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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• QOEKUEY Gaming Headset — biggest strength: open-ear design with bone conduction drivers and 7.1 surround sound over a wired USB-C or USB-A connection, all in a 24.95 g frame.
• QOEKUEY Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: wired-only connectivity, so you are tethered to your laptop, PS5, Switch, or phone with no battery-free wireless freedom.
• syndesmos PS5 — biggest strength: 2.4GHz wireless dongle for PS5, PC, and Switch plus Bluetooth 5.3, backed by up to 45 hours of battery life.
• syndesmos PS5 — biggest trade-off: over-ear closed design with passive noise cancellation, which blocks out your surroundings more than an open-ear set.
• Pick QOEKUEY if you want surround sound without anything inside your ear canal and you mostly play or work at a desk.
• Pick syndesmos PS5 if you want to move around the room, jump between console, PC, and phone, and rarely think about charging.
The QOEKUEY Gaming Headset is built around an open-ear concept. Instead of sealing a speaker inside your ear, it uses 16 mm bone conduction drivers with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range, so audio reaches you while your ear canal stays open. That is the whole point of this design: you hear the game and the room. If you game in a shared space, take calls while keeping an ear on your household, or just hate the sweaty plugged-up feeling of traditional earbuds, this is the format that solves it.
Wired connectivity is the other defining trait. The headset connects over USB-C or USB-A, which means no pairing, no dongle to lose, and no battery to top up — you plug in and the 7.1 surround sound processing kicks in for supported content. That makes it a natural fit for a desk setup: a laptop, a PS5, a Switch dock, or an iPhone 15/16 with USB-C. The push-button controls handle the basics without software hunting. At 24.95 g, it is light enough that a long workday or a marathon session does not turn into a neck-ache exercise, and the metal, plastic, and silicone build with a 1-year warranty suggests it is meant for daily handling.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants to roam. There is no wireless mode here, so if you like gaming from the couch across the room or switching to your phone while walking around, the cable will annoy you. It is also not the pick for someone who wants total immersion with outside noise blocked out — open-ear means open-ear, and that is a feature, not a flaw, but it is not for everyone.
syndesmos PS5: Who It's For
Sound comes from 50 mm dynamic drivers at 32 ohm impedance, tuned for directional cues — footsteps, voices, and action audio in supported games. The noise-canceling boom mic is the other practical win: it cuts down keyboard clatter, fan noise, and background chatter so team chat stays clean, and when you unplug the boom mic the built-in mic keeps it usable for quick calls. Battery is the standout number: up to 45 hours on a charge, with a 5-minute top-up giving roughly 2 hours of play. For anyone who has ever lost a match because their headset died mid-round, that math matters.
Comfort is handled with protein leather ear cushions over memory foam, an adjustable headband, and rotating ear cups for different head shapes. Passive noise cancellation comes from the closed over-ear fit. The trade-offs are real, though: it is a bulkier over-ear set, the closed design isolates you from your surroundings, and the white ABS/polycarbonate build is a different aesthetic than a slim open-ear frame. If you want to hear your doorbell or your kids while you play, this is not the headset for that.
• Best for surround sound without ear fatigue → QOEKUEY Gaming Headset. Bone conduction drivers leave your ear canal open, so long sessions stay comfortable.
• Best for wireless freedom → syndesmos PS5. The 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth 5.3 mean no cable holding you to the desk.
• Best for battery life → syndesmos PS5. Up to 45 hours per charge, plus a 5-minute quick charge for about 2 hours of play.
• Best for console-first gaming → syndesmos PS5. It is purpose-built for PS5 and also covers PC and Switch through the same dongle.
• Best for desk and work use → QOEKUEY Gaming Headset. USB-C and USB-A plug-and-play suits laptops, work calls, and docked consoles.
• Best for clear team chat → syndesmos PS5. The noise-canceling boom mic targets keyboard and fan noise specifically.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → QOEKUEY Gaming Headset. Open-ear design keeps you connected to the room.
• Best for total immersion → syndesmos PS5. Closed over-ear cups with passive noise cancellation shut the world out.
My Verdict
how to get surround sound headphones
With both of these headsets, surround sound is a feature of the hardware rather than something you install. The QOEKUEY Gaming Headset delivers 7.1 surround sound over its wired USB-C or USB-A connection, and the syndesmos PS5 delivers 7.1 surround sound through its 2.4GHz dongle or Bluetooth connection. Plug in, select the headset as your audio output, and enable the surround or spatial audio option in your game or console settings where supported.
how to test surround sound headphones
Play content with clear directional audio — a game with footsteps or a surround test clip — and listen for whether sounds move left, right, front, and behind you rather than sitting flat in the center. On the syndesmos PS5, the 50 mm drivers are tuned for directional cues in supported games, so in-game audio is the easiest test. On the QOEKUEY Gaming Headset, verify the 7.1 processing is active in your audio settings first, since a stereo fallback will flatten the effect.
how to make surround sound headphones work better
Start with the connection. The QOEKUEY Gaming Headset needs its USB-C or USB-A plug seated properly and the 7.1 output selected in your device settings. The syndesmos PS5 works best with the 2.4GHz dongle for low-latency audio, and its noise-canceling mic helps chat clarity in the same session. After that, match your in-game audio mode to the headset and keep the volume at a level where directional cues stay distinct rather than compressed.
how to fix surround sound headphones
Most surround sound problems trace back to settings, not hardware. Confirm the headset is selected as the output device, that 7.1 or spatial audio is enabled, and that the cable or dongle is fully connected — the QOEKUEY Gaming Headset is wired, so a loose USB connection is the first thing to check. On the syndesmos PS5, re-seat the 2.4GHz dongle or reconnect Bluetooth. If one game sounds flat and others do not, the issue is usually that title's audio settings.
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