How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, budget-friendly headset with a wide multi-platform 3.5mm reach and a lightweight over-ear fit, choose IMYB A36; if you need wireless freedom with 2.4GHz PS5 gaming, Bluetooth 5.3, and a 45-hour battery, choose syndesmos PS5.
Both are over-ear gaming headsets built around 50mm drivers and a boom-style mic, but they solve the surround sound problem in completely different ways. The IMYB A36 leans on a wired 3.5mm connection and a stereo subwoofer tuning. The syndesmos PS5 leans on a low-latency 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, and a claimed 7.1 surround mode. That single design split decides almost everything else.
• IMYB A36 biggest strength: A true universal wired headset — 3.5mm jack, bundled Y-splitter cable, 6.5ft anti-tangle braided cord, rotary volume knob, and a mute button, all with no charging or pairing to worry about.
• IMYB A36 biggest trade-off: It's wired only. There's no wireless technology here at all, so you're tethered to your desk or couch by the cable.
• syndesmos PS5 biggest strength: Wireless done properly for console — a 2.4GHz USB dongle for PS5, PC, and Switch, plus Bluetooth 5.3 for phones and tablets, with up to 45 hours of battery life.
• syndesmos PS5 biggest trade-off: It leans on a dongle and battery, so it's more moving parts than a plug-and-play wired set, and its noise reduction is passive rather than active.
• Who the IMYB A36 is for: Players who want one cheap, dependable wired headset for a long list of devices and hate charging anything.
• Who the syndesmos PS5 is for: PS5 owners who want to cut the cord, move around the room, and also use the headset as an everyday Bluetooth pair for calls and music.
The IMYB A36 is a wired over-ear headset built around a 50mm neodymium magnet driver. IMYB calls this a "surrounding stereo subwoofer" setup, and the spec sheet backs up the idea that it's tuned for depth: a 20Hz–20kHz frequency range, 32Ω impedance, 42dB sensitivity, and 20mW max input power. In practice, that's a headset designed to make footsteps, gunfire, and voice lines feel layered rather than flat. It won't give you a discrete multi-channel surround mix, but the wide frequency range and big driver are the kind of combo that gives stereo gaming audio a sense of space.
Comfort-wise, the A36 is 0.77lb with soft, skin-friendly ear cushions, an oval over-ear shape, a flexible headband, and thickening pads. The enclosure is ABS with faux leather, in an ivory colorway. It ships with the headset, the splitter cable, and a manual, and it carries a 3-year limited hardware warranty.
Buy the IMYB A36 if you want a no-fuss wired headset that plugs into nearly everything you own, you like physical knobs and buttons, and you'd rather not think about charging. Skip it if you want to roam away from your setup — there's no wireless option, full stop.
syndesmos PS5: Who It's For
The syndesmos PS5 (model "Captain 370") is a wireless headset aimed squarely at console players. The core pitch is simplicity: you plug the included 2.4GHz USB dongle into your PS5 and you're connected, no pairing dance. That same dongle also handles PC and Switch wirelessly, and Bluetooth 5.3 covers phones and tablets. So one headset spans your console, your laptop, your handheld, and your phone.
Its 50mm dynamic drivers are marketed for directional, detail-rich audio — footsteps, voices, and action cues — and the spec sheet lists a claimed 7.1 surround sound mode designed to work with PS5 audio settings in supported games. There's a noise-canceling boom mic for team chat that's positioned to cut keyboard clicks, fan noise, and background chatter, and you can unplug the boom and use the built-in mic for quick calls. Noise control overall is passive, not active.
Battery life is the headline number: up to 45 hours on a charge, with a 5-minute top-up giving up to 2 hours of playtime. That's the kind of figure that means you charge roughly once a week rather than every session. Comfort leans on protein leather ear cushions with memory foam, an adjustable headband, and rotating ear cups — a design meant to reduce pressure over long sessions. The build is ABS and polycarbonate in white, with a round over-ear shape, button and touch controls, and a 3.5mm jack as a wired fallback alongside the 2.4GHz and Bluetooth radios. It ships with the dongle, a cable, a Type-C charging cable, and a manual, and it carries a 1-year warranty.
Buy the syndesmos PS5 if you game on PS5 and want to ditch the cable, you value a big battery, and you want one headset that doubles as everyday Bluetooth headphones. Skip it if you want the longest possible warranty, you dislike managing a dongle and battery, or you mainly game on Xbox — the dongle-and-Bluetooth combo is built around PS5, PC, Switch, and mobile.
• Best for true surround-style immersion on PS5 → syndesmos PS5. Its 7.1 mode and 50mm dynamic drivers are built for directional in-game audio on supported PS5 titles.
• Best for plug-and-play across the most devices → IMYB A36. The 3.5mm jack plus bundled Y-splitter covers PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, laptop, tablet, and phone without adapters (aside from older Xbox versions).
• Best for battery life → syndesmos PS5. Up to 45 hours per charge, with a 5-minute quick charge for up to 2 hours of play.
• Best for zero charging, ever → IMYB A36. It's a wired headset; there's no battery to drain or dongle to lose.
• Best for wireless freedom and everyday use → syndesmos PS5. 2.4GHz for low-latency gaming plus Bluetooth 5.3 for calls and music on your phone.
• Best for a long warranty and physical controls → IMYB A36. A 3-year limited hardware warranty, a rotary volume knob, and a push-button mic mute.
• Best for long-session comfort with rotating cups → syndesmos PS5. Memory foam protein leather cushions and rotating ear cups.
• Best for lightweight simplicity → IMYB A36. At 0.77lb with soft cushions and a flexible headband, it's built to disappear on your head.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the syndesmos PS5. In my opinion, the wireless 2.4GHz connection, Bluetooth 5.3, and 45-hour battery make it the more flexible, more modern headset for anyone gaming on a PS5 — and the 7.1 surround mode is the feature that actually matches this comparison's whole angle. I'd only steer you to the IMYB A36 if you specifically want a wired headset you never have to charge, want the longer 3-year warranty, or need to plug into a pile of different devices via 3.5mm. For most PS5-first buyers, the syndesmos is the smarter call.
how to get surround sound headphones
Surround sound on a headset is really about the audio path, not the hardware alone. The syndesmos PS5 advertises a 7.1 surround mode that's designed to work with PS5 audio settings in supported games, so you'd enable the matching output in your console and in-game menus. The IMYB A36, by contrast, is a stereo subwoofer-tuned set — it creates a sense of depth through its 50mm drivers and wide frequency range rather than a discrete 7.1 mix.
how to test surround sound headphones
A practical test is to load a game or clip with clear directional cues and listen for whether sounds move left, right, front, and behind you. On the syndesmos PS5, that means checking your PS5 output is set to the headset and that the in-game audio mode supports surround. On the IMYB A36, you're evaluating stereo imaging and depth, so expect positioning to come from the driver tuning rather than a true multi-channel feed.
how to make surround sound headphones
"Making" a headset surround usually means matching three things: a headset that supports it, a source device that outputs it, and a game that mixes it. The syndesmos PS5 covers the headset side with its 7.1 mode and 2.4GHz low-latency dongle, which is the cleanest path on PS5. The IMYB A36 doesn't claim a surround mode, so you'd rely on your PC or console's own virtual surround processing over the 3.5mm connection.
how to fix surround sound headphones
If surround isn't working, the usual culprits are the wrong output device, a game set to stereo, or a connection that doesn't carry the surround signal. On the syndesmos PS5, confirm the USB dongle is the selected audio output and that PS5 and in-game settings both match. On the IMYB A36, check that the 3.5mm plug and Y-splitter are seated properly and that your PC or console is applying its own surround processing, since the headset itself is a stereo design.
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