Earphones for a phone with no jack

If your phone has no headphone jack, wired earphones need a dongle: a small adapter that plugs into the USB-C port and gives you a 3.5 mm jack. The cheapest working setup is the KZ ZVX earphones ($8) with the FiiO JA11 dongle ($15), from $23 in total. You can also skip the dongle with earphones that have a USB-C plug, or go wireless. These picks come from published reviews, specifications and owner discussion; chi-fi has not tested them (see how we pick), and the prices are “from” prices, not live ones.

The short answer

• Cheapest working setup: the KZ ZVX earphones, from $8, with the FiiO JA11 dongle, from $15.
• A dongle that passes a headset mic and remote buttons: the FiiO JA11, from $15.
• A dongle with volume buttons and a mic: the HiBy FC3, from $30.
• A dongle with a 4.4 mm balanced jack: the Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini, from $24.
• Earphones with a USB-C cable that has a built-in DAC: the Moondrop Kadenz, from $197.
• No cable at all: the Moondrop Space Travel 2 Ultra, from $40.

Check the port first

Most current phones charge over USB-C, and every dongle here takes USB-C. The KA11 is also sold with a Lightning plug. iPhone 15 and later use USB-C, but older iPhones use Lightning, so check your port before you order. Each dongle page lists the platforms it works with. The FiiO JA11’s EQ app and the KA11’s settings app are both Android-only.

Dongles, compared

• FiiO JA11, $15: the cheapest dongle here. It passes a headset mic and in-line remote buttons, and its app adds a 5-band EQ. It has no volume buttons, and it is rated at 30 mW at 32 Ω (the maker’s figure), so it is made for earphones.
• HiBy FC1, $20: volume buttons with 30 steps and 70 mW at 32 Ω (the maker’s figure). Remote buttons on headphone cables don’t work through it, so a headset mic is out too.
• Kiwi Ears Allegro Mini, $24: a 3.5 mm jack and a 4.4 mm balanced jack, rated at 30 mW at 32 Ω. One reviewer measured no extra power from the 4.4 mm jack, so use it only with earphones that have a 4.4 mm plug.
• FiiO KA11, $25: the most power on this list, rated at 200 mW at 32 Ω (the maker’s figure), which matters more for full-size headphones than for earphones. It has no microphone support, and it gets warm in use.
• HiBy FC3, $30: volume and playback buttons on the dongle, with headset mic support. Its rated power is the same as the FC1’s, and some users report the connection dropping.

The earphones in this guide are easy to drive, so the cheapest dongle is enough for them. Power figures matter more when you move to full-size headphones.

Earphones that pair well

The ZVX is the cheapest of the wired picks, with an all-metal shell and clear, forward mids. Reviewers find its bass tight, and some find voices slightly unnatural. The Moondrop CHU II is a little more money and has small metal shells that fit most ears, plus a light detachable cable. Both have detachable cables with 2-pin connectors.

For more choices by sound, see the guide to cheap IEMs under $20.

Skip the dongle

The Moondrop Kadenz is the step up, at $197. Its box includes a USB-C cable with a built-in DAC, so you plug it straight into the phone. Its shell is heavy and its shape can be uncomfortable for some ears, and the sound changes noticeably with the source.

The Simgot EG280, from $72, comes with a USB-C dongle that has gaming presets. The bundle changes from one listing to another, so check that the variant you buy includes it. The dongle is decent but not powerful.

Or go wireless

The Moondrop Space Travel 2 Ultra needs no cable and no dongle. It supports LDAC, which needs an Android phone that supports it, and its maker lists about 7 hours per charge with AAC, less with LDAC and noise cancelling, and about 24 hours with the case. Its noise cancelling is AI-assisted, according to the maker. The other wireless picks are in wireless earbuds.

Before you buy

1. Check the port. USB-C or Lightning, depending on the phone.
2. Check the mic and button options. Headset mic and remote support depend on the dongle. The FiiO JA11 and HiBy FC3 pass a headset mic, and the FC1 and KA11 don’t. On AliExpress, a mic on the earphone cable is usually a separate option, so check it before you pay.
3. Check the plug. Most wired picks here take a 3.5 mm plug. A 4.4 mm dongle only helps with earphones that have a 4.4 mm plug.
4. Check the spare cable. The ZVX uses a 0.75 mm 2-pin connector, and the CHU II uses 0.78 mm, so a replacement cable has to match.
5. Read the power figures as the maker’s. The power figures here are the makers’ own, except where a product page names a reviewer’s test.

The headphone DAC category lists every dongle chi-fi carries, with each one’s price and specs.