Home/Universal/Cables & Adapters/UGREEN USB-C to 3.5mm DAC Adapter
Now that iPhones have USB-C, everyone with wired headphones needs a dongle again, and most of the cheap ones are hit-or-miss passive adapters.
This UGREEN is different. There’s a real DAC and amplifier chip inside, it’s rated for 24-bit/96kHz, and it costs $9.99. Happily recommended.
Reviewed by the Tiny Tech Box team
Version reviewed: UGREEN USB-C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter, 24-bit/96kHz HiFi DAC, Grey · ASIN B082WG5VTK · Amazon US listing.
One-sentence verdict: Buy it: a real DAC-and-amp dongle with in-line remote and mic support for $9.99, with 27,600 ratings behind it; it just won’t drive demanding high-impedance headphones.
The small aluminium body holds a DAC and headphone amplifier; the braided cable resists strain at the plug.
Image source: Amazon.com
| Best for | Anyone with a USB-C phone and wired headphones who wants clean sound, working in-line controls and a mic, cheaply. |
| Not ideal for | People driving demanding high-impedance headphones, or who want a desktop-grade DAC. |
| Current price | $9.99 on Amazon |
| Price checked | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Version reviewed | UGREEN USB-C to 3.5mm DAC Adapter · 24-bit/96kHz · Grey · ASIN B082WG5VTK · Amazon US |
It’s a small aluminium slug on a short braided cable with a USB-C plug on the end.
For the price, it’s well made. The metal housing gives it a bit of heft, and the braided cable resists the strain that frays cheap dongles at the plug. Hanging off the bottom of a phone, you’ll barely notice it.
Plug it into a USB-C phone, tablet or PC, plug your headphones into the 3.5mm end, and it works straight away, with the in-line buttons and the microphone recognised too on compatible headsets, so you can pause a podcast or take a call without reaching for the phone.
The DAC-and-amp chip is the whole point. It takes the digital audio stream over USB-C and makes its own clean analogue signal, so it works on phones that removed analogue-over-USB-C support and doesn’t depend on the phone’s own audio path.
Clean, clear output. Enough power for earbuds and most on-ear and over-ear headphones. What it isn’t is a portable amp for demanding audiophile headphones, so high-impedance cans plugged into it will sound quiet and flat. For normal wired headphones and phone calls, it does everything you’d want.
Works with:
Not compatible:
The metal housing and braided cable are a step up from disposable dongles, and 27,600 ratings at 4.5 stars is a strong, settled record. Plug and junction wear first. UGREEN covers it with a limited warranty, but the listing doesn’t print the term.
At $9.99, it costs about the same as the passive dongles that don’t have a DAC and are hit-or-miss on call quality. For a little more than the cheapest option, you get a proper DAC, in-line controls that work and a metal housing.
By a clear margin, this is the value pick of the category. The only reasons to spend more are a dedicated portable DAC for serious headphones, or a two-in-one adapter that also charges.
4.5 ★ from 27,600 Amazon ratings · price checked Oct 31, 2026
Price and availability may change after the date shown.
| Product | Best for | Key advantage | Main drawback | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UGREEN USB-C to 3.5mm DAC Adapter (this adapter) | A clean, reliable headphone dongle for a USB-C phone | Real DAC + amp; working in-line controls; metal build; $9.99; 27,600 ratings | No charging pass-through; not for high-impedance headphones | $9.99 |
| USB-C to 3.5mm + PD Charge Adapter (2-in-1) | Listening and charging at the same time | Adds a charging passthrough port | Passthrough is unreliable; no dedicated DAC; 2.8-star record | $5.99 |
| UGREEN Lightning to 3.5mm Adapter | The same job on an older Lightning iPhone | MFi certified; sturdier than Apple’s dongle | Lightning only (iPhone 14 and earlier); reliability varies | $15.99 |
USB-C phone? Buy this one. Only choose a 2-in-1 charge-and-listen adapter if charging at the same time is essential and you’ll put up with how unreliable they are. On an older Lightning iPhone, the Lightning version of this adapter is the equivalent.
For most people, this is the headphone dongle to recommend without caveats. There’s a real DAC and amplifier inside, it’s rated well above CD quality, the in-line controls and microphone work, and it’s built with a metal housing and a braided cable, all for $9.99 and with 27,600 ratings at 4.5 stars behind it.
Its limits are sensible ones. Audiophile headphones are beyond it, and there’s no charging while you listen. With a USB-C phone and a normal pair of wired headphones or a headset, though, it does the job cleanly and reliably, which plenty of dongles at this price don’t manage.
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Design — small aluminium housing on a braided cable; unobtrusive and better built than disposable dongles | 4 / 5 |
| Value — a real DAC-and-amp dongle with working controls for $9.99, barely more than a passive adapter | 4.5 / 5 |
| Performance — clean 24-bit/96kHz output that drives normal headphones and headsets; not for high-impedance cans | 4 / 5 |
| Build & Durability — metal body, braided cable, 27,600 ratings at 4.5; the plug junction is the usual wear point | 4 / 5 |
| Compatibility & Ease of Use — plug-and-play on USB-C phones, tablets and PCs; in-line remote and mic work | 4.5 / 5 |
| Overall | 4.2 / 5 · Would Buy |
The overall score is the average of the five aspects above. How we score.
| Brand / line | UGREEN — USB-C to 3.5mm HiFi DAC adapter |
| Chip | Built-in DAC and headphone amplifier (not a passive adapter) (UGREEN) |
| Resolution | Up to 24-bit / 96kHz, USB Audio Class 2.0; above CD quality (UGREEN) |
| Controls | Supports in-line play/pause, track, volume and microphone on compatible headsets (UGREEN) |
| Housing / cable | Aluminium-alloy housing; nylon-braided cable (UGREEN) |
| Compatibility | USB-C phones, tablets and PCs (iPhone 15 and later, Galaxy, Pixel, iPad, Windows) |
| Power | Draws power from the device; no separate supply |
| Warranty | UGREEN limited warranty; exact term not printed on this listing (UGREEN) |
| ASIN | B082WG5VTK |
| Manufacturer | UGREEN |
Figures marked “UGREEN” are the manufacturer’s published claims. “N/A” means the value is not listed on the Amazon listing or the UGREEN product page.
It has an actual DAC and headphone amplifier inside instead of passive wiring. That means it works on phones that dropped analogue-over-USB-C support, it doesn’t depend on the phone’s own audio circuitry, and the in-line controls and microphone work reliably.
Yes. It works with the iPhone 15 and later, plus Galaxy, Pixel and other USB-C phones, USB-C iPads and Windows PCs, so one adapter covers most of what you’re likely to plug headphones into.
With normal consumer headphones and earbuds, yes. For demanding high-impedance audiophile headphones it doesn’t have the power, so you’d want a dedicated portable DAC/amp.
Not with this adapter, because it has no charging pass-through. A 2-in-1 adapter adds that, but at the cost of reliability.
Yes, on compatible headsets. That’s where many cheaper dongles fail, playing music while the mic doesn’t work, and this one handles both.
Every pick links to its full five-aspect review.
Prices and availability are accurate as of the date shown and are subject to change. The price and availability displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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Sources: Amazon product listing (ASIN B082WG5VTK), read Aug 28, 2026 · UGREEN USB-C to 3.5mm HiFi DAC adapter product pages for the DAC chip, resolution and control support · independent reviews (Gaming PC Guru, BestViewsReviews). Figures attributed to UGREEN are the manufacturer’s published claims; the rating, price and buyer feedback are from the live Amazon listing on the date shown.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Tiny Tech Box earns from qualifying purchases. Recommendations are based on our own research and scoring, described in full on our How We Score page.