We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a plug-and-play wired headphone for PS5 that never needs charging, choose Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm; if you need to turn any wired 3.5mm jack into a Bluetooth link so your wireless headphones work on a plane, a gym TV or a console, choose Twelve South AirFly Pro 2. These two look like they belong in the same shopping cart, but they solve completely different problems. One is a headphone. The other is a bridge that makes your existing wireless headphones behave like wired ones.
• Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm — biggest strength: real Bubinga wood housings with 8mm dynamic drivers and a 3.5mm plug that works the moment you push it in. No pairing, no battery, no firmware.
• Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm — biggest trade-off: it's wired, so you're tethered to the controller, and the cable-based remote only works with a 3.5mm jack that supports it.
• Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 — biggest strength: it converts a 3.5mm output into Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX HD Adaptive, pairs two sets of headphones at once, and runs 25+ hours per charge.
• Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 — biggest trade-off: it makes no sound on its own. Without a pair of Bluetooth headphones, it's a very clever brick.
• Who the Symphonized set is for: anyone who wants a dependable wired headphone for PS5 and doesn't want to think about batteries.
• Who the AirFly Pro 2 is for: travellers and console players who already own wireless headphones and want to use them with wired-only audio sources.
The first thing to understand about these is that they're a headphone, full stop. The Bubinga wood housing isn't a marketing garnish — wood is a genuinely different enclosure material from the plastic and rubber shells that dominate this category, and Symphonized pairs it with 8mm dynamic drivers rated across an 18Hz–22kHz frequency range at 32 ohm impedance. That impedance figure matters: 32 ohm is easy to drive, which is exactly what you want from a controller's headphone jack or a laptop's aux port. You're not going to need an amp to get usable volume out of these.
Feature-wise, the practical story is simplicity. The 3.5mm jack is wired, so there's no pairing step and no charging routine — plug in and go. There's a built-in microphone and a remote with volume control, so you can take calls and adjust playback without touching your device. The box includes a leather travel case, a cord clip, a carabiner and 12 ear tips, which is a genuinely generous tip selection for getting a seal in your particular ear canal. Symphonized lists active noise cancellation as the noise control method, and the in-ear design means passive isolation from the tips is doing a lot of the work too.
Who should buy these? In my opinion, the strongest case is the PS5 player who wants a headphone for PS5 without a battery meter in the back of their mind. Plug it into the controller, drop it in the case when you're done, and there's nothing to maintain. It's also a sensible pick for students, commuters, and anyone who splits time between a laptop, a phone with an aux port, and a console. The 1-year limited warranty and the included accessories round it out as a low-drama daily pair.
Who should skip it? If you've already invested in good Bluetooth headphones, buying a second wired pair just to use them on the couch is redundant — that's the AirFly Pro 2's job. And if you want true wireless freedom, this isn't that. It's a wired earbud, and it's honest about it.
The AirFly Pro 2 is one of those devices that sounds niche until you need it, and then it's indispensable. It plugs into any 3.5mm audio output — airplane seatback screens, gym TVs, treadmills, car and boat AUX ports, laptops, gaming consoles — and transmits that audio over Bluetooth 5.3 to your wireless headphones. Flip it into receive mode and the direction reverses: your phone streams into a car or boat stereo over the aux cable.
The headline feature for a lot of buyers is dual pairing. Two sets of Bluetooth headphones can connect at once, with dedicated pairing buttons to add the second pair. If you've ever tried to share a movie on a flight with one set of earbuds between two people, you know exactly why that matters. Beyond that, the spec sheet lists aptX HD Adaptive support and low-latency audio, which is the part that actually matters for gaming and video — latency is what makes wireless audio feel wrong when you're watching a film or playing something fast. Quick-access buttons let you adjust or mute volume right on the unit, and the battery is rated at 25+ hours per charge from a 220mAh lithium battery. Twelve South deliberately skips a display to protect that runtime, which is a trade-off I'd take every time on a long-haul flight.
Physically it's tiny — roughly 0.43" by 1.3" by 4.25" — so it disappears into a tech pouch or carry-on pocket. It's a battery-powered device, so it needs occasional attention: Twelve South recommends using it 30–60 minutes a month and storing it around 50% charge if you're putting it away for a while.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for zero-maintenance gaming → Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm. Plug into the controller and play; no battery, no pairing, no firmware.
• Best for using your existing wireless headphones on a console → Twelve South AirFly Pro 2. It turns the 3.5mm output into a Bluetooth transmitter.
• Best for travel → Twelve South AirFly Pro 2. Airplane screens, gym TVs and car aux ports all become wireless, with 25+ hours of runtime.
• Best for sharing audio with a second person → Twelve South AirFly Pro 2. Dual pairing is the whole point here.
• Best for call handling on a wired device → Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm. Built-in mic and inline remote, no adapter in the chain.
• Best for low-latency wireless gaming audio → Twelve South AirFly Pro 2. aptX HD Adaptive and low-latency support are listed specifically for this.
• Best for someone who owns no Bluetooth headphones → Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm. It's a complete product; the AirFly isn't.
• Best for fit and tip options → Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm. Twelve ear tips, cord clip, carabiner and a leather case included.
If I'm buying one thing today, I'm buying the Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 — because I already own wireless headphones, and the AirFly unlocks them everywhere they currently don't work: plane seats, gym machines, and a best with mic bluetooth headset for PS5-style wireless setup routed through the controller's aux jack. It's the higher-leverage purchase for most people in 2026. That said, if you want a for PS5 headphone that just works with no battery anxiety, the Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm is the honest, straightforward answer, and I'd recommend it without hesitation to anyone who'd rather not manage a charge cycle at all.
Yes, in the sense that it's a 3.5mm wired headphone with 32 ohm impedance, which is easy to drive from a controller jack. There's no pairing and no battery, so it works the moment you plug it in. It's a wired solution, so you're tethered rather than roaming the room.
Yes — that's exactly its job. It takes the 3.5mm output and transmits it over Bluetooth 5.3 to your wireless headphones, with low-latency support listed for gaming and video. It's the adapter route rather than a dedicated headset route.
Not necessarily. They cover different gaps: the Symphonized set is the headphone, the AirFly is the bridge. If you already have wireless headphones you like, the AirFly alone gets you further. If you don't, start with the earbuds.
That depends on your setup, not on the number. If you own Bluetooth headphones and travel or game on consoles, price-check the AirFly Pro 2 first. If you want a simple wired pair with a mic and a case, price-check the Symphonized Earbuds 3.5mm. Use the button on this page for the latest pricing on either.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: JLab Mauve Bundle vs BUGANI Open Ear Headphones, BENEWY USB C Headphones vs kinverve Neckband, HAOQUOOU Headphone Splitter 3.5mm vs MOSWAG USB, Reloop RH-2500 vs X Rocker 512: Recording Studio Headphones