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Apple’s wired EarPods with USB-C cost $19, and most people buy them to listen to music. I wanted to test the part nobody talks about: the microphone. The whole point of this test was to record my voice through the EarPods mic and compare it to the AirPods Pro 2 and the built-in iPad mic, so you can hear the difference for yourself.
This is for anyone who takes a lot of voice calls, video calls, FaceTime, or online meetings on a MacBook, an iPad, or an iPhone 15. If you want a cheap mic that sounds clean and you already own an Apple device with USB-C, keep reading.
A $19 wired mic that punches way above its price for calls, meetings, and even a podcast in a pinch.
- Mic sits close to your mouth, so your voice sounds clear and full
- Wired USB-C connection supports a higher audio bit rate than Bluetooth
- No battery to charge and no latency, stutters, or dropouts
- Good enough to record a podcast in a pinch
- Only $19
- You are tied down by a wire
- The mic still picks up wind, rain, and road noise outside
- Only makes sense if you have at least two Apple devices with USB-C
Why the wired mic sounds better than you expect
Two things make the EarPods mic sound good, and both come down to physics. First is placement. On a wired set like this, the microphone hangs on the cable a little bit away from your mouth, which is a lot closer than the mic buried up by your ear on a set of Bluetooth earbuds. Closer to your mouth means a fuller, clearer voice.
Second is the connection. A wired USB-C connection supports a higher audio bit rate than Bluetooth does, so the final recording just sounds better. The entire video was recorded on these EarPods plugged straight into my iPad Pro using the Blackmagic Camera app, so everything you hear is the EarPods mic doing the work.
EarPods USB-C vs AirPods Pro 2 vs the built-in iPad mic
I ran the same voice test through three sources so you could hear them back to back. The AirPods Pro 2 still sound good and you get the freedom of no wire, but the mic sits up by your ear and Bluetooth adds the risk of latency, interference, and lower audio quality. The built-in iPad mic was about a foot and a half away from me, and it sounds like it: more room, less of your actual voice.
| Source | Connection | Mic placement | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EarPods (USB-C) | Wired USB-C | On the cable, near your mouth | Calls, meetings, podcast in a pinch |
| AirPods Pro 2 | Bluetooth | Up by your ear | Calls when you want no wire |
| iPad Pro built-in mic | Internal | A foot and a half away | Quick notes when nothing is plugged in |
The other advantage: no battery, no latency
Because it is wired, you never think about battery life or a Bluetooth handshake. The audio is processed the instant it leaves your phone and hits your ears, so there are no stutters or jitters mid-call. For long meetings or a recording session, that reliability matters as much as the sound quality.
Who this is for
I recommend the USB-C EarPods if you have at least two Apple devices that use USB-C, whether that is an iPad, a Mac, or one of the newer iPhones. At $19 they are a cheap, reliable mic upgrade for anyone who lives on calls. If you already own AirPods and value going wireless over the last bit of audio quality, you may not need them. But as a dedicated call and meeting mic, they are hard to beat for the money.
The verdict
The downside is real: you are on a wire, and the mic still hears wind and road noise outside. But for $19, the USB-C EarPods give you a clean, close-to-the-mouth microphone with no battery, no latency, and better source audio than Bluetooth earbuds like the AirPods Pro 2 can manage. If you take a lot of calls or meetings on an Apple device with USB-C, this is the easiest cheap upgrade you can make, and it is good enough to record a podcast in a pinch.
