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If you want a single adapter that turns your MacBook's USB-C port back into a proper 3.5mm headphone-and-microphone jack, choose CableCreation Type C External; if you need actual earbuds to wear — and you want a spare pair for swimming, the gym, or the commute — choose FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified. These two look like competitors in search results, but they solve completely different problems for a MacBook owner, and picking the wrong one means you'll still be shopping next week.
• CableCreation Type C External — biggest strength: it's a two-port external sound card. A pink jack for a 3.5mm microphone and a black jack for headphones, or a single TRRS headset straight into the black port. It gives a modern USB-C MacBook the audio ports Apple removed.
• CableCreation Type C External — biggest trade-off: it is not a pair of headphones. With this alone you still need to own wired headphones or a headset, and AirPods-style earbuds are noted as output-only through it, so mic input won't work with them.
• FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified — biggest strength: you get 2 packs of finished USB-C in-ear earbuds with a built-in remote for music, calls and volume, a 4FT cable, and a balanced armature driver rated 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz.
• FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified — biggest trade-off: it's a fixed earbud, not an adapter. It cannot accept a separate 3.5mm microphone or your favorite old headphones, and it's wired only — no wireless mode at all.
• Who each pick is for: CableCreation for the MacBook owner who already loves a specific pair of wired headphones or needs a mic input; FUHAYA for the person who just wants working earbuds in the box, with a second pair as backup.
Think of this as a tiny external sound card rather than a headphone. The body is glossy black aluminum, and CableCreation lists a qualified DAC chip inside, which is the part that actually converts digital audio to an analog signal your headphones can use. The point of the design is flexibility: two ports, so you can run a separate 3.5mm microphone into the pink jack and your headphones into the black one, or plug a single four-pole TRRS headset into the black jack and be done. If you record voiceovers, take calls, or game with a boom mic, that split-port layout is the whole reason to own it.
Who should skip it? Anyone who doesn't already own wired headphones or a headset. If your plan is "I need something to listen with on my MacBook," this adapter leaves you half-finished. And if your headphones are AirPods or a similar Apple earbud, note the manufacturer's own caveat: those were tested as output-only through this adapter, so the microphone won't pass through. That's a real limitation, not a footnote.
FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified: Who It's For
This is the opposite approach: instead of adapting audio, it delivers the audio hardware. You get two pairs of white USB-C in-ear earbuds in the box, each with a 4FT cable, a metal-plated connector, and an inline remote for music, phone calls and volume. The ergonomic in-ear shape is designed to reduce fatigue over long sessions, and there's a small magnet on the back of each earbud so they snap together and roll up without tangling — a genuinely useful detail if you keep earbuds loose in a pocket or bag.
Inside, FUHAYA uses a balanced armature driver with a stated frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, and the spec sheet calls out Environmental Noise Cancellation via the control method. The housing is ABS plastic, the fit is in-ear, and the connector is USB-C with wired-only connectivity — no Bluetooth, no battery to charge, nothing to pair.
The two-pack is the real selling point. One pair stays in your laptop bag, the other lives in a swim or gym pouch. For swimming specifically, that's the practical way to think about any of these: an inexpensive second pair that you don't mind getting damp or losing is far more useful than one precious set. That same logic applies whether you're hunting for open ear headphones for swimming, in ear headphones for swimming, or what people loosely search as the best noise cancelling sleep headphones for swimming — the wired, cheap, redundant pair is the one you actually take poolside.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs a microphone input for a separate 3.5mm mic, or who wants to keep using their existing over-ear headphones. Also skip it if you need wireless — this is wired only, full stop. And the warranty is generous at 36 months with 24/7 support, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a fixed earbud, not a hub.
• Best for keeping your own wired headphones → CableCreation Type C External. It's the only one of the two that accepts a 3.5mm plug at all.
• Best for microphone input → CableCreation Type C External. The pink jack takes a dedicated 3.5mm mic; the FUHAYA earbuds have an inline mic for calls but no input port for external gear.
• Best if you have no headphones yet → FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified. Two complete pairs arrive ready to use.
• Best for swimming, gym and commuting → FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified. Wired, lightweight, tangle-resistant thanks to the magnet design, and you have a spare when one pair is drying out.
• Best for a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air with no headphone jack → CableCreation Type C External, if what you're missing is the port. If what you're missing is the earbuds, the FUHAYA pair plugs straight into the same USB-C port.
• Best for travel redundancy → FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified. Losing or breaking one pair doesn't end your trip.
• Best for studio-style desk setups → CableCreation Type C External. Separate mic and headphone jacks are how you'd normally wire a desk.
• Best for a no-fuss, plug-in-and-listen purchase → FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified. No accessories required.
For most people reading this — especially anyone who wants earbuds for swimming, the gym, or just daily MacBook listening — I'd buy the FUHAYA Apple MFi Certified pair. Two complete sets of USB-C earbuds with a remote, a 4FT cable, a 36-month warranty, and nothing else to purchase is the simpler, more complete answer, and the spare pair is exactly what the swimming use case demands. I'd choose the CableCreation Type C External only if the specific thing you're missing is the jack itself: you own wired headphones you love, or you need a real 3.5mm microphone input on a USB-C MacBook. That's a narrower need, but for the people who have it, the adapter is the only one of these two that solves it.
how to use headphones for macbook
On a USB-C MacBook with no headphone jack, you have two routes. Plug a USB-C headset like the FUHAYA earbuds straight into the port, or plug the CableCreation adapter in first and then connect a 3.5mm headphone to its black jack. Both are plug and play — no driver install needed.
how to connect headphones macbook
Connect by physical plug, not pairing, in both cases here. The FUHAYA earbuds go directly into the USB-C port; with the CableCreation adapter, the adapter goes into the port and your 3.5mm headphones go into the adapter. If you want a microphone too, use the pink jack for a separate 3.5mm mic or a single TRRS headset in the black jack.
how to connect headphones macbook air
The MacBook Air is listed as compatible with the CableCreation adapter, so the sequence is the same: adapter into USB-C, headphones into the black 3.5mm jack. Alternatively, skip the adapter entirely and plug USB-C earbuds such as the FUHAYA pair into the Air's USB-C port.
how to use headphones macbook pro
MacBook Pro is also listed as compatible with the CableCreation adapter. Use the black jack for headphones on its own, or add a 3.5mm microphone to the pink jack if you're recording. One caveat worth repeating: AirPods-style earbuds were tested as output-only through that adapter, so they'll play audio but not pass microphone input.
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