We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-27 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want one dongle that splits your USB-C phone into a headphone jack and a 60W charging port at the same time, choose Marsno USB C; if you need to keep using your old Lightning earphones on a new USB-C iPhone or Android phone while also charging at 27W, choose KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning. Both solve the same modern annoyance — no headphone jack — but they solve it from opposite directions. One adapts USB-C headphones-in and charging-out; the other rescues Lightning headphones you already own. Here's how to pick.
• Marsno USB C — biggest strength: a true 2-in-1 splitter with a built-in DAC for Hi-Fi audio and up to 60W Power Delivery passthrough, so you charge and listen on the same USB-C port.
• Marsno USB C — biggest trade-off: it only works with USB-C devices, needs a PD charger to hit its fast-charge ceiling, and won't support QC on some newer phones or Apple EarPods' mic.
• KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning — biggest strength: a two-piece set that lets genuine Lightning earphones work on iPhone 15/16/17 and other USB-C gear, with full in-line remote control and a separate 27W charge adapter.
• KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning — biggest trade-off: the audio and charging pieces are strictly single-purpose — the headphone adapter can't charge, the charging adapter can't play audio — and it's tuned for genuine Lightning accessories.
• Who each is for: Marsno USB C for USB-C phone owners who want one dongle to charge and listen; KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning for anyone holding onto Lightning earphones they refuse to retire.
Marsno USB C is the adapter for the person who already lives in USB-C land. You plug it into your phone's single USB-C port and get two ports back: a 3.5mm aux jack for wired headphones and a USB-C charging port that passes through up to 60W of Power Delivery. That means you can game, take calls, or listen on a long flight while the battery keeps climbing. The built-in DAC is the part I care about most — it decodes the audio in the dongle itself, which is how it keeps the signal stable and free of the current noise you sometimes get from cheap passive splitters. It also supports in-line remote control and is genuinely plug-and-play, no driver fuss.
So who should buy it? In my opinion, this is for the USB-C phone or tablet owner — iPhone 17/16/15, Galaxy S25/S24/S23, Pixel, iPad Pro — who wants one compact black dongle that does listening and fast charging together and doesn't want to carry two things. Skip it if you're still on Lightning headphones, or if your main charger is a QC brick rather than PD.
KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning: Who It's For
KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning attacks the problem from the other side. Instead of adapting USB-C headphones into a phone, it adapts the Lightning headphones you already own onto a USB-C device. It ships as a two-adapter set, and that split is the whole point: one adapter is for audio only, one is for charging only. The audio piece delivers 48kHz/16bit Hi-Fi output with a claimed reduction in noise and audio loss, and it keeps full in-line remote control — play/pause, track skip, volume, and answer/end/reject calls — working straight from your earphones. The charging piece takes your existing Lightning cable and pushes 27W PD, which the brand says takes an iPhone 15/16/17 from 0% to over 60% in about 30 minutes.
There's real thought in the safety design too. A built-in 56kΩ resistor and smart chip cap current at 3A or less to guard against overcurrent, which matters if you're charging daily. Compatibility covers iPhone 17/17e/17 Air/17 Pro/17 Pro Max, 16 and 15 families, Galaxy S25/S24/S23, Pixel 9a/9/8/7, plus other USB-C phones, tablets and laptops. The adapters are small — roughly 27mm by 12mm — but the brand flags that a thick phone case or a narrow opening can interfere, so check your case.
Buy this if you refuse to give up a favorite pair of Lightning earphones and want them to work on a modern phone. Skip it if you need one adapter to do both jobs at once — this set can't — or if you rely on OTG accessories, car navigation, HDMI/DisplayPort output, Apple Pencil, or QC fast charging, none of which it supports. It's also built around genuine Lightning accessories; third-party Lightning cables or headphones may cause compatibility trouble.
• Best for charging speed → Marsno USB C. Its 60W PD passthrough outruns the KAKAPOZO's 27W, so it's the pick if you want the fastest top-up while listening.
• Best for keeping old Lightning headphones alive → KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning. That's literally its purpose, and Marsno can't help you here.
• Best for Hi-Fi audio detail → KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning. It specifies 48kHz/16bit output with noise reduction; Marsno leans on a built-in DAC for stable, clear sound — both aim at clean audio, but KAKAPOZO names its resolution.
• Best for one-dongle simplicity → Marsno USB C. Audio and charging come out of a single adapter; KAKAPOZO makes you carry two.
• Best for in-line call and track control → KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning. It supports the full remote set, including call answer/end/reject; Marsno supports in-line control but explicitly drops Apple EarPods' mic.
• Best for USB-C phone owners → Marsno USB C. It's designed for USB-C devices end to end, with broad iPhone, Galaxy, Pixel and iPad Pro support.
• Best for mixed iPhone + Android households → KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning. Its compatibility list spans iPhone 17/16/15, Galaxy S25/S24/S23 and Pixel 9/8/7, and the charge adapter also works with MacBook and iPad.
• Best for battery protection → KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning. The 3A current limit and smart chip are explicitly about not frying your battery over time.
If I had to buy one, I'd take Marsno USB C — for me, the appeal of a single USB-C dongle that plays audio and passes 60W PD at the same time is hard to beat, and PD is what my chargers use anyway. But I'd only say that if you've already moved to USB-C headphones. If your drawer is full of Lightning earphones you still love, the KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning is the smarter buy — it's the only one of the two that keeps them working, and the 3A current limiting is a genuinely thoughtful touch. Check the current price on Amazon for whichever matches your headphones, since that's the deciding factor the specs can't tell you.
how to charge headphones faster
The adapter is only half the equation — the charger and cable matter too. With Marsno USB C, use a PD wall charger to reach its 60W ceiling, since QC isn't supported on some newer phones. With KAKAPOZO Combo Lightning, pair the 27W charge adapter with a genuine Lightning cable for the fastest result.
how to charge headphones
On these adapters you charge the phone, not the headphones — wired headphones draw no battery of their own. Plug your charging cable into the adapter's charging port and your headphones into the audio port. Marsno does both through one dongle; KAKAPOZO splits the job across two separate adapters.
is fast charging bad for headphones
No — fast charging concerns the phone's battery, not your headphones. Both products address battery safety: Marsno's EJ899M chip keeps voltage and current stable, and KAKAPOZO caps current at 3A with a 56kΩ resistor and smart chip specifically to prevent overcurrent damage.
how to charge headphones faster (if you meant the phone while listening)
Use the right power standard. Marsno needs Power Delivery and explicitly does not support Samsung Super Fast Charging or QC on some phones. KAKAPOZO's charge adapter runs 27W PD and is described as the level an iPhone 17 handles at maximum — fast, but deliberately capped.
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