We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a small, hands-on box that lets you switch headphones, speakers and other 3.5mm gear between devices with a flick of a selector, choose ArbaroClara 3.5mm; if you need an actual headset to wear on your head for Switch gaming and voice chat, choose HORI Gaming Headset Brown.
• ArbaroClara 3.5mm — biggest strength: a bi-directional 3.5mm switch box that works as a 1-in-2-out splitter or a 2-in-1-out mixer, with a selector switch, a "Y" button for simultaneous A+B routing and a middle mute position.
• ArbaroClara 3.5mm — biggest trade-off: it makes no sound on its own. It is a passive routing accessory, so you still need your own headphones or speakers and the right cables.
• HORI Gaming Headset Brown — biggest strength: a complete wearable headset with a detachable flexible mic, onboard volume and mute controls, a sound-blocking design and an 8.2 ft extension cable.
• HORI Gaming Headset Brown — biggest trade-off: it is built around Nintendo Switch systems and a 3.5mm 4-pole jack, so it is a purpose-built gaming headset rather than a universal audio router.
• Who each pick is for: ArbaroClara 3.5mm for the desk tinkerer juggling a laptop, phone and speakers; HORI Gaming Headset Brown for the Switch player who wants to chat and play in one go.
The ArbaroClara 3.5mm is not a headphone. It is the little metal box you put between your headphones and everything else. Its whole job is switching. In 1-in-2-out mode, one source feeds port A or port B depending on where you set the selector — that is the classic "switch headphones between two outputs" setup. Press the "Y" button down and the same source feeds both ports at once, which is handy when two people want to listen to the same laptop.
Flip it around into 2-in-1-out mode and it becomes a mixer. Two inputs — say a phone on A and a PC on B — can feed one headphone or speaker, one at a time via the selector, or both together with the "Y" button engaged. That is the setting people reach for when they want game audio and a phone call in the same pair of headphones without unplugging anything. The three-position toggle also has a middle mute position, so you can kill all audio in both directions without touching a single cable.
Who should buy it? Anyone who is tired of crawling behind a desk to swap plugs. Phone, speaker, laptop, headphones — those are the everyday pairings it is built for, and because it takes a mini TRRS jack it also plays nicely with 3.5mm-to-XLR, 3.5mm-to-RCA, 3.5mm-to-1/4" and 3.5mm-to-USB-C cables. It needs no drivers and no power supply, so plug and play is genuinely the whole setup. The metal shell is there to shield against environmental noise, and the connector is a 3.5mm mini TRRS that accepts TS, TRS and TRRS plugs.
Who should skip it? If you want something to wear on your head, this is not that product. It adds no microphone, no drivers, no sound of its own. And if you want to switch between a console and a PC with a single button while wearing a headset, a simple splitter box may feel like an extra step compared with a headset that just plugs into the console.
The HORI Gaming Headset Brown is the opposite kind of product: it is the thing on your head. It is officially licensed by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch 2, works with all Nintendo Switch systems, and wears the Animal Crossing Wood Brown Tom Nook design. If you already like that aesthetic, this is one of the few ways to get it on a headset.
Functionally it covers the basics a Switch player actually needs. The mic is detachable and flexible, so you can bend it toward your mouth for voice chat and pull it off entirely when you are playing solo. Audio controls sit onboard — volume and mute within reach, no menu diving. The design is described as sturdy yet lightweight with an adjustable fit, and it uses a sound-blocking design to keep outside noise down.
The cable situation is worth noting: it includes an 8.2 ft extension cable and a 3.5mm 4-pole audio jack. That length matters if you are sitting a couple of metres from a docked console, and the 4-pole jack is what lets a single cable carry both stereo audio and mic signal.
Who should buy it? Switch owners who want one cable, one headset, chat included. The detachable mic makes it easy to use as plain headphones for handheld play, then clip the mic back on for online sessions. The adjustable fit and light build suit longer play sessions.
Who should skip it? Anyone who is not on a Nintendo Switch platform, or who needs to route multiple sources through one set of headphones. It is a headset, not a switcher. If your problem is "my headphones are plugged into the wrong device again", this does not solve it. And if you need a mic that stays permanently attached, a detachable one is a feature you will simply ignore.
• Best for switching headphones between devices → ArbaroClara 3.5mm. The selector switch and the "Y" button are literally built for moving audio between an I/O port and ports A and B.
• Best for listening to two sources at once → ArbaroClara 3.5mm. In 2-in-1-out mode with the "Y" button pressed, it behaves as a mixer.
• Best for instant silence → ArbaroClara 3.5mm. The middle toggle position cuts audio in both directions, "Y" mode or not.
• Best for Nintendo Switch gaming → HORI Gaming Headset Brown. It is officially licensed by Nintendo, compatible with all Switch systems, and ships with the 8.2 ft extension cable you need for docked play.
• Best for voice chat → HORI Gaming Headset Brown. A detachable flexible mic plus onboard volume and mute beats any passive splitter box for talking to people.
• Best for shared listening → ArbaroClara 3.5mm. One source, two outputs, both ports live at the same time.
• Best for long sessions → HORI Gaming Headset Brown. Lightweight, adjustable and sound-blocking, which is what you want on your head for hours.
• Best for a no-fuss setup → depends on the job. ArbaroClara 3.5mm needs no power or drivers; HORI Gaming Headset Brown needs nothing but a 3.5mm socket.
In my opinion, these two products are not really rivals — they answer different questions, and the keyword "switch headphones" pulls them together because both touch the idea of moving audio around. If your actual problem is that your headphones, speakers, laptop and phone are constantly fighting over one jack, I would buy the ArbaroClara 3.5mm. It is the only one of the two that changes how your existing gear connects, and the selector plus "Y" button plus mute position covers almost every switching scenario a desk produces.
If your problem is that you need something to wear while playing Switch and talking to friends, I would buy the HORI Gaming Headset Brown. The detachable mic, onboard controls, sound-blocking design and included extension cable are exactly the features a console player reaches for. Pick based on which problem you actually have.
how to switch headphones between devices
If both devices use 3.5mm, a switch box is the cleanest answer. With the ArbaroClara 3.5mm in 2-in-1-out mode, connect device A and device B to the two ports and your headphones to the I/O port, then use the selector to choose which source you hear. Press the "Y" button if you want both at once.
how to switch headphones left right
That is a balance or channel question, not a routing one. The ArbaroClara 3.5mm is a stereo TRRS switch that passes left and right channels through — it selects which source or output is active, not which ear gets audio. Left/right swapping is handled in your device's audio settings.
how to switch headphones to headset windows 11
Windows 11 lets you pick the output device in the sound settings, so if both your headphones and another output are connected, you switch there. If you would rather switch physically, put the ArbaroClara 3.5mm between them: your headphones stay in the I/O port and the selector decides which source reaches them.
how to switch headphones to speakers on computer
Run the computer into the ArbaroClara 3.5mm I/O port, plug headphones into port A and speakers into port B, and use the selector to move between them. Set the toggle to the middle and both go quiet. If you want headphones and speakers playing together, press the "Y" button instead.
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See also: ZIUMIER Pink Gaming Headset vs QOEKUEY 3.5mm, Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm vs WESEARY Gaming Headset, Ugreen HiTune Max5c vs WESEARY Gaming Headset