We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-18 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want to repair the headphone jack on a 2018 or 2019 MacBook Air Retina 13" and you're comfortable opening up a laptop, choose HAWSON A1932; if you need a pair of wired USB-C earbuds for a modern phone with a USB-C port, choose Gsangoo USB C Headphones. These two products share almost nothing except a vague association with audio. One is a replacement part. The other is a listening device. The right choice is decided entirely by what's broken — or not broken — in your life right now. Let me break down exactly which situation you're in.
• HAWSON A1932 — biggest strength: It's a direct-fit replacement audio board with headphone jack and flex cable for the MacBook Air Retina 13" A1932 (2018–2019), so it targets one very specific repair instead of trying to be universal.
• HAWSON A1932 — biggest trade-off: It is not a beginner job. The listing itself warns that installation requires real disassembly skills, and it only fits the A1932 chassis years.
• Gsangoo USB C Headphones — biggest strength: A complete everyday listening kit — in-ear wired earbuds with a mic, button controls, a digital DAC, plus a leather bag and anti-drop ear tips in the box.
• Gsangoo USB C Headphones — biggest trade-off: It's a wired USB-C headset with a known iPhone 15/16/17 call limitation that requires a settings workaround, and it's not built for laptop repair duty.
• Who each pick is for: HAWSON A1932 is for the DIY laptop repairer with a dead headphone jack. Gsangoo is for anyone who just wants cheap, simple wired audio on a USB-C phone.
The HAWSON A1932 is a single-purpose part. It's an audio board with an integrated headphone jack connector and flex cable, made as a replacement for the MacBook Air Retina 13" A1932 from the 2018 and 2019 model years. That's the whole scope. If your machine isn't an A1932, this part is irrelevant to you — and the manufacturer is blunt about that, telling buyers to carefully check their computer's model year before ordering.
Where it earns its place is in the repair niche. When a headphone jack stops registering plugs, or audio output through the 3.5mm port gets flaky, the usual culprit on these thin chassis is the small audio board and its ribbon cable rather than the logic board itself. Swapping that board is a far less painful path than replacing the whole mainboard, and that's exactly the job this part exists to do. HAWSON states each board is tested before shipping and confirmed working, which matters when you're only going to open the laptop once.
Who should buy it: someone with a 2018 or 2019 MacBook Air Retina 13" A1932, a jack that's misbehaving, a set of small screwdrivers, a spudger, patience, and prior experience taking laptops apart. Who should skip it: anyone who has never disassembled a laptop, anyone unsure of their exact model year, and anyone whose audio problems trace to software or to a different Mac entirely. The listing is refreshingly honest on this point — it says plainly that this is not an easy job for someone without technical disassembly skills and that you should only buy it if you already know how to install it. Take that seriously. It's a repair component, not an upgrade, and the physical part is small: roughly 3.65 x 1.16 x 4.77 inches and just over two ounces, so most of your effort goes into the labor around it, not the part itself. If you want to know what it costs, check the current price on Amazon rather than assuming.
The Gsangoo USB C Headphones are the opposite kind of product: a finished, ready-to-use accessory. These are wired in-ear earbuds with a USB-C plug, a built-in microphone, and push-button controls on the cord. Inside, Gsangoo uses a dynamic driver and a digital DAC chip, which is the piece that converts the phone's digital signal into analog audio — a sensible inclusion for a USB-C headset, since there's no analog jack to fall back on. The cable is flexible TPE, the housing is a mix of ABS, aluminum and plastic, and the whole thing is designed to be small and light enough to disappear into a pocket or backpack.
The design leans toward a semi in-ear fit, which Gsangoo says widens the sound stage compared to a deeper, more sealed tip. In practice that means a slightly more open, less isolating listen — good for podcasts, calls and casual music, less ideal if you want maximum noise blocking on a plane. The package is unusually complete for this category: one pair of USB-C headphones, a black PU leather carry bag, and a set of orange anti-drop ear tips to fine-tune the fit. Gsangoo also includes practical care advice — store them in the bag so dust stays out of the USB-C port, clean the connector periodically for a stable connection, and add the ear tips if the fit feels loose.
There is one important caveat baked into the listing, and it's the kind of detail that saves you a return. On iPhone 15, 16 and 17 series phones, the headset can't make calls out of the box; Gsangoo instructs users to go into Settings, then Sound and Haptics, then Headphone Security, and turn on "Reduce Audio Loudness." After that, calls work. It's a two-minute fix, but if you never read the instructions you'd think the mic was broken. Who should buy these: Android and USB-C phone users who want a cheap, wired, no-charging-needed headset for calls, commuting and laptop video meetings, and iPhone 15/16/17 owners willing to flip that one setting. Who should skip them: anyone who wants wireless freedom, anyone who needs serious noise isolation, and — obviously — anyone shopping for a MacBook repair part. As with any accessory, check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
• Best for fixing a broken headphone jack → HAWSON A1932. It's a purpose-built replacement board for the A1932, not a general-purpose part.
• Best for everyday listening and calls → Gsangoo USB C Headphones. Wired USB-C earbuds with a mic, inline buttons and a DAC built for modern phones.
• Best for a one-time, model-specific repair → HAWSON A1932. Only if your machine is a 2018 or 2019 MacBook Air Retina 13" A1932.
• Best if you want accessories included → Gsangoo USB C Headphones. The PU leather bag and orange anti-drop ear tips come in the box.
• Best for beginners → Gsangoo USB C Headphones. Plug in and go, versus a laptop teardown that HAWSON explicitly says needs technical skill.
• Best for iPhone 15/16/17 users → Gsangoo USB C Headphones, with a caveat. You'll need to enable "Reduce Audio Loudness" in Headphone Security for calls to work.
• Best for durability-minded casual use → Gsangoo USB C Headphones. The TPE cord, ABS/aluminum housing and storage bag are built around surviving daily pocket life.
• Best if you value your time over tinkering → Gsangoo USB C Headphones. No disassembly, no risk of damaging a ribbon cable, no model-year guesswork.
For the vast majority of people who land on this comparison, I'd buy the Gsangoo USB C Headphones. In my opinion they're the safer, more broadly useful pick: they work the moment you plug them in, they cover calls and music, and the included bag and ear tips show some thought about real-world wear. The one exception is narrow but real — if you own a 2018 or 2019 MacBook Air Retina 13" A1932 with a failing headphone jack and you know your way around a laptop teardown, the HAWSON A1932 is the part that actually solves your problem, and nothing about the Gsangoo earbuds will. Match the product to the job, not to the price tag.
No. It's a replacement audio board with a headphone jack connector and flex cable for the MacBook Air Retina 13" A1932 (2018–2019). It restores the headphone port on that laptop rather than playing audio itself.
Yes for audio, but calls need a settings change. Gsangoo says to open Settings, then Sound and Haptics, then Headphone Security, and turn on "Reduce Audio Loudness" to enable calling.
The Gsangoo earbuds, by a wide margin. They're plug-and-play USB-C earbuds. The HAWSON A1932 requires disassembling your laptop, and HAWSON itself warns it isn't a job for anyone without technical repair skills.
No. They're a listening device, not a repair part. If your MacBook Air A1932 jack is faulty, you need the HAWSON A1932 board. If you just want audio on a USB-C phone, go with the Gsangoo earbuds.
They serve completely different purposes, so price isn't really a like-for-like comparison. Check the current price on Amazon for each before you buy, and let your actual need — repair versus listening — drive the decision.
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