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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a proper over-ear gaming headset with a detachable noise-cancelling boom mic, a self-adjusting headband and 50mm drivers tuned for positional stereo, choose ROCCAT Elo X; if you need something light and open that keeps your ears uncovered and lets you hear traffic, family and doorbells while you listen, choose Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm.
• ROCCAT Elo X — biggest strength: a full gaming-headset package: 50mm Nanoclear dynamic drivers, a detachable TruSpeak noise-cancelling mic, active noise cancellation and volume/media controls, all over a 3.5mm wired connection with a PC splitter in the box.
• ROCCAT Elo X — biggest trade-off: it's a closed over-ear design at roughly 11 ounces, so it seals you off from the room, and the headband is metal rather than something you fold flat into a pocket.
• Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm — biggest strength: an open-ear hook design in soft silicone that never plugs your ear canal, with three hanger sizes and an inline remote for volume, playback and calls.
• Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm — biggest trade-off: no noise cancellation at all, a narrower 60–18,000 Hz range, and an open fit that lets outside sound in by design.
• ROCCAT Elo X is for the PC or console player who wants clear comms and immersive stereo in a dedicated gaming session.
• Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm is for the walker, cyclist, commuter, driver or parent who wants background audio without blocking the world out.
The Elo X is built around the idea that a gaming headset should disappear on your head and then hand you every sound cue you need. The 50mm Nanoclear dynamic drivers are tuned for stereo, covering a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, which is the full audible span — low rumble from explosions at one end, sharp footsteps and reload clicks at the other. When a game mixes positional audio well, that range and driver size are exactly what let you tell "behind me and slightly left" from "directly above."
The fit story is the other half. A self-adjusting metal headband plus rotating earcup hinges means the headset settles onto your head instead of needing to be dialled in, and the memory foam cushions use a glasses-relief channel so the arms of your specs aren't pressed into your temples. That last detail matters more than it sounds: if you wear glasses, most closed headsets become a headache after an hour, and this one is explicitly designed around that problem.
Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm: Who It's For
The Hawk Scope takes the opposite approach: it hangs on your ear rather than covering it. The silicone hook comes in large, medium and small, and the whole thing weighs about 0.03 kg — light enough that the design intent is clearly "put it on and forget it." Because nothing goes into your ear canal, you keep your environmental awareness. That's the entire point of the product, and the description leans into it: safer on the street, easier to hear a child or a colleague, and no pressure building up inside your ear over a long day.
Sound-wise, expect an open, modest presentation rather than a big cinematic one. The frequency response is 60–18,000 Hz, so the deepest bass and the very top sparkle are trimmed compared with the Elo X, and the 16-ohm impedance and 95 dB sensitivity mean it's easy to drive from a phone, laptop or handheld — which is exactly what you want from a 3.5mm plug-and-play earbud.
Buy it if your listening is background listening: podcasts on a walk, music while cycling or shopping, calls from an inline remote with a built-in mic, video meetings where you still need to hear the room. The multi-function controller on the cord handles volume, playback and answering or ending calls, so you're not reaching for your phone. Skip it if you want noise isolation on a plane or a train, if you need a boom mic for competitive voice chat, or if deep bass is a priority. And note there's no active noise cancellation here at all — that's a deliberate trade for awareness, not an oversight.
• Best for competitive gaming audio → ROCCAT Elo X. 50mm drivers and a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range give you more of the low end and the detail cues that matter in shooters.
• Best for voice chat → ROCCAT Elo X. The detachable TruSpeak noise-cancelling boom mic sits near your mouth; the Hawk Scope's inline mic sits on the cord.
• Best for awareness and safety → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. Nothing blocks your ear canal, so traffic, announcements and people talking to you still come through.
• Best for long sessions with glasses → ROCCAT Elo X. The ProSpecs glasses-relief cushioning is specifically there to stop frame pressure.
• Best for all-day lightness → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. At 0.03 kg with a silicone hook, it's a very different weight class from an 11-ounce over-ear headset.
• Best for fit flexibility → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. Three hanger sizes (S/M/L) and a unisex design mean it can be shared around a household, including with kids.
• Best for console and PC plus mobile in one headset → ROCCAT Elo X. 3.5mm jack plus a PC splitter, and no driver software needed.
• Best for commuting, walking and driving-style listening → Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm. Open-ear plus an inline remote is built for exactly that.
In my opinion, the ROCCAT Elo X is the headset I'd buy if gaming is the main event. The combination of 50mm Nanoclear drivers, a detachable noise-cancelling mic, active noise cancellation and the glasses-friendly self-adjusting fit is a much more complete package for sitting down at a desk or a console, and the cross-platform 3.5mm setup means it follows you between devices without fuss.
The Hawk Scope Open-Ear 3.5mm wins a different argument, and it wins it clearly: if your priority is staying aware of everything around you while audio plays quietly in the background, an open silicone hook is simply the right tool. It's not a substitute for a gaming headset — it's a companion for the rest of your day. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever one matches your use case.
FAQ
No. The spec sheet lists noise control as none. The open-ear design deliberately lets outside sound in so you stay aware of your surroundings.
They're aimed at different jobs. The Elo X uses 50mm dynamic drivers with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range for full-range stereo. The Hawk Scope covers 60–18,000 Hz with 16-ohm impedance and 95 dB sensitivity, which is easy to drive but less extended at both ends.
You can — it has a built-in inline mic on the cord and 3.5mm compatibility with laptops and PCs. But for competitive play, a boom mic like the Elo X's detachable TruSpeak unit puts the microphone much closer to your mouth, which is the better setup for team comms.
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