Most new phones, many tablets and some laptops have no headphone jack. A USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter puts one back, and because USB-C carries digital audio, the adapter contains a small digital-to-analog converter. That chip, not the cable, decides how the dongle sounds and whether your headset’s microphone and buttons work. The cheapest dongles work; the better ones add a higher-resolution DAC, a braided cable or a second port so you can charge at the same time.
We went through the 200 adapters in our accessories catalog and kept five. This is a comparison of listed specifications and owner reviews, not a listening test; we did not measure these ourselves. Prices are not printed because they shift daily, and every button opens the live Amazon page.
How we picked
- Owner ratings of 4.3 stars or higher with at least 3,400 ratings each, and more than 13,000 for four of the five. Dongles live or die on compatibility, and a large review base shows whether they work across phones.
- Five different jobs. A best-sounding all-rounder, a budget dongle, a right-angle dongle for gaming and pockets, a charge-and-listen splitter, and a 1/4-inch adapter for amps and keyboards.
- Stated DAC resolution and features. We quote sampling rates, microphone support and charging wattage exactly as the listings give them.
- Known limits included. Where a maker lists devices or features it does not support, we say so.
The picks
If you plan to use one dongle for years, this is the one. UGREEN’s adapter carries a DAC rated to 24-bit/96 kHz, a step above the 16-bit/48 kHz chips in most budget dongles, and the maker claims noise reduction alongside it. The cable is nylon braided with aluminum alloy plugs, and the whole thing is 4.72 inches long and 9 grams. It supports in-line volume and playback buttons and phone calls. The compatibility list is long: iPhone 15 through 18, Galaxy S22 through S26, Pixel 7 through 10, iPads, Macs, PS5 and Switch 2. Owners rate it 4.5 stars across more than 28,700 ratings. One review describes nine months of daily use living on a pair of wired EarPods; another, from someone who tried cheaper no-DAC adapters, calls the sound noticeably cleaner.
- 24-bit/96 kHz DAC, where most dongles stop at 16-bit/48 kHz
- Braided cable and aluminum plugs; one owner reports nine months of daily use
- Supports in-line controls and calls
- 28,700+ ratings at 4.5 stars
- Costs more than the plain JSAUX and JXMOX dongles
- Straight plug sticks out of the phone in a pocket
- Audio only; it does not add a charging port
The JSAUX is the dongle to buy two of: one for the bag, one for the desk. It uses a 16-bit/48 kHz DAC, which is the standard for inexpensive adapters and fine for streaming music and calls, and it supports headset buttons on CTIA-wired headphones. JSAUX rates the strain relief for more than 15,000 bends and uses metal-coated connectors. It weighs 9 grams. The maker is unusually honest about limits: the mic and volume buttons on Apple’s 3.5 mm EarPods are not supported, and on devices that still have a headphone jack, calls may not route through the dongle. Owners rate it 4.4 stars across more than 35,000 ratings, with reviews noting the plug snaps firmly into place and the slim body does not catch on pockets.
- 35,000+ ratings at 4.4 stars, the most-reviewed adapter on this page
- Strain relief rated for 15,000 bends
- Works with headset buttons on CTIA wired headsets
- Usually the lowest price of the five
- 16-bit/48 kHz DAC, lower resolution than the UGREEN
- JSAUX states the microphone and volume buttons of Apple EarPods are not supported
- May not support calls on devices that still have their own 3.5 mm jack, per the listing
UGREEN 90 Degree USB C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter Headphone Dongle Gray
A straight dongle is a lever waiting to be snapped off in a pocket or during a long gaming session. UGREEN’s 90-degree version turns the cable to run flat along the phone, so it does not catch and the headphone plug is not pulled loose. Inside is the same 24-bit/96 kHz DAC rating as the straight UGREEN, in an aluminum housing measuring 1.26 by 0.84 by 0.31 inches. It supports a headset microphone and in-line controls. UGREEN lists what it will not do: no charging, no video, and it cannot connect a 3.5 mm phone to USB-C headphones. Cases thicker than 3 mm may block the plug, though one owner reports a clean fit with a Quad Lock case on a Pixel 9 Pro XL. Owners rate it 4.3 stars across more than 13,700 ratings; one hears a slight hiss during silence, another reports none.
- Right angle keeps the cable flat against the phone during gaming and in a pocket
- Same 24-bit/96 kHz DAC rating as the straight UGREEN
- One owner confirms it fits a Pixel 9 Pro XL in a Quad Lock case
- 13,700+ ratings at 4.3 stars
- One owner reports faint background hiss when nothing is playing
- Audio only: no charging, no video, not bidirectional
- Phone cases thicker than 3 mm may block it
Samsung Galaxy S26 Headphone Adapter, USB C to AUX Mic Jack with PD 60W Fast Charging for Stereo, Earphones, Compatible with Samsung Galaxy S26/S26+/S26 Ultra/S25/S25+, Google Pixel 10/9
Phones with one USB-C port force a choice: charge or listen. This Vcddom splitter removes it. One side is a USB-C port that passes up to 60 W of USB PD 3.0 charging, the other is a 3.5 mm jack with a 24-bit/96 kHz DAC that supports both CTIA and OMTP headset wiring, which means older headsets with the other wiring order work too. It does not pass data, so it is for the nightstand, the car and long flights, not for syncing. Owners rate it 4.3 stars across more than 3,400 ratings; the most common use described is a car without Bluetooth, where the phone charges and plays through the aux input at once. The complaints are about durability: occasional audio dropouts, and one adapter that stopped working after being rolled tightly into a round headphone case. Treat the cable gently.
- Lets a phone or tablet charge at up to 60 W while wired headphones are connected
- Supports both CTIA and OMTP headset wiring, so older headsets work too
- Owners use it to feed a car aux input while charging
- 3,400+ ratings at 4.3 stars
- No data pass-through; it is power and audio only
- Owners report dropouts, and one unit failed after being bent tightly in a case
- Listing is written around Samsung and Pixel; check your phone before buying
VCE 3.5mm to 1/4 Adapter Stereo Headphone Adapter, 24K Gold-Plated, 2-Pack
The other adapter every headphone owner eventually needs goes the opposite way: the 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) output on a guitar amp, digital piano, mixer, audio interface or AV receiver, and the 3.5 mm plug on your headphones. VCE’s adapter is a solid brass barrel with 24K gold plating and a knurled grip that is easy to turn in the cramped space behind a receiver, and it comes as a two-pack with an 18-month warranty. It is a passive stereo TRS adapter, so there is no electronics and nothing to go wrong, and owners rate it 4.7 stars across more than 14,900 ratings, the best score of the five picks. If the headphones you want to use with a new phone are the same ones you use on a keyboard, buy this with your USB-C dongle.
- Plugs 3.5 mm headphones into a guitar amp, keyboard, mixer or AV receiver
- Brass body with gold plating and a knurled grip for tight spaces behind gear
- Two in the pack, so one can live on the amp
- 14,900+ ratings at 4.7 stars, the highest score here
- Passive adapter: it does not add a USB-C port or a DAC
- Only converts jack size, not balanced or mono connections
- Easy to lose, like all small adapters
Compare the picks
| Product | DAC | Extra | Shape | Owner rating | Our score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGREEN 24-bit braidedUGREEN | 24-bit/96 kHz | In-line control, calls | Straight, 4.72 in cable | 4.5 / 28.7k+ | 9.0 | See price |
| JSAUX budget dongleJSAUX | 16-bit/48 kHz | CTIA headset buttons | Straight, short cable | 4.4 / 35k+ | 8.8 | See price |
| UGREEN 90-degreeUGREEN | 24-bit/96 kHz | Mic and in-line control | Right angle, no cable | 4.3 / 13.7k+ | 8.6 | See price |
| Vcddom 2-in-1 60 WVcddom | 24-bit/96 kHz | 60 W PD charging port | Y splitter | 4.3 / 3.4k+ | 8.6 | See price |
| VCE 1/4 in to 3.5 mm (2-pack)VCE | Passive, no DAC | Gold-plated brass | Barrel adapter | 4.7 / 14.9k+ | 9.4 | See price |
What to look for in a USB-C headphone adapter
It needs a DAC, and the rating tells you its class. USB-C carries digital audio, so a working adapter contains a digital-to-analog converter. Budget dongles like the JSAUX are rated 16-bit/48 kHz, which is CD quality and fine for streaming. The UGREEN pair and the Vcddom are rated 24-bit/96 kHz, which matters if you play high-resolution files or simply want more headroom.
Check microphone and button support. Wired headsets use CTIA wiring (most modern headsets) or OMTP (some older ones). The JSAUX supports CTIA headset buttons but not the mic on Apple’s EarPods; the Vcddom supports both CTIA and OMTP. If you take calls on wired earbuds, read this line of the listing before buying.
Decide between straight and right angle. A straight dongle like the UGREEN or JSAUX hangs from the port and is fine at a desk. A right-angle dongle like the UGREEN 90-degree lies flat for gaming and pockets, but it needs a phone case 3 mm thick or less.
A charging port costs reliability. Two-in-one splitters such as the Vcddom are the only way to charge and listen through a single port, and owners of this type consistently report more dropouts and shorter lives than plain dongles. Buy one for the car or the bedside, and keep a plain dongle for travel.
Build quality shows up in the cable. Braided nylon (UGREEN), strain relief rated in bends (JSAUX, 15,000+) and aluminum plugs are the features that stop the dongle failing at the joint, which is where every cheap one dies.
Do not confuse the two jack sizes. 3.5 mm is the headphone plug; 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) is the output on amps, pianos and receivers. The VCE adapter bridges them and has nothing to do with USB-C.
If the adapter is a stopgap, our wireless earbuds under $50 guide and everyday wireless headphone guide cover the alternative. More cables and dongles are in the accessories shop.
Do USB-C to 3.5 mm adapters work with iPhone 15, 16 and 17?
Yes. All four USB-C dongles here list current iPhones: the UGREEN adapters and JSAUX name iPhone 15 through 18 models, and the Vcddom names iPhone 16 and 17 in its listing. The 3.5 mm jack on the dongle then takes any standard wired headphones.
Why does my USB-C headphone adapter not work with my headset microphone?
Usually because of headset wiring or a maker limit. Most headsets use CTIA wiring, which the JSAUX and UGREEN adapters support; older OMTP headsets need an adapter that lists OMTP, such as the Vcddom. JSAUX also states that the mic and volume buttons on Apple EarPods are not supported on its dongle.
Can I charge my phone and use wired headphones at the same time?
Only with a two-port splitter. The Vcddom 2-in-1 adds a USB-C pass-through rated for up to 60 W USB PD charging next to its 3.5 mm jack. It does not pass data, and owners report these splitters are less durable than plain dongles, so handle the cable gently.
Does a 24-bit/96 kHz adapter sound better than a 16-bit/48 kHz one?
For high-resolution files and quiet passages it can; for compressed streaming the difference is small. The UGREEN straight and 90-degree adapters and the Vcddom are rated 24-bit/96 kHz; the JSAUX is 16-bit/48 kHz and is the sensible budget choice.
Bottom line
Buy the UGREEN 24-bit/96 kHz braided adapter and use it for years; 28,700+ owners at 4.5 stars suggest you will. Pick the JSAUX if price is the brief and you can live with a 16-bit DAC, the UGREEN 90-degree if the dongle rides in a pocket or under a controller, the Vcddom 2-in-1 for the car or bedside where you need to charge and listen, and add the VCE 1/4-inch adapter if the same headphones also plug into an amp or keyboard.
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