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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-02 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• Sony's biggest strength: a true USB-C plug with an in-line remote — multi-function button, volume +/- and a built-in mic — in a compact in-ear shell with XS/M/XL ear tips.
• Sony's biggest trade-off: it's a wired USB-C-only design with no volume limiting, so it's meant for older users who can manage their own listening levels.
• Candy Bila's biggest strength: a dual 85/94 dB volume limiter and a tear-resistant nylon cord, both aimed squarely at protecting kids' ears and surviving kids' habits.
• Candy Bila's biggest trade-off: it terminates in a 3.5 mm jack, not USB-C, so it won't plug into USB-C-only phones, tablets or consoles without an adapter.
• Pick Sony IER-EX15C if the device in your pocket or bag is USB-C and you want one cable, no battery, no pairing.
• Pick Candy Bila Kids Headphones if you're buying for a child and the priority is safe volume plus a cord that survives being yanked.
The IER-EX15C is the headphone you reach for when you're tired of charging things. There's no battery inside it, so there's no battery to run flat, no pairing step and no latency to worry about. You plug the USB-C connector in and you're listening. Sony built it around that simplicity: a dynamic driver rated across a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range, a compact contoured housing, and silicone earbuds that ship with XS, M and XL tips so you can actually get a seal instead of fighting a one-size-fits-nothing bud.
The practical details are where this one earns its place. The in-line remote gives you a multi-function button that handles play/pause, track skipping, call answering, voice assistant activation, and mic mute/unmute, plus separate volume +/- controls and a built-in microphone. That's a genuinely complete control set for a wired set, and it means you can run a call or dictate a message without touching your phone. The cable is serrated to resist tangling, and there's a slider and cable adjuster so you can take up slack while wearing it or cinch it down for storage. It's listed across four colors — black, white, blue and pink — and the pink version I'm referencing here has a silicone enclosure.
Who should skip it: if your device only has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, this isn't the product for you — there's no 3.5 mm option here. And if you're buying for a young child, the lack of any volume limiting is a real consideration. There's also no active noise cancellation; the noise control field is simply listed as none, so isolation comes from the ear tip seal alone.
Candy Bila Kids Headphones: Who It's For
The Candy Bila BH03 is unapologetically a kids' product, and it's designed around two problems parents actually have. The first is hearing safety: it has a dual volume limiter at 85 dB and 94 dB, so you can cap the output at a level generally considered safer for young ears or allow the louder setting when a child is in a noisy car or classroom. That single feature is the reason most people buy this headphone.
The second problem is durability. The cord is tear-resistant nylon, which matters because kids yank cables. Candy Bila built this expecting abuse — a matte-finish plastic over-ear frame, a foldable design that packs down small in a backpack, and a one-button in-line control that handles play/pause, answer/hang up and track switching without a screen or an app. There's a built-in microphone too, which is the piece that makes it useful for online classes and video calls at home, and it's listed with a dynamic driver across the same 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range as the Sony.
The catch is the connector. This is a 3.5 mm jack headphone, full stop. Candy Bila lists it as compatible with 3.5 mm devices like Kindle Fire tablets, smartphones, laptops and PCs. If your child's tablet or school laptop has a headphone jack, you're set. If it's a USB-C-only device, you'll need an adapter, and that's an extra thing to lose.
Who should buy it: parents and gift-buyers shopping for elementary-age kids, especially for school, homework, flights and long car rides. The over-ear shape is also easier for small heads than in-ear buds, and the foldable frame plus a one-year warranty make it a low-drama purchase. Who should skip it: teens and adults who want better fit control and a USB-C connection, and anyone whose main device has no 3.5 mm output.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for young kids → Candy Bila Kids Headphones. The 85/94 dB dual volume limiter is the whole point.
• Best for volume and track control → Sony IER-EX15C. Dedicated volume +/- plus a multi-function button beats a single-button remote.
• Best for surviving rough handling → Candy Bila Kids Headphones. Tear-resistant nylon cord, matte plastic frame, foldable design.
• Best for fit customization → Sony IER-EX15C. Three ear tip sizes (XS, M, XL) versus a fixed over-ear fit.
• Best for online classes and calls → Candy Bila Kids Headphones. Built-in mic plus a one-button remote kids can operate themselves.
• Best for travel and pocket carry → Sony IER-EX15C. Compact in-ear body, tangle-resistant serrated cable, and a cable slider to take up slack.
• Best for shared family use on older gear → Candy Bila Kids Headphones. The 3.5 mm jack still fits the widest range of older tablets and laptops.
If I were buying for myself or any adult in my household, I'd take the Sony IER-EX15C. In my opinion, the USB-C plug plus the full in-line remote — volume controls, multi-function button, mic, and mic mute — is the more useful package for a phone-and-laptop life, and the three ear tip sizes give it a real chance of fitting well. If I were buying for a young child, I'd take the Candy Bila Kids Headphones instead, because the 85/94 dB limiter and the tear-resistant cord solve the two things that actually go wrong with kids' audio gear. Match the connector to the device and the volume limiter to the listener, and the choice makes itself.
how to use usb c headphones on mac
Plug the USB-C connector into a USB-C port on your Mac and the headphones should be recognized as an audio output automatically. Sony lists support for USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, which covers typical Macs, so you'd then pick the headphones in your sound output settings and use the in-line remote for volume and playback. The Candy Bila headphones use a 3.5 mm jack, so they'd need an adapter on a Mac without a headphone port.
how to use usb c headphones on android phone
Connect the USB-C plug directly to your phone's charging port — no pairing, no battery, no app. On most modern Android phones the audio routes over USB automatically, and the Sony's in-line remote then handles play/pause, track skip, calls, voice assistant and mic mute. If your phone has a 3.5 mm jack and you're using the Candy Bila set instead, plug in there; if it's USB-C only, you'll need a 3.5 mm-to-USB-C adapter.
how to use usb c headphones on android
Same idea, one step simpler: plug in and listen. Because USB-C carries the audio digitally over a wired connection, there's no charging and no drop-out to manage, and the Sony's volume +/- and multi-function button work straight from the cable. Just check that your Android device outputs audio over USB-C — most current ones do — and that you're not expecting the Candy Bila's 3.5 mm plug to fit without an adapter.
how to use usb c headphones on ps5
The PS5 does not have a USB-C audio output for headphones, so a USB-C headphone like the Sony IER-EX15C isn't a direct plug-in for game audio there. Your practical route on a PS5 is the controller's 3.5 mm jack, which is exactly where the Candy Bila Kids Headphones connect — though I'd only use those on a console if the volume-limited output suits the listener. For the Sony, use it with the USB-C devices it's actually built for: phones, tablets, laptops and handhelds.
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