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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-24 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• UliX Rider — biggest strength: a 3.5 mm plug, metal shells with built-in magnets for neck-wearing, and a 5-year warranty. Biggest trade-off: it will not plug into an iPhone 17 at all, because that phone has no headphone jack.
• PENGARO iPhone 17 — biggest strength: a native USB-C connection with a Hi-Res DAC chip and three sizes of silicone tips, aimed squarely at the iPhone 17 / 16 / 15 family and most USB-C Android phones. Biggest trade-off: it is useless on anything with an old-school 3.5 mm socket, and its plastic-and-silicone build feels less substantial than metal.
• Who the UliX Rider is for: students, kids, commuters and small-eared listeners who want a cheap-to-own corded set for laptops, tablets, older phones and classroom devices.
• Who the PENGARO iPhone 17 is for: anyone who has already moved to a port-only phone and refuses to deal with dongles.
• The deciding question: what port is on the device you actually plug into? If it's 3.5 mm, the UliX wins by default. If it's USB-C, the PENGARO wins by default. There is no crossover here.
The UliX Rider is a classic analog in-ear. The specs tell a simple story: a 3.5 mm jack, a 48-ohm dynamic driver running 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, a metal enclosure, rounded silicone tips, and a cable reinforced with TPE thermoplastic rubber. That 48-ohm impedance is on the higher side for budget earbuds, which in practice means they draw a little more power and tend to sound a touch more controlled than typical low-impedance throwaways rather than thin and shouty. The metal shell also houses two small magnets, so you can snap the two earpieces together around your neck instead of letting them swing, which is a genuinely useful detail for anyone who takes earbuds out constantly during the day.
The extras are where this set earns its keep for a certain buyer. There's a MEMS microphone with noise reduction and internal sound-absorbing holes for calls, a remote on the cable for call control, a protective case, and — unusually for this category — a five-year warranty. I'd point students, kids, and small-eared listeners at it, because the design was built around ear-canal comfort and the cable is meant to survive being shoved in a backpack. It's also the obvious pick for older iPhones, iPads with a headphone socket, laptops, school Chromebooks, and handheld consoles. The white finish and rounded tips keep it low-key.
Who should skip it? Anyone with an iPhone 17, 16, 15, or any other phone that dropped the 3.5 mm jack. There's no adapter in the box and no USB-C option here — it's a 3.5 mm product, full stop. If your daily driver is a modern port-only phone, this isn't a compromise, it's simply the wrong connector. And if you want in-line volume buttons rather than call control, look elsewhere; the control method here is remote call control, not a full volume slider.
The PENGARO iPhone 17 is the modern-counterpart product: a USB-C wired in-ear with a Hi-Res DAC chip inside the plug. That chip matters more than it sounds. When you plug analog headphones into a USB-C phone, the phone has to convert digital audio to analog somewhere — a DAC chip in the cable does that conversion deliberately, which is why PENGARO can credibly promise "zero sound loss" and balanced bass, mids and highs. Under the hood it's a balanced-armature driver at 32 ohms, with passive noise cancellation from the sealed in-ear fit and a plastic-and-silicone body on a TPE cable. Button controls sit on the cord for push-button operation.
The fit story is the other half of the pitch: an ergonomic shape plus three sizes of silicone tips (S/M/L). That's the practical answer for people who've given up on one-size earbuds. The compatibility list is genuinely broad within the USB-C world — iPhone 17 Pro Max down through 17, 17 Air, 17 Pro, and the 16 and 15 families, plus Galaxy S25 and S24 series, Note 20 and Note 10, Z Fold and Z Flip, the A-series, Pixel 10 and 9 and 8 and 7, iPads, MacBooks, OnePlus and Razr. If your device charges over USB-C and has no headphone jack, this is the target.
There's one quirk worth flagging honestly: PENGARO's own notes mention enabling "USB audio routing" in Developer Options if audio cuts out on some setups. That's a small red flag that USB-C audio isn't always plug-and-play across every Android skin — a firmware quirk, not a defect, but worth knowing before you buy. Who should skip it? Anyone whose only devices still have a 3.5 mm socket, anyone who wants a metal-bodied set, and anyone who wants a multi-year warranty — that's a UliX strength, not a PENGARO one. Also note the age range says Adult, so this isn't marketed at kids the way the UliX is.
• Best for iPhone 17 specifically → PENGARO iPhone 17. It's built for the USB-C iPhone generation; the UliX physically cannot connect.
• Best for older phones, laptops and school devices with a 3.5 mm jack → UliX Rider.
• Best for durability confidence → UliX Rider, thanks to the TPE-reinforced cable, metal shell, and 5-year warranty.
• Best for fit tuning → PENGARO iPhone 17, with S/M/L silicone tips versus the UliX's single rounded-tip design.
• Best for call quality on a computer or landline-style setup → UliX Rider, given its MEMS noise-reduction mic and call control.
• Best for a modern Android or Pixel with no jack → PENGARO iPhone 17. The compatibility list is enormous.
• Best for small ears and kids → UliX Rider. The design was built around ear-canal comfort and it's rated for kids and teens.
• Best for cable tangle management → UliX Rider. The magnets and anti-tangle TPE cable are a real everyday convenience.
In my opinion, the honest answer is that this isn't a contest — it's a connector decision. If I owned an iPhone 17, an iPhone 16, or any USB-C-only phone, I'd buy the PENGARO iPhone 17 without hesitation, because a DAC-equipped USB-C plug is the only way to get wired audio into that phone without a dongle, and the three tip sizes make it the more adaptable fit. If I were buying for a student, a kid, or a household full of laptops and older devices, I'd take the UliX Rider instead — the 5-year warranty, metal build, and 3.5 mm compatibility make it the safer long-term purchase. Buy for the port you own, not for the brand name, and you'll be happy either way.
FAQ
Yes, according to the compatibility list — Galaxy S25/S24/S23 series, Note 20, Z Fold and Z Flip, the A-series, and Pixel 8/9/10 among others. Just be aware some Android phones may need "USB audio routing" enabled if audio cuts out.
They're designed differently: the UliX uses a 48-ohm dynamic driver with strong bass emphasis, while the PENGARO uses a 32-ohm balanced-armature driver behind a Hi-Res DAC chip for a more neutral, detailed balance. Which sounds "better" depends on whether you prefer warm bass or clarity.
The UliX Rider is the better fit for kids and small ears — it's rated for kids and teens and built around ear-canal comfort studies. The PENGARO is listed for adults and relies on its S/M/L silicone tips for fit.
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