The iPhone 15 series arrived with the one big upgrade that everyone has been asking Apple for years — the switch to USB-C. With that change came a slew of improvements, whether features or just ease of use. However, it also comes with its own set of challenges.
For the wired audio lovers out there, the biggest problem was the need to replace their wired lighting headphones with something new that could work with the shiny new USB-C port on the iPhone 15. Fortunately, as USB-C is so widespread, with the best USB-C headphones for Android readily available, it should be no problem finding your way around the new USB-C reality for Apple users.
After using wired headphones for 2 months, I get why old tech is new again
Going back to wired headphones offered more convenience and quality listening than I thought, but wireless buds still do one thing better.
Even better, going from lighting to USB-C also opens another box of great, versatile products, wireless headphones with an optional wired USB-C connection. Many great wireless headphones come with a way to connect them with a cord should the battery sie (or should you just prefer it that way), and they often include a USB-C cable.
Wired sound can not only be more reliable, but it can also sound better, particularly when some headphones contain a better DAC (digital-to-analogue converters) than what’s on offer in the iPhone itself. If that sounds interesting, I’ve picked out some of the best USB-C headphones you can buy.
Best USB-C headphones: Our top picks
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Apple USB-C EarPods
Best overall
Apple’s own EarPods are an easy way of picking up wired USB-C headphones on a budget. Costing under $20, they’re not most feature packed, but they’ll do the job. Just be careful you’re buying the right ones as the Lightning version are still on sale. The sound is serviceable, but their iconinc design is preferred by many listeners who don’t like neither over-ear designs nor in-ear silicone tips.
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Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2
Best for style
The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 are some of the best headphones you can buy, so the fact you can listen via USB-C or Bluetooth makes them both versatile as they are stylish. Of course, they sound great, and are comfy for longer wears. They also come in interesting colors, so you can have a great sound going and look quite spiffy at the same time.
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Beats Studio Pro
Best for versatility
The Beats Studio Pro are the newest flagship over-ears from the Beats camp and one again you get the versatility of wireless listening here, with USB-C if you need it. Being owned by Apple helps too, and these will connect seamlessly with your iPhone if you don’t feel like using a cable that day.
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Focal Bathys
Best for sound quality
If you’re looking for the best sounding USB-C headphones you can buy, then you’ve found them. The Focal Bathys can be used wirelessly, but use their included USB-C cable instead, and you can use the headphones’ 24-bit DAC to help your iPhone sound even better.
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Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Best for battery life
If you’re always on the go, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 are a fantastic over-ear travel companion thanks to their whopping 60-hour battery life. Solid sound and decent ANC round off another versatile option, which ships with a USB-C cable for wired listening as standard. So, even if you run out of juice, you can keep listening to your favorite tunes, all with the great Sennheiser audio profile.
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Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2
Best for comfort
The Shure Aonic 50 noise-cancelling headphones are back with a second generation, offering new spatial audio capabilities and a 50% better battery life – meaning you now get up to 45 hours of playback. They can be used wirelessly, but a USB-C cable for wired listening is in the box. It’s a reliable and flexible solution, letting you choose the connection that fits the situation best.
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Logitech G333
Best for gamers
These eye-catching earbuds offer flexibility for your listening, coming with a 3.5mm jack and a USB-C adapter. This means is great for using across devices, like a Nintendo Switch or PC. In fact, geared towards gamers, they deliver a punchy sound with pronounced bass and high-end for high-end action.
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7Hz Salnotes Zero
Best value
The 7Hz Salnotes Zero are a budget Hi-Fi marvel. They offer a magnificent, fun sound for an extremely affordable price, and do it all with quite an out-there style that would surely match some fun outfits. They also have detachable cables, so you can get a USB-C one for your iPhone, but also grab a regular 3.5mm jack to use at home.
Why should I buy USB-C headphones for my iPhone 15?
The best thing about using USB-C headphones is that, for the most part, you often don’t need to charge them, and they’re ready to go whenever you want them. The exception to this rule might be noise-cancelling headphones that will require a charge as well, but obviously, you’re getting extra functionality there for your effort.
They’re also pretty easy to carry around (if you don’t mind untangling the odd wire every now and then) and if you’re prone to losing things, you can never find yourself with one earbud missing.
I went back to wired headphones in 2024, and here’s how it went
While wired headphones have been largely replaced by Bluetooth over or in-ears, I still think they’re the unsung heroes of music and audio.
Perhaps one of the more compelling reasons is that some headphones offer a built-in DAC that can make your music sound better than they would by using the iPhone’s built-in DAC – but once again, not all do, so do check that first.
The other advantage of going is versatility. The choice of USB-C headphones might be limited, but there are also a lot of headphones with detachable wires. This means you could attach a USB-C wire instead of a 3.5mm jack, and have yourself an amazing listening experience using whatever Hi-Fi set of buds or cans you like.
What are the downsides to USB-C headphones?
The biggest disadvantage of USB-C headphones is — of course — the fact they’re wired, and the majority of people would prefer to use wireless headphones, due to convenience. The choice of purely USB-C headphones is, for that reason, relatively limited and also, in some cases, quite old.
Unless you’re on a very strict budget, you might be better considering some of the wireless options in our list that also provide USB-C listening, for true versatility, but also do check on that first. Some charge via USB-C but can’t play back music, so don’t assume any headphones with a USB-C port will have this functionality.
