We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-06 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a single pair of wired USB-C earbuds you can plug straight into a modern iPhone, iPad, Samsung or Pixel and use for everything from calls to handheld gaming on a Switch, choose ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds; if you need to keep using the 3.5mm headphones you already own on a Lightning iPhone, choose Cirafon Apple MFi Certified.
• ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds — biggest strength: a complete, self-contained wired headset. USB-C plug, built-in mic, remote volume control, track skipping and a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz dynamic driver, all in one in-ear package.
• ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds — biggest trade-off: it only fits devices with a USB-C port. No Lightning support, no adapter in the box, and no active noise cancelling — just passive sound isolation.
• Cirafon Apple MFi Certified — biggest strength: it revives any 3.5mm headphones you already own on a Lightning iPhone or iPad, with lossless output up to 48KHz/24bit and a three-pack so you can leave one in a bag, one at a desk and one at home.
• Cirafon Apple MFi Certified — biggest trade-off: it is a converter, not a headset. It carries audio only — no call support and no inline control passthrough — and it does not work with USB-C iPhones.
• Who each pick is for: ASKUBSKU for anyone with a USB-C phone or tablet who wants one cable and zero setup; Cirafon for Lightning-era iPhone owners who refuse to give up their favourite wired cans.
These are for the person who has already moved to USB-C and wants the simplest possible path to sound. The plug is USB-C, the connection is wired, and there is nothing to pair, charge or configure. On a phone that has dropped the headphone jack entirely, that matters — you plug in and you are listening. The housing is plastic with a rounded-tip, 45° in-ear shape, and the design brief is clearly about long sessions: the angled nozzle is meant to cut the pressure and fatigue that straight-barrel earbuds create after an hour or two. Silver finish, and it ships with a carry bag, so it can live in a jacket pocket or a backpack side pouch without getting tangled into a knot.
The control story is the part I like most. There is a built-in microphone, and ASKUBSKU describes the remote as handling volume, play/pause duties and track skipping, plus picking up and hanging up calls. That is the full set of things you actually reach for during a commute, a walk or a run — and because the controls are on the cable rather than buried in a touch panel, you are not guessing at gestures. The dynamic driver covers 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, the standard full-range window, so vocals, podcasts and game audio all sit in the range the driver is built for.
Where does it fit best? Handheld gaming is the natural one. For for switch sessions — long flights, train rides, a sofa afternoon — a wired USB-C connection means no pairing dance, no battery anxiety and no latency between what you press and what you hear. That last point is the reason wired still wins for a lot of players. If you have been searching for noise cancelling in ear headphones for switch or a bluetooth headset for switch, understand what this is: it is a wired, sound-isolating set, not an active noise cancelling one. The seal blocks some ambient rumble, and the mic and remote cover chat and volume, but it will not silence a plane cabin the way ANC does.
Who should skip it? iPhone owners on Lightning. The USB-C plug simply will not seat in those ports, and there is no adapter included. Also skip it if you want active noise cancelling or a wireless option — neither is here by design.
This is a different product category entirely, and it is worth being blunt about that. Cirafon sells a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter, three to a pack, and its whole job is to let a 3.5mm headphone, speaker or aux cable work with a Lightning iPhone or iPad. The compatibility list is long and specific: iPhone 14 down through 6, the Plus and Pro variants, the Mini models, XR, XS Max, X, 8, 7, 6s and the older generations, plus iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad Pro in several sizes, and iPod touch and nano. If your phone charges with a Lightning cable, this is the bridge you need.
The audio side is more serious than the tiny size suggests. Cirafon uses a 100% pure copper core for signal transmission and quotes lossless output up to 48KHz/24bit, with the stated aim of clean highs, full mids and strong bass. Because it is passive conversion rather than a Bluetooth re-encode, the signal path is short and direct. It is also plug and play — no app, no setup — and the shell is ABS and TPE with a metal connector, built to survive being bent and shoved into pockets. At roughly nine grams and only a fraction of an inch thick, it tucks into a wallet or wraps around your headphone cable.
The catch is important, and Cirafon states it plainly: this adapter does not support calls or language control functions. So it is a listening tool. Music, podcasts, game audio through a 3.5mm cable — yes. Hands-free phone calls through your old wired headset — no. If calls matter to you, that is a real limitation, not a footnote.
Who is it for? The person with a drawer full of good 3.5mm headphones who is not ready to replace them just because the phone lost its jack. The three-pack is the quietly smart part: one for the car, one for the desk, one for the travel bag, so you are never hunting for the one adapter you own. The lifetime warranty description is a nice reassurance on a part this small and this easy to lose. Who should skip it? Anyone on a USB-C iPhone, and anyone who needs mic and call support through their headset.
• Best for a USB-C phone or tablet → ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds. Plug in, done. No adapter, no dongle to lose.
• Best for a Lightning iPhone → Cirafon Apple MFi Certified. It is the only one of the two that physically fits those ports.
• Best for calls and remote control → ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds. Built-in mic plus volume, track skip and call answer/end on the remote.
• Best for keeping your existing 3.5mm headphones → Cirafon Apple MFi Certified. It converts instead of replacing.
• Best for handheld gaming on a Switch → ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds. Wired USB-C, no pairing, no charging, no audio lag.
• Best for long-wear comfort → ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds. The 45° in-ear angle is designed specifically to reduce fatigue over long sessions.
• Best for carrying in a pocket or wallet → Cirafon Apple MFi Certified. About nine grams, wafer-thin, and you get three.
• Best for active noise cancelling → neither, honestly. ASKUBSKU offers passive sound isolation only, and Cirafon is an audio adapter with no noise control at all.
For most people reading this, I would buy the ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds. It is the complete product: one cable, a mic, remote controls, a full-range driver and a comfort-focused in-ear shape — everything you need for calls, music and for switch gaming on a modern USB-C device, with nothing else to buy. I recommend the Cirafon Apple MFi Certified only if you are still on a Lightning iPhone and specifically want to keep using 3.5mm headphones you already love. In my opinion, buy the Cirafon as a keeper for old gear, and the ASKUBSKU as the everyday headset.
FAQ
how to use headphones for iphone
It depends on your port. If your iPhone has USB-C, plug the ASKUBSKU earbuds straight in — wired, no pairing. If it has Lightning, you need the Cirafon adapter: plug it into the phone, then plug your 3.5mm headphones into the adapter.
The iPhone 15 family uses USB-C, so a USB-C headset like the ASKUBSKU earbuds connects directly with no adapter. The Cirafon adapter is Lightning-based and will not fit an iPhone 15. If you want to use 3.5mm headphones on a 15, you need a USB-C-to-3.5mm converter instead.
how to use wired headphones for iphone
Check the connector first. USB-C iPhone → plug the ASKUBSKU earbuds in directly. Lightning iPhone → connect the Cirafon adapter, then your 3.5mm headphones. Note the Cirafon adapter handles audio playback only; it does not support calls or inline control.
how to use wired headphones for iphone 16
The iPhone 16 line is USB-C, so the ASKUBSKU USB C Earbuds plug in with no adapter required. The Cirafon Apple MFi Certified adapter is for Lightning iPhones and iPads and is not compatible with the 16. For 3.5mm headphones on a 16, you would need a USB-C audio adapter.
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