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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 low-latency gaming headset that also works across consoles and lasts for days between charges, choose JLab Play Pro Gaming; if you need an open-ear headset built for clear calls and all-day comfort during meetings, choose Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21.
• JLab Play Pro Gaming – biggest strength: 60ms super-low latency Bluetooth 5 plus a retractable boom mic and an AUX cord that extends it to PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo consoles — a genuine dual-use gaming setup.
• JLab Play Pro Gaming – biggest trade-off: It's a closed over-ear design with sound isolation, so it blocks your surroundings, and the wired console route means you're tethered to a controller or console.
• Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21 – biggest strength: Open-ear ear-hook comfort with a noise-reducing mic and a charging dock that doubles as a phone stand, aimed squarely at calls and video meetings.
• Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21 – biggest trade-off: No headphone jack and no dual-device connection — you disconnect from one device before pairing another, which is a real limitation for switching between phone and laptop.
• Choose JLab Play Pro Gaming if you game across mobile, PC and consoles and want one headset for both solo play and party chat.
• Choose Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21 if you live in Zoom and Teams calls, want your ears left open to the room, and value a tidy desk dock over immersion.
The JLab Play Pro Gaming is built around a very specific idea: one headset that covers both mobile gaming and console gaming. On the wireless side you get Bluetooth 5 with a claimed 60ms super-low latency mode, which is the number that matters most here. In fast-paced mobile games, latency is what makes audio feel detached from what's on screen — footsteps arriving a beat late, hit sounds landing after the visual. A low-latency mode like this is exactly the kind of feature a competitive mobile player notices. The sound profile is tuned for gaming too, with an emphasis on mid and high frequencies so vocals and directional cues come through clearly rather than being buried under heavy bass.
Then there's the connectivity story. Bluetooth multipoint lets the headset hold two devices at once, so you can be connected to your phone and your PC or Mac simultaneously — handy if you take a call mid-session without re-pairing. For consoles, the included AUX gaming cord with its own volume control takes over, and that's the zero-latency path to PS, Xbox and Switch. This is the part that separates it from a pure Bluetooth headset: if your console doesn't do Bluetooth audio natively, the cable solves it. The retractable boom mic is the other smart touch. Extend it to talk to teammates, retract it into the earcup when you're playing solo or listening to music on the go, and hit the quick-mute button when you need to go silent instantly.
Comfort and battery round it out. Form-fit earcups with Cloud Foam cushions and an adjustable headband are designed for long sessions, and the battery is rated at up to 60 hours with a 2-hour charge time — the kind of figure that means you charge it once a week, not once a day. It's also backed by a 2-year warranty. Who should skip it? If your priority is staying aware of the room around you during calls, or you want nothing in or over your ears for hours of meetings, the closed over-ear design with sound isolation works against you here. And if you want a headset purely for office chat, the gaming tuning and the boom mic are more than you need.
The Avantree Lingo N21 is a different animal entirely, and it's honest about what it is: a work headset. The ear-hook, open-ear design sits outside your ear canal rather than inside it, which is the whole point. No in-ear pressure, no blocked canal, and — crucially for a lot of people — you stay aware of what's happening around you. If you work in a shared space, take calls while watching a door, or just hate the sealed-in feeling of earbuds, that design choice is the reason to look at this one.
The call side is where it's aimed. A noise-reducing microphone is meant to keep your voice clear and natural on Zoom, Teams and phone calls even when the background is busy, and the mic is a 240° rotary design you can adjust and store as you like. There's also a physical mute on the microphone — a nice detail, because tapping mute physically means you're not relying on an app's on-screen state to know you're silent. Audio is handled by air conduction with emphasized treble, which is a sensible tuning for spoken voice: speech intelligibility lives in those upper frequencies.
The included charging dock is the standout accessory. It charges the headset and doubles as a phone stand, so you can prop your screen upright during a video call or while watching something. One thing to be clear about: the dock does not charge your phone. You can charge the headset by dropping it on the dock or by using the included magnetic contact charging cable directly — both work. Battery is rated at up to 15 hours of talk time on a full charge with a 2-hour charge time, which covers a full workday with room to spare, though not multiple days. Bluetooth 5.3 gives you the current-generation wireless standard, with a 10-meter range.
The trade-offs are worth stating plainly. There's no headphone jack, so this is Bluetooth-only — no wired fallback for a console or a low-latency cable option. And it does not support dual connection: you disconnect from one device before pairing with another. If you juggle a laptop and a phone all day and want both live at once, that's a genuine inconvenience. The 24-month warranty is a reassuring counterweight. Who should buy it? Remote workers, online teachers, multitaskers and anyone who takes a lot of calls and wants their ears left open. Who should skip it? Gamers who need immersive audio, console compatibility, or the freedom to keep two devices connected.
• Best for gaming audio and low latency → JLab Play Pro Gaming. The 60ms low-latency Bluetooth mode and gaming-tuned sound profile are built for exactly this.
• Best for console compatibility → JLab Play Pro Gaming. The included AUX cord with inline volume control covers PS, Xbox and Switch; the Lingo N21 has no jack at all.
• Best for all-day calls and meetings → Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21. Open-ear comfort plus a noise-reducing mic are aimed at Zoom, Teams and phone calls.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21. The ear-hook design leaves your ear canal open by design.
• Best for battery life → JLab Play Pro Gaming. Up to 60 hours versus up to 15 hours of talk time.
• Best for connecting two devices at once → JLab Play Pro Gaming. Bluetooth multipoint versus no dual connection on the Lingo N21.
• Best for a tidy desk setup → Avantalk Avantree Lingo N21. The charging dock doubles as a phone stand — just remember it won't charge your phone.
• Best for instant mute in a hurry → JLab Play Pro Gaming. The retractable boom mic pairs with a quick-mute button for one-touch silence.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the JLab Play Pro Gaming. In my opinion it covers more ground: low-latency wireless for mobile, a wired console path, multipoint for two devices, a retractable mic and a 60-hour battery make it the more versatile single purchase for someone who games and occasionally takes calls. The Avantree Lingo N21 is the better tool if your day is calls — open-ear comfort, a noise-reducing mic and a dock that holds your phone are genuinely well-matched to that job, and its 24-month warranty is a plus. But as one headset for the widest range of use, I'd go JLab. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one thing that can tip the decision either way.
FAQ
No. It does not support dual connection, so you have to disconnect from one device before pairing with another. The JLab Play Pro Gaming, by contrast, supports Bluetooth multipoint for two simultaneous connections.
The JLab Play Pro Gaming is rated at up to 60 hours, while the Avantree Lingo N21 is rated at up to 15 hours of talk time. Both take about 2 hours to charge.
No. It's Bluetooth-only with no headphone jack, so there's no wired option. For console gaming you'd want the JLab Play Pro Gaming and its included AUX cord.
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