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Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I used to be an open-ear hater, but these are the 3 open-earbuds that changed my mind — and none of them are Bose
When I first started testing open-earbuds, it's fair to say I wasn't convinced. As someone who is a die-hard ANC headphone fan, I didn't think open-ears would have a place in my day-to-day life — but boy was I wrong. I have come to use open-ear buds almost every day for everything from working out to my daily commute to work. Open-ears allow you to remain aware of your surroundings by letting in ambient sound, helping you stay safe and secure. This is what makes them some of the best running headphones you can get. While I'm no marathon runner, I enjoy going for a short run a few times a week and have come to appreciate the comfort that comes with staying aware of my surroundings. The only problem is, a lot of open-earbuds are pretty expensive if you want the open look without sacrificing too much sound quality, like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds ($299). After a thorough testing process, I have compiled a list of open-earbuds that I would certainly consider, and they won't break the bank. These are open-earbuds I keep reaching for time and time again, and I have come to rely on them for most eventualities. The Soundcore AeroClip open-earbuds are the standard I hold all other buds to. They are the most comfortable open-ears I have tried and have awesome sound quality. With open-earbuds, I would also expect sound leakage at higher volumes, but that wasn't an issue with these buds. On busy days in the office, I like to use these buds since they are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, like full working days. Honestly, I hardly noticed I was wearing them. And even though they are comfortable and don't cause any pressure around the ears, they are incredibly secure when working out — they do not budge. At high volumes, the sound quality becomes slightly tinny, but the buds are only $169. And with the Soundcore App, the sound profile can be altered to reduce tininess for certain genres, making them sound even better. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The Soundcore AeroClip earbuds are essential for any fitness lover who values comfort and audio quality during their workouts. They may have a budget price tag, but they show no compromises in the comfort department. The EarFun Clip earbuds are only $89 and have completely transformed my long walks. If the sole reason you're picking up a set of open-earbuds is to let in ambient sound, these are probably not the way to go, but that's only because they block out a little more sound than the other earbuds in this list. With that said, the sound quality of these buds is so good when you consider that they cost you less than $100 and still look good and stay secure when you work out. I have tested a lot of open-earbuds that just don't fit well enough to work for working out or even walking, but these are ideal. I wear these buds for hours at a time and never have any issues with the fit. And since they have a waterproof rating of IP55, I can take them out running even if it is raining and not worry about damaging the buds. The EarFun Clip open-earbuds have entirely changed the way I work out. They block out a little more ambient sound than other open-earbuds on the market, but they have incredible sound quality. They have 10 hours of playtime on a single charge and an extra 40 with the charging case. For the price, these are an absolute steal. My ultimate workout buds are the JLab Epic Open Sport, but it's not for their sound quality. The fit of these buds is so secure that I didn't have a single issue when I took them out for a run or while I was practicing pilates. But that sound quality isn't great if you like to listen to anything other than upbeat pop music. But for me, this is great for working out. When I want to listen to music to appreciate the finer details, I will reach for my AKG N9 Hybrid headphones instead. The JLab Epic Open Sport earbuds also have the option to choose between touch-sensitive controls or button controls. I much prefer button controls on my workout earbuds, since it feels like I have more control over the commands. When you're moving around a lot, like on a run, the touch controls can be unreliable, so I love this option. The JLab Epic Open Sport are a reliable pair of waterproof earbuds that won't let you down whether you're out for a run, getting in a relaxing yoga session, or just taking a stroll in the park. They let in all of the ambient sound around you to help you stay safe when out and about. While they're not for audiophiles, they provide a balanced sound profile to keep you motivated. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
31-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
I swapped my Bose Ultra Open for these $80 open earbuds — here's what happened
Price: $129 / £97Colors: GreyBattery life (rated): 8 hours; 40 hours (charging case)Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4Durability rating: IPX5Weight: 5.5g per bud Open headphones have become my go-to option for runs and other workouts, offering a good balance between the sound quality you get from in-ear buds and the awareness you get from the best bone conduction headphones. My favorite running headphones are the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which offer the best sound quality I've come across from open buds, and a comfortable, secure clip-on fit. No-one would say the Bose buds are cheap, however, so I was keen to see how the Nank Ultra open headphones compared, given they cost less than half the price. I tried the Nank Ultra clip-on headphones for a few weeks of workouts and general use and found they have a great fit and good sound quality for the price. They're a solid, affordable option for those who want open workout headphones in particular. Although the Nank Ultra open headphones have an MSRP of $129.99 / £97.31 they seem to always be reduced on the Nank website to $79.99 / £59.88, which puts them amongst the cheapest open headphones I've tested. The Nank Ultra buds are lightweight buds you clip on the middle of your ear so that a speaker rests near the ear canal without blocking it. There is only one color available — shiny grey. The buds don't look bad, but a strength of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in particular is the range of 10 colors to pick from. Given that clip-on buds resemble jewelry, a wider range of styles is always going to be better. A flexible band between the two pods on the headphones allows them to stretch and accommodate most ear types, and the fit was secure for me for a variety of workouts, including runs, bike rides and strength sessions. The buds also didn't place too much pressure on my ear, so they were comfortable to wear for several hours at a time. With an IPX5 rating the Nank Ultra buds are not fully waterproof, but will withstand sweat and rain during workouts, and I did several runs in wet conditions while wearing them. There are touch panel controls on each bud on the section that sits behind your ear. You can't customize these and I found that the controls were hard to use during workouts in particular, as some functions require you to hit the panel several times in a row. A button would be a lot simpler to use. For the most part I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of the Nank Ultra headphones. The sound is not only clear and crisp in the upper ranges, but there's a good level of bass too, especially for open headphones. On busier tracks I noticed that the lower end did sound a little compressed at higher volumes, and I lost a lot of the drums when listening to Hole's "Celebrity Skin", for example, but for the price I don't have substantial complaints about sound quality. You don't get the noise cancellation of in-ear buds of course, and I found that the Nank buds can be drowned out when using them on trains or running by busy roads, but the volume is loud enough for most scenarios including when using the buds in a half marathon race with loud crowds on the sidelines. I also confirmed with those around me that they don't leak much sound even when playing music at high volumes. The call quality isn't great, however. Even in quiet environments I found that other people's voices sounded tinny and a little crackly, and they reported the same for my voice. Given the relatively small case and buds, the listed battery life of the Nank Ultra headphones is impressive at eight hours on the buds and 40 in total with the case. The case is charged via a USB-C cable. The buds lived up to their claimed battery life during my testing, and they outlast the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which offer 27 hours of battery in total. The Nank Ultra offer better sound quality than you'd expect for their price, and a comfortable and reliable fit for workouts. They aren't as good as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, but cost far less, and are also cheaper than most earhook open buds I've tested like the Shokz OpenFit 2. I could see them being a good purchase for people who want open buds to use on occasion, such as when running outside or in an office where they want to hear others, but mainly use more expensive in-ear buds when travelling or when they want superior sound quality. In this situation spending hundreds of dollars on the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds doesn't make a whole load of sense, and the Nank Ultra are much more affordable. If you're going to use open headphones are your main buds all the time, however, spending the extra on more impressive-sounding buds might be worth it.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This weekend's best wireless earbuds deal? Save on these AirPods alternatives from Sony
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Sony LinkBuds Open have only just launched – but boy, do we have a deal for you. For just £149 at Amazon, you can save £30 on this clever wireless pair. Or, if you want to save another £6, you can grab the white model for £143. It's a super attractive price when you take a look at Sony's direct competitors; the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, or the Huawei FreeClip – all currently pricier options. In fact, there are three LinkBuds models on offer right now, with the Sony LinkBuds Fit down to just £114 at Amazon. Plus, the Open's predecessor, the Sony LinkBuds are now just £87 at Amazon. Considering they used to be £150, and Sony still price them at £119, it's a hell of a deal. Sony LinkBuds Open: £179 £149 at Amazon (save £30)The Sony LinkBuds Open are the brand's open-style twist on the earbuds market. This open design lets in external sounds for greater awareness, but without skimping on comfort or style. Packed out with features, which we'll get into below, they're a solid alternative to traditional wireless earbuds – now with £30 off. View Deal Sony's LinkBuds Open are the brand's latest offering to the competitive open earbud market. In our full review, we gave them four stars and praised the set for being "cleverly designed, extremely comfortable and well-stocked with features". So, to see them enjoying a £30 discount already, despite only really just hitting the market, we couldn't help but share. With an impressive line-up preceding this newest entry, the LinkBuds Open needed to prove their worth on release, and while we noted that "their overall musical performance doesn't quite match similarly priced rivals", this discount price ensures they're a competitive offering. We praised the Sony LinkBuds Open for their design – which is both comfortable and secure – as well as the balanced midrange reproduction, healthy stack of features, and some much appreciated adjustments to the 'doughnut' ring driver configuration of the very first LinkBuds (which we've mentioned are also on sale for just £87 at Amazon). Feature-wise, there might not be any noise cancelling here, but there's certainly a decent amount of battery life, with eight hours on a single charge, or 22 with the case, impressive handling of voice calls, Bluetooth Multipoint, head gesture controls, Sony 360 Reality Audio and auto play/pause. It's surprising to see a discount given that these only just hit the market, but we shan't complain and instead, we'll tell you again, they're just £149 at Amazon right now. MORE: Check out our list of the best wireless earbuds around As well as the best wireless earbuds deals And our list of the best wireless headphones
