We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a wired headset built specifically for team chat on a console, choose Microsoft Xbox 360; if you need a wired in-ear pair with an inline mic for calls, classes and everyday listening, choose ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm.
• Microsoft Xbox 360 — biggest strength: a boom microphone with noise cancellation plus an in-line volume control and mute switch, all aimed at voice chat while you play.
• Microsoft Xbox 360 — biggest trade-off: it's an over-ear plastic headset on a 2.5 mm plug, so it's really tied to gaming hardware rather than phones, tablets or laptops.
• ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm — biggest strength: a 3.5 mm plug with in-line button control, a mute function and three sizes of silicone eartips for a comfortable semi in-ear fit.
• ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm — biggest trade-off: it's an in-ear bud with sound isolation rather than a boom mic, so it's about personal listening and calls, not shouting callouts over game audio.
• Who each pick is for: the Xbox 360 Headset is for someone chatting with teammates on a console; the ASKUBSKU earbuds are for someone who wants one small wired pair for a laptop, Chromebook, phone or handheld.
The Xbox 360 Headset is a single-purpose piece of kit, and that's the point. It's a wired, over-ear headset in plastic with a dynamic driver, and its whole design revolves around one job: letting you talk to other players. The boom microphone can be adjusted so it sits where it picks you up best, and it's noise-canceling, which Microsoft says improves how the system responds to voice commands and keeps your voice communication crisp and clear. Around the cable you get an in-line volume control and a mute switch, so you can ride the level or kill your mic without digging through menus mid-match.
If you're the person on a team who calls out positions, coordinates pushes, or just wants to keep up a running conversation with friends while you play, this is the shape of headset that makes sense. The over-ear fit keeps it stable on your head, the boom mic puts the pickup right at your mouth, and the remote control method means your hands stay on the controller. It's aimed at adult players and it's built around gaming rather than anything else.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants one pair of headphones for everything. The connection is a 2.5 mm jack, which is a narrower plug than the 3.5 mm socket you'll find on most phones, laptops and tablets, so it isn't a drop-in upgrade for general listening. It's also over-ear and plastic, which is bulkier to carry than a set of buds, and it has no active noise control — the noise-canceling feature applies to the microphone, not to what you hear. If your priority is music on the bus or taking work calls, this isn't the tool.
The ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm are the opposite kind of product: small, general-purpose and built to disappear into a pocket. They're a wired in-ear pair in a grey metal-and-plastic shell with a dynamic driver, and they connect over a standard 3.5 mm jack. That's the plug most laptops, Chromebooks, desktops, Kindle Fire tablets and a long list of phones still use, which is exactly the audience ASKUBSKU is writing for — the product is described as headphones for Chromebook, laptop, PC, school and similar devices.
The fit is where most of the thought has gone. You get three sizes of soft silicone eartips — large, medium and small — so you can pick the one that seals properly in your ear. The shape is a semi in-ear, ergonomic design with a 45-degree insertion angle, which the brand says reduces the pressed, achy feeling you get from buds that sit wrong, and helps them stay put. That matters if you wear them for a full lecture, a work shift or a long stretch of background music.
On the cable you get in-line controls: pause and play, answer and hang up calls, and wake your voice assistant without touching the phone. There's also a mute function so you can switch the microphone off whenever you want. The mic itself is described as a newly upgraded high-sensitivity unit with multi-directional pickup and enhanced voice, aimed at clearer calls. The brand also notes the earbuds use sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation, and it flags a practical detail worth knowing: if the 3.5 mm port on your device collects dust or static-attracted debris, the earbuds can misbehave until you clean the port and reconnect.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs a boom mic parked at their mouth, or who wants over-ear cups that block out a room. In-ear buds with a small inline mic are fine for calls and voice chat in quiet-to-normal surroundings, but they won't isolate your voice the way a dedicated boom does. And if your device only has a 2.5 mm socket, this won't fit it.
• Best for console voice chat → Microsoft Xbox 360. The adjustable, noise-canceling boom mic and mute switch are purpose-built for talking while you play.
• Best for laptop, Chromebook and school use → ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm. The 3.5 mm plug and in-line call controls match those devices directly.
• Best for microphone control → Microsoft Xbox 360. An in-line mute switch plus a boom you can position by hand gives you the most direct control over what you say.
• Best for all-day comfort in the ear → ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm. Three eartip sizes and a 45-degree semi in-ear shape are designed to reduce ear pressure over long sessions.
• Best for carrying around → ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm. Small in-ear buds with a case are far easier to pocket than an over-ear headset.
• Best for blocking out what you hear → ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm. It lists sound isolation, whereas the Xbox headset's noise-canceling claim applies to the microphone, not the ear cups.
• Best for plug compatibility with phones and tablets → ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm. A 3.5 mm jack is the more widely shared standard of the two.
• Best for a single, dedicated gaming setup → Microsoft Xbox 360. One job, done with the right controls, rather than a compromise on everything.
In my opinion these two barely compete — they solve different problems, and the honest answer is that most people should buy the ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm. A 3.5 mm plug plus in-line call and mute controls covers laptops, Chromebooks, tablets and phones, and the three eartip sizes make it realistic to wear for hours. I'd pick the Microsoft Xbox 360 Headset only if voice chat while gaming is the actual reason you're shopping: the adjustable noise-canceling boom and in-line mute are exactly what that job needs, and nothing about a pair of in-ear buds replicates them. If you're unsure, decide which device you'll plug into first — that one detail settles it. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
An inline mic is a microphone built into a small module on the headphone cable rather than mounted on a boom arm. On the ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm, that module also carries the button controls for pause and play, answering and ending calls, waking your voice assistant, and muting the mic. The Microsoft Xbox 360 Headset takes the other approach, using a separate adjustable boom microphone instead of an inline one, with its in-line module handling volume and mute only.
Plug the 3.5 mm jack into your PC's combined headphone-and-microphone port, then select the headset as both the output and input device in your sound settings. The ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm are designed around this kind of 3.5 mm device use, with in-line controls for calls and a mute function. If your PC has separate headphone and mic sockets rather than one combined port, you'll need a splitter, since neither product here includes one.
No. The Microsoft Xbox 360 Headset uses a 2.5 mm jack, so it needs a device with that specific socket or an adapter. The ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm use the standard 3.5 mm jack found on most laptops, Chromebooks, desktops, Kindle Fire tablets and many phones. If you want one pair that moves between a laptop and a phone, the 3.5 mm earbuds are the more flexible choice.
For calls, the ASKUBSKU Earbuds 3.5mm fit better: an in-line mic with enhanced voice pickup, answer and hang-up buttons, a mute function, and eartips in three sizes for long wear. For gaming voice chat, the Microsoft Xbox 360 Headset is the stronger pick, because its adjustable noise-canceling boom mic improves game response to voice commands and keeps communication clear, and the in-line volume and mute controls are right on the cable.
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