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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Ugreen USB — biggest strength: it's an external sound card, not just a cable. A built-in DAC chip outputs audio at up to 16bit/48kHz with noise reduction, and it plugs into a USB port rather than a 3.5mm jack.
• Ugreen USB — biggest trade-off: it gives you one TRS 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. If your computer already has separate mic and headphone ports and you want to use them, this adapter is the wrong tool.
• DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter — biggest strength: it turns one 4-pole TRRS headset plug into two TRS plugs, so a single headset with an inline mic can feed a PC's separate audio-out and mic-in jacks. The 4ft/1.2m length is the headline feature.
• DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter — biggest trade-off: it's passive. It doesn't improve sound quality; it just routes signals, and it won't work with iOS headsets, Beats or Bose headsets for mic input, or any condenser microphone.
• Who each pick is for: Ugreen USB for laptops, desktops, PS4/PS5 and Raspberry Pi users who want better audio or a working headphone jack; DUKABEL for anyone with a TRRS headset and a PC with two separate 3.5mm ports.
Think of the Ugreen USB adapter as a tiny sound card that lives on the end of a cable. Instead of relying on your computer's onboard audio, you plug this into a USB port and it handles the conversion itself with a dedicated DAC chip. Ugreen rates the output at up to 16bit/48kHz with noise reduction, and lists a 90dB signal-to-noise ratio and stereo surround sound with a 5.1 channel configuration. In plain terms, that's a specification set aimed at clean, quiet playback rather than audiophile-grade studio conversion.
So who should buy it? In my opinion, this is the right pick if your laptop's headphone jack is dead, buzzy or simply doesn't exist, or if you want to give a desktop, console or Raspberry Pi a usable audio output. It's also a sensible choice for someone running a headset with a single TRS 3.5mm plug who just wants the computer to hear it. Who should skip it? Anyone whose PC has separate mic and headphone jacks and who wants to keep using both — that's a routing job, not a sound-card job. It's also not for PS3 owners. The unit is small and light at 18.14g in durable ABS, and Ugreen backs it with a 24-month warranty.
DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter: Who It's For
The DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter is a different animal entirely — it's a passive adapter cable, not electronics. One end is a 3.5mm female jack that accepts a 4-position (TRRS) headset plug carrying both audio and microphone. The other end splits into two 3.5mm male plugs: one for your PC's audio-out jack and one for its mic-in jack. That's the whole trick, and for a lot of people it's exactly the trick they need.
The "Long" in the name is doing real work here. At 4ft/1.2m, the cable gives you slack to run from the back of a desktop tower up to where you actually sit, which matters if your PC's audio ports are on the rear I/O panel and your headset cable is already short. Build quality is where DUKABEL leans in: 24K gold-plated connectors, oxygen-free copper wiring and double shielding to cut down interference. It's a heavier cable at 40.82g and measures 6 x 3 x 0.6 inches, which tells you there's actual material here rather than a flimsy molded plug. A 12-month warranty covers quality defects.
The limitations are important and clearly documented. It does not work for iOS headsets, Beats or Bose headphones when you need the microphone input function, and it does not work with any condenser microphone. To help your computer detect the hardware properly, DUKABEL recommends plugging the headset or mic into the adapter first, then plugging the adapter into the PC.
Buy this if you own a TRRS headset — the kind with a single 3.5mm plug and an inline mic — and your computer has two separate round ports. It's the standard fix for gaming headsets, office headsets and streaming setups. Skip it if you're on a laptop with a single combo jack (you don't need a splitter, you need the opposite), if you use an iPhone-style headset, or if you're trying to connect a condenser mic.
• Best for fixing weak or missing PC audio → Ugreen USB. The DAC chip and 90dB SNR are about improving output quality, which a passive splitter can't do.
• Best for a headset with a mic on a PC with two separate jacks → DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter. That's literally what it's built for.
• Best for consoles → Ugreen USB. Ugreen lists PS5 and PS4 compatibility; DUKABEL's splitter is aimed at desktops and laptops.
• Best for cable reach on a desktop tower → DUKABEL. 4ft/1.2m of length versus a short adapter.
• Best for build materials → DUKABEL. 24K gold plating, oxygen-free copper and double shielding are called out specifically.
• Best for driver-free simplicity → both. Neither requires drivers or external power.
• Best for Raspberry Pi, Chromebook or Linux → Ugreen USB. Those platforms are named in its compatibility list.
• Best for someone who just wants better-sounding headphones → Ugreen USB. The splitter routes signal; it doesn't clean it up.
If I were buying for myself, it would come down to one question: does my computer have one audio jack or two? For a laptop, console or any machine where I want better sound and a working headphone port, I'd take the Ugreen USB adapter — the DAC chip, the 16bit/48kHz output and the enormous compatibility list make it the more versatile tool. But if I owned a TRRS headset with an inline mic and a desktop with separate pink and green ports, I'd buy the DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter without hesitation, because no sound card fixes a routing problem. Match the adapter to your ports and you'll be happy either way.
how to use headphones with mic on pc without splitter
You can only skip a splitter if your PC has a single combo jack that accepts a 4-pole TRRS plug, or if you use a USB audio device instead. The Ugreen USB adapter takes a TRS 3.5mm headphone/mic connection over USB, so it can serve as that single-port path on machines without a working combo jack.
how to use headphones with mic on pc
Check your headset's plug first. If it has one 4-pole TRRS plug and your PC has separate headphone and mic jacks, you need a splitter like the DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter — plug the headset into the adapter first, then the two male plugs into the PC. If your PC has a single combo jack, plug the headset straight in.
how to get headphones with mic to work on pc
Match the adapter to the ports you actually have. Two separate jacks means a passive splitter; one jack or a USB-only setup means a sound card adapter. Note the DUKABEL splitter won't carry mic input from iOS headsets, Beats or Bose headsets, and it won't work with condenser microphones.
what is the best computer headset with microphone
That depends on your ports and platform, not on a single winner. If you want to keep your existing TRRS headset and your PC has two jacks, the DUKABEL Long Headset Splitter is the simplest fix. If you need a USB audio path with a DAC and broad OS support, the Ugreen USB adapter is the stronger choice. For current pricing on either, check the price on Amazon using the button on this page.
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