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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• PDP Xbox One Afterglow — biggest strength: Officially licensed by Microsoft for Xbox One, with 40mm dynamic drivers, a flexible noise-cancelling boom mic, and push-button inline volume and mute controls.
• PDP Xbox One Afterglow — biggest trade-off: It is a single wired on-ear/over-ear headset built around the 3.5mm port on a 2nd-generation Xbox One wireless controller, and it needs a separate headset adapter if you have a 1st-generation controller.
• Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds — biggest strength: You get 10 in-ear sets in 5 mixed colors, each with a built-in mic and inline call/music controls, for a family or group that needs many pairs at once.
• Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds — biggest trade-off: These are lightweight plastic in-ears with a 43-inch cable — not a gaming headset, no boom mic, and no controller-specific design.
• Who each pick is for: PDP for one Xbox One player who wants real game audio and clear party chat; Yoley for anyone who needs a pile of everyday earbuds for phones, tablets, laptops and kids.
The Afterglow LVL 3 is a step up from the throwaway mono chat headset that ships with an Xbox One console. PDP built it around 40mm dynamic drivers — the description notes those are roughly 50 percent larger than what you find in a basic chat headset — and the frequency range runs the full 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. In practice that means fuller stereo game audio, not just a voice channel in one ear. If you play shooters where footsteps and directional cues matter, or you just want the soundtrack to actually sound like something, that driver size is the whole point of this headset.
Who should buy it: Xbox One owners with the 2nd-generation wireless controller that has a 3.5mm port, who want one reliable wired headset for game audio and party chat. Who should skip it: anyone with a 1st-generation controller, since you'd need a separate headset adapter; anyone gaming on PC, PlayStation or mobile as their main setup; and anyone who wants wireless freedom. It's a wired, Xbox One-specific tool, and it's honest about that.
Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds: Who It's For
The Yoley Factorymall pack is a different category of product entirely, and that's not a knock — it's the entire reason to buy it. You get 10 pairs of wired in-ear earphones in 5 mixed colors, model FM-MIC301. Each pair has a built-in microphone with inline controls for answering and ending calls, play/pause, and next/previous track. Impedance is 32 ohm with the same 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range, so they'll drive fine straight out of a phone or laptop headphone jack.
The cable is about 43 inches (1.1m), and Yoley describes it as soft, elastic and tangle-resistant — worth noting, because the number one way cheap earbuds die is a cable that knots itself into a pretzel in a backpack. The housings are plastic and rounded, worn in-ear, and the whole thing is designed to be flexible, lightweight and secure. That's a fit built for movement: walking, commuting, studying, workouts, kids' tablet time.
The compatibility list is broad and practical: iPhone, iPad, iPod, Samsung and Android phones, Chromebook, Kindle, MP3 players, computers and laptops — anything with a 3.5mm jack. Yoley positions these toward families and schools, and the 10-pack structure makes that obvious. If you have three kids who each lose a pair a month, or you run a classroom or a small office where earbuds walk off, buying ten at once is the sane move.
Who should buy it: families, teachers, students, and anyone who wants a handful of spares that all work with the same old 3.5mm jack. Who should skip it: competitive console gamers, anyone who wants a boom mic that sits near your mouth, and anyone who needs a single high-end pair rather than ten everyday ones.
• Best for Xbox One gaming audio and chat → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. It's officially licensed by Microsoft and tuned for that console.
• Best for microphone quality in voice chat → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. A flexible noise-cancelling boom mic beats an inline earbud mic for party chat every time.
• Best for volume and mute control while gaming → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. Push-button inline controls you can hit mid-match.
• Best for multiple people or multiple devices → Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds. Ten pairs, five colors, one purchase.
• Best for portability and pocket carry → Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds. Plastic in-ears with a 43-inch cable disappear into a pocket; a full headset does not.
• Best for kids, students and classrooms → Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds. The 10-pack and kid-friendly sizing are the whole design brief.
• Best for long sessions on your head → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. Breathable leatherette cushions and lay-flat cups are made for extended play.
• Best for wide device compatibility → Yoley Factorymall Bulk Earbuds. Phones, tablets, Chromebooks, Kindles, laptops and MP3 players all work over 3.5mm.
In my opinion, these two aren't really competing — they solve opposite problems, so the right answer depends on what you're actually doing. If you own an Xbox One and want one headset that handles game audio and party chat properly, I'd buy the PDP Xbox One Afterglow. The licensed build, 40mm drivers and boom mic are exactly what console gaming asks for, and the trade-offs (wired, controller-port dependent) are acceptable for that use.
If instead you need earbuds for a household, a classroom or a bag of spares, I'd buy the Yoley Factorymall 10-pack. Ten pairs in five colors with mics and inline controls covers a lot of people for one order. Just check the current price on Amazon for whichever one fits your situation, since that's the deciding factor for most shoppers here.
It's designed for the 2nd-generation Xbox One wireless controller with a 3.5mm port. If you have a 1st-generation controller, you'll need a separate headset adapter, which is sold separately.
Yes. They use a standard 3.5mm jack and are listed as compatible with iPhone, iPad, Samsung and Android phones, plus Chromebook, Kindle, laptops and MP3 players. Note that phones without a 3.5mm port would need an adapter.
The earbuds have a built-in mic and inline controls, but they're general-purpose earphones, not a gaming headset — no boom mic and no Xbox-specific design. For serious console chat, the PDP headset is the better fit.
It depends on the job. If you need one gaming headset, the PDP Afterglow is the value pick. If you need many pairs of everyday earbuds, the Yoley 10-pack spreads the cost across ten sets. Check the current price on Amazon for both and compare against your actual need.
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