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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 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Valorise Gaming Headset — biggest strength: it's built for gaming first: 7.1 surround sound, a retractable ENC noise-cancelling boom mic, 2.4GHz dongle plus Bluetooth 5.4, and a 3.5mm wired backup.
• Valorise Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: it's a bulky over-ear gaming headset with passive noise cancellation only, and the mic is disabled on Nintendo Switch.
• MLF W7 — biggest strength: active noise cancellation with a huge 4000mAh battery and a lightweight over-ear build made for travel and long listening sessions.
• MLF W7 — biggest trade-off: it's a listening-first headphone — no boom mic and no gaming dongle, so it isn't the right tool for voice chat in competitive games.
• Who each is for: pick the Valorise for PC, PS5, PS4, Mac or Switch gaming with teammates; pick the MLF W7 for flights, commuting, study and music where you want the world quieted down.
The Valorise Gaming Headset (UG-08S) is unapologetically a gaming product. The headline feature is 7.1 surround sound that you activate by long-pressing the "M" key, paired with a dynamic driver tuned for deep bass and clear highs. In practice that's the setup you want when footsteps, reload sounds and directional cues actually matter. The spec sheet lists 5ms audio latency, which is the number that tells you this headset was designed to keep audio and on-screen action close together rather than drifting apart.
The microphone story is where it separates itself from a normal pair of headphones. You get a 360° omnidirectional ENC noise-cancelling mic that retracts into the ear cup and mutes with one touch. ENC works by calculating which direction your voice is coming from and suppressing everything else, so your callouts cut through even when the room around you is loud. If you play with a squad, that's a real quality-of-life feature.
Battery and connectivity are the other two pillars. Valorise quotes 45 to 100 hours depending on mode — 100 hours over Bluetooth with RGB and mic off, 45 hours over the 2.4GHz dongle with RGB and mic on — and it supports charging while you play. A full charge takes about 2 hours. The 2-in-1 USB-A and Type-C dongle covers PS5, PS4, PC and Mac, Bluetooth 5.4 covers phones, tablets and iPads, and a 3.5mm aux cable is included for controllers with a headphone jack. Comfort comes from memory sponge cushions, breathable fabric, rotating ear cups and an adjustable fit across an oval over-ear shape.
Who should buy it: anyone whose main use is gaming — especially console or PC players who talk to teammates and want one headset that also works with a phone over Bluetooth. Who should skip it: if you mainly want to cancel airplane or office noise while listening to music, the Valorise only offers passive noise cancellation, so it won't silence the room the way an ANC headphone does.
The MLF W7 is a different animal entirely. This is an over-ear Bluetooth headphone whose defining feature is active noise cancellation — the electronics actively reduce ambient noise rather than just blocking it with padding. That makes it a natural fit for flights, open-plan offices, trains and any noisy environment where you want to hear your content and not the room. If your day involves a commute or a shared workspace, ANC is the feature that earns its keep.
The battery is the other standout. MLF describes a 4000mAh built-in battery with an average life of 40 hours per charge. That's the kind of figure that means you can go days of normal listening without hunting for a cable. It also supports both wired and wireless use, so you're not stranded if the battery does run down — you can plug in and keep going.
Comfort is clearly a priority here too. The design uses soft padded cushions and an adjustable headband, with a lightweight build intended to reduce fatigue over long sessions. Materials are fabric, leather, plastic and metal, in black. Audio is handled by high-quality drivers with a 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range, which is the standard full-range window you'd expect for music, podcasts and calls. Controls are touch-based and can be handled through an app, and MLF notes CE, RoHS and FCC certifications for safety.
Who should buy it: travelers, commuters, students and remote workers who want one pair of over-ear headphones for music, podcasts and calls, with ANC doing the heavy lifting. Who should skip it: competitive gamers who need a boom mic and a low-latency dongle. The W7 has no retractable gaming mic and no 2.4GHz adapter, so it isn't built for squad voice chat in fast-paced games.
• Best for gaming audio and directional cues → Valorise Gaming Headset. 7.1 surround sound and a 5ms latency figure are aimed squarely at games.
• Best for voice chat with teammates → Valorise Gaming Headset. The retractable ENC boom mic with one-touch mute beats a mic-less music headphone for callouts.
• Best for noise cancellation → MLF W7. It has active noise cancelling; the Valorise relies on passive isolation only.
• Best for long battery between charges → MLF W7 on paper, with a 4000mAh battery and a quoted 40-hour average life, though the Valorise counters with a 45–100 hour range depending on mode and RGB/mic settings.
• Best for multi-device flexibility → Valorise Gaming Headset. 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.4 and a 3.5mm cable cover consoles, PC, Mac, phones and tablets.
• Best for travel and commuting → MLF W7. ANC plus a lightweight over-ear build is exactly the commuter formula.
• Best for listening to music and podcasts all day → MLF W7. Full-range 20Hz–20,000Hz drivers and touch/app control suit casual listening.
• Best for charging while you play → Valorise Gaming Headset. It supports use while charging, and the 3.5mm jack works even when the battery is flat.
If I had to pick one, I'd take the Valorise Gaming Headset — because it does more jobs at once. It handles console and PC gaming with a real boom mic, low latency and surround sound, then switches to Bluetooth 5.4 for your phone, with a wired fallback when the battery runs out. The MLF W7 is the better choice only if noise cancelling and marathon music listening are your priorities and gaming chat isn't. In my opinion, gamers should buy the Valorise; travelers and music-first listeners should buy the MLF W7.
FAQ
MLF doesn't list a boom microphone for the W7 — it's positioned as ANC headphones for music, podcasts and calls, not as a gaming headset with a retractable mic like the Valorise.
The MLF W7, because it uses active noise cancelling to reduce ambient sound. The Valorise uses passive noise cancellation through its fabric cushions and enveloping ear cups, which isolates sound but doesn't actively cancel it. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since value matters here.
Yes. Valorise states the 3.5mm jack still works for console gaming even when the battery is empty, and the headset supports charging while in use.
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