We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a single gaming headset built for Nintendo Switch sessions with a boom mic that mutes on the fly, choose PDP Gaming LVL40; if you need to outfit a whole classroom, library or test center with dozens of affordable wired earbuds, choose MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk.
• PDP Gaming LVL40 — biggest strength: A purpose-built on-ear gaming headset with a flip-to-mute noise-canceling mic and 40mm dynamic drivers, tuned for immersive play on Switch, Switch Lite and OLED.
• PDP Gaming LVL40 — biggest trade-off: It's one headset for one user, it's wired to a 3.5mm jack, and the on-ear design with fabric and foam padding won't isolate as deeply as over-ear cups.
• MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk — biggest strength: A 50-pack of individually bagged in-ear earbuds in ten mixed colors — enough to hand out to an entire class, testing room or shared space without worrying about who gets what.
• MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk — biggest trade-off: No microphone at all, sound isolation instead of active noise control, and a basic sound profile — these are practical everyday earbuds, not a gaming or music-first set.
• Who each pick is for: PDP Gaming LVL40 is for one gamer who wants voice chat and comfort for long sessions; MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk is for teachers, librarians, test coordinators and anyone buying audio for a group.
The LVL40 is a straightforward proposition: one wired headset, built to disappear on your head. PDP uses lightweight materials and puts the whole thing at roughly 7 oz, with soft padded earcups and a padded headband. That matters more than it sounds. If you play in long stretches — a few hours of a Switch session, a long handheld commute, an evening of online matches — the difference between a headset you forget about and one you keep adjusting comes down to weight and padding. The LVL40 is designed around exactly that.
The audio side is a 40mm dynamic driver setup, which is the meat-and-potatoes size for a stereo gaming headset and gives you the kind of presence you want in game audio. The mic is the other half of the story. It's a noise-canceling boom mic, so the design intent is that your voice comes through clearly while background noise gets pushed down, and it flips up to mute — a physical mute you can do without hunting for a button mid-match. Volume sits on the earcup as an on-ear control, so you're not reaching for a console or a phone.
Who should buy it: Switch, Switch Lite and OLED owners who want one headset for game audio plus voice chat, and who value a light on-ear fit over bulky over-ear cups. The Animal Crossing blue-and-green colorway is also a clear nod to a specific audience — if that's your aesthetic, you already know. Who should skip it: anyone buying for a group, anyone who wants wireless freedom, or anyone who needs deep passive isolation. The 3.5mm wired connection and sound-isolation approach mean you're tethered and still hearing some of the room.
This is a different category altogether. The MUMSTHT set is 50 individually bagged pairs of wired in-ear earbuds in ten mixed colors. Read that again: 50 separate packages. That single design decision tells you everything about the intended buyer. This isn't a product for one person; it's inventory. It's for a classroom teacher who needs a set that can be handed out and collected, for a library or museum with loaner audio, for a test center where students need their own pair, or for a parent organizing a group activity.
The build leans practical rather than premium. The cable uses TPE material for softness and durability, and MUMSTHT says the wires, plastics and 3.5mm connectors were chosen to hold up while keeping cost sensible. That's the right trade-off for shared-use gear, where the failure point is almost always the cable or the plug, not the driver. The earbuds use soft silica gel pads for comfort, and the frequency range spans roughly 20 Hz to 20.4 KHz with 32-ohm impedance and 92 dB sensitivity — an easy-to-drive, everyday tuning that MUMSTHT describes as clear without being jarring.
Two things to be clear about. First, there's no built-in microphone. If a student needs to speak in a remote class or take a spoken test, these won't do it. Second, the controls are touch-based media controls, so playback is handled at the earbud rather than on a remote. Compatibility is broad: any 3.5mm jack, which covers classroom desktops, laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, smartphones and audio devices. MUMSTHT backs the set with a one-year warranty and a stated 12-hour response window for support questions.
Who should buy it: anyone buying audio in quantity — schools, libraries, test centers, shared spaces — or a parent who wants a stash of spares. Who should skip it: a single user who wants rich sound, a microphone, or a headset built for gaming.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for outfitting a group → MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk. 50 individually bagged pairs in ten colors is a distribution problem solved, not a listening experience.
• Best for long-session comfort on a Switch → PDP Gaming LVL40. Lightweight build, padded earcups and headband, roughly 7 oz total.
• Best for testing, classrooms and shared spaces → MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk. Built around durability at the cable and connector, which is where shared earbuds usually fail.
• Best for immersive game audio → PDP Gaming LVL40. 40mm dynamic drivers versus a 32-ohm everyday in-ear tuning.
• Best for easy compatibility across school devices → MUMSTHT Kids Earbuds Bulk. Chromebooks, desktops, tablets and phones via 3.5mm — a broad, simple fit.
• Best if you need wireless → neither. Both are wired 3.5mm products; the LVL40 connects over 3.5mm, and MUMSTHT explicitly lists no wireless.
• Best if you need a microphone for calls → PDP Gaming LVL40. This is the cleanest dividing line between the two.
If I'm buying for myself, I'd take the PDP Gaming LVL40. In my opinion, it's the only one of the two that's actually a headset — the mic, the flip-to-mute, the 40mm drivers and the light on-ear fit all point at one job: playing on a Switch and talking to people while you do it. The MUMSTHT bulk pack is genuinely good at what it's for, but that "what" is handing audio to 50 people, not giving one person a great session. Buy the LVL40 for a player. Buy the MUMSTHT pack for a room. For a Switch owner who chats while they play, the LVL40 is my pick.
They're built for different jobs, so "better" depends on the buyer. The LVL40 is a gaming headset with a noise-canceling boom mic and 40mm drivers. The MUMSTHT set is 50 pairs of no-mic in-ear earbuds meant for classrooms and shared spaces. One serves a player; the other serves a group.
No. MUMSTHT states the earbuds do not have a built-in microphone. If you need to talk — game chat, calls, spoken tests — the PDP Gaming LVL40 is the one with a mic, and it mutes when you flip the boom up.
It comes down to fit style. The LVL40 is an on-ear headset with padded earcups and headband and a lightweight build, designed to be worn all day without fatigue. The MUMSTHT earbuds use soft silica gel pads for an in-ear fit — comfortable for everyday listening, but a very different feel from a headset.
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