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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-21 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• zdyCGTime External 5.1 — biggest strength: two adapters in one pack, each turning a single USB port into a separate 3.5mm headphone out and 3.5mm mic in, with virtual 5.1 surround and no external power.
• zdyCGTime External 5.1 — biggest trade-off: old-school OS coverage and a PS3-era console focus, so newer console owners should look elsewhere.
• KAYQINHO USB — biggest strength: a modern TRRS 4-pole jack with a built-in DAC/ADC, noise reduction and broad OS support including Windows 11, Linux, Chromebook, Raspberry Pi and PS4/PS5.
• KAYQINHO USB — biggest trade-off: one adapter only, and it comes with real compatibility limits — no PS3, TV, amplifier, car or Xbox, and no support for high-resistance headphones or Apple line control.
• Pick zdyCGTime External 5.1 if you want two budget spares and separate headphone/mic jacks for a desktop or older laptop.
• Pick KAYQINHO USB if you want one cleaner, newer adapter for a TRRS headset on a gaming console or a Linux/Raspberry Pi machine.
The zdyCGTime External 5.1 is a small black USB sound card — roughly 5 x 2.2 x 1.2 cm and 21 g — that plugs into a USB port and immediately gives you a 3.5mm headphone jack and a separate 3.5mm microphone jack. It's fully bus-powered, so there's no wall adapter to hunt down, and it works independently of whatever sound hardware is already inside your machine. The brand lists virtual 5.1 and 3-dimensional sound effects, plus support for a long list of common media formats. In my opinion, the real draw here isn't the surround gimmick — it's the convenience of a plug-and-play audio jack that shows up the moment you need one.
The two-pack is the headline feature. You get two identical adapters, which suits anyone with more than one machine: a desktop whose rear audio ports are buried under a desk, an older laptop with a dying headphone jack, or a spare to keep in a bag. The brand also suggests pairing it with a USB hub or extension cable, which is a sensible way to move your headphone jack to the front of a tower instead of crawling behind it. This is the kind of adapter people buy when they want a cheap, no-drama fix rather than a premium listening upgrade.
Who should skip it? If you're on a newer console, or you want a single modern adapter for a TRRS gaming headset, this isn't the natural fit — its console and OS timeline skews older, and it splits mic and headphone into two separate jacks rather than one combined TRRS port. Buyers who want the newest driverless chipsets and the widest current device list should keep reading.
The KAYQINHO USB is a single white USB-A to 3.5mm adapter with a TRRS 4-pole female jack — the one-port kind that handles listening and speaking through a single headset plug. It uses a built-in DAC smart chip with 48kHz/16-bit playback and recording, a 92dB signal-to-noise ratio and THD at or below 0.006%, and the brand markets it around noise reduction and higher-fidelity sound. It's plug and play with no drivers or external power, and it's aimed squarely at headsets, TRRS microphones and speakers.
Compatibility is where it earns its keep. The brand lists Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP, Linux, Mac OS X, Google Chromebook, Raspberry Pi, PS4 and PS5, plus Windows Surface 3. That's a noticeably current list, and for anyone running a small Linux box, a Pi project or a Chromebook, a USB audio adapter with a proper DAC is often the simplest way to get sound and mic input working at all.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for a dead laptop or desktop audio jack → zdyCGTime External 5.1. It restores a headphone out and a mic in from one USB port with no drivers.
• Best for modern console gaming headsets → KAYQINHO USB. Its TRRS single-jack design and PS4/PS5 support suit a headset with one combined plug.
• Best for Linux, Chromebook or Raspberry Pi → KAYQINHO USB. The listed OS support is simply broader and newer.
• Best for having a spare → zdyCGTime External 5.1. Two adapters in the pack means one for the desk and one for the bag.
• Best for a single combined TRRS headset → KAYQINHO USB. Separate headphone and mic jacks, as on the zdyCGTime, don't match a one-plug headset without a splitter.
• Best for separate mic and headphone plugs → zdyCGTime External 5.1. Dedicated 3.5mm jacks for each are exactly what standalone mics and headphones want.
• Best for low-resistance headphones under 50 ohms → KAYQINHO USB. It's explicitly rated for that range — and explicitly not for high-resistance cans.
• Best for older Windows machines → zdyCGTime External 5.1. Its compatibility reaches back to Windows 98/2000/Me/XP and Mac OS 8.6 and above.
In my opinion, the KAYQINHO USB is the better single purchase for most people in 2026 — the modern OS list, the TRRS design and the built-in DAC/ADC make it the more capable adapter for current laptops, consoles and small Linux devices. I'd choose the zdyCGTime External 5.1 instead if I specifically wanted two adapters, separate headphone and mic jacks, or support for genuinely old Windows and Mac systems. Read the KAYQINHO compatibility warnings carefully — the Xbox, PS3, TV and high-impedance headphone exclusions are deal-breakers for some setups. Whichever way you lean, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since these are inexpensive accessories where the pack size matters as much as the hardware.
FAQ
Yes, the brand lists PS4 and PS5 support, and recommends the rear USB port on PS4 Pro. It does not work with PS3, Xbox, TVs or amplifiers.
Not directly. It has separate 3.5mm headphone and mic jacks, so a one-plug TRRS headset would need a splitter to connect both.
Because some USB ports don't carry audio signals. On those ports the adapter has nothing to convert, which is why the brand excludes cars, CD players, TVs and Xbox.
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