Wired USB-C headphones for iPhone 15, 16, and 17: which ones actually work?

Since the iPhone 15, Apple has abandoned Lightning: all recent iPhones — 15, 16, 17 — use USB-C, just like Androids. Good news on paper: one single cable for everyone.

Except in practice, many people buy wired USB-C headphones, plug them into their iPhone… and get no sound. Here is why, and how to avoid the problem.

The real problem: digital vs. analog

A headphone speaker works in analog: it needs a current that vibrates a diaphragm. A USB-C port, however, carries digital signals. Between the two, a translator is needed: the DAC, for Digital-to-Analog Converter.

The question is therefore always the same: where is the DAC?

Case 1 — Passive USB-C headphones

No chip inside. They rely on the phone to send analog signals directly through the USB-C port (an optional mode of the USB-C standard, the Audio Adapter Accessory Mode). Many Android phones support this.

iPhones do not. A passive USB-C headphone on an iPhone 15, 16, or 17: silence.

Case 2 — USB-C headphones with an integrated DAC

The chip is in the connector or the housing on the cable. The headphone performs the conversion itself and presents itself to the phone as a USB sound card.

Result: it works on iPhone 15, 16, and 17, on Androids, on iPads, on Macs, and on PCs. This is what Apple does with its own USB-C EarPods, and it is what you should look for.

How can you tell before buying?

Three reflexes:

1. Look for "integrated DAC," "built-in chip," or "iPhone 15 compatible" in the product description. If it's written in black and white, it's a good sign.
2. Beware of listings that list 40 phone models without ever mentioning the chip. It is often a copied listing.
3. Abnormally low price. A €3 USB-C headphone is, in the vast majority of cases, passive.

And the jack adapter?

Another solution: keep your old 3.5mm jack headphones and use a USB-C to jack adapter. Same logic: Apple's adapter contains a DAC and works on iPhone; many budget adapters do not have one and will not work.

It is doable, but it's one more piece to lose, an extra breakage point, and an inelegant extension cord hanging down. Hence the advantage of direct USB-C headphones.

The other criteria that count

• Mic and inline remote — for calls and voice memos without taking out your phone. Check that the volume buttons are recognized by iOS, not just by Android.
• Cable shape — a flat cable tangles much less than a round cable.
• Connector exit point — this is where wired headphones break first. A reinforcement in this area changes their lifespan.
• Look — a wire is visible. It might as well look intentional.

Our response

The Chromé wired chrome headphones use USB-C with an integrated DAC chip: they work on iPhone 15, 16, and 17 as well as on Android, tablet, and computer. Mic and inline remote, mirror finish in silver, gold, or pink, at €29.90.

Shipped from France within 24 to 48 hours. 30 days to change your mind, in addition to the 14-day cooling-off period and the 2-year legal warranty.

To understand where this cable comeback comes from, we talk about it here: why wired headphones are making a comeback in 2026.