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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• AFGHOA USB C Headphone — biggest strength: a wired in-ear set with a DAC chip, a full in-line remote (calls, playback, volume, Siri wake) and three sizes of silicone eartips plus a zipper case included. Biggest trade-off: it is a straight, conventional plug design, so it does not solve the "cable jabs my hand while I game" problem.
• ACANDYA USB C Earbuds — biggest strength: the 90° right-angle "L" connector, which keeps the cable running along the side of the device instead of sticking straight out. Biggest trade-off: fewer extras in the box — one protective case, no mention of spare eartip sizes.
• AFGHOA USB C Headphone is for you if your USB-C audio device is a laptop — a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air — and you want a cable long enough to reach across a desk, plus a case to throw in a bag.
• ACANDYA USB C Earbuds is for you if your USB-C audio device is a phone or tablet you hold in your hands, and you want the cord to disappear out of the way.
• Honestly, both are 32 ohm dynamic-driver wired earbuds with a 20 Hz–20 kHz range and sound isolation, so the real difference is the plug geometry, the control layout and what ships in the box.
The AFGHOA set is the one I would hand to someone whose main listening device is a laptop. The listing names MacBook Pro and MacBook Air directly, and the connector carries its own DAC chip, which is the part that matters when you plug USB-C audio into a computer that has no traditional headphone jack. That chip is doing the digital-to-analog conversion inside the plug, which is exactly what a MacBook needs to hear anything at all. The 1.2 m cable is tangle-resistant and long enough that the laptop can sit slightly back on the desk without yanking the buds out of your ears.
The control story is the other half of the appeal. There is a full in-line button set — answer, end and reject calls, play and pause, skip tracks, wake Siri, and adjust volume — all without touching the keyboard or trackpad. For anyone who takes calls or sits in video meetings on a MacBook all day, that is genuinely useful, because you are not reaching for the machine every time you need to mute a track or pick up. The built-in mic is aimed at exactly those jobs: calls, conferencing, online classes and streaming.
Comfort-wise, the spec sheet is specific: ultra-soft silicone tips that are described as gentle on skin, with three replacement sizes of ear cap in the box. That matters more than people admit, because in-ear fit is personal and having three sizes means you can actually find yours. The bundle also includes a zipper carrying case, which is a small thing that makes a difference if the buds live in a backpack.
ACANDYA USB C Earbuds: Who It's For
The ACANDYA pair exists to solve one very specific, very real annoyance: the cable that pokes straight out of the bottom of your phone and digs into your palm. Its headline feature is a 90° right-angle "L" connector, so the cord leaves the port sideways and lies flat against the edge of the device. If you play games or watch video in landscape on a Samsung Galaxy, a Pixel or an iPhone 17, that single design choice changes the whole experience. You can grip the phone normally for a long session instead of holding it awkwardly to avoid the plug.
Beyond the angle, it is a familiar package: an in-line microphone and remote for hands-free calls, answering and rejecting, switching songs and adjusting volume, plus a 1.2 m cable and a DAC chip built into the USB-C connector. The audio description is a well-balanced sound with strong bass and clear mids, and it also claims to minimize ambient noise alongside the sound-isolation design. The earbuds are in-ear buds with 32 ohm impedance and the same 20 Hz–20 kHz frequency range as the AFGHOA set, which tells you the two are in the same general performance class rather than one being a different tier of hardware.
The compatibility list is enormous — Samsung, Pixel, iPhone 15/16/17 families, iPad, MacBook Pro, OnePlus, Motorola and more — with the usual caveat that it is for USB-C devices without a 3.5 mm port. It ships with a protective case, and the listing is aimed at "adult and youth," so it is a reasonable pick for a teenager's first decent wired set.
Where does it fall short? The sheet mentions one protective case and no spare eartip sizes, so if the stock tip does not fit your ear you have less to work with than the AFGHOA box gives you. The connector housing is aluminum, which is a nice touch, but the straight-line ergonomics of a laptop desk setup are simply not its strength — for a MacBook parked on a stand, a right-angle plug is neither an advantage nor a problem, just neutral. And like the other set, it is wired only.
• Best for a MacBook desk setup → AFGHOA USB C Headphone. It names MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, and the DAC chip plus 1.2 m tangle-free cord suit laptop listening.
• Best for gaming or video on a phone → ACANDYA USB C Earbuds. The 90° right-angle connector keeps the cable out of your grip.
• Best for hands-on control → AFGHOA USB C Headphone. Its in-line buttons cover calls, playback, volume and waking Siri, all from the cord.
• Best for a clean, simple volume-and-song remote → ACANDYA USB C Earbuds. Answer, reject, skip and volume, nothing more than you need.
• Best for fit flexibility → AFGHOA USB C Headphone. Three sizes of silicone eartip are included, so you can dial in the seal.
• Best for someone who wants a case in the box → both. AFGHOA ships a zipper case; ACANDYA ships a protective case.
• Best for an all-metal connector housing → ACANDYA USB C Earbuds. Its enclosure material is listed as aluminum.
• Best for a wide device list → ACANDYA USB C Earbuds, though AFGHOA covers the major phone, tablet and laptop families too.
• Tie on core audio specs → both. 32 ohm impedance, dynamic drivers, 20 Hz–20 kHz, sound isolation. Neither is a spec-sheet upgrade over the other.
If my main machine were a MacBook, I would buy the AFGHOA USB C Headphone. In my opinion, the combination of a DAC-equipped USB-C plug, a 1.2 m tangle-free cable, a full in-line remote that can wake Siri, three eartip sizes and a zipper case is the more complete laptop package — and the straight plug is a non-issue when the device is sitting on a desk. I would pick the ACANDYA USB C Earbuds instead if I listened mostly on a phone in landscape, because that right-angle connector is a real, everyday quality-of-life win there. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since both are inexpensive wired sets and the gap between them is small.
how to use headphones for macbook
Plug the USB-C connector into any USB-C port on your MacBook — no adapter needed, because these earbuds carry their own DAC chip. The MacBook should recognize them as an audio output automatically; just select them in your sound settings if it does not. Then use the in-line buttons for volume, play/pause and calls.
how to connect headphones macbook
Because both sets are wired, "connecting" means physically inserting the USB-C plug into a USB-C port on the MacBook. There is no pairing, no Bluetooth menu and no charging involved. If you hear nothing, open Sound settings and confirm the USB-C device is selected as the output.
how to connect headphones macbook air
It works the same way on a MacBook Air: push the USB-C plug into one of the machine's USB-C ports. The AFGHOA listing names MacBook Air directly, and the ACANDYA listing names MacBook Pro, so both are built for the USB-C-only Mac era. No dongle, no 3.5 mm adapter required.
how to use headphones macbook pro
Insert the USB-C connector into a MacBook Pro port and the buds become your audio output. Use the in-line remote to adjust volume, skip tracks, take calls and — on the AFGHOA set — wake Siri. The 1.2 m cord on both is long enough to sit back from the keyboard.
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