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If you want a 27W PD fast-charging adapter for iPhone, iPad, iPod and AirPods, choose TechMatte USB C; if you need to plug 3.5mm or USB-C headphones into a phone while still charging it, choose caojunzhen USB-C.
These two little adapters look like the same category of gadget, but they solve completely different problems. One is built to push power into iOS devices. The other is built to split one USB-C port into audio plus charging. If you are chasing fast charge headphones, the distinction matters more than the spec sheets first suggest — because "fast charging headphones" can mean two very different things: charging your headphones quickly, or charging your phone while you use wired headphones. Let me untangle that.
• TechMatte USB C — biggest strength: 27W PD fast charging with 480Mbps phone-to-computer data transfer, in a two-pack, with an aluminum alloy shell and an anti-lost holder.
• TechMatte USB C — biggest trade-off: It explicitly does not support headphones, OTG, CarPlay, card readers, flash drives, mice or hubs. It is a charging-and-data adapter for iOS devices only.
• caojunzhen USB-C — biggest strength: A true 3-in-1 splitter: 3.5mm AUX jack, USB-C audio jack and a USB-C charging port rated up to 60W PD, so audio and charging happen at once.
• caojunzhen USB-C — biggest trade-off: The 3.5mm jack and the USB-C headphone jack cannot be used at the same time, and it carries a 6-month warranty rather than the longer support window TechMatte advertises.
• Who TechMatte USB C is for: iPhone, iPad, iPod and AirPods owners who want one cable to fast-charge everything and don't need audio passthrough.
• Who caojunzhen USB-C is for: Anyone with wired 3.5mm or USB-C headphones who refuses to unplug music to top up the battery — iPhone 15 and Samsung S24 owners especially.
TechMatte USB C is a USB-C to Lightning adapter, and it does one job with real focus. Plug a USB-A-to-USB-C or USB-C-to-USB-C cable into it — with or without an E-Marker chip — and it charges your iOS device directly. The point is to stop carrying a separate Lightning cable around. It supports up to 27W PD fast charging, which is the maximum its built-in smart chip delivers at 9V/3A, and it steps down cleanly to 18W (9V/2A) and 12W (5V/2.4A) devices. It also handles 480Mbps data transfer, though only for phone-to-computer transfers.
The build is aluminum alloy, which TechMatte says helps with heat dissipation and durability, and the design is aimed at surviving repeated plugging and unplugging. You get two adapters in the pack plus an anti-lost holder, which is a small thing that matters a lot if you have ever watched one of these disappear into a bag.
caojunzhen USB-C: Who It's For
caojunzhen USB-C attacks the oldest annoyance in phone audio: the moment you have to choose between listening and charging. It splits a single USB-C port into three — a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C headphone jack, and a USB-C charging port. That means you can listen to music, take a call and power the phone at the same time. The charging side is rated up to 60W PD, which is a lot of headroom for a phone and enough to matter if you are topping up a laptop-class device over USB-C.
It also advertises Hi-Fi DAC sound quality, which is the part that actually matters for fast charge headphones. A DAC inside the adapter takes the digital signal and converts it cleanly for analog headphones, rather than relying on whatever the phone's internal path offers. Compatibility is listed for iPhone 15 and Samsung S24 — the phones that dropped the 3.5mm jack in the first place.
The honest trade-offs: the 3.5mm jack and the USB-C headphone jack cannot be used simultaneously, so it is a three-way split, not a free-for-all. Warranty is 6 months. And the brand is far less established than TechMatte, which has been around since 2012 and leans on a large support operation. If you want a long track record behind the plastic, that is a real consideration. If you want the audio-plus-charging trick to just work, this is the adapter that does it.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for fast-charging an iPhone, iPad or AirPods → TechMatte USB C. 27W PD with a smart chip tuned for Lightning devices.
• Best for high-wattage charging headroom → caojunzhen USB-C. Up to 60W PD versus TechMatte's 27W ceiling.
• Best for data transfer → TechMatte USB C. 480Mbps phone-to-computer transfers are supported; the caojunzhen adapter is about audio and power.
• Best for a two-pack with an anti-lost holder → TechMatte USB C. You get two adapters and a place to keep them.
• Best for iPhone 15 or Samsung S24 owners with old 3.5mm headphones → caojunzhen USB-C. It is explicitly built for those phones.
• Best if you need CarPlay, a card reader or a USB drive → neither. TechMatte rules those out, and caojunzhen does not list them.
• Best for brand longevity and support → TechMatte USB C. A decade-plus of history and a 24-hour support promise versus a 6-month warranty.
I would buy the caojunzhen USB-C adapter if wired headphones are part of my daily routine, because no amount of charging wattage replaces the ability to listen and charge at once — and the 60W PD rating plus the built-in DAC make it the more capable audio tool. I would buy the TechMatte USB C adapter if my devices are all Lightning and my only real goal is fast, reliable charging with the occasional phone-to-computer transfer. Two different jobs, two different winners. Pick the one that matches the job you actually have.
how to charge headphones faster
Match the adapter to the device's maximum input rather than to the biggest number on the box. TechMatte USB C delivers up to 27W PD and automatically steps down to 18W or 12W devices, so an AirPods case or Lightning accessory gets the highest rate it can accept. Use a cable and wall charger that support PD and you will not leave speed on the table.
how to charge headphones
For Lightning-based audio gear, plug a USB-C cable into the TechMatte USB C adapter and connect the Lightning end to the device — it charges directly without a separate Lightning cable. For wired 3.5mm or USB-C headphones used with an iPhone 15 or Samsung S24, the caojunzhen USB-C adapter passes charging through its USB-C port while the headphones stay plugged in.
how to charge headphones while listening
This is exactly what the caojunzhen USB-C 3-in-1 splitter is for: the 3.5mm or USB-C headphone jack handles audio while the separate USB-C port carries up to 60W PD charging. Note that the two headphone jacks cannot be used at the same time, so pick one. The TechMatte adapter cannot do this at all — it does not support headphones.
is fast charging bad for headphones
The adapters here negotiate power with the connected device rather than forcing it, which is the normal, safe way USB PD works. TechMatte caps at 27W and drops to lower profiles for smaller devices, and caojunzhen's charging port is rated up to 60W PD. The device draws only what it is designed to accept, so using a higher-rated adapter does not automatically push more current into it.
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