.5mm-to-Type-C cable and a Type-C-to-USB adapter, which covers PS5, PS4, Xbox One and Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PC, laptop, tablet, iPad, and iOS and Android phones. One caveat worth reading twice: it is not compatible with older versions of Xbox One, so check your console generation before buying. And there's no noise cancellation — this is a wired, open-ear design, so isolation isn't part of the deal.
Buy it if you want one headset for work calls, team meetings, chat and casual gaming, and you like being able to hear your surroundings. It's an easy recommendation for office and hybrid workers, customer-facing roles, and anyone who finds full over-ear headsets claustrophobic over a long day.
Skip it if you need isolation from a noisy environment, want stereo sound in both ears, or game on an older Xbox One. And if you already own the Bose QC45, the Crotrain would be a second headset rather than an upgrade path.
• You already own Bose QC45 and want voice chat → Gneinour QC45. It converts the headphones you already trust instead of adding another device to your bag.
• You want a headset that works out of the box → Crotrain One Ear Headset. Everything needed is in the box, including the Type-C and USB adapters.
• Best for open-ear awareness (hear your room while on a call) → Crotrain One Ear Headset. The single-sided design keeps one ear free by default.
• Best for full stereo music listening → Gneinour QC45. You keep the Bose QC45's own drivers, which this kit doesn't replace.
• Best for broad device switching (USB, Type-C, 3.5mm) → Crotrain One Ear Headset. The bundled adapters cover consoles, laptops and phones.
• Best for a lightweight, low-hassle add-on → Gneinour QC45. At roughly 5 grams it's basically invisible once attached.
• Best for long-session comfort in one ear → Crotrain One Ear Headset. Memory foam cushion plus adjustable headband.
• Best for replacing a lost or damaged QC45 cable → Gneinour QC45. That's literally what it's made for, warranty included.
• Best for noise isolation → neither, strictly speaking. Gneinour QC45 inherits whatever isolation the Bose QC45 provides; Crotrain's open-ear design provides none.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to what's already on your desk. If you own the Bose QuietComfort 45, I'd buy the Gneinour QC45 — it's the cheapest-feeling decision in the best sense, because it adds a flexible boom mic, mute switch and splitter to a headphone you already like, and the gold-plated oxygen-free copper build suggests it'll hold up. If you don't own a QC45 and just want one reliable single-ear headset for calls, meetings and gaming across USB, Type-C and 3.5mm, I'd buy the Crotrain One Ear Headset instead. It's the complete product; the Gneinour is the accessory. That distinction decides it.
No. It's a boom microphone cable plus a 3.5mm Y-splitter designed for the Bose QuietComfort 45. You need the Bose headphone to use it, but once attached it works with PS4, PS5, Xbox controllers, PC, laptop, tablet and phones.
No. The earcup and microphone side can only be worn on the left ear. The right side sits above your ear with no earcup, which is exactly what gives you the open-ear awareness.
The Gneinour QC45, but only indirectly — it relies on the Bose QC45's own noise cancelling. The Crotrain One Ear Headset has no noise control at all, so it's the wrong pick if you need to block out a loud room.
No. Crotrain states it is not compatible with older versions of Xbox One, though it does work with Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S generally, plus PS5, PS4, Switch, Switch 2, PC, laptop, tablet and phones. Check your exact console before buying, and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
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