How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, no-fuss wired headset for calls, podcasts and everyday listening on a phone or laptop, choose Maxell Headphones; if you need an over-ear gaming headset with a boom mic, RGB lighting and a console-friendly cable, choose QXQ Gaming Headset. That's the short version. The rest of this page is the reasoning behind it.
• Maxell Headphones — biggest strength: a 6 ft cord with an inline mic, 32-ohm dynamic drivers and a soft foam adjustable headband built for long, simple listening sessions.
• Maxell Headphones — biggest trade-off: on-ear foam pads and an inline mic mean it's a call-and-music tool, not a positional-audio gaming rig.
• QXQ Gaming Headset — biggest strength: over-ear oval cups with 40 mm drivers, a noise-canceling boom mic, RGB LED lighting and 249.2 g of memory-foam comfort.
• QXQ Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: it's the bulkier, more feature-heavy option, and its gaming styling won't suit everyone on a commute or in a quiet office.
• Who each pick is for: Maxell for buyers who want a cheap-feeling-free, straightforward wired headset for voice and music; QXQ for gamers on PS5, PS4, PC or Switch who want immersion and a proper mic.
The Maxell set is the definition of a utility player. You get a 3.5 mm stereo jack, a 6 ft cord, 32-ohm impedance and a 20 Hz–20 kHz frequency range driven by a dynamic driver. In plain terms, 32 ohms is easy to drive — phones, laptops, tablets and desktop jacks can all push it without a separate amp. The adjustable headband with soft foam pads is designed for extended wear, and the on-ear form factor keeps the whole thing light and packable.
The built-in inline mic is the headline feature here. It sits on the cable, so calls and video chats work without hunting for a separate microphone or a dongle. Media controls are also on the remote, which means you're not reaching for your phone every time you want to pause. That combination — inline mic, inline controls, wired reliability — is exactly what a remote worker, a student in online classes, or someone who takes a lot of voice calls actually needs.
Who should skip it? If you're a gamer who wants directional audio cues, a boom mic that sits near your mouth, or any kind of lighting, this isn't the tool. The pads are foam, not memory foam, and the design is minimalist rather than plush. It's also a wired-only product with no noise-canceling feature listed. In my opinion it's best understood as a dependable voice-and-music headset, not an entertainment centerpiece.
The QXQ headset is built for one job and does it with a lot of hardware. It's an over-ear design with oval cups, 40 mm dynamic drivers, 32-ohm impedance, 100 dB sensitivity and a stated 0.01 ms audio latency. The 40 mm driver is the important number: larger drivers generally move more air, which is why the spec sheet talks about deep bass and stereo surround sound. The low latency figure matters for gaming because it describes how little delay sits between the game's audio and your ears.
The mic is a noise-canceling boom design, which is a meaningful upgrade over an inline cable mic if you're talking to teammates or streaming. You also get sound isolation from the over-ear cups — they physically block some outside noise, which is useful in a noisy room. The memory foam earpads and 249.2 g weight suggest a headset you can wear through a long session, and the RGB LED lighting is there for the aesthetic.
Connectivity is 3.5 mm wired, which is what makes it work across PS5, PS4, PC and Switch. The package includes a 3.5 mm adapter cable, a custom color box and an instruction manual. Controls are touch-based with a button controller, and there's a two-year warranty. Who should skip it? Anyone who wants something discreet for the office, or who mainly takes phone calls — a white RGB gaming headset with a boom mic is a lot of headset for a conference call.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for calls and video chats → Maxell Headphones. The inline mic and inline media controls are built for exactly that.
• Best for long wear sessions → QXQ Gaming Headset. Memory foam earpads and over-ear cups spread pressure better than on-ear foam pads.
• Best for portability and simplicity → Maxell Headphones. On-ear, minimalist, one cord, nothing to configure.
• Best for console and PC compatibility → QXQ Gaming Headset. It's explicitly aimed at PS5, PS4, PC and Switch over 3.5 mm, and ships with an adapter cable.
• Best for quiet, understated setups → Maxell Headphones. No lighting, no boom arm, black minimalist styling.
• Best for positional awareness in shooters → QXQ Gaming Headset. The larger drivers and surround-sound tuning are the point of the product.
• Best for buyers who just want one wired headset that works everywhere → Maxell Headphones. The 3.5 mm jack and 32-ohm load keep it broadly compatible with almost anything that has a headphone port.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd buy the QXQ Gaming Headset — I want the bigger 40 mm drivers, the boom mic and the memory foam cups, and I'd rather have a headset that's built for long sessions than one that's merely convenient. That said, my recommendation flips entirely if you're shopping for calls, classes or casual music: the Maxell is the smarter pick there, because the inline mic and minimalist on-ear design do that job without extra bulk. Buy the Maxell for voice and everyday listening, the QXQ for gaming and immersion. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one thing that can genuinely change the math between these two.
FAQ
Both use a 3.5 mm jack, so both are physically compatible with standard headphone ports. The QXQ is explicitly marketed for PS5, PS4, PC and Switch and includes an adapter cable, which makes it the more purpose-built choice for consoles.
The QXQ. It's an over-ear design with sound isolation and oval cups that physically cover your ears. The Maxell is on-ear with foam pads and lists no noise control, so it lets more ambient sound through.
Based on the specs, the QXQ. Memory foam earpads and over-ear cups at 249.2 g are designed for extended wear. The Maxell's adjustable headband and soft foam pads are comfortable for listening, but on-ear foam tends to create pressure points sooner.
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