Hi everyone, I need your help with something.
My old JBL headphones are starting to degrade, and so I’m looking for a replacement. As I have a FairPhone now, I don’t have an aux jack anymore. I’m also not a huge fan of audio over bluetooth.
So I’ve started searching for some simple over-ear or on-ear cabled headphones that connect with a USB C cable. I have found one from lenovo, but it is a headset with a boom mic. Ideally I just want headphones, simple and robust. I don’t care about noise-cancelling or other bells and whistles.
Anyone have anything?
Note: I know adapters are a thing. I find them annoying and prone to damage. I don’t want to use one.
Aside from the pigtail USB-C -> 3.5 socket adapters which absolutely do suck, you can also get USB-C -> 3.5 plug cables (link for example purposes only, not an endorsement of amazon or this product) which can be pretty decent length and quality. This, together with headphones with a replaceable cable (also just an example) might open up a few more options for you. Added bonus that if the cable fails it’s … well … replaceable.
Just be mindful that some manufacturers do the extremely shitty thing of placing the socket on the headphones in a very specifically shaped recess that only their cables will fit.
Any USB-C to 3.5 dongle that has a DAC module will be miles better than just the straight cable converter for a fraction of the price and not going into an extensive array of hardware, it just depends how far OP wants to go down the audible rabbit hole.
Thanks for the tip. I hope I can find a cable that has such a module, then finding the headphones themselves should be relatively easy.
I’m fine with rabbit holes, I’m an engineer, that’s kinda what we do all day anyway.
No worries. If it’s going about day to day errands with some music in your ears, the DAC dongle is probably your best bet in terms of keeping what you have to carry compact.
Thanks! This will probably be the best option for me.
Just be mindful that some manufacturers do the extremely shitty thing of placing the socket on the headphones in a very specifically shaped recess that only their cables will fit.
That sounds like a good idea, actually. A lot of those adapters/cables are bastardisations of the USB-C standard, and just re-use a couple of pins to pass on analog audio. I’ve seen at least three variations of it. If it’s not standard, it should not be possible to plug it in to any standard socket.
The right way to do it is with a proper digital-to-analog converter in the adapter. I hope that’s the most common way today, but I haven’t shopped around in recent years.
It’s still shitty because they ship with a 3.5mm -> 3.5mm cable (literally straight through, no inline silicon) that’s billed as replaceable. It is, but only with -their- cable. It’s a way of making a standard connection proprietary.
Check out linsoul if you are in the EU or massdrop if you are in the US.
There are a huge amount of basic, low cost earphone manufacturers. The budget audiophile community can also provide more targeted help if needed, just be sure to include more info like price range, how you plan to use the headphones and what quality you expect, to get more helpful advice.
I’m currently using a €25 set which have almost identical sounds quality to my €200 headphones in many situations.
*Edited because apparently I can’t spell…
I’m in the EU, and thanks, linsoul looks like a good shop to search.
No problem, just note shipping times can be higher than other stores. Also be sure to use the EU domain (linsoul.de) otherwise customs duties may be added :)
Thank you so much for that shop recommendation, I have been searching for this for a while.
i realize your’e specifying chorded, but jlab retro rewind (second revision) is USB-C so would make an OK pair of backups or loaners. audio quality is ‘good enough’ but no it isn’t the same nor will I claim it is. Hence ‘good as a backup.’ https://www.jlab.com/products/rewind-2-wireless-retro-headphones-black
I had a pair that’s still going decent after two years of abuse (and getting glued back together through said abuse,) that work well enough, but that pair’s micro-USB. New pair has a better feel, usb c, and some other longstanding nicities.
Not premium by any streach though.
A number of over-ear Bluetooth headphones support usb-audio. rtings provides a list, but I’m sure there are more out there.
I resisted converting to Bluetooth headphones for a while and this route provided a decent bridge. Bluetooth LE audio seems like it will be nirvana between low latency, audio quality, and energy efficiency but not many devices support it currently.
Wonderful! Thanks for the list, this is exactly what I’m looking for.
No problem! That list will contain active headphones that have an onboard DAC, so they look like a USB audio device to whatever you plug them into.
I haven’t tried them but I recently read a (Norwegian) review of Belkin Soundform Isolate. They support it and are supposed to be surprisingly good.
Thanks, I’ll definitely take a look at them.
Have you ruled out the Google Pixel USB-C earbuds? Those work well for me and the design is nice and simple. I’ll probably keep using them until they break one day (like you also have mixed feelings about bluetooth).
Remember seeing that Google was going to phase them out eventually but they still seem to sell them at least for now.
I have, I refuse to give any data or money to Alphabet, Apple, Meta, etc. as far as I can help it.
But thanks anyway.
Thanks, that retro look is actuality a great idea for a backup, they look very light and uncomplicated.
fwiw, I found the form factor of this dac to be much more enjoyable than the pigtail adapters, because it feels more like “part of the headphone cable”: https://www.ddhifi.com/en/product-review/11321/
I’ve found that for me, the most “prone to damage” part for usb-c audio is just the usb-c connection… so idk how much a usb-c headset improves over an adapter… I just want them to add back headphone jacks. 😭
Thanks for the link, that does look good.
I agree, the usb-c connection is th3bmost prone to damage. However, my real problem with the adapter is that there is a stiff part added to the cable in the worst place possible for a pocket. I constantly feel uneasy about the stresses put on the USB poet of the phone by this extra bit of cable with the AUX jack, that’s what I want to get rid of.
The adapter you linked partially solves this problem, but it’s also longer and bulkier than “just” a USB plug attached to a cable.
I’m being nitpicky about it, but only because it really is a very important detail to me
Yupyup I understand that feeling for sure. I have the same nitpick problem. Just figured I’d mention this one because it’s the least dongly feeling dongle that I’ve tried by a large margin, and so has become the only one I’ve actually continued using.
I’m actually considering buying larger aux headphones, taking them apart, and installing this inside so that the USB port shows on the outside. It is a little more of a project than I want, but then I could just use a USB c extension cable to connect to whatever.
Koss just came out with portapros with (partially) detachable Usb C and jack cables, if you would like something that doesn’t go inside your ears.
Thanks, I will definitely check this out, koss looks like just the right kind of manufacturer.
It’s this one. Had a run for 6 years using exclusively portapros. I’m using larger cans now, but I do kind of want one of those.
This actually looks really solid. I was thinking more about the traditional seashell shape, but from the functionality these are perfect. Thanks!
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I honestly love my Apple earpods with the USB-C end. I don’t like the in-ear earphones, and I haven’t come across any other earphones that are good quality for about the same price as the Apple earpods. They have been durable in my experience, and if they ever get broken within the year, you could get it changed for free from the Apple store.
Thanks for the advice, but I already have usb c in-ear headohones from JBL. A
