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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want to turn an airplane's seatback screen, an old TV, or a wired car stereo into something your Bluetooth headphones can talk to, choose Ugreen Airplane; if you need a cheap, no-battery dongle that lets you plug plain wired 3.5mm headphones into a modern USB-C phone, choose basecolors 5.
• Ugreen Airplane's biggest strength: it's a true 2-in-1 Bluetooth 6.0 transmitter and receiver, so it adds wireless audio to gear that has no Bluetooth at all — planes, TVs, car stereos — with up to 18 hours of battery in receiver mode.
• Ugreen Airplane's biggest trade-off: it's a single-purpose-feeling gadget that needs charging, and its AirPods compatibility is narrow — it works with AirPods and AirPods Pro, but not AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3, AirPods 4, or AirPods 4 ANC.
• basecolors 5's biggest strength: a five-pack of USB-C-to-3.5mm adapters with a smart DAC chip running at 48,000 samples per second — a cheap way to keep using wired headphones on a phone that dropped the headphone jack.
• basecolors 5's biggest trade-off: it's a passive cable adapter, not a wireless solution, and it won't do everything — mic and volume controls on iPhone-style 3.5mm headsets aren't supported, and TRS/TS mic-only devices are out.
• Choose Ugreen Airplane if you fly often, want Bluetooth audio from a wired source, and don't mind managing a battery.
• Choose basecolors 5 if you just want to plug wired headphones into a USB-C phone, tablet, or laptop and want spares for the car, desk, and bag.
The Ugreen Airplane is a Bluetooth 6.0 adapter that does two jobs in one body. In transmitter (TX) mode it plugs into a device that has no Bluetooth — an airplane seatback screen, a TV, a non-smart stereo — and broadcasts that audio out to your Bluetooth headphones. In receiver (RX) mode it does the reverse: it takes a wired, non-Bluetooth source like an old car stereo or an aging speaker and makes it Bluetooth-capable, so your phone or computer can stream to it. That flip between TX and RX is really the whole point of the product, and it's why it's positioned as travel gear rather than a desk accessory.
Battery is where it earns its keep on a long trip. Ugreen rates it at up to 18 hours in receiver mode and 16 hours in transmit mode. For a transatlantic flight or a full workday of calls, that's the difference between one charge and constantly hunting for a USB port. There's also a built-in microphone, so if you're using it in receiver mode with a phone, you can take a call without unplugging anything. The 10-meter transmission distance means you can leave the adapter by the seat or the TV and still walk around without the signal dropping.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers who want to use their own Bluetooth headphones with the plane's entertainment system, and anyone who wants to add wireless audio to a TV, car stereo, or old speaker without replacing it. Who should skip it: anyone who mainly wants a wired adapter for a USB-C phone — that's not what this is — and AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, or AirPods 4 ANC owners, because the adapter specifically doesn't support those models. It's also a device you have to remember to charge, which is a real annoyance if you just want a plug-and-forget cable.
The basecolors 5 is a five-pack of USB-C-to-3.5mm headphone adapters. You plug the USB-C end into a phone, tablet, or laptop and the 3.5mm end into your wired headphones, and the built-in smart DAC chip converts the digital signal to analog while keeping the original sound quality, sampling at 48,000 times per second. In plain terms: it's the little dongle that lets you keep using the wired headphones you already own on a device that no longer has a headphone jack.
The build is the practical part. The cable uses ABS and nylon anti-winding construction and is rated to bend more than 20,000 times, with shielded enamel wire for stable signal transfer through daily use. That matters more than it sounds — these adapters live in pockets and bags and get yanked around, so a cable that survives repeated bending is the difference between a one-week purchase and a one that lasts. And the fact that it's a five-pack means you can leave one in your bag, one at your desk, one in the car, and still have spares when one inevitably disappears.
Who should buy it: anyone with a USB-C phone, tablet, or laptop who wants to keep using wired 3.5mm headphones, and people who want several adapters so they're never without one. Compatibility is broad — iPhone 15/16/17 series, Samsung Galaxy S25/S24/S23 and Ultra models, Note 20, iPad Pro, MacBook, Pixel, and Huawei devices are all listed. Who should skip it: anyone hoping for wireless audio (it's wired only), and anyone whose 3.5mm headset relies on an inline microphone or volume buttons — those functions aren't supported on iPhone-style headsets, and TRS/TS mic-only devices won't work. If you want a microphone, you need a TRRS headset.
• Best for airplane entertainment systems → Ugreen Airplane. Its whole reason for existing is turning a seatback screen into Bluetooth audio for your headphones.
• Best for keeping wired headphones on a new phone → basecolors 5. That's the exact job of a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter.
• Best for battery life → Ugreen Airplane. Up to 18 hours in RX and 16 hours in TX is a full travel day on one charge.
• Best for zero charging and zero setup → basecolors 5. Plug it in and it works; no battery, no pairing, no modes to remember.
• Best for adding Bluetooth to a TV, car stereo, or old speaker → Ugreen Airplane. Receiver mode is designed for exactly this.
• Best for multiple devices and spares → basecolors 5. Five adapters means you can spread them across bag, desk, and car.
• Best for AirPods owners → Ugreen Airplane, but check your model first — AirPods and AirPods Pro are supported, while AirPods Pro 2, Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods 4 ANC are not.
• Best for wired call quality on a USB-C phone → neither is a perfect fit. The Ugreen has a built-in mic for calls, but the basecolors 5 won't pass through iPhone headset mic or volume controls.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Ugreen Airplane — but only if wireless audio from a non-Bluetooth source is the actual problem I'm solving. It does something the basecolors 5 simply cannot: it takes a plane screen or an old stereo and makes it work with Bluetooth headphones, and the up-to-18-hour battery backs that up on real trips. In my opinion, though, these two aren't really competitors. If your problem is "my new phone has no headphone jack," the basecolors 5 five-pack is the more sensible buy, and cheaper per unit to spread around. Decide which problem you actually have, then check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
FAQ
Only if you want to use wired 3.5mm headphones with a USB-C phone or laptop. They solve different problems, so plenty of people would reasonably own both — the Ugreen for travel and TV, the basecolors 5 for everyday phone listening.
It supports AirPods and AirPods Pro, but not AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, or AirPods 4 ANC. Also note that iPhone connections may need a manual reconnect rather than reconnecting automatically.
It supports listening and speaking, but only with TRRS headsets. Microphone and volume controls built into iPhone-style 3.5mm headphones aren't supported, and TRS/TS mic-only devices won't work.
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