How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want one small adapter that adds a working 3.5mm headphone jack to a modern laptop — plus HDMI, Ethernet, card readers and USB ports for commuting, hotel desks and cramped coffee-shop tables — choose Aplimln USB C HUB; if you need to repair the built-in headphone jack on a 2018 or 2019 Retina MacBook Air, choose iPartsleader A1932.
Those two sentences sound like they describe the same job. They don't. One is a hub you carry. The other is a spare part you install. That distinction is the whole article, and it's the reason so many shoppers land on the wrong page when they search for headphones for a MacBook.
• Aplimln USB C HUB — biggest strength: 11 ports in one metal dongle, including a 3.5mm audio slot, 4K HDMI, 1080P VGA, PD 100W charging, 100Mbps Ethernet, SD/TF readers and four USB ports, so a single USB-C laptop port becomes a full desk.
• Aplimln USB C HUB — biggest trade-off: it's a hub, not a repair. If your laptop's own jack is physically broken, this doesn't fix it — it routes around it.
• iPartsleader A1932 — biggest strength: a direct-fit audio daughterboard for the MacBook Air A1932 (Retina, 13-inch, 2018/2019), supplied with the cable and a small tool kit so you can replace a corroded or dead headphone jack.
• iPartsleader A1932 — biggest trade-off: it fits one machine family only. It is not an accessory and it will not work on any other MacBook or any Windows laptop.
• Buy the Aplimln hub if you want audio, video, network and charging from one portable adapter.
• Buy the iPartsleader A1932 if you own a 2018/2019 Retina MacBook Air and its headphone jack has stopped working.
The Aplimln USB C HUB is an 11-in-1 USB-C adapter built around a simple problem: one port, many needs. Its headline feature for audio is a 3.5mm audio slot, which means a laptop with no headphone jack — or a phone with none — can drive wired stereo headphones again. That single port is the reason this hub shows up in conversations about headphones for a MacBook at all.
Around that jack it packs a genuinely dense set of connections. There's HDMI rated up to 3840x2160 at 30Hz when used alone, plus a 1080P VGA output for older projectors and monitors; run both at once and the resolution drops to 1080p, with one display mirroring and the other extending by default. There's PD charging up to 100W, delivering roughly 87W–100W depending on the device. There's 100Mbps Ethernet, which is the practical answer when hotel or office Wi-Fi stutters mid-call. And there's a mixed bag of data ports: one USB 3.0 at up to 5Gbps, three USB 2.0 at 480Mbps, and SD plus TF card readers (not simultaneously readable).
Physically it's a metal-bodied block measuring 4.68" x 2.2" x 0.67" — small enough to live in a laptop sleeve, heavy enough to feel like it won't slide off a tray table. It's plug and play across Windows, Chrome OS, macOS, Linux and Android, with the usual caveat that your device needs OTG and DisplayPort support.
Who should buy it: anyone commuting with a thin laptop who wants wired headphones, a wired network option, a second screen and charging from one thing in their bag. Who should skip it: someone whose laptop jack works fine and who only ever needs headphones — a bare USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter is simpler. Also skip it if your problem is a physically damaged internal jack on a MacBook Air, because that's a repair, not an accessory.
The iPartsleader A1932 is a replacement audio board — a headphone jack connector with cable — for the MacBook Air A1932 (Retina, 13-inch, 2018/2019). It exists for one scenario: the jack on your MacBook Air has gone bad. Corroded, dirty, intermittent, or damaged, the fix is to swap in this daughterboard, which carries the headphone jack plus connectors for one speaker and the Touch ID sensor.
Compatibility is narrow and worth checking carefully. It's built for the A1932 chassis and the part numbers listed for that generation, including the MRE, MREE, MREC, MREF, MUQT, MUQU, MUQV, MVFH through MVFN, and MVH6/MVH8 families. The board itself carries APN 923-02823 in black (923-02824 is the white variant) and 923-02812 for the cable; the board PPN is 820-01124-A and the cable PPN is 821-01528-A. If your MacBook Air isn't a 2018 or 2019 Retina 13-inch, this part is not for you.
The kit is more complete than a bare board, which matters if you're doing the swap yourself: one audio board, one audio board cable, a pry tool, a P5 screwdriver, a T4 screwdriver that also fits T3 and T5, and a fiber polishing cloth. The whole package weighs 1.41 ounces and measures 7.2 x 5.8 x 0.79 inches.
Who should buy it: a 2018/2019 Retina MacBook Air owner who has confirmed their jack is the failing part and is comfortable with a small internal repair — or is handing the part to a technician. Who should skip it: everyone else. If your jack works, or if you'd rather not open the machine, a USB-C audio adapter solves the same practical problem without touching a screw.
• Best for adding a headphone jack to a modern laptop → Aplimln USB C HUB. It gives you a 3.5mm audio slot without opening anything.
• Best for a genuinely broken MacBook Air jack → iPartsleader A1932. It replaces the failed part instead of working around it.
• Best for commuting → Aplimln USB C HUB. One metal block covers audio, charging, Ethernet and display on the move.
• Best for desk expansion → Aplimln USB C HUB. HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, SD/TF and four USB ports turn a single port into a workstation.
• Best for a single-purpose, low-fuss fix → iPartsleader A1932. If you already own the right MacBook Air, it's the part that matches the machine.
• Best for cross-device use → Aplimln USB C HUB. Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux and Android are all listed as compatible.
• Best for someone who won't open a laptop → Aplimln USB C HUB. No tools, no pry, no risk.
• Best for a 2018/2019 Retina MacBook Air owner doing a repair → iPartsleader A1932. It's the only one of the two built for that chassis.
For most people reading this — especially anyone shopping for headphones for a MacBook and juggling a bag on a commute — I'd buy the Aplimln USB C HUB. It solves audio, charging, wired networking and external displays in one portable piece, and it works across far more devices than the MacBook Air it's marketed alongside. I'd only choose the iPartsleader A1932 if I owned a 2018 or 2019 Retina MacBook Air and had confirmed the internal jack itself was dead. That's a repair decision, not a buying decision, and it should be made after checking the exact part numbers against your machine.
FAQ
how to use headphones for macbook
how to connect headphones macbook
Wired headphones need a physical audio output: the built-in jack, or a 3.5mm port added by a hub like the Aplimln USB C HUB. Bluetooth headphones pair through the system's Bluetooth settings instead. If you're using the Aplimln hub, the 3.5mm slot and the USB ports can be used at the same time, so headphones and a mouse or keyboard coexist.
how to connect headphones macbook air
It depends on the year. The 2018/2019 Retina MacBook Air (A1932) has its own headphone jack, and if that jack becomes corroded or damaged, the iPartsleader A1932 audio board is the replacement part. Later Airs without a jack need an adapter or hub. Either way, confirm your exact model before ordering anything.
how to use headphones macbook pro
Same principle: use the built-in jack if your MacBook Pro has one, or add a 3.5mm output with a USB-C hub such as the Aplimln USB C HUB. The hub's audio slot works alongside its charging and data ports, which is handy if you're also running a monitor or wired network. Note the iPartsleader A1932 is not made for MacBook Pro — it fits the A1932 MacBook Air only.
• Elecan 135 vs Fadmew Beat AUX Cord: Aux Wired Headphones
• our LUDOS Clamor USB C vs Inminxy Single Ear pick
• Kensington Noise Cancelling H2000 vs KENBAIDIO Microphone Headset Disc
• NUBWO Gaming Headset vs WolfLawS X1: Headphones for Big
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.