Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I was considering grabbing the 3.5mm version to use with my MacBook Pro for long days of zoom meetings.

Does the USB-C version have any benefit vs the the 3.5mm?
 
I hate how expensive these are, but I’ll need a couple pairs for my car and gym bag for those days that I forget my AirPods.
 
I bought both Apple ones and AliExpress ones. There’s no difference.
I always liked the Earpods because they were more comfy for me than other earbuds (that is still true for the non-pro Airpods). I guess I have just the right ears for them.

Anyone remember when Jony Ive was waxing poetically about the "exhaustive research and development" effort it took to design them? :eek:

 
Need a Pro version of these that match APP’s sound quality minus the Bluetooth connectivity cuz the EMF gives me major headache. Will happily shell $100-150
 
I was considering grabbing the 3.5mm version to use with my MacBook Pro for long days of zoom meetings.

Does the USB-C version have any benefit vs the the 3.5mm?
3.5mm headphones can work on any audio device (some might need an adapter). (Note: Apple sells a phone adapter for $9)

A USB-C headphone is a niche device that will only connect to USB-C products (so most consumer electronic audio devices are out).

So no, the USB-C model only has restrictions / drawbacks vs the 3.5mm. But if you ONLY want headphones for your new USB-C phone I could see why someone might buy them.
 
But do they work on Mac?

One of the big downsides of Lightning was they were inoperable between your iPhone and Mac.

Oh and does anyone know how these cost $19 when a Lightning to USB-C dongle is $29? Also some noise cancelling Pro versions of these would be 🔥
Or the iPad Pro?
 
I was considering grabbing the 3.5mm version to use with my MacBook Pro for long days of zoom meetings.

Does the USB-C version have any benefit vs the the 3.5mm?
This is only anecdotal, but I've had better results using the 3.5mm version, attached to a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle and plugging that into my work computer vs plugging the 3.5mm EarPods directly into he 3.5mm plug on my computer. I'm not sure why, but I've had intermittent issues where the 3.5mm connection would lose audio on Teams calls. Seems like it should work, and to be fair, it did most of the time, but infrequently enough to cause issues.

Also, if it's important to you, the audio going through the USB-C (or A) port was much clearer than when using the 3.5mm jack. I will say that I bought 3 adapters to test, and the Apple brand USB-C, while still clearer than 3.5mm, was the worst of the 3, so I am not sure if the AirPods will be as good as the adapter is for me. But still all in all, the audio was definitely clearer (this is on a Windows machine BTW).

A second benefit would be that these will work with future iPhones whereas the 3.5mm ones won't.
 
  • Like
Reactions: roccobladr
I'm not sure why, but I've had intermittent issues where the 3.5mm connection would lose audio on Teams calls. Seems like it should work, and to be fair, it did most of the time, but infrequently enough to cause issues.
sounds like a mechanical tolerance or wear issue. USB C is an upgrade on the mechanical side too.
 
Really? How many ears do you have?
Haha. At first I got a pair at Target with discount, then I trade-in the 1st gen AirPods Pro at BestBuy and bought the 2nd gen on the spot. Late last year, I realized there's a Chinese New Year special engraving one. Since I would be traveling to Hong Kong, I went ahead and ordered for in-store pick up. I linked the third one with a different AppleID on a different iPhone.
 
I don’t understand..

I’ve had a pair of EarPods with USB-C since 2021, I use them with my iPad Pro. Why is everyone acting like they’re brand new?
 
are there any changes to the microphone quality or audio playback between the 3.5 jack and the usb-c version?
 
Time to buy the 3.5mm headphones and then plug them into the 3.5mm to Lightning dongle and then plug that into the Lightning to USB-C dongle 🤣
 
Here's a review by Max Tech of the USB-C EarPods.
I had ordered a cheap pair of USB-C earphones 2 years ago from Amazon for use with my iPad Mini. I only ordered a second pair of these from Amazon last week for use with my iPhone 15 PM.
For USD19.00 or GBP19.00 here in the UK, I will be getting a pair of these Earpods this week from Apple.

Max Tech review
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.