We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a lightweight USB-C in-ear pair for music, calls and daily Android listening, choose SoundMAGIC E80D; if you need an over-ear wired gaming headset for PC and consoles with a boom mic and a big 50mm driver, choose IYGR K98.
• SoundMAGIC E80D — biggest strength: a sealed in-ear design with soft silicone tips and angled sound tubes, plus a built-in DAC and a 10mm dynamic driver tuned for balanced sound with warm bass. Biggest trade-off: it is a wired USB-C earphone only, so it lives and dies by having a Type-C device with no adapter hassle in the way.
• IYGR K98 — biggest strength: an over-ear gaming headset with 50mm neodymium dynamic drivers, a noise isolating microphone and memory foam cushions on an aluminum alloy frame, made for long sessions at a desk or on a couch. Biggest trade-off: it is a 3.5mm wired over-ear headset, so it is bulkier and less pocketable than an in-ear.
• Who the SoundMAGIC E80D is for: commuters, students and Android phone users who want isolation, a mic for calls and a small metal-bodied earphone they can carry anywhere.
• Who the IYGR K98 is for: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox and Switch players who want an over-ear headset with a boom-style noise isolating mic and plush cushions for marathon sessions.
• The honest summary: these two are not really rivals — one is a portable in-ear for music and voice, the other is a stationary over-ear for gaming.
The E80D is a USB-C wired in-ear with a 10mm dynamic driver, a 64 ohm impedance rating and a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range. Those numbers tell a simple story: this is a driver built for full-range music rather than a one-note bass cannon, and the impedance suggests it wants a bit of clean power behind it — which is exactly why the built-in DAC matters here. The chip reduces signal loss on the way to the driver, so the tuning you get is the tuning SoundMAGIC intended: strong bass, clear mids and extended highs.
The housing is the other half of the pitch. It is machined aluminum with a hand-painted finish, and the whole earphone weighs 15 grams. That combination — metal shell, low weight — is what makes an in-ear feel premium without feeling heavy in your ear. The angled sound tubes and soft silicone eartips are designed to seal the ear canal fully, and that seal is the real noise isolation here. There is no active circuitry doing the work; the isolation comes from the fit. Get the seal right and outside noise drops noticeably, which is what you want on a bus, in a cafe or on a loud office floor.
For controls, you get a three-button remote on a tangle-resistant copper cable, plus a built-in microphone for hands-free calls. There is a 90-degree plug, a grey protective case and a set of eartips in the box, and the brand backs it with a one-year warranty. Sweat resistance and waterproofing are part of the design brief, so gym and commute use are fair game.
IYGR K98: Who It's For
The K98 is a different animal entirely. It is an over-ear wired gaming headset with 50mm neodymium dynamic drivers, a 32 ohm impedance, 105 dB sensitivity, a 20 kHz frequency response ceiling and a stated 15 ms audio latency. The 50mm driver is the headline: bigger drivers move more air, and combined with the over-ear oval cups and memory foam cushions, the result is the wide, enveloping stereo presentation gamers tend to prefer over a sealed in-ear.
The frame is aluminum alloy, which is the part I like most about this headset on paper. Gaming headsets often feel like creaky plastic after a few months of being tossed onto a desk; an alloy frame is a durability statement. The cushions are memory foam, which matters more than people admit — a two-hour session is fine in almost anything, but a five-hour session is where cheap padding starts to hurt. The headset weighs 8 ounces on its own, so it is not featherweight, but the over-ear design spreads that weight across your head rather than your ear canals.
The microphone is described as noise isolating, which is the practical feature for anyone playing with friends or taking calls between matches. There is a push-button volume control on the headset itself, and the connectivity is a 3.5mm jack, which is what lets it work across PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox and Switch without software. RGB lighting is part of the design, and the colorway is white and purple. IYGR backs it with a two-year warranty, longer than the E80D's one year.
Buy it if you play on a console or desktop, want a boom mic and plush cushions, and you do not mind a wired 3.5mm connection. Skip it if you mostly listen on a phone, want something pocketable, or you need USB-C — the K98 is 3.5mm only.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise isolation on a commute → SoundMAGIC E80D. A sealed in-ear with silicone tips physically blocks surrounding noise; that is the whole mechanism.
• Best for long listening sessions → IYGR K98. Memory foam over-ear cushions spread pressure across your head instead of inside your ear canal.
• Best for portability → SoundMAGIC E80D. 15 grams, a small metal shell and a protective case; it disappears into a pocket.
• Best for calls on an Android phone → SoundMAGIC E80D. Three-button remote, built-in mic and USB-C, no adapter required.
• Best for durability on paper → IYGR K98. Aluminum alloy frame and a two-year warranty versus the E80D's one-year coverage.
• Best for audio hardware on a phone → SoundMAGIC E80D. The built-in DAC chip exists specifically to cut signal loss on USB-C.
• Best if you hate being tethered to a desk → SoundMAGIC E80D. The K98 is a stay-at-home headset; the E80D is the one you take with you.
In my opinion, most people searching this comparison should buy the SoundMAGIC E80D. It covers more of everyday life: music, podcasts, calls and commute isolation, all from a USB-C port that is already on the phone in your pocket. The DAC chip, the 10mm driver and the aluminum build make it the more versatile object.
That said, I would buy the IYGR K98 without hesitation if gaming is the actual job. If your headphones live on a desk next to a console or a PC, the 50mm drivers, the noise isolating mic, the memory foam cushions and the aluminum frame are aimed squarely at you — and the two-year warranty is a genuine plus.
One last thing: check the current price on Amazon before you commit — only you can decide whether either one fits your budget.
how to noise cancelling headphones work
Strictly speaking, active noise cancelling headphones use microphones and electronics to generate a sound wave that cancels incoming noise. Neither of these products does that. Both rely on passive sound isolation instead — the E80D seals your ear canal with silicone tips, and the K98's over-ear memory foam cushions block some outside noise physically.
how to use noise cancelling headphones
For a passive-isolation design like the E80D, the technique is all in the fit: try the different eartip sizes, twist the angled sound tube gently into place and let the tip expand to seal the canal. A good seal is what gives you the quiet, and it is also what gives you the full bass response. With the K98, simply seat the oval cups fully over your ears so the memory foam presses evenly.
how to test noise cancelling headphones
Play something quiet and listen for how much of the room disappears. Then test the seal by pressing the E80D's eartips lightly into your ears — if the low end gets noticeably fuller, your original seal was loose. On the K98, check that the cushions are fully covering your ears rather than sitting on them, since a partial seal is where isolation and bass both leak away.
how to noise cancelling headphones
If what you actually want is active cancellation, look for a headphone with a dedicated noise control chip and a battery. Both the E80D and the K98 list sound isolation, not active cancellation, and both are wired — so there is no battery to run down. What you get instead is isolation that works passively, with no charging and no electronics to fail.
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