We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a complete Xbox-ready gaming headset with its own audio mixer and game-tuned sound modes, choose Polk Audio Melee Headphone; if you need to fix the heat and sweat problem on a pair of Microsoft Xbox headphones you already own, choose SOULWIT Cooling Earpads. These two products sit at opposite ends of the same hobby. One is the thing you wear on your head. The other is a repair-and-upgrade part for the thing you already wear on your head.
• Polk Audio Melee Headphone — biggest strength: It's a full wired gaming headset built with Polk's exclusive thumb-reach Audio Mixer and four Immersion Modes (Forza Motorsport Racer, Halo FPS, Music, Cinema), so you can change how things sound without letting go of your controller.
• Polk Audio Melee Headphone — biggest trade-off: It's wired, it's tied to the older Xbox 360 era (with an upgrade path to Xbox One), and it has no active noise control.
• SOULWIT Cooling Earpads — biggest strength: Cooling-gel under breathable Ice Silk fabric that absorbs sweat and keeps your ears cool during long sessions, plus reinforced seams and memory foam that won't flatten.
• SOULWIT Cooling Earpads — biggest trade-off: They do nothing on their own. You need a compatible Microsoft Xbox headset first, and they only fit specific models.
• Who each pick is for: Buy the Polk Melee if you want one self-contained headset for gaming, music and calls. Buy the SOULWIT pads if you already own Xbox Wireless, Xbox Stereo, Xbox Wireless (2024 Version) or the Xbox Stereo 20th Anniversary Special Edition headset and your ears get hot.
The Melee is a gaming headset first and a general-purpose headphone second, and the design choices make that obvious. Polk built it in collaboration with game sound designers, and the headline feature is the thumb-reach Audio Mixer. That's a control you can operate with your thumb while your hands stay on the controller. If you've ever fumbled for a dial mid-match, you understand why that matters. The four Immersion Modes give you preset voicings — one tuned toward racing games, one for first-person shooters, one for music, one for cinema — so you're not manually EQ-ing anything.
The hardware is over-ear, made from plastic, fabric and memory foam, weighing in at 199 grams. The drivers are dynamic, with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, which covers the full audible band. There's a retractable near-field gaming microphone that tucks away when you're not talking, and a touch-based call control button so you can take a phone call without pulling the headset off. It's wired through a 3.5 mm jack, and Polk also lists Bluetooth, so it isn't purely a console accessory.
Here's the honest part. This is an Xbox 360-era product, and its compatibility list says so: Xbox 360, smartphones and tablets, with an upgrade path to Xbox One. If you're on a current-generation Xbox with no 3.5 mm jack on your controller, you'll need to check how you'd connect it before buying. There's also no noise control at all — no active cancellation, no passive isolation claims. And the warranty is a limited one year.
Buy it if you want a single headset that handles game audio, music and calls, and you value on-the-fly control more than wireless freedom. Skip it if you're on modern hardware without a 3.5 mm path, or you need noise cancellation.
These are replacement earpads, and the entire pitch is comfort under sustained heat. SOULWIT layers a soft cooling gel under a breathable Ice Silk fabric top layer. The gel absorbs sweat and pulls heat away from your ears during long sessions. That's it. That's the product, and for a lot of Xbox players, that's exactly the problem they've been trying to solve.
Compatibility is narrow and specific, so read it carefully. The pads are made for the Xbox Wireless headset, the Xbox Stereo headset, the Xbox Wireless (2024 Version) and the Xbox Stereo 20th Anniversary Special Edition headset. SOULWIT explicitly tells you to confirm your headset model before purchase, and you should take that seriously — this is not a universal pad.
The durability angle is worth noting because it's where cheap pads usually fail. SOULWIT added stitching and strong glue at the inside seams to stop them from splitting, and the memory foam is formulated not to go flat over time. Flattened pads are the classic reason a headset starts feeling uncomfortable after a year or two. Installation is handled with an included guide, so you're not guessing at how the pads seat.
What you give up: everything else. There's no warranty listed, and no audio change whatsoever — the sound you get is the sound your existing Xbox headset already produces. If you were hoping these would make your headset louder or better-sounding, they won't.
Buy them if you own one of the listed Microsoft Xbox headsets and your ears overheat. Skip them if you don't own a compatible model, or you're shopping for an actual headset.
• Best for a complete gaming setup from scratch → Polk Audio Melee Headphone. It's a full headset with mic, mixer and sound modes.
• Best for fixing sweaty ears on a headset you own → SOULWIT Cooling Earpads. Cooling gel plus breathable fabric is the whole point.
• Best for on-the-fly audio control → Polk Audio Melee Headphone. The thumb-reach Audio Mixer is unique to it.
• Best for game-specific sound tuning → Polk Audio Melee Headphone. Four Immersion Modes versus no audio change at all from the pads.
• Best for calls and music on the side → Polk Audio Melee Headphone. Touch call control, a retractable mic, and 3.5 mm plus Bluetooth connectivity.
• Best for long-session comfort on existing Xbox headphones → SOULWIT Cooling Earpads. Memory foam that resists going flat, with reinforced seams.
• Best for modern Xbox Wireless owners → SOULWIT Cooling Earpads. The pads explicitly cover Xbox Wireless and the 2024 Version.
• Best for Xbox 360 owners → Polk Audio Melee Headphone. That's its native platform.
In my opinion, these aren't really competitors — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends entirely on what you already own. If you have no headset and you're gaming on Xbox 360 or an Xbox One setup that accepts a 3.5 mm connection, I'd buy the Polk Audio Melee Headphone. The Audio Mixer and Immersion Modes are genuine, useful features you won't replicate with a pair of pads. If you already own an Xbox Wireless, Xbox Stereo or 20th Anniversary headset and your ears get hot and sweaty, I'd buy the SOULWIT Cooling Earpads — they're the cheaper, more targeted fix. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you decide, since that's the one variable I can't speak to here.
FAQ
how to connect xbox headphones
how to pair xbox headphones
Pairing only applies to wireless headsets, and the SOULWIT pads don't affect pairing in any way — they're foam and fabric. The Polk Melee lists Bluetooth alongside its wired 3.5 mm connection, so it can pair wirelessly with devices that support Bluetooth. For your specific Xbox console's pairing steps, follow Microsoft's own instructions for your headset model.
how to make xbox headphones louder
Neither product is a volume booster. The Polk Melee gives you a thumb-reach Audio Mixer for adjusting listening levels and modes without leaving your controller, which is the closest thing here to on-the-fly loudness control. The SOULWIT pads don't change your audio at all — they only change how your ears feel.
how to use xbox headphones
For the Polk Melee, the flow is straightforward: connect via 3.5 mm or Bluetooth, use the thumb-reach Audio Mixer to switch between the four Immersion Modes, pull out the retractable mic when you're talking, and use the touch button for calls. For the SOULWIT pads, "using" them means installing them on a compatible Xbox headset using the included guide, then just wearing your headset as normal with cooler ears.
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: Audio-Technica 3 vs Nothing Headphone Hybrid Active, Voarmaks Audio DJ Headphone vs DJ Headphones Sound Engineer Mixing Stu, FAAEAL Monitor Headphone Cable vs Kinboofi KZ ZS10