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If you want a single pair of wired USB-C earbuds with a built-in mic and in-line volume control for music, calls and everyday listening, choose TRILINK USB C Headphones; if you need an adapter cable that lets Lightning earphones work through a USB-C port on a modern iPhone, iPad, MacBook or Android device, choose TechMatte Female Lightning.
• TRILINK USB C Headphones — biggest strength: a complete, ready-to-use in-ear headset with a Hi-Res 24 bit/96 kHz DAC chipset, in-line mic, remote volume control, flat durable cable and S/M/L earpads in the box.
• TRILINK USB C Headphones — biggest trade-off: it only works with USB-C audio devices (no Lightning, no 3.5 mm), and there's no active noise cancellation — the noise control field is listed as "None".
• TechMatte Female Lightning — biggest strength: a tiny Female Lightning to Male USB-C adapter that carries audio, data and PD charging in one pass-through cable, with dual-sided reversible plugs and no drivers needed.
• TechMatte Female Lightning — biggest trade-off: it's an adapter, not a headphone. It's strictly for audio (plus charge/data) and is explicitly not for CarPlay, OTG, speakers, USB drives, HDMI, keyboards, mice or Apple Pencil.
• Who each pick is for: TRILINK for anyone who wants to plug one cable into a USB-C phone, tablet or laptop and just listen; TechMatte for someone who already owns Lightning earphones and wants to keep using them on a USB-C device.
The TRILINK set is a self-contained wired headset. You get the earbuds, a flat cable, an in-line mic with remote volume control, and three sizes of earpads (S/M/L). The core selling point is the digital side: the earbuds run a dynamic driver fed by a built-in DAC chipset that supports Hi-Res audio signals up to 24 bit/96 kHz. In plain terms, that's a wired digital connection that hands the phone's audio straight to the earbuds' own converter instead of relying on a dongle. For music, podcasts, YouTube and voice calls, that's the whole job done in one purchase.
Compatibility is broad on the USB-C side, and TRILINK lists it in detail: 2018 iPad Pro (11" and 12.9"), MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Google Pixel 5/4/3a/3a XL/3/3 XL/2/2 XL/XL, Huawei P40/P40 Pro/P40 Pro+/P30/P30 Pro/P20/P20 Pro/P10 Pro+/Mate XS/Mate 20 series/Mate 10 series/Nova6, HTC U12 Plus/U11/U11 Plus/U Ultra/UPlay/10, LG V50/V40 ThinQ/V30/V20/G7/G8/G6/G5/Nexus 5X/6P, Motorola Moto G8/G8 Power/Stylus/Z3/Z3 Play/Z Force/Z2 Force/Z Play/Z2 Play, Nokia 6.1/8/7, and OnePlus 8/8 Pro/7/7 Pro/6/6T/5/5T/3/3T/2. If your device has a USB-C port and outputs audio, this is built for it.
Who should buy it? Someone who wants one cable, no charging anxiety, no pairing, and a mic for calls while running, jogging, driving or streaming — the product description literally frames it that way. Who should skip it? Anyone still on a Lightning iPhone (14/13/12/11/Xs/SE), anyone who wants 3.5 mm, and anyone expecting noise cancellation. There is none here, so if you need to block out a plane cabin or a noisy commute, this isn't the tool. Note also that the connectivity listing mentions Bluetooth as a technology field while the jack is USB and the tech is wired — treat it as a wired USB-C headset, which is how it's designed and described elsewhere.
The TechMatte is a different animal entirely: a Female Lightning to Male USB-C adapter cable. One end is a female Lightning socket, the other a male USB-C plug. It carries three things — charging (with PD fast charging support), data transfer (USB 3.0 protocol), and audio through a high-performance audio chip that TechMatte says delivers clear, distortion-free sound for music, gaming and video calls. Both connectors are dual-sided, so you can't insert them the wrong way, and there are no drivers or software to install. It's white with a glossy finish, weighs about 0.01 kg, and comes with a 2-year warranty.
The compatibility list is specific and worth reading before you buy. It works with iPhone 17 Pro Max/Air, 16/16e/16 Pro/16 Pro Max, 15/15 Pro/15 Pro Max, iPad and AirPods with USB-C interfaces, and Samsung Galaxy S25/S24/S23/S22/S21 series, plus other Android phones with a USB-C port. The idea is simple: you plug your Lightning earphones into the female end, plug the male end into your USB-C device, and listen.
Who should buy it? The person who already loves their Lightning wired earphones and just moved to a USB-C iPhone, iPad or Android phone, or who wants one small cable that can also charge and sync. Who should skip it? Anyone hoping to run CarPlay, connect to speakers, use OTG accessories like flash drives, card readers, keyboards, mice, hubs or microphones, or use an Apple Pencil — TechMatte explicitly warns against all of those. It also doesn't fit iPhone 14/13/12/11/Xs/SE. If your goal is a USB-C-to-USB-C connection for a USB-C headset, this adapter is simply the wrong direction.
• Best for plug-and-play listening → TRILINK USB C Headphones. It's a finished headset — earbuds, cable, mic and earpads all included.
• Best for reusing Lightning earphones on a USB-C device → TechMatte Female Lightning. That's its entire purpose, and nothing on the TRILINK side does it.
• Best for calls and voice chat → TRILINK USB C Headphones, thanks to the built-in in-line mic and remote volume control. The TechMatte only passes audio through; it has no mic of its own.
• Best for Hi-Res audio spec → TRILINK USB C Headphones, with its 24 bit/96 kHz support and dedicated DAC chipset. The TechMatte lists an audio chip but no bit-depth or sample-rate figures.
• Best for charging and data while connected → TechMatte Female Lightning, which supports PD fast charging and USB 3.0 data transfer. TRILINK is audio only.
• Best for travel and desk clutter → TechMatte Female Lightning. At around 0.01 kg with a single port, it disappears in a pocket. TRILINK means carrying a full headset.
• Best for comfort fit options → TRILINK USB C Headphones, which ships with S/M/L earpads so you can match your ear canal.
• Best for noise isolation → neither, honestly. TRILINK lists noise control as "None", and the TechMatte is a cable, not a headphone. If blocking sound matters, look elsewhere.
In my opinion, most people reading this should buy the TRILINK USB C Headphones. It solves the actual problem — listening on a USB-C phone, tablet or laptop — in one purchase, with a mic, volume control, Hi-Res 24 bit/96 kHz support and three earpad sizes. I'd only steer you to the TechMatte Female Lightning if you already own Lightning earphones you refuse to give up, or you specifically need charging and data pass-through in the same tiny cable. If you're starting from scratch, the adapter leaves you still needing headphones. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding.
FAQ
No. TRILINK is built for USB-C audio devices like 2018 iPad Pro, MacBook, Pixel, Galaxy, Huawei, LG, Motorola, Nokia and OnePlus models. Older Lightning iPhones aren't on the list, and there's no Lightning option here.
No. TechMatte explicitly warns it's not for CarPlay, OTG, speakers, card readers, USB flash drives, HDMI, keyboards, mice, hubs, microphones or Apple Pencil. Use it for audio, charging and data sync only.
The TRILINK publishes its spec — 24 bit/96 kHz Hi-Res support with a dynamic driver and DAC chipset. The TechMatte says it uses a high-performance audio chip for clear, distortion-free sound but gives no bit-depth or sample-rate figures, so the TRILINK spec sheet is the more detailed of the two.
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