--- title: "Sony Headphones over USB-C or a Cable on a Mac" description: "Sony 1000X headphones don't play audio over USB-C: the port only charges. How to use the 3.5 mm cable with a Mac, model by model, and what stops working." url: https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-usb-c-wired-mac language: en --- # USB-C, cables and your Mac Plugging your Sony headphones into a MacBook with a USB-C cable charges them; it doesn't play sound. For wired listening you need the 3.5 mm cable from the box. Applies to: [MDR-1000X](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/mdr-1000x), [WH-1000XM2](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm2), [WH-1000XM3](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm3), [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4), [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5), [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6), [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) · Updated 2026-11-03 ## Short answer No Sony 1000X model plays audio over USB. The USB-C port (micro-USB on the MDR-1000X and WH-1000XM2) is for charging only. To listen wired on a Mac: 1. Plug the **3.5 mm cable** that came with the headphones into them and into your Mac's headphone jack, or a USB-C headphone adapter. 2. Choose it in **System Settings → Sound → Output**. While the cable is in, Bluetooth is off: the headphones' microphone isn't used and Open Sound Connect can't reach them. The WH-1000XX has to be switched on to play over the cable; the other models also work switched off. ## Model by model | Model | Charging port | Audio over USB | 3.5 mm cable | Plays over the cable when off | Use while charging | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [MDR-1000X](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/mdr-1000x) | Micro-USB | No | Yes | Yes | Not documented | | [WH-1000XM2](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm2) | Micro-USB | No | Yes | Yes | Not documented | | [WH-1000XM3](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm3) | USB-C | No | Yes | Yes | Not documented | | [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4) | USB-C | No | Yes | Yes | No | | [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5) | USB-C | No | Yes | Yes | No | | [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6) | USB-C | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | | [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) | USB-C | No | Yes | No, it must be on | Yes | Sony's guides describe the USB port only for charging, and reviews of the XM6 and WH-1000XX confirm there's no USB-C audio on the newest models either. ## Listen with the 3.5 mm cable 1. Plug the supplied cable into the headphones' headphone jack and into your Mac's headphone jack. If your Mac doesn't have one, use a USB-C to 3.5 mm headphone adapter. 2. Open **System Settings → Sound → Output** and choose the headphone jack or the adapter, if macOS didn't switch to it by itself. 3. On the WH-1000XX, switch the headphones on. The other models play both on and off; switched off, they work as ordinary passive headphones without noise canceling. A cable is worth it when you want a lossless source without Bluetooth compression, when the battery is flat, or when you want the Mac's Bluetooth out of the picture. See [LDAC, AAC and lossless on a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-ldac-aac-lossless-mac). ## What changes while the cable is plugged in - **Bluetooth turns off** in the headphones, on every model. On the XM6 and WH-1000XX, unplugging the cable while they're on switches them back to Bluetooth. - **Open Sound Connect can't connect**, because its controls use Bluetooth. Change settings before you plug in, or unplug to change them. See [how Sony headphone control works on a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/how-sony-headphone-control-works-mac). - **The microphone isn't used.** Sony's guides say to talk using your phone's microphone instead; on a Mac, use the Mac's. More below. - **Wearing detection doesn't work** on the XM4 and XM5, so taking them off won't pause your music. - **On the WH-1000XX**, listening modes and the headphones' controls are disabled. ## Calls with the cable Over the cable, the headphones carry sound only, so a call app on your Mac needs another microphone: 1. Open **System Settings → Sound → Input** and choose your Mac's built-in microphone or another microphone. 2. Make the same choice in your call app's audio settings if it has its own. 3. On the XM4 and newer, turn off [Speak-to-Chat](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/speak-to-chat) before you plug in for a wired call; Sony warns that otherwise you may not hear the other person. Do it while still on Bluetooth, since the app can't reach the headphones over the cable. If you want to use the headphones' own microphone, use Bluetooth. [Microphone not working on a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-microphone-not-working-mac) covers Bluetooth microphone problems. ## Using them while charging - **WH-1000XM4 and XM5:** while connected to a power outlet or a computer, they can't be turned on and don't play music. Unplug the charging cable to use them. - **WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX:** you can use them while charging. Charging then stops at about 80%. Plugging any model into your Mac's USB port charges it and does nothing else: the headphones don't appear in **System Settings → Sound**. ## Common questions ### Can I use a USB-C to USB-C cable for audio from my MacBook? No. On every Sony 1000X model, USB is for charging only. Use the 3.5 mm cable, with a USB-C headphone adapter if your Mac has no headphone jack. ### Does the cable sound better than Bluetooth? It skips Bluetooth compression, so it's the way to hear a lossless source. How much difference you hear depends on the music and on your Mac's headphone output or adapter. ### Can Open Sound Connect change settings while I'm wired? No. Bluetooth is off while the cable is plugged in, and the app's controls use Bluetooth. Unplug the cable, change the settings, then plug it back in. ## Where to next - [LDAC, AAC and lossless on a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-ldac-aac-lossless-mac): Which Bluetooth codecs a Mac uses with Sony headphones, why lossless needs a cable, and what an app can't change. - [Microphone not working on a Mac](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-microphone-not-working-mac): Fix a Sony headphone mic that doesn't work on a Mac: input, permissions, the meeting app and the cable. --- Open Sound Connect is independent software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony. Sony, DSEE, DSEE Extreme and LDAC are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Group Corporation or its affiliates. Apple, Mac, macOS, Finder, Safari, Xcode and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. The Bluetooth® word mark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Other names are trademarks of their respective owners.