We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a cheap wired headphone that stays on your head for hours and folds flat when you're done, choose Maxell HP200; if you need a cheap USB-C earbud with an inline mic and volume buttons for a modern phone, choose SoFunMoky USB C Headphones. These two are about as different as budget audio gets — one is an old-school over-ear with a 3.5 mm plug, the other is a metal in-ear set built for USB-C devices. Neither is a premium product, and that's the whole point. Here's how I'd separate them.
• Maxell HP200 — biggest strength: A lightweight over-ear design with swivel cups, a fold-flat frame, an adjustable locking headband, and a long 6 ft cord. It's the more forgiving fit for long listening sessions.
• Maxell HP200 — biggest trade-off: It uses a 3.5 mm plug, so it won't connect to a phone that only has USB-C. You'll need an adapter or a device with a headphone jack.
• SoFunMoky USB C Headphones — biggest strength: Native USB-C connectivity with a built-in DAC chip, a metal-bodied in-ear design, an inline microphone, and volume/button controls on the cable.
• SoFunMoky USB C Headphones — biggest trade-off: In-ear fit is personal. If silicone tips don't sit well in your ears, no amount of metal housing will fix that, and the short cable is meant for phone-in-pocket use.
• Who each pick is for: Maxell HP200 for laptops, desktops, tablets, and older phones with a headphone jack; SoFunMoky for newer iPhones, Samsung Galaxy, Pixel, and other USB-C devices.
The Maxell HP200 is a straightforward, old-fashioned headphone. It's an over-ear design with foam earcups that swivel, a headband you can adjust and lock into place, and a single 6 ft cord ending in a 3.5 mm plug. There's an inline microphone on that cord, plus media controls, so you can take a call or pause a track without reaching for your device. It folds flat, which matters more than people admit — a headphone that collapses is a headphone you'll actually toss in a bag.
The spec sheet lists a dynamic driver with a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz frequency range, which is the standard full-range window you'd expect at this end of the market. It also lists active noise cancellation as a noise control method. I'd treat that as a feature label rather than a promise of premium ANC — at this price tier, don't expect the isolation you'd get from a serious noise-cancelling set. What you can count on is the physical design: over-ear cups with foam padding sit around your ears instead of inside them, which tends to be more comfortable over a long afternoon than any in-ear tip.
Buy the HP200 if you listen at a desk, on a laptop, or through a tablet or older phone with a real headphone jack. It's also a sensible pick if you hate the feeling of silicone in your ear canals, or if you want a cord long enough to move around your workspace without yanking the plug out. The swivel cups and folding frame make it a decent travel companion too.
SoFunMoky USB C Headphones: Who It's For
The SoFunMoky USB C Headphones are built for one job: plugging straight into a USB-C port and working immediately. The compatibility list is genuinely broad — recent iPhone models, a long run of Samsung Galaxy S and A series phones, Galaxy Z Flip and Fold, Google Pixel, OnePlus, tablets, and MacBook Pro. If your phone dropped the headphone jack years ago, this is the connector you want.
The design is in-ear, with a circular earpiece shape and a metal-and-plastic enclosure. SoFunMoky leans into the metal construction as a quality signal, and the cable uses a composite rubber jacket that resists tangling. You get two extra silicone tips in small and large, which is the right move for an in-ear product — fit is everything, and a default medium tip won't suit everyone.
On the audio side, there's a 10 mm dynamic driver, 16 ohm impedance, 100 dB sensitivity, and a listed frequency response up to 20,000. The low impedance and high sensitivity mean these are easy to drive from a phone — you won't be cranking the volume to hear anything. There's also a DAC chip on board, which is the piece that lets a USB-C connection carry a clean digital signal instead of relying on the phone's internal conversion. The sheet also lists an audio latency figure of 0.01 milliseconds, which is the kind of number that matters if you're watching video or gaming and don't want lip-sync drift.
Controls are button-based on the cable: a microphone for calls and volume control. Noise control is listed as sound isolation — that's passive blocking from the in-ear seal, not active cancellation, so the quality of your tip fit directly determines how much outside noise disappears.
Buy these if your primary device is USB-C and you want a single cable with no adapter. Buy them if you take a lot of calls and want the mic and buttons right there on the wire. Buy them if you prefer in-ear isolation, or if you game and watch video on your phone and care about latency.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for a headphone jack → Maxell HP200. It's a 3.5 mm plug, full stop.
• Best for a USB-C phone → SoFunMoky USB C Headphones. No adapter, no dongle.
• Best for long-wear comfort → Maxell HP200. Over-ear foam cups beat silicone tips for multi-hour sessions, in my view.
• Best for blocking outside noise → SoFunMoky. The in-ear seal gives passive sound isolation; the HP200's foam cups leak more.
• Best for calls and quick controls → A tie on paper. Both have an inline mic and remote controls; the SoFunMoky adds dedicated volume buttons.
• Best for travel and packing → Maxell HP200. The swivel cups and fold-flat frame collapse down; the SoFunMoky set is a small pouch item but doesn't fold.
• Best for gaming and video on a phone → SoFunMoky. The listed low latency and DAC chip are aimed squarely at that.
• Best for desk and laptop use → Maxell HP200. The 6 ft cord gives you room to move.
If I had to pick one, it comes down to your port, not your taste. For a USB-C phone — which is most phones now — I'd buy the SoFunMoky USB C Headphones. The connector matches modern devices, the DAC chip and low impedance mean it plays nicely straight from a phone, the metal build and anti-tangle cable are sensible touches, and the inline mic plus volume buttons make it a genuinely usable daily set. The Maxell HP200 is the better buy only if you live on a laptop, desktop, or a device with a real headphone jack, where its long cord, swivel cups, and fold-flat frame win. Match the plug to your device and you'll be happy with either.
how to make cheap headphones sound better
Start with fit and seal. On the SoFunMoky set, swapping to the included small or large silicone tips can change how much bass you actually hear, since in-ear sound depends on a tight seal. On the Maxell HP200, make sure the foam cups sit properly over your ears, check that the plug is fully seated, and confirm your device's audio settings aren't applying heavy processing.
how to get cheap headphones
Buy wired, not wireless. Both of these are wired sets, which is exactly why they land in the budget tier — no battery, no charging case, no Bluetooth chip to pay for. Then match the connector to your device: 3.5 mm for the Maxell HP200, USB-C for the SoFunMoky. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
how to pair cheap headphones
You don't — neither of these pairs. Both are wired, so "pairing" just means plugging in. The Maxell HP200 goes into a 3.5 mm jack; the SoFunMoky goes into a USB-C port. If the SoFunMoky has no sound on a phone, the manufacturer suggests checking developer options and disabling USB audio routing.
what is the cheapest headphones
There's no single answer, and I won't pretend otherwise. Wired budget sets like these two are generally where the lowest prices sit, because they skip batteries and wireless hardware entirely. Which one is cheaper for you depends on the moment — use the price button on this page to see current pricing on Amazon rather than trusting a number from anywhere else.
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