And the Winner Is…

It’s gaming headsets! The most versatile of the three, they offer portability and a wealth of features. Speakers and headphones are pretty useless for online gaming without a mic, whereas a quality gaming headset can be used for listening to music or taking part in video calls.

If you need a multipurpose headset, don’t dismiss gaming brands. Sure, RGB lighting won’t add anything to your home audio experience, but a Discord-certified microphone and customizable media controls might. It’s also not hard to find superportable headsets that can be packed into a carry case when you’re on the go, and can connect to your devices wirelessly or with a cable.

However, this is a case of shopping with purpose; if you’re not a gamer but work with music, high-end Sony or Shure headphones will serve you better than anything Razer or Steelseries can offer. If you live alone (or with music fans), consider 2.1 speakers—just don’t be that person in Zoom who sounds like they’re underwater because they don’t have a noise-cancelling microphone!