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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Yealink UH34 — biggest strength: a mono on-ear design with noise-cancelling microphones, a busylight, and on-ear controls, all aimed at clear calls. Biggest trade-off: it's a single-ear, over-the-head headset that's built for a desk, not for slipping in your pocket.
• Sony IER-EX15C — biggest strength: a compact USB-C in-ear set with a multi-function remote, silicone tips in three sizes, and a tangle-resistant cable. Biggest trade-off: it relies on passive noise cancellation, so it won't block a loud room the way an active mic array does.
• Pick Yealink UH34 if you live on Teams or Zoom calls at a PC, laptop, or IP phone and want your hands free.
• Pick Sony IER-EX15C if you want one wired pair that jumps between a phone, a laptop, and a handheld console without a battery or a dongle.
The UH34 is a mono headset, meaning one ear cup. That sounds like a small detail until you've spent a morning on back-to-back calls — leaving one ear open is a genuinely useful thing when you need to hear a colleague knock or a doorbell. Yealink pairs that with an adjustable metal headband and soft leather ear pads, and the on-ear fit is the kind of thing you forget about after an hour or two. The spec sheet lists a 20Hz to 20,000Hz dynamic driver, which is a wide enough range to cover both speech and casual music between meetings.
The reason to buy this one is the microphones. Yealink built in noise-cancelling mics specifically to cut background noise so remote participants hear you and not the room. There's also a visual busylight that tells people around you that you're on a call, plus push-button controls on the shell for volume and mic mute. It's certified for Teams and works with Zoom, Skype for Business, and other platforms, so it's plug-and-play over USB-A into a PC, laptop, or IP phone. No drivers, no pairing, no charging.
Who should skip it? If your main listening happens on a phone in your pocket, or if you want stereo separation for music, this isn't the tool. It's a single-ear work headset, and it's happiest tethered to a desk. The 2-year warranty and adult age rating round out a package that reads as "office equipment," because that's exactly what it is.
Flip the priorities and you get the Sony IER-EX15C. This is a wired in-ear set with a USB-C plug, and the whole pitch is portability plus simplicity. Because it's USB-C, it connects across a wide range of devices — phones, laptops, gaming handhelds — and it supports USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, which is the standard that lets a wired set just work without special software. No battery means no charging, no latency, and no dropouts.
Sony's design notes emphasize a compact, contoured housing with secure silicone earbuds, and the box includes XS, M, and XL ear tips so you can dial in the fit. A good seal matters here, because the noise control is passive — the tips do the blocking, so getting the right size is the difference between "quiet enough" and "I can hear the whole train." The dynamic driver covers the same 20Hz to 20,000Hz range as the Yealink.
Where it earns its place is the in-line remote. A multi-function button handles play/pause, track skipping, answering calls, waking your voice assistant, and muting the mic, and there are separate volume +/- controls. The cable is serrated to resist tangling, and there's a slider so you can shorten the slack. It comes in black, white, blue, and pink — the blue is the model listed here. The trade-off is durability and coverage: a 1-year warranty and a lightweight 0.05 kg build are fine for daily carry, but this is not a headset you'd hand to a call-center team.
• Best for all-day work calls → Yealink UH34. Noise-cancelling mics, a busylight, and on-shell mute/volume controls are built for exactly this.
• Best for portability → Sony IER-EX15C. A compact in-ear set with a tangle-resistant cable and a cable adjuster goes anywhere.
• Best for phone and console use → Sony IER-EX15C. The USB-C plug and USB Audio Class 1.0 support cover phones, laptops, and gaming consoles.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Yealink UH34. The mono design leaves one ear open.
• Best for noisy shared spaces → Yealink UH34. Active noise cancellation plus noise-cancelling mics is the stronger combination on paper.
• Best for music on the move → Sony IER-EX15C. In-ear tips and a compact housing are designed for listening away from a desk.
• Best for fit customization → Sony IER-EX15C. Three ear-tip sizes versus one fixed on-ear pad.
• Best for plug-and-play on a desk phone or PC → Yealink UH34. USB-A with Teams certification and no setup.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to where you actually sit. If your day is meetings at a computer and you want people to hear you clearly without shouting over an office, I'd buy the Yealink UH34 — the noise-cancelling mic, busylight, and on-ear controls are the features that matter for that job. If your listening is split between a phone, a laptop, and a handheld, I'd buy the Sony IER-EX15C instead; the USB-C connection and in-line remote make it the more flexible everyday pair. Neither is a compromise — they're just built for different rooms.
how to connect usb c wired headphones
Plug the USB-C connector into a port that supports audio, and the device should recognize it automatically — the Sony IER-EX15C supports USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, which is the standard that allows this kind of plug-and-play behavior. If nothing happens, check that your port carries audio and not just charging.
how to use usb c wired headphones on mac
Connect the USB-C plug to your Mac's USB-C port. Because the IER-EX15C works with USB Audio Class 1.0 devices, macOS should route audio to it without extra software, and the in-line remote's multi-function button handles play/pause and call answering. If sound stays on the speakers, select the headphones as the output device.
how to connect usb wired headphones to macbook
If your MacBook has only USB-C ports and your headset uses USB-A, like the Yealink UH34, you'll need a USB-A to USB-C adapter or a hub. Once connected, the UH34 is plug-and-play for PC and laptop use, and the on-shell volume and mute buttons control the call directly.
how to connect usb wired headphones to xbox
A USB-C wired set like the Sony IER-EX15C is designed to connect across gaming consoles as well as phones and laptops. Whether the console routes game and chat audio through a USB audio device depends on the console and its settings, so check your audio output options after plugging in.
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