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 headset you can plug into almost any console or handheld you already own, choose IMYB A36; if you need true 7.1 virtual surround sound with a built-in USB sound card for PC and mobile, choose Vliveaudax Gaming Headset. That is the honest split between these two. Both are over-ear, both use 50mm drivers, and both are wired. But they solve two different problems, and the surround sound question is exactly where they part ways.
• IMYB A36 — biggest strength: genuine multi-platform reach via a standard 3.5mm jack, plus a bundled 1-to-2 splitter cable for desktop setups that separate mic and headphone ports.
• IMYB A36 — biggest trade-off: its "surrounding stereo subwoofer" language describes stereo imaging from 50mm drivers, not a virtual 7.1 processing layer. There is no USB sound card in the box.
• Vliveaudax Gaming Headset — biggest strength: a built-in USB external sound card that delivers 7.1 virtual surround sound, which is the feature most competitive players actually chase.
• Vliveaudax Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: it is a USB-A / USB-C headset. Consoles that only accept a 3.5mm headset jack are not part of its compatibility list.
• Pick IMYB A36 if you game across a PS5, an Xbox, a Switch, a laptop and a phone and want one cable to rule them all.
• Pick Vliveaudax Gaming Headset if your gaming lives on a PC and you want virtual surround, RGB, and a plug-and-play USB connection.
The A36 is, at its core, a compatibility play. The 3.5mm jack is the oldest and most universal audio connector in gaming, and IMYB leans into that hard. PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Series X/S, Nintendo 3DS, Switch, laptop, PSP, tablet, iPad, phone — the list is long, and the only caveat in the spec sheet is that older Xbox controllers need an adapter. If your setup changes console every couple of years, that flexibility is worth more than any single audio trick.
The audio story is built around 50mm neodymium magnet drivers with a 20Hz–20kHz frequency range, 32Ω impedance, 42dB sensitivity and 20mW max input power. In plain terms: easy to drive, no amp needed, and voiced with a low-end emphasis that IMYB describes as a "surrounding stereo subwoofer." That phrasing is worth reading carefully. It is stereo with depth and punch — the kind of tuning that makes footsteps and gunfire feel close — not a discrete or virtual 7.1 channel mix. If you want the cinematic "sound behind me" effect, this is the wrong expectation to bring.
Where it competes well is ergonomics and control. It weighs 0.77lb, uses faux leather oval ear cushions over an ABS frame, and pairs a flexible headband with thickened padding. The cable is 6.5ft of anti-tangle braided cord with a rotary volume knob and an inline mic mute button — physical controls you can find by feel mid-match, which matters more than people admit. The omnidirectional mic is rated at -38±3dB sensitivity and 2.2KΩ impedance, with a noise-isolating design meant to keep your voice clear over game audio. Rounding it out: a 3.5mm Y-splitter cable for PCs with separate jacks, and a 3-year limited hardware warranty.
Buy it if you want one headset that travels between console, handheld and phone, and you like hardware controls instead of software. Skip it if virtual surround processing is your dealbreaker, or if you need USB-C connectivity specifically.
The Vliveaudax is the more single-minded product, and that is a compliment. Its headline feature is a built-in USB external sound card that produces 7.1 virtual surround sound, and the spec sheet is refreshingly blunt about the payoff: hearing footsteps, gunfire and enemy positions accurately for competitive play. Virtual surround is a processing layer that takes a stereo signal and remaps it into a wider, more directional field. Whether it works for you is partly personal, but the hardware to attempt it is baked in here — and on the A36, it simply is not.
The rest of the package follows the same gaming-first logic. Dynamic RGB LED earcups with breathing and flow effects set the mood. There is a flexible noise-canceling microphone for chat, with volume control mounted on the earcup rather than inline on the cable. The 50mm dynamic drivers push stereo sound with what the brand describes as clear bass and crisp treble, and the numbers back up an easy-to-drive design: 32Ω impedance, 105dB sensitivity, 20Hz–20kHz range. That high sensitivity figure means it gets loud without asking much of your source.
Comfort is addressed with a sturdy headband and soft memory foam earpads, and the passive noise cancellation comes from the over-ear seal rather than active circuitry. Physically it is black with green accents, built from ABS, faux leather and metal — a slightly more mixed-material build than the A36's ABS-and-faux-leather shell.
The real caveat is connectivity. This is a USB-A headset with a USB-C adapter included, and the compatibility list reads PC, mobile phone and similar — plug-and-play, no drivers. That is excellent for a desktop or laptop gamer and genuinely fine on a modern phone. It is not a console headset in the 3.5mm sense. Warranty is 12 months, serviced by the manufacturer.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for virtual surround sound → Vliveaudax Gaming Headset. The USB sound card and 7.1 processing are the whole point of the product.
• Best for console and handheld gaming → IMYB A36. The 3.5mm jack covers PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch and more; the Vliveaudax does not go there.
• Best for PC with separate mic/headphone ports → IMYB A36. The included Y-splitter cable is exactly the part most headsets leave out.
• Best for plug-and-play on a modern laptop or phone → Vliveaudax Gaming Headset. USB-A or USB-C via adapter, no drivers, no setup.
• Best for physical, no-software controls → IMYB A36. Rotary volume knob and a dedicated mic mute button on the cable.
• Best for RGB atmosphere → Vliveaudax Gaming Headset. Breathing and flow lighting effects on the earcups.
• Best for long-session comfort claims → tie, with different approaches. IMYB uses 0.77lb lightweight construction with thick headband padding; Vliveaudax uses memory foam earpads.
• Best for buyers who want the longest stated coverage → IMYB A36. Three-year limited hardware warranty versus 12 months.
In my opinion, the right answer depends entirely on where you play. If your gaming is PC-centric and virtual surround sound is the feature you came for, I would buy the Vliveaudax Gaming Headset — the built-in USB sound card, the 7.1 processing, the RGB and the driver-free setup all point one direction, and the 105dB sensitivity means it will run loud off almost anything. If your gaming is spread across a console, a Switch and a laptop, I would buy the IMYB A36 instead. The 3.5mm jack, the splitter cable, the inline controls and the three-year warranty make it the more flexible, lower-drama purchase. Neither is a surround sound powerhouse in the AV-receiver sense; only one of them even attempts virtual surround, and that is the deciding fact.
how to get surround sound headphones
You generally need either a headset with built-in virtual surround processing or a separate surround-capable sound card. The Vliveaudax Gaming Headset includes a USB external sound card that delivers 7.1 virtual surround sound out of the box. The IMYB A36 does not — its 50mm drivers produce enhanced stereo with subwoofer-style depth, not a virtual 7.1 mix.
how to test surround sound headphones
Play content with clearly directional audio — a game where you can hear an enemy approach from a known side — and turn your character without turning the camera sound source. On a virtual surround headset like the Vliveaudax, you should perceive a wider, more positional field than plain stereo. On the IMYB A36, expect stereo with strong low-end depth rather than discrete rear channels.
how to make surround sound headphones work
Check the connection first. Virtual surround headsets like the Vliveaudax need their USB connection (USB-A or USB-C via the included adapter) so the built-in sound card can do the processing — a plain 3.5mm connection bypasses that. The IMYB A36 works over a standard 3.5mm jack or the included Y-splitter, but it has no surround processing to enable.
how to fix surround sound headphones
Start with the physical layer: confirm the headset is seated in the correct port and, for USB models, that the adapter is fully connected. If a virtual surround headset sounds flat, the most common cause is that the audio is routing through a different output than the one with the processing. For the IMYB A36, remember there is no surround layer to fix — its stereo tuning is what it is.
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