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, ready-to-use set of wired USB-C earbuds for your MacBook, choose Rayhontech USB C; if you need to keep using a pair of Lightning headphones you already own with a newer USB-C Mac or iPhone, choose URANT Light-ning.
• Rayhontech USB C — biggest strength: a full in-ear headset with a built-in DAC, inline controls, a mic and three silicone tip sizes, so it works out of the box on USB-C Macs.
• Rayhontech USB C — biggest trade-off: it's wired only, and on iPhone 15/16 you have to flip a setting to make calls work.
• URANT Light-ning — biggest strength: it converts an existing Lightning headphone into something a USB-C Mac, iPad or Galaxy can actually use.
• URANT Light-ning — biggest trade-off: it's an adapter, not headphones — no mic support, no charging, no data, and it only works with headphones.
• Who each pick is for: Rayhontech for someone who wants sound, a mic and controls in one purchase; URANT for someone who already owns Lightning cans and refuses to replace them.
The Rayhontech USB C is a finished product, not a bridge. It's a pair of in-ear earbuds with a USB-C plug, a 10 mm dynamic driver, 32 ohm impedance and a 110 dB sensitivity rating across a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range. In plain terms, that's a normal, easy-to-drive set of wired buds — you plug them into a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro's USB-C port and they just play. There's a built-in DAC chip doing the digital-to-analog work, which is what makes a direct USB-C connection possible without a dongle.
Where it earns its place on a desk: the inline controller. You get buttons for volume, play/pause, skipping tracks and answering or ending calls, plus a microphone. For anyone taking Zoom calls, listening to Spotify while writing, or hopping between tabs all day, having controls on the cable is genuinely useful — you're not reaching for the keyboard every time someone rings you. The metal-and-TPE build and the fabric carrying case suggest it's meant to be tossed in a bag and survive it. Three silicone tip sizes are included, and the noise isolation comes from the seal the tip creates rather than any active processing — that's why getting the right tip size matters more here than on almost anything else.
Who should buy it: MacBook owners who want one cable that does sound, mic and controls — and who like the idea of an in-ear seal for blocking out an office or a café. Who should skip it: anyone who already owns Lightning headphones they love, or anyone who needs wireless.
URANT Light-ning: Who It's For
The URANT Light-ning is a different kind of product entirely, and it's important to be clear about that. It is not headphones. It's a small white aluminum adapter that lets you plug a Lightning headphone into a USB-C device — a USB-C MacBook, Mac, iMac, iPad Pro or Air, iPhone 15/16 series, or a Galaxy S24/S23/S22. Inside is a lossless MFi-certified chip, which is the piece that keeps the audio signal stable rather than crackly. There are no drivers to install and no settings to configure: plug it in and it works.
The value case here is specific and, in my opinion, quite strong for a certain shopper. If you own a good pair of Lightning earphones — the kind that came with an older iPhone, or a nicer pair you bought deliberately — that hardware is stranded the moment you move to a USB-C laptop. This adapter rescues it for a fraction of what replacement headphones cost. That's the whole pitch, and for the right person it's a sensible one.
But the limitations are strict, and the manufacturer states them plainly. This adapter supports headphones only. It does not support lavalier microphones, card readers, CarPlay, mice, keyboards or other OTG devices. It does not charge. It does not transfer data. It does not read flash drives. So if you were hoping for a multi-tool dongle that also tops up your phone, this isn't it — it does one job. The upside is that the one job is done with a durable aluminum shell and a compact, pocketable footprint. It also carries a one-year limited warranty, which is a longer coverage window than the six months Rayhontech lists.
Who should buy it: someone with Lightning headphones and a USB-C Mac who wants to keep using the headphones they already like, and only needs audio out. Who should skip it: anyone who needs a microphone, charging, data, or who doesn't already own Lightning headphones to convert.
• Best for a complete MacBook audio setup → Rayhontech USB C. Earbuds, mic and inline controls arrive in one box.
• Best for reusing headphones you already own → URANT Light-ning. It converts rather than replaces.
• Best for calls and video meetings → Rayhontech USB C. It has a built-in mic; the URANT adapter explicitly doesn't support mic input.
• Best for USB-C MacBooks specifically → both work, differently. Rayhontech plugs straight in; URANT bridges a Lightning headphone to the same port.
• Best for build and long-term coverage → URANT Light-ning, with its aluminum casing and one-year limited warranty versus Rayhontech's six months.
• Best for comfort and fit tuning → Rayhontech USB C, thanks to three silicone tip sizes and in-ear sound isolation.
• Best for travel-light minimalism → URANT Light-ning. It's a tiny adapter, not a second pair of headphones to pack.
• Best if you own an iPhone 15 or 16 as well as a Mac → Rayhontech USB C, but remember the Reduce Audio Loudness setting if you want to make calls on the phone.
In my opinion, most people shopping for headphones for a MacBook should buy the Rayhontech USB C. It's the product that actually does the job you came for: sound, a microphone and on-cable controls, straight into a USB-C port, with a DAC inside and three tip sizes to dial in the fit. The URANT Light-ning is a smart accessory, not a competitor — it's the right call only if you already own Lightning headphones you're unwilling to give up, and even then you're trading away microphone support, charging and data. If you want one purchase that ends the problem, Rayhontech is the one I'd pick. Do check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding.
how to use headphones for macbook
Plug the connector into any USB-C port on the MacBook and the headphones should be recognized automatically — no drivers needed. For the Rayhontech USB C, the built-in DAC handles the audio conversion directly. For the URANT Light-ning, plug your Lightning headphone into the adapter, then the adapter into the MacBook.
how to connect headphones macbook
It's a physical connection, not a pairing step. Insert the USB-C plug, then select the headphones as the output device in your Mac's sound settings if it doesn't switch over on its own. The URANT adapter adds one extra link in the chain — Lightning headphone into adapter, adapter into Mac — and needs no software or configuration.
how to connect headphones macbook air
The MacBook Air behaves the same way as any other USB-C Mac: plug into the USB-C port and you're set. The Rayhontech USB C connects in a single step. If you're using the URANT Light-ning adapter with a Lightning headphone, remember it carries audio only — no charging and no data — so keep a separate cable for power.
how to use headphones macbook pro
Same process on the MacBook Pro: connect to a USB-C port and confirm the output device in sound settings. With Rayhontech you also get inline volume, play/pause and call buttons, which work without touching the laptop. With URANT, you keep your existing headphone's own controls and simply gain USB-C compatibility.
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