Green House brings soft colours to its new USB-C wired earbuds

Not every new pair of earbuds wants an app, a charging case and a small administrative department. Green House’s GH-ERCB series, announced in Japan on October 23, plugs into USB-C and gets on with being earphones. The choices are light blue, purple and grey: soft colours for a fairly straightforward bit of kit. We are rather fond of the idea that “ready to listen” might involve one plug instead of a tiny battery negotiation.

A DAC in the plug, and controls on the cable

The official product page lists an integrated digital-to-analogue converter, 10mm dynamic drivers and a 120cm Y-shaped cable. The inline remote handles volume, playback and answering or ending calls, with a built-in microphone. Small, practical controls—particularly useful when the phone has made itself comfortable at the bottom of your bag and would prefer not to be disturbed.

The DAC is there to turn digital audio from the USB connection into the analogue signal the earphones use. Having one built in is a feature, not proof of exceptional sound. We have not listened to these earbuds or measured their microphone. Their appeal on paper is an uncomplicated setup with physical buttons and no separate earbud battery to remember.

The cable is part of the appeal, yes, really.

Wired listening has a different set of little inconveniences

Green House uses a flexible TPE cable and supplies small, medium and large ear tips. It describes the cable as resistant to tangling. We would like to congratulate any cable that can survive a handbag without attempting decorative macramé, although that claim still needs everyday use to prove itself.

A wired USB-C connection avoids the Bluetooth audio link and the need to charge a pair of earbuds. It also occupies the port, and there is still a cable between you and the phone. Neither arrangement wins every situation. For a desk, a train journey or a spare pair kept in a pouch, simple wired audio can be a very agreeable companion. For walking around the room while the phone stays on the table, the cable will eventually register an objection.

The manufacturer promotes no audio delay. We would not turn that into a promise of literally zero delay through every game, app and device. The absence of a Bluetooth link does not erase processing elsewhere in the chain. It is a useful distinction for anyone whose favourite game requires timing rather than a relaxed attitude to rhythm.

There is one date detail to keep tidy.

A new announcement, with Japanese open pricing

Although the release notice is dated October 23, its table gives mid-October 2026 as the planned release period. It lists open pricing, so there is no manufacturer-set retail figure to convert into Canadian dollars. The company also warns that some USB-C devices are unsupported; the connector’s shape alone does not guarantee operation.

Our OPPO Enco X4 report explores the much busier wireless end of the category, while the Sony ECM-AX10 story looks at USB-C for recording. Green House’s offering is a smaller kind of news: a familiar accessory in colours you may actually enjoy carrying. The light-blue pair is being quite persuasive. We are trying to remain professional about it.

Hero image: Green House. Official image source.