How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a dedicated, officially licensed Xbox One chat-and-game headset with a boom mic and wired reliability, choose PDP Xbox One Afterglow; if you need wireless Bluetooth headphones for music, calls and travel with long battery life, choose Philips TAH4205.
• PDP Xbox One Afterglow — biggest strength: A gaming-first wired headset with 40 mm dynamic drivers, a flexible noise-cancelling boom microphone and inline volume/mute controls, officially licensed by Microsoft for Xbox One.
• PDP Xbox One Afterglow — biggest trade-off: It is wired and console-focused; it needs the 3.5 mm port on a 2nd-gen Xbox One controller (a separately sold adapter is required for 1st-gen controllers) and it is not a wireless everyday music headphone.
• Philips TAH4205 — biggest strength: Bluetooth 5.0 wireless freedom with up to 29-hour max battery life, a 15-minute fast charge for 4 hours of use, a BASS boost button and a flat-folding on-ear design.
• Philips TAH4205 — biggest trade-off: It relies on passive sound isolation rather than an active noise-cancelling mic, uses smaller 32 mm drivers, and its touch controls and wireless nature make it less of a plug-and-play competitive gaming tool.
• Who the PDP is for: Xbox One players who want clear stereo game audio and a proper chat mic.
• Who the Philips is for: Commuters, travelers, students and home listeners who want wireless music and calls.
The Afterglow LVL 3 is built around one job: replacing the basic mono chat headset that ships with an Xbox One and giving you a proper full stereo experience. PDP's pitch is straightforward — 40 mm high-definition stereo drivers that it says are 50 percent larger than those in a standard chat headset, paired with a noise-cancelling microphone on a flexible arm so you can bend it right where your voice sits best. That combination of bigger drivers plus a boom mic is exactly what you want when game audio and team chat both matter in the same session.
Who should buy it: Xbox One owners on a 2nd-generation wireless controller with a 3.5 mm port who want stereo game sound and a real chat mic without going wireless. Who should skip it: anyone on a 1st-generation Xbox One controller who doesn't want to buy a separate headset adapter, and anyone who mainly wants a wireless headphone for music, phone calls and commuting. This is a gaming accessory first, not a general-purpose listening headphone.
Philips TAH4205: Who It's For
The Philips TAH4205 is the opposite kind of product: a wireless on-ear headphone for daily life. Bluetooth 5.0 handles the streaming, with a stated range of up to 10 meters, and the headline number is battery — up to 29 hours of max playtime, plus a 15-minute fast charge that gives you 4 hours of use when you're in a hurry. That's the spec that matters most if you're the type who forgets to charge things; a short top-up before you leave the house covers a commute or a work block.
Sound-wise, Philips uses 32 mm neodymium dynamic drivers with a dedicated BASS boost button, and the closed-back design helps isolate you from outside noise for a clearer listen. Note that this is passive sound isolation, not active noise cancellation — it takes the edge off background noise rather than erasing it. Controls are touch-based for volume and media, and the headband is cushioned and flat-folding. It ships with a USB-C charging cable, and there's also a 3.5 mm jack for wired listening when you want it.
Who should buy it: commuters, travelers, students and home listeners who want one wireless headphone for music, podcasts, video calls and conferencing, and who value battery life and portability. Who should skip it: competitive gamers who need a boom mic for in-game chat and the lowest-latency, plug-and-play setup. The TAH4205 will play game audio, but it isn't designed around voice chat the way the PDP is.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for Xbox One gaming and voice chat → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. The flexible noise-cancelling boom mic and inline mute are purpose-built for talking to your squad.
• Best for big-driver stereo game audio → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. 40 mm dynamic drivers with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range.
• Best for music and everyday listening → Philips TAH4205. 32 mm neodymium drivers plus a BASS boost button and closed-back isolation.
• Best for commuting and travel → Philips TAH4205. Flat-folding design, cushioned headband and no cable to snag.
• Best for zero-charge, zero-pairing reliability → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. Wired 3.5 mm means it's always ready when you pick it up.
• Best for lighter weight → PDP Xbox One Afterglow. Around 100 g versus roughly 150 g for the Philips.
• Best for touch controls and conferencing → Philips TAH4205. Touch volume/media control suits calls and casual listening.
In my opinion, this comes down to one question: are you buying for a console or for your ears on the move? If your priority is Xbox One gaming with real team chat, I'd buy the PDP Xbox One Afterglow — the boom mic, 40 mm drivers and inline mute are exactly the tools that job needs, and the wired connection removes charging from the equation. If you want one headphone for music, calls, travel and long battery life, I'd buy the Philips TAH4205 instead. They barely compete for the same buyer, so pick the one that matches how you'll actually use it — and check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the deciding factor for most people.
FAQ
Yes. Its key features list conferencing as a use case and it includes a multifunctional control button for media and calls. It does not, however, use a boom mic like the PDP, so voice pickup won't be as directed during gaming.
The Philips TAH4205 is the wireless one, with up to 29 hours of max battery life and a 15-minute fast charge for 4 hours of use. The PDP Xbox One Afterglow is wired, so it has no battery at all — it draws power through the 3.5 mm connection.
It's designed for the 2nd-generation Xbox One wireless controller with a 3.5 mm port. If you have a 1st-generation controller, you'll need a separately sold headset adapter. It's officially licensed by Microsoft, which speaks to compatibility with the console it's made for.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: MKJ USB Headset vs Razer Barracuda X: Work From Home, Facemoon Sleep Mask Headphones vs Wewow Sleep Headphones, MEE audio M6 vs DAGKHE Sleep Headphones: Tiny Sleep Earbuds, JLab Fit Sport 3 vs Generic 3-in-1