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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a single cable that plugs your Audio-Technica M-series headphones straight into a phone, laptop, or amp with a coiled cord that stays out of the way, choose weishan ATH-M50x; if you need a slim braided extender that stretches any existing 3.5mm headphone cable across a room or car, choose Elecan Headphone Extension Cable. They look similar in a search bar, but they solve two completely different problems — one is a replacement headphone cable, the other is an extension lead.
• weishan ATH-M50x — biggest strength: a purpose-built 2.5mm-to-3.5mm replacement cable for Audio-Technica M40x/M70x-style wired headphones, with a twist-lock plug and a bundled 6.35mm adapter.
• weishan ATH-M50x — biggest trade-off: it only fits headphones that use a 2.5mm socket on the headphone side, so it is useless for the vast majority of 3.5mm-only gear.
• Elecan Headphone Extension Cable — biggest strength: a 12 ft male-to-female 3.5mm extender with a 3.5mm-thin braided jacket and a stepped connector that fits through thick phone cases.
• Elecan Headphone Extension Cable — biggest trade-off: it extends a cable, it does not replace one, and it will not carry a mic signal from 4-pole TRRS headsets.
• Who each pick is for: weishan for Audio-Technica owners whose stock cable died or who want a coiled studio cord; Elecan for anyone who wants more slack from an existing 3.5mm cable in a car, at a desk, or on a couch.
This is a specialist part, and it makes no apologies for it. The weishan cable is a 2.5mm TRS male plug on one end and a 3.5mm TRS male plug on the other, with a 6.35mm (1/4") adapter in the box. That 2.5mm end is the tell: it is designed for headphones that take a 2.5mm connection at the cup, which is the Audio-Technica M-series arrangement referenced in the product name. If your headphones use a 3.5mm socket at the cup, this cable is simply the wrong tool.
What it does best is restore a headphone you already like. The plugs are twist-lock with gold-plated tips, which the spec sheet frames as a more secure connection and cleaner signal transfer. In practice, a locking 2.5mm plug matters on headphones that get yanked off a head — it resists the slow loosening that causes one channel to drop out. The coiled spring design runs roughly 4 feet relaxed and stretches to about 14 feet, so you can stand up from a desk or move around a drum kit without dragging your laptop off the table. That coiled format is also why it suits studio work: it retracts instead of pooling on the floor.
The spec sheet lists mixing, tracking, DJing, FOH, mastering, post production and personal listening as intended uses, and the compatibility list covers PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, MP3 players, laptops, PCs, phones, tablets, guitar and amplifier connections via the 3.5mm and 6.35mm ends. The 6.35mm adapter is the practical bonus — it lets the same cable go from a phone into a headphone amp or mixer without hunting for a separate adapter.
Buy it if you own Audio-Technica M40x, M70x or similar 2.5mm-socket wired headphones and want a coiled, locking replacement cord. Skip it if your headphones use a standard 3.5mm jack at the cup — the 2.5mm plug will not seat, and you would be buying an adapter problem rather than solving one.
The Elecan is the opposite kind of product: a general-purpose extender. It is a 3.5mm male to 3.5mm female cable, 12 feet long, with three pins (TRS stereo). You plug the male end into your phone, laptop, car stereo or console, and plug your existing headphones into the female end. That is it. Nothing about it is tied to one brand of headphone, which is exactly why it appeals to a much wider crowd.
The design details are where it earns its place. The outer diameter is only 3.5mm, which the spec sheet notes is thinner than most aux cables, making it more flexible and easier to thread through narrow gaps — think a desk grommet, a cable channel, or the gap between a car seat and the centre console. The jacket is tangle-resistant nylon braid over a pure copper core, with 24K gold-plated connectors rated for 15,000+ plug/unplug cycles and a bend rating of 10,000+ cycles. Those numbers describe durability under repeated handling, not audio magic, but repeated handling is exactly what a car or desk cable suffers.
Two small touches stand out. First, the stepped connector design: the plug housing narrows so it seats fully even through a thick phone case, so you do not have to peel the case off every time. Second, the honest caveat in the listing — if you use TRRS (4-pole) headphones with an inline mic, this cable may not pass microphone audio through, because it is a 3-pin TRS cable. Headphone audio only.
Compatibility is broad: iPhone, iPad, Android phones, MP3 players, tablets, laptops, portable speakers, home theatre and car audio, all via a standard 3.5mm AUX port. There is also a 2-year refund-or-replacement warranty stated by the brand, which is unusually explicit for a cable at this level.
Buy it if you want more reach from a cable you already own, or you want one long, slim, braided lead for car and desk duty. Skip it if you need a replacement cable for 2.5mm-socket headphones, or you rely on a headset microphone.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for replacing a dead Audio-Technica cable → weishan ATH-M50x (2.5mm TRS to 3.5mm TRS, twist-lock).
• Best for studio and DJ use → weishan, thanks to the coiled spring design and the included 6.35mm adapter for mixers and amps.
• Best for car and desk use → Elecan, because the 3.5mm-thin braided jacket routes easily and the stepped plug clears thick phone cases.
• Best for headphone-jack fit → weishan only if your cup socket is 2.5mm; Elecan if everything you own is standard 3.5mm.
• Best for microphone pass-through → neither, strictly speaking — the Elecan is 3-pin TRS and its own listing warns TRRS mic audio may not work.
• Best for long-term wear resistance → Elecan, based on the stated 15,000+ plug cycles and 10,000+ bend cycles on a braided nylon jacket.
• Best for plugging into a mixer or amp without extra parts → weishan, since the 6.35mm adapter ships in the box.
In my opinion, most shoppers searching these two names actually need the Elecan. It extends whatever headphones you already own, works with phones, laptops, cars and home stereos, and the slim braided build with a stepped plug solves the everyday annoyances — snagging, case clearance, cable death by repeated bending. I would buy it if my goal were more freedom of movement from an existing 3.5mm cable.
But if you specifically own Audio-Technica M40x or M70x headphones with a 2.5mm cup socket, the Elecan cannot help you at all. Buy the weishan instead — the locking 2.5mm plug, coiled 14 ft reach and bundled 6.35mm adapter are built for exactly that job. Match the connector to your headphone socket first; everything else follows. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since both are inexpensive enough that owning the right one for each setup is realistic.
FAQ
Generally no. It is a 3-pole TRS cable, and the product's own guidance notes that TRRS (4-core) headsets may not pass microphone audio through. Use it for headphone listening, not for calls with a wired mic headset.
The weishan is a coiled cable, roughly 4 feet relaxed and about 14 feet fully extended. The Elecan is a straight 12 ft cable with no coil, so its length is fixed.
In my opinion, the weishan suits studio and DJ use better because of the coiled retracting design and the included 6.35mm adapter for mixers and amplifiers. The Elecan is better suited to casual listening, cars and home stereo setups.
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