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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Riwbox CT-7 — biggest strength: a genuinely kid-first design — on-ear fit, 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.3, a 3.5mm braided cable in the box, and an LED on/off switch so you can trade the light show for more playtime.
• Riwbox CT-7 — biggest trade-off: it's built for younger listeners and lighter listening, so the sound profile and control layout won't satisfy someone who wants a gaming-grade mic or deep positional audio.
• EASARS Cat Ear Headphones — biggest strength: a proper gaming headset setup — over-ear cups, 50mm drivers, virtual 7.1 surround, a retractable mic and 9 switchable RGB colours you change by tapping the earcup.
• EASARS Cat Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: the lights eat battery (roughly 10–12 hours with lighting versus about 50 hours without), and the wired 3.5mm mode disables the lights, volume and microphone.
• Pick Riwbox CT-7 if you're buying for a child, a plane ride, school or a tablet.
• Pick EASARS Cat Ear Headphones if you're an older teen or adult who wants a kawaii headset for gaming, streaming and calls.
The CT-7 is unapologetically a kids' headphone, and that's the whole point. The 40mm dynamic drivers cover a 20 Hz–20 kHz range at 32 ohm impedance, driven over Bluetooth 5.3 with a quoted range of about 65 feet. That's a comfortable spec sheet for streaming music, school lessons, tablet games and in-flight movies — nothing exotic, but perfectly matched to how children actually listen.
What stands out to me is the practical thinking behind the design. The cat ears and the Riwbox cat logo on the side light up in red, blue and green and pulse with the music, but there's a dedicated on/off control for that LED. Press and hold the M button for three seconds and the lights stop, which preserves battery for actual listening. The quoted battery life is up to 50 hours with a 2-hour charge time — that's a genuinely long runway for a child who forgets to plug things in. The fit is on-ear with a foldable frame, so it packs down for travel, and it weighs 180 g.
The feature I'd actually emphasise to a parent is the wired fallback. Riwbox includes a braided 3.5mm D1 audio cable, and the microphone lives on that cable. So when the battery is flat, the headphones still work — and calls still work — through a plain headphone jack on a phone, tablet, laptop or music player. There's also limited volume protection, which is the reason I'd steer a younger child here rather than toward a gaming headset.
EASARS Cat Ear Headphones: Who It's For
The EASARS GS510 is a different animal — literally and figuratively. This is an over-ear gaming headset in pink, built around 50mm dynamic drivers with virtual 7.1 surround sound over Bluetooth 5.0. The larger over-ear cups and the ergonomic headband are designed for longer wear, and the ear muffs use a soft silicone material that the spec sheet frames around reducing side pressure. If you've ever taken a headset off after two hours and felt the pinch above your ears, that design choice is aimed squarely at you.
The lighting is the headline feature. RGB effects run across the cat ears and the earcups, and you cycle through nine colours just by touching the earcup — a two-second press on the left cup changes the colour. It's a very tactile, toy-like interaction, and it's clearly aimed at the kawaii gaming setup crowd: streamers, anime fans, and anyone who wants their desk to look a certain way on camera. The retractable microphone adjusts and stows, which keeps the silhouette clean when you're not on a call.
Battery is where the trade-off lives. EASARS quotes up to 50 hours without lighting, but only about 10–12 hours with the lights on. Charging takes 2.5 hours over USB-C. That's a fair deal for a light-up headset, but it means a heavily lit gaming session will need charging far more often than the CT-7 would. Also worth knowing before you buy: the wired 3.5mm cable disables the light, volume and microphone functions, and the headset emits a "power off" tone when you plug it in even though audio keeps working. And there's no USB dongle in the box — this is Bluetooth or 3.5mm, nothing else.
Who should skip it? Younger children, mainly. This is listed as an adult headset, and the loud, light-heavy, gaming-first character isn't what I'd hand to a seven-year-old. It's also not ideal if you want a mic that works in wired mode, because it won't. This is for teens and adults who want personality with their gaming.
• Best for younger kids → Riwbox CT-7. On-ear, lighter at 180 g, foldable, volume-limited, and explicitly marketed for children.
• Best for gaming and voice chat → EASARS Cat Ear Headphones. Virtual 7.1 surround, a retractable boom mic and 50mm drivers.
• Best for long listening sessions → Riwbox CT-7. Up to 50 hours on a 2-hour charge, and you can switch the LED off to stretch it further.
• Best lighting experience → EASARS Cat Ear Headphones. Nine colours, RGB on both earcups and cat ears, changed by touch.
• Best for wired backup → Riwbox CT-7. The braided 3.5mm D1 cable keeps music and the microphone working when the battery dies.
• Best comfort for big heads and long wear → EASARS Cat Ear Headphones. Over-ear cups with soft silicone muffs and an ergonomic structure.
• Best Bluetooth generation → Riwbox CT-7. Bluetooth 5.3 versus Bluetooth 5.0, plus a longer quoted wireless range of about 65 feet versus 10 metres.
• Best for a gift with immediate wow factor → EASARS Cat Ear Headphones for a teen or adult; Riwbox CT-7 for a child.
In my opinion, the right answer here depends entirely on who's wearing them — and that's why I'd split the decision rather than crown one winner. For a child, I'd buy the Riwbox CT-7: volume-limited tuning, a foldable on-ear frame, Bluetooth 5.3, a cable that keeps everything working when the battery runs out, and up to 50 hours of playtime. For a teen or adult who wants a gaming headset, I'd buy the EASARS Cat Ear Headphones: bigger 50mm drivers, virtual 7.1 surround, a retractable mic, and touch-controlled RGB. If I had to pick one for myself, it'd be the EASARS — but if I were buying for my own kid, it'd be the Riwbox without a second thought. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever fits your situation.
FAQ
Yes, but differently. The Riwbox CT-7's microphone is built into the included braided 3.5mm D1 audio cable, so it works in wired mode. The EASARS has a retractable boom mic, but note that plugging in the 3.5mm cable disables the microphone, volume and lighting — so its mic is effectively a Bluetooth-mode feature.
Riwbox quotes up to 50 hours with a 2-hour charge. EASARS quotes about 50 hours without lighting, but only around 10–12 hours with the RGB on, and takes 2.5 hours to charge over USB-C. If you leave the lights on constantly, expect to charge the EASARS far more often.
Both include a 3.5mm cable. On the Riwbox CT-7 you keep music, volume control and the inline microphone. On the EASARS, wired mode keeps audio only — lights, volume and mic are disabled, and you'll hear a "power off" tone that just signals wireless mode is off.
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