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 a complete set of USB-C wired earbuds with a microphone and in-line controls, choose Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB; if you need a tiny adapter that lets you keep using Lightning EarPods on a USB-C phone, choose Zacenei USB C.
• Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB — biggest strength: it's a finished product, a pair of in-ear USB-C earbuds with a mic, in-line controls and three sizes of silicone tips. Biggest trade-off: it's a fixed pair, so you're committing to this brand's sound and fit rather than reusing headphones you already own.
• Zacenei USB C — biggest strength: it converts a Lightning headphone into a USB-C audio source, so a good pair of Lightning EarPods you already own keeps working on a modern phone. Biggest trade-off: it's audio only, and it can't charge or transfer data.
• Who Pukiou is for: anyone who wants one box, plug in and go — calls, music, commuting — on a Galaxy or other USB-C device.
• Who Zacenei is for: anyone who already has Lightning headphones and refuses to buy a second pair just because their new phone switched ports.
• One line each: buy Pukiou for the full package; buy Zacenei only if the Lightning headphones you already own are the thing you want to rescue.
Pukiou's earbuds are a wired USB-C headset aimed squarely at the modern Android and USB-C world. The naming puts Samsung Galaxy models front and center — A-series, S-series, Z Fold — but the spec sheet lists USB-C connectivity and a range of Type-C devices, so iPhones with USB-C, iPads and MacBooks are in scope too. Inside there's a dynamic driver, a built-in DAC chip that converts the digital signal to analog audio, and a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, which is the standard full-range window. The driver is listed at 10 millimeters in the product details, with low impedance and a 98 dB sensitivity figure. In practice that combination usually means easy to drive — you shouldn't need a headphone amp to get decent volume out of a phone.
What it does best is convenience. There's an in-line controller for play/pause, track skipping and volume, plus a microphone with passive noise isolation for calls. You get three sizes of silicone tips (S, M, L) so you can actually find a seal, and the whole thing weighs about an ounce, which means it disappears in a pocket. The cable is TPE with a stated tolerance of 20,000-plus bends, so it should survive being shoved into a bag. There's an 18-month warranty and a stated 7x24 customer service line, which is a longer coverage window than you typically see in this category.
Who should buy it: If you want a single purchase that solves wired listening and hands-free calling on a USB-C phone, this is the simpler path. The bundled tips, the mic and the controls mean you don't need anything else.
Who should skip it: If you already own a pair of Lightning EarPods you love, this is a replacement, not a bridge. And if you want wireless freedom, a wired headset isn't the answer regardless of brand. Also note one quirk in the documentation: when the volume slider sits at the minus position, no audio comes out, so the slider needs to stay near the middle. That's a real usability detail worth knowing before you buy.
Zacenei's product is a different animal entirely. It's a short USB-C male to Lightning female audio adapter — roughly 0.4 feet long and about 2 grams — and its entire job is to let a Lightning headphone plug into a USB-C port. Zacenei built in a decoding chip, oxygen-free copper wiring and gold-plated connectors, and claims lossless audio transmission with no current noise. Whether the chip inside is genuinely better than any other is not something I can verify from a spec sheet, but the design intent is clear: keep the signal clean and keep it simple.
The compatibility list is broad and specific: iPhone 17e through 17 Pro Max, 16 series, 15 series, iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad 10, MacBook Pro and Air, iMac, Samsung Galaxy S25/S24/S23 series, and Google Pixel 10a down to Pixel 7. Plug-and-play, no drivers, and it passes through in-line control functions like play/pause, volume and call answering. So if your Lightning earphones have a remote, it should still work.
Here's the part that matters most, and Zacenei is unusually explicit about it: this is an audio adapter only. It does not charge. It does not transfer data. It doesn't support OTG, flash drives, lavalier microphones, or 3.5mm audio cables. It's not a dock and it's not a splitter. If you plug it in expecting to top up your battery while listening, you'll be disappointed — and that's the single biggest limitation to internalize.
Who should buy it: You have Lightning EarPods or a Lightning headset you actually like, you've moved to a USB-C phone, and buying a whole new pair of earbuds feels wasteful. This is the cheapest way to keep using what you own.
Who should skip it: Anyone without Lightning headphones. If your headphones are already USB-C, this adapter does nothing for you. And if you need charging or data alongside audio, look elsewhere — this adapter won't do either.
• Best for all-in-one listening and calls → Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB. Mic, in-line controls, tips and cable in one purchase.
• Best for reusing headphones you already own → Zacenei USB C. It exists purely to bridge Lightning headphones onto a USB-C port.
• Best for fit flexibility → Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB. Three sizes of silicone tips versus an adapter that changes nothing about how your existing headphones fit.
• Best for portability → Zacenei USB C. At about 2 grams and 0.4 feet, it vanishes into a pocket or headphone case.
• Best for cable durability claims → Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB. The TPE wire is rated to survive 20,000-plus bends.
• Best warranty coverage → Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB. An 18-month hassle-free warranty versus a much shorter stated term on the adapter.
• Worst match if you need charging → Zacenei USB C. It explicitly does not charge or pass data.
• Best if you want zero setup → either. Both are plug-and-play; the Pukiou needs no adapter at all, and the Zacenei needs no drivers.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Pukiou Samsung Earbuds USB. It's the complete solution: you plug it in and you have music, calls, controls and a comfortable fit with no extra parts to lose. The Zacenei adapter is genuinely useful, but it's a narrow tool with a hard limitation — no charging, no data — and it only makes sense if you're specifically trying to keep Lightning headphones alive. If that's your situation, buy the Zacenei. If it isn't, buy the Pukiou and skip the adapter entirely. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable I can't speak to here.
No. Zacenei states clearly that it's an audio adapter only. It does not charge your phone and does not transfer data. Use it for listening and calls, nothing else.
The earbuds use USB-C, so they work with USB-C devices, including newer iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. The listing emphasizes Samsung Galaxy compatibility, but the connector is standard USB-C audio.
No. The adapter converts Lightning headphones to USB-C. If your headphones already end in USB-C, the adapter adds nothing.
Both claim clean digital-to-analog conversion, and neither claim is independently verifiable from a spec sheet. In my opinion, the Pukiou is the safer bet for most buyers because it's a matched driver, DAC and tip system designed to work together, while the Zacenei's sound depends entirely on the headphones you plug into it.
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