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If you want a compact, tangle-free wired earbud that disappears into a pocket and works with almost any 3.5 mm device, choose ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds; if you need volume-limited, kid-friendly over-ear headphones with a built-in microphone for school, calls and car or plane travel, choose New Bee 2.
• ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds — biggest strength: a retractable winder built into the housing, so the cable stores itself instead of knotting up in a bag. Biggest trade-off: it is a single earbud with no volume limiter, no microphone spec and no foldable structure — it is a listening tool, not a communication or child-safety device.
• New Bee 2 — biggest strength: a switchable 85 dB / 94 dB volume limiter plus an upgraded HD microphone, which makes it a genuine two-way headset for kids rather than just a pair of headphones. Biggest trade-off: it is over-ear and bulkier, it needs a lightning-to-3.5 mm adapter on newer iPhones and some iPads, and its safety design means it is not aimed at adult critical listening.
• Fit and form: ULTECHNOVO is in-ear with rounded tips and a 12 x 3 x 1.2 cm body; New Bee 2 is on-ear with oval leatherette cushions and a stainless steel slider headband.
• Who ULTECHNOVO is for: adults who want a spare, lightweight, always-ready wired earbud for MP3 players, CD players and other 3.5 mm gear.
• Who New Bee 2 is for: parents buying for a child aged roughly 4 to 16 who needs a safe-volume headset for online class, travel and family devices.
The whole idea behind the ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds is that the cable lives inside the product. Instead of a loose cord that you coil by hand and stuff into a pocket, there is a simple winder in the housing, and the brand's own guidance is to pull both sides of the retractable cord at the same time so it retracts cleanly. That single design decision is what separates it from a drawer full of ordinary wired earbuds, and it is why it makes sense as the pair you keep in a bag, a glovebox or a desk drawer.
The rest of the spec sheet is deliberately simple. It is a wired in-ear earphone with cushioned earplugs and rounded tips, built from ABS and PVC in white, measuring 12 x 3 x 1.2 cm and weighing next to nothing in the hand. The audio range is listed at 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, which is the standard full-range window, and the connection is a plain 3.5 mm jack. ULTECHNOVO states compatibility with MP3 players, personal stereos, CD players, smart devices and "any digital equipment which have 3.5mm sound signal socket." Noise control is listed as active noise cancellation, and the control method is described as remote.
In my opinion, this is the pair for the traveler who still carries legacy 3.5 mm gear — an old MP3 player, a portable CD player, a handheld console, a seat-back entertainment jack — and who is tired of untangling a knot before every listen. It is also a reasonable cheap spare to leave permanently in a laptop bag, since the package is just one earphone and there is nothing to lose track of.
New Bee 2: Who It's For
New Bee 2 is a very different animal: a two-pack of wired, foldable, on-ear children's headphones in green and pink. The defining feature is the volume limiter switch. You set it to 85 dB for quiet environments — a bedroom, a classroom, a homework desk — and flip it to 94 dB when you need the audio to cut through engine noise and traffic on a car journey or a flight. That two-stage approach is the reason this product exists, and it is the detail parents should focus on.
The second pillar is the microphone. New Bee describes an upgraded high-definition mic intended for lag-free communication, aimed at children roughly 4 to 16 for online classrooms, interactive learning, Zoom lessons and gaming. In other words, it is built to be talked into, not just listened through. That alone puts it in a different category from the ULTECHNOVO earbuds.
Comfort and durability are handled with padding and metal rather than clever cable mechanics. The ear muffs are soft and padded on both sides, the headband is adjustable with swivel-mounted leatherette cushions, and a stainless steel slider lets you dial in the fit while adding structural toughness. It folds for storage. Impedance is 32 ohm and frequency response is quoted up to 20 kHz, and noise control is sound isolation — passive blocking, not active cancellation.
Compatibility deserves a straight warning that New Bee itself gives: the 3.5 mm jack works with 3.5 mm devices, but for iPhone 7 and above and for iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 (2020 models) you will need a lightning-to-3.5 mm adapter. Check your device port before ordering. The brand also backs the headset with a 12-month warranty.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for tangle-free storage → ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds. The retractable winder is the entire point of the design.
• Best for young listeners and hearing safety → New Bee 2. The 85 dB / 94 dB limiter switch is a feature the ULTECHNOVO simply does not have.
• Best for calls and online classes → New Bee 2. The built-in HD microphone is made for two-way communication; ULTECHNOVO lists no microphone.
• Best for compact, pocketable travel → ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds. It is an in-ear earbud in a 12 x 3 x 1.2 cm body.
• Best for long sitting sessions → New Bee 2. Padded leatherette over-ear cushions and an adjustable stainless steel headband spread pressure across the head rather than inside the ear canal.
• Best for older 3.5 mm audio gear → ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds. MP3 players, CD players and personal stereos are exactly what it is aimed at.
• Best for airplane and road-trip engine noise → New Bee 2. That is precisely what the 94 dB setting is for.
• Best for households with two kids → New Bee 2. It ships as a two-pack; ULTECHNOVO ships as one earphone.
If I were buying for myself, I would pick the ULTECHNOVO Retractable Earbuds, because retracting the cable into the housing solves the one problem that actually annoys me about wired earbuds, and the 3.5 mm jack still covers the older players I use. If I were buying for a child, my answer flips instantly to New Bee 2 — the volume limiter and microphone make it the more responsible and more useful purchase, and the two-pack means both kids get one. Neither is a "better product" in the abstract; they answer different questions. Match the question to your household and you will be happy either way. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
FAQ
Only loosely. They share a 3.5 mm wired connection, but ULTECHNOVO is a retractable in-ear earbud for adult listening on portable players, while New Bee 2 is a volume-limited, microphone-equipped kids' over-ear headset. Think of them as two answers to "wired audio on the move."
The data sheet lists a remote control method but does not specify a built-in microphone, so I would not buy them expecting call handling. If calls and online lessons matter, the New Bee 2 is the one with an explicitly upgraded HD microphone.
Not without help. New Bee states the 3.5 mm jack needs a lightning-to-3.5 mm adapter for iPhone 7 and above and for iPad Pro 11 and 12.9 (2020 models). Confirm your port first.
For a child, New Bee 2 — the 94 dB setting exists specifically to mask engine and traffic noise. For an adult who wants something tiny in a seat pocket, ULTECHNOVO's retractable in-ear design is easier to carry and stow.
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