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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want one headset that works across a desk phone, a cell phone, a laptop and a PC — a true call-center workhorse with dual connection options — choose MAIRDI Phone Headset; if you need a USB-only headset with active environmental noise cancelling and a long inline cable for softphone or computer-based work, choose EKSA Headset.
• MAIRDI's biggest strength: RJ9 and 3.5mm jacks let it plug into a desk phone, cell phone, PC or laptop, plus a noise-cancelling mic built for noisy floors.
• MAIRDI's biggest trade-off: It's a corded, over-ear design with passive noise cancelling only, so it blocks sound physically rather than electronically.
• EKSA's biggest strength: Active environmental noise cancelling with dual AI mics, tuned to suppress up to 96% of disruptive background noise.
• EKSA's biggest trade-off: USB-only connectivity, so it won't plug into a traditional desk phone's RJ9 port.
• Who MAIRDI is for: Agents juggling a landline and a computer on the same shift.
• Who EKSA is for: Softphone, help-desk and PC-based users who want a lightweight USB set with easy controls.
The MAIRDI M809 is built around flexibility. Its headline feature is that it carries both RJ9 and 3.5mm connections, which means the same headset can move between a desk phone, a mobile phone, a PC or a laptop. For anyone who splits their day between a physical landline and a computer, that's a genuinely useful design choice — you're not swapping headsets when your workflow changes.
Audio-wise, it's a corded, over-ear set with a dynamic driver rated from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz and noise-cancelling microphones that cut back on background chatter. There's also hearing protection built in: sudden loud spikes get trimmed before they reach your ears, which matters on long shifts with unpredictable callers and line noise. Comfort comes from large leatherette ear cushions, an adjustable headband and a 330° rotatable boom mic, so you can angle the mic to your mouth rather than the other way around.
Sturdiness is clearly the design intent. The headband is stainless steel, the cord is reinforced Kevlar, and MAIRDI specifically mentions protection against chair wheels and sharp objects — the two things that kill cheap headset cables. There's also a quick-disconnect plug compatible with Jabra headsets, so you can walk away mid-call without taking the set off.
Who should buy it: anyone who needs one headset to cover a desk phone and a computer, wants a rugged corded build, and doesn't mind passive noise cancellation doing the work. Who should skip it: if you work purely from a USB softphone and want electronic noise cancelling, MAIRDI isn't the natural fit — its strength is connectivity breadth, not active noise suppression.
EKSA's H12E takes the opposite approach: one port, done well. It's USB-only, which means it's aimed squarely at PCs, laptops and any device with a USB audio port, spanning Windows 7/8/10, Mac OS X and other USB-equipped platforms. If your entire job lives in a softphone app, a web-based dialer or a help-desk tool, the single USB plug is simpler than juggling adapters.
The marquee spec here is the ENC (environmental noise cancelling) chipset paired with two AI noise-cancelling microphones. EKSA claims it suppresses up to 96% of unwanted disruptive noise, and the mic itself is unidirectional (cardioid), so it favors the sound in front of it and rejects off-axis pickup. In a shared office or a busy home workspace, that's the feature that decides whether callers hear you or your surroundings.
Physically, it's an on-ear design with protein-leather and memory-foam padding, and it's pitched as lightweight for long wear. The cable is 2.1 m, which is unusually long for a wired headset and gives you real freedom to move at your desk. Controls are inline: volume adjustment and mic mute, so you're not hunting through software menus. The headband is described as bendable and twist-resistant, and EKSA backs the product with a two-year after-sales service window and 24-hour support. Audio is handled by a dynamic driver rated 20 Hz to 40,000 Hz.
Who should buy it: softphone and PC-based agents, online teachers, remote workers on video calls, and anyone who wants active noise cancelling plus a long cable and simple inline controls. Who should skip it: if you take calls on a traditional desk phone with an RJ9 socket, EKSA simply can't connect without extra hardware.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for active noise cancelling → EKSA Headset. Its ENC chipset and dual AI mics target up to 96% of disruptive noise; MAIRDI relies on passive cancellation.
• Best for rugged cable life → MAIRDI Phone Headset. Reinforced Kevlar cord and stainless headband are built for chair wheels and sharp edges.
• Best for long-cable freedom → EKSA Headset. The 2.1 m cable is a real advantage over typical short USB cords.
• Best for easy inline control → EKSA Headset. Volume and mic mute sit on the cable; MAIRDI provides volume control on a wired controller.
• Best for hearing protection on loud lines → MAIRDI Phone Headset. It trims sudden volume spikes before they reach your ears.
• Best for mixed softphone platforms → EKSA Headset. It lists support across Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android and tablets with USB.
• Best for walking away mid-call → MAIRDI Phone Headset. The quick-disconnect plug lets you leave the desk without removing the set.
In my opinion, I'd buy the MAIRDI Phone Headset if my job involves a desk phone at all — the RJ9 and 3.5mm combo is the deciding factor, because no amount of noise cancelling helps a headset that can't plug into your phone. The Kevlar cord, stainless headband and hearing protection also read like a set designed to survive years of shifts.
That said, if you're 100% on a computer and background noise is your biggest problem, I'd pick the EKSA Headset instead. Active ENC with dual mics, a 2.1 m cable and a two-year service window make it the more sensible USB-only choice. Match the headset to your connection first; everything else follows.
Both are aimed at call centers, but differently. MAIRDI wins on connectivity — desk phone, cell, PC and laptop via RJ9 and 3.5mm. EKSA wins on active noise cancelling and USB simplicity. Pick based on what your phone system uses.
No. It's a USB-only wired headset, so it works with PCs, laptops and USB audio ports. A traditional desk phone with an RJ9 socket needs the MAIRDI instead.
EKSA, on paper. It uses an ENC chipset and two AI noise-cancelling mics, with a claimed reduction of up to 96% of disruptive noise. MAIRDI uses noise-cancelling mics plus passive cancellation from its over-ear cushions.
I don't quote prices here, since they change over time. Check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page, then weigh it against what you need: dual connectivity (MAIRDI) or USB-only active noise cancelling (EKSA).
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