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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 lightweight, open-ear headset built specifically around ultra-low-latency wireless gaming — and you also want something you can wear for remote work calls without sealing off your ears — choose Ulian Gaming Headphone; if you need serious active noise cancellation, marathon battery life and a wired fallback for flights, offices and TV listening, choose iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling.
• Ulian Gaming Headphone — biggest strength: a true low-latency setup via 2.4GHz USB or Type-C dongle plus Bluetooth 5.4, in an open-ear hook design that never plugs your ear canal.
• Ulian Gaming Headphone — biggest trade-off: no active noise cancellation at all, and only up to 10 hours of playtime per 1.5-hour charge.
• iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling — biggest strength: hybrid ANC rated to block up to 40dB, with an enormous 75 hours of battery life and both USB-C and 3.5mm wired options.
• iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling — biggest trade-off: it's a full over-ear headphone with Bluetooth 5.2 and a 60ms gaming mode, so it's less specialised for twitchy, competitive play.
• Choose Ulian if low latency, open-ear comfort and multi-device gaming are your priorities. Choose iKmai if quiet, all-day listening and long battery life matter more than millisecond timing.
The Ulian is, first and foremost, a latency-first design. It connects three ways — a 2.4GHz USB dongle, a 2.4GHz Type-C dongle, and Bluetooth 5.4 — and the dongle routes are the point. A dedicated 2.4GHz link is the classic recipe for the kind of ultra-low latency and no-lag feel that matters in shooters, racing games and anything where you're reacting to audio cues. Bluetooth 5.4 is there for everything else: music, casual calls, phone use.
The second thing that defines it is the open-ear hook. The ear hook is silicone, skin-friendly, and sits over your ear rather than inside it. Nothing blocks your ear canal, so breathability is much higher than a traditional sealed headphone, your ears stay cleaner and drier over long sessions, and you can still hear what's happening around you. For marathon gaming nights that's a real comfort argument, and it's also why this doubles as an in-ear-style option for remote work — you stay aware of your surroundings while a call runs.
Audio-wise it's a 32-ohm driver with a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, so it covers the full standard band. The microphone story is unusually flexible: a detachable boom mic that you clip on for voice and simply pull off for instant mute, plus a built-in mic as a backup. The boom mic has noise reduction, which helps in-game comms and call clarity. There's IPX5 water resistance, so sweat isn't a worry, and the magnetic charging cable tops it up in about 1.5 hours for up to 10 hours of playtime (or 110+ hours standby).
Who should buy it: gamers on PS5, PS4, Switch, PC, mobile or tablet who want the lowest-latency wireless option and don't want anything jammed in their ears. Also a solid pick if you want one headset that flips between gaming and remote work calls.
Who should skip it: anyone who needs noise cancelling for a loud office, a plane or a busy home. The Ulian has no noise control at all — its spec sheet lists noise control as "None." If you need to shut the world out, this isn't the tool. Xbox owners should also verify their model works with the 2.4GHz USB/Type-C dongle before buying.
The iKmai is built around the opposite priority: silence and stamina. Its headline feature is a 5-mic hybrid active noise cancellation system rated to block up to 40dB of ambient noise. That's a meaningful number — it's the kind of reduction that turns a droning airplane cabin or a chatty open-plan office into something you can actually work in. Hybrid means it uses microphones on the outside and inside of the cup, which generally handles a broader range of noise than a single-mic setup.
Comfort and battery are the other pillars. You get soft leather earpads and an adjustable headband for all-day wear, a foldable and rotatable frame for packing, and a drawstring pouch plus a 3.5mm audio cable and USB-A-to-C charging cable in the box. That 3.5mm jack matters: it means the iKmai works as a plain wired headphone with zero battery drain, which is exactly what you want on a long flight or plugged into a TV.
Battery life is the standout figure — 75 hours. That's measured in days of normal use, not hours, and it makes the iKmai the obvious choice for travel and for anyone who resents charging cables.
On the audio side it's a 32-ohm dynamic driver covering 20Hz–20,000Hz, tuned for deep, powerful bass with a clear midrange and a treble the spec sheet describes as transparent without harshness. It also carries a built-in 2EQ mode. The Auracast feature is genuinely unusual: the headphone can transmit music or voice to other Auracast headsets via public codes, so a single pair or a bulk purchase can support group listening. Worth knowing — password encryption is not supported on that sharing feature.
For gaming, there's a low-latency mode rated at 60ms. That's a real, usable figure, but it's a Bluetooth gaming mode rather than a dedicated 2.4GHz dongle link, so it sits a step behind the Ulian's approach for competitive play. Bluetooth version is 5.2.
Who should skip it: competitive gamers chasing the absolute lowest latency, and people who dislike the sealed, over-ear feel. This is a full over-ear headphone with leather pads — the opposite of the Ulian's open design.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Lowest latency for gaming → Ulian Gaming Headphone. 2.4GHz USB/Type-C dongle plus Bluetooth 5.4, described as ultra-low latency with no lag. The iKmai's 60ms gaming mode is good, but it's a Bluetooth mode, not a dedicated dongle link.
• Best noise cancelling → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Hybrid ANC rated up to 40dB with 5 mics. The Ulian has no noise control.
• Best battery life → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Up to 75 hours versus the Ulian's 10 hours.
• Best for open-ear comfort and long sessions → Ulian Gaming Headphone. Open-ear hook, silicone ear hook, nothing blocking the ear canal.
• Best for flights, trains and open-plan offices → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. The ANC plus the 3.5mm wired fallback covers travel and desk work.
• Best for multi-device gaming → Ulian Gaming Headphone. PS5, PS4, Switch, PC, mobile and tablet support across three connection types.
• Best for group listening or shared audio → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Auracast sharing via public codes.
• Best for wired listening with no battery drain → iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. It has a 3.5mm jack; the Ulian has no jack at all.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you need to block noise, or do you need to react fast? For low-latency gaming and open-ear comfort — and as a flexible in-ear-style companion for remote work calls — I'd buy the Ulian Gaming Headphone. Its 2.4GHz dongle connection, detachable noise-reducing boom mic and silicone open-ear hook are purpose-built for exactly that job. If instead you want silence, 75 hours of battery and a wired fallback for travel and remote work, I'd take the iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling. Both are legitimate; they just solve different problems. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable I can't speak to here.
what are low latency headphones
Low latency headphones are headphones designed to keep the delay between the audio source and what you hear as short as possible, so sound stays in sync with on-screen action. The Ulian does this with a dedicated 2.4GHz USB or Type-C dongle plus Bluetooth 5.4, while the iKmai uses a 60ms low-latency gaming mode over Bluetooth.
how much low latency is good for gaming headphones
For gaming, lower is better, and anything in the tens of milliseconds is generally considered usable for casual play. The iKmai publishes a specific 60ms figure for its gaming mode; the Ulian doesn't publish a number but achieves its ultra-low latency through a 2.4GHz dongle link rather than Bluetooth, which is the faster path by design.
It depends on your environment. If you work near traffic, appliances or a busy household, the iKmai's hybrid ANC rated up to 40dB will help a lot. If your space is already quiet and you'd rather stay aware of your surroundings, the Ulian's open-ear design is the more comfortable, breathable choice.
The iKmai Hybrid Noise Cancelling, in my opinion. Its 75-hour battery life, foldable and rotatable frame, drawstring pouch and 3.5mm wired option make it far better suited to flights and trips than the Ulian's 10-hour open-ear design.
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