We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-02 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a classroom-ready set of wired headphones in one go, choose MENGLALA Kids Headphones Bulk; if you need a single USB-C over-ear pair with a microphone and inline controls for calls, travel and study, choose ApilWave Headphones USB C.
• MENGLALA's biggest strength: it arrives as a 10-pack of wired 3.5mm on-ear headphones with leather ear covers and adjustable headbands — built for sharing across a room, not for one person.
• MENGLALA's biggest trade-off: no microphone, no inline controls and no USB-C — it's a plain 3.5mm listening device, so it won't help with calls or modern phones that dropped the headphone jack.
• ApilWave's biggest strength: an over-ear USB-C headphone with a 40mm dynamic driver, an HD inline mic, button controls, a 1.2m tangle-free braided cable and a foldable, storage-pouch-friendly build.
• ApilWave's biggest trade-off: it's one headphone, not a set — and it's USB-C only, so older 3.5mm-only devices are out of scope unless you have the right port.
• Pick MENGLALA if you're equipping a class, a school, a testing room or a family with several kids who all need a cheap pair at once.
• Pick ApilWave if you're one person who wants a cheap wired headphone with a mic for school, gaming, commuting or airplane travel.
The MENGLALA set is a quantity play. Ten identical wired on-ear headphones, each with an adjustable headband, leather ear cushions and a ruggedized 3.5mm plug. The impedance is 32 ohm and the frequency range runs 20Hz to 20,000Hz, which is the standard full-range spec you'd expect from inexpensive wired headphones — nothing exotic, but adequate for speech, video, music and testing audio. The color assortment is mixed, which matters more than it sounds: in a classroom, ten identical black headphones get mixed up constantly, while a mixed set makes it easy to hand out and track.
Where it wins is the 3.5mm jack. That single connector covers tablets, iPads, Chromebooks, Switch consoles, laptops and any older phone or MP3 player with a headphone port. For a school or a parent with several children, that universality is the whole point. You buy once, and the set works across whatever hardware the kids happen to be using that year.
ApilWave Headphones USB C: Who It's For
ApilWave is the opposite approach: one headphone, more features per unit. It's an over-ear design with oval earcups, protein leather and memory foam padding, a 90-degree swivel on the cups, and an adjustable headband. The driver is 40mm and dynamic, impedance 32 ohm, frequency response up to 20KHz — the low impedance means it's designed to run off a phone or laptop without a separate amp, which is exactly what you want in a cheap wired headphone. It weighs in around 195 grams, so it's light enough to wear through a long study block or a flight without your ears feeling crushed.
The real differentiator is the USB-C connection plus the inline control pod. One click plays or pauses, two skips forward, three skips back, and the HD microphone sits on the cable for hands-free calls and online classes. If you've ever fumbled for your phone mid-lecture or taken a call with your laptop's built-in mic, that inline module is a genuine quality-of-life upgrade. The 1.2-meter braided tangle-free cable and the included storage pouch round out a package that's clearly aimed at travel, commuting and daily carry rather than bulk distribution.
So who is this for? A teenager or adult who wants one reliable wired headphone for school, gaming, office meetings and airplane travel, and who owns a USB-C device — the listing specifically calls out modern iPhone models, computers, laptops, tablets and portable media players. Who should skip it? Anyone with a 3.5mm-only device and no adapter, and anyone who needs several headphones rather than one. It's also not water resistant, so heavy sweat sessions aren't its strongest use case despite the exercise-friendly framing.
• Best for equipping a group → MENGLALA Kids Headphones Bulk. Ten headphones, one purchase, one connector type to manage.
• Best for one person who wants a mic → ApilWave Headphones USB C. The inline HD mic and button controls are the deciding feature.
• Best for older devices → MENGLALA. The 3.5mm plug covers Chromebooks, tablets, Switch consoles, laptops and legacy phones.
• Best for modern USB-C phones and laptops → ApilWave. It's built for USB-C first, including current iPhone models.
• Best for travel and commuting → ApilWave. Foldable cups, a storage pouch, a braided tangle-free cable and 195 grams of weight.
• Best for kids' comfort and fit → MENGLALA. Adjustable headband plus leather ear covers, sized for children and teens.
• Best for long listening sessions → ApilWave. Memory foam earcups and a lighter over-ear frame suit marathon sessions better than a bulk on-ear set.
• Best for warranty coverage → ApilWave. Two years versus MENGLALA's one year.
• Best for flexibility across mixed hardware → MENGLALA. If your household or classroom has a mix of jacks and brands, the 3.5mm set is the safer bet.
If I were buying for a classroom, a school, or a family with multiple kids, I'd take the MENGLALA Kids Headphones Bulk set — the 10-pack format, the mixed colors and the universal 3.5mm plug solve the actual problem, which is getting several children listening at once without breaking the bank. If I were buying for myself or one teenager, I'd take the ApilWave Headphones USB C. In my opinion, the HD inline mic, the button controls, the foldable over-ear design and the 2-year warranty make it the better single-headphone purchase for school, travel and calls. Two very different jobs — pick the one that matches yours.
how to get cheap headphones
The honest answer is to buy wired, not wireless. Both of these are wired designs, which is where the savings come from — no battery, no charging case, no Bluetooth chip. MENGLALA gets you there by selling ten at once; ApilWave gets you there by skipping wireless entirely while keeping a mic and inline controls.
what is the cheapest headphones
There's no single answer, since it depends on how many you're buying. What I can tell you from the specs: MENGLALA is a 10-pack of 3.5mm on-ear headphones, so its value shows up in the per-unit math across a group. ApilWave is a single USB-C over-ear headphone with a 40mm driver and an inline mic. Check the current price on Amazon for both and compare per headphone, not per box.
how to make cheap headphones sound better
Start with fit. ApilWave's memory foam earcups and 90-degree swivel cups are designed to seal properly over your ears, and a good seal is the single biggest factor in perceived bass and clarity. MENGLALA's leather on-ear cushions and adjustable headband do the same job for smaller heads. Beyond fit, check your source device's EQ settings — both are 32 ohm, which means they run fine straight off a phone or laptop without an amp.
how to pair cheap headphones
You don't — neither of these uses Bluetooth. MENGLALA plugs in via 3.5mm, so you just push the ruggedized plug into any matching jack. ApilWave is USB-C, so you plug directly into a USB-C port on a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop. No pairing menus, no dropped connections, no charging. That's part of why wired headphones stay cheap.
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