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I tested these open earbuds and I never, ever want to use them again

6:00 pm | April 21, 2025

Happy Plugs Clip: two minute review

The Happy Plugs Clip are a pair of open ear headphones that really surprised me – but not in the way I'd hoped. These clip-on buds are bizarre in the sense that they don’t really nail anything in particular. They’re a jack of few trades and a master of absolutely none.

Usually I’d start by talking about sound quality, but I want to instead start with design – because these have a quirk I’ve not encountered before. After you open up the admittedly attractive charging case, you’re met with the two open earbuds which are… upside down? Yes, after picking these out of their charging vessel, I realized that the ‘L’ and ‘R’ symbols on the left and right bud were the wrong way up. That means that each time you go to put them on (or go to put them back), you need to mess around a fair bit to get them in your ear – not sure how that one got past the drawing board.

Anyway, the buds themselves look a little cheap – perhaps to be expected given their list price of $49 / £50. They’re also quite large compared to some other clip-style open earbuds I’ve tested, though they only weigh 5g each, which is lighter than even some of the best open ear headphones.

I found them to be fairly comfortable, though a tad loose-fitting, which made it a little challenging to find the perfect fit. On top of that, these things use touch controls, but they activate with a single touch, meaning I often accidentally paused music or adjusted volume by mistake when trying to get them to stay put. However, if your ear shape works with them, said touch controls do let you control a fair amount, including music playback, calls, power status and even your source device’s voice assistant.

And one final point on design – Happy Plugs call the Clip ‘sweat resistant’ but don’t specify their waterproof rating. I wouldn’t expect that it’s any higher than IPX4 with that description, which is a little disappointing when you consider that other budget models like the Huawei FreeArc, are IP57-rated.

But anyway, let’s get onto the main event: audio performance. Unfortunately, this is one of the worst areas for the Happy Plugs Clip. You’re going to get thin, unbalanced, sometimes harsh sound out of these, which is going to be a problem for almost anyone. For instance, when listening to Una canzone d’amore per te by Pino D’Angio, the 80s style percussion sounded tinny – unlistenable at high volumes – with the lead saxophone lacking separation from other instrumental elements.

How Much I Feel by Ambrosia also had an almost muffled tone throughout. The soundstage was cluttered and percussion through the treble frequencies again sounded grating. It’s safe to say I was excited to go back to my usual LG Tone Free T90S earbuds.

You won’t get good bass response out of the Happy Plugs Clip either – and I'm taking into account their open design, where bass clout is always a potential issue. When tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, the deep drum machine was hugely understated, stripping the track of its impact, rhythmic bounce and groove. The only time I really got a serviceable listen out of these open earbuds was when listening at low volumes, when the harsh, muddied nature of its sound was considerably tempered. But who wants to listen to music so quietly in a set of open ear headphones?

Happy Plugs Clip in charging case — (Image credit: Future)

So, it’s safe to say that these lack star quality in the sound department, but there’s always an opportunity for a solid feature-set to redeem things, at least slightly. However, that is something that the Happy Plugs Clip don’t possess either.

Firstly, there’s no companion app, so you won’t get dedicated EQ settings, adjustable noise cancelling, customizable touch controls or… anything really. There are a couple of features available to you, though. First of all, these highlight ambient sounds if you’re on the go. For instance, it was easier for me to hear a child screaming in a supermarket, which some open ear fans may be looking for. I wasn't exactly loving that experience, though.

Secondly, these have two inbuilt mics, intended to facilitate “clear calls”. That was something I didn’t experience, however. When making a video call and a standard phone call, I was told that my voice sounded pretty muffled and less clear than when using my phone’s built-in microphone. I also recorded a voice note and heard a whole lot of sibilance, which was pretty unpleasant.

Unfortunately, even the battery life of the Happy Plugs Clip is sub-par. On the front of the box, you’re told you get 20 hours from these. And in a sense, that’s true. If you count the additional battery life supplied by the charging case, you’ll be able to get a total of 20 hours from these. But really, you’re getting 4.5 hours per charge, which is – to be blunt – simply bad. When we reviewed the Honor Earbuds Open, we described their six hour battery life as “limited”, so, yeah… nothing to shout about.

An additional issue worth considering, is that like most open ear headphones, these are pretty prone to sound leakage. So, if you're out in public and have your tunes cranked up a little too loud, expect a few glares to come your way – although you likely won't do that, because of that troublesome treble.

All in all, the Happy Plugs Clip fail to make a splash in the ever-expanding ocean of open ear headphones. They struggle to deliver across the board, with unsatisfying sound quality, a weak feature-set, unimpressive design and restricted playtime. The only real draw of these is, of course, their price. The bulk of the open earbuds market does sit closer to that $100 / £100 mark, it's true – but it’s well worth spending that bit extra, and I hope you'll trust me on this.

Take a step up to the sub £100 Huawei FreeArc, for example, and you’re getting great audio, superior waterproofing and more features – more on those later. Otherwise, I highly recommend checking out some cheaper options in our guide to the best wireless earbuds – if you activate Ambient Sound mode on the ultra-cheap Sony WF-C510, for example, you’ll hear surrounding noise and still get superb audio.

Happy Plugs Clip review: specs

Reverse side of Happy Plugs Clip charging case showing USB-C port — (Image credit: Future)

Happy Plugs Clip review: price and availability

$49 / £50 (about AU$80)
Launched in January 2025

The Happy Plugs Clip launched in January 2025 alongside a handful of other products, including the Happy Plugs Joy Speaker. They have a list price of $49 / £50 (about AU$80) which is comfortably in budget tech territory, but of course, you’re not getting great quality in return. It’s worth noting that these are available in either Black or White, but the color you pick should have no bearing on the price you pay.

Happy Plugs Clip on stone surface with charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Happy Plugs Clip?

Buy them if...

You want a more relaxed fit
There aren’t many reasons to recommend the Happy Plugs Clip, but one thing going for them is their open design, which is ideal if you’re the active type. That’s because they let in a lot of ambient noise, so if you want to have the measure of your surroundings, they’re more effective than ANC-enabled wireless earbuds.

You’re looking for a lightweight option
Each of the Happy Plugs Clip’s buds weigh only 5g – that’s pretty light compared to much of the competition. If you’re fed up with weighty wired earbuds or bulky over-ears, these might be a better fit.

Don't buy them if...

You care about audio quality
Even if you’re not an audiophile, I think you’ll pick up on the sonic shortcomings of the Happy Plugs Clip. You get thin, muffled audio that’s grating at high volumes. And you don’t have to settle for that, even for this money. If you’re not so set on the open design, you can check out our guide to the best cheap wireless earbuds for some ace alternatives.

You want plenty of playtime
The Happy Plugs Clip can only manage 4.5 hours of playtime per charge, which isn’t very good to be honest. You get 20 hours in total with the charging case, but if you’re a keen listener, you’re gonna be charging these quite often.

Happy Plugs Clip review: also consider

Anker Soundcore AeroClip
The Anker Soundcore AeroClip are a great pair of open ear headphones that nail the clip-on look. They supply impressive sound quality, a comfortable fit and excellent companion app compatibility. Sure, there’s no ANC on offer and their IPX4 waterproof rating could be better, but they’re still well worth checking out. Read our full Anker Soundcore AeroClip review.

Huawei FreeArc
If you’re a UK customer, we strongly recommend taking a look at the Huawei FreeArc. They serve up great audio, wonderful waterproofing and a neat design. Again – no ANC here and battery life could be a touch improved, but for less than £100, they’re an absolute steal. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

Happy Plugs Clip review: How I tested

Person picking one earbud out from Happy Plugs Clip charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for one week
Used in the office and while out and about
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Happy Plugs Clip for one week and spent hours listening to music, watching videos and making phone calls. Most of the time, I used these in the office at Future Labs, but I also used them while out and about in busy areas.

When listening to music, I used the Tidal app on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. I also ensured that I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a range of genres and is optimized for judging sound quality across the frequencies. In addition, I played a ton of tunes from my personal library. Where appropriate, I compared these to the Soundcore AeroClip on aspects such as sound quality, battery life and design quirks.

First reviewed: April 2025
Read more about how we test

OpenRock S review: solid affordable open earbuds that are a bit weak around the edges

12:00 pm | April 20, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: EQ | Comments: Off

OpenRock S: One minute review

Audio brand OneOdio is back with its second-gen air conduction headphones – the OpenRock S are more affordable and longer-lasting than their predecessors the OpenRock Pro, but include quite a few extra features that unfortunately don’t work too well.

Air conduction is a tech intended to let you listen to music while exercising without impacting your awareness of your surroundings, and it features heavily in our guide to the best open earbuds (often called the best open ear headphones). While the AirPods Pro 2 have Transparency Mode to intentionally boost the sounds of your surroundings and Shokz has its bone conduction, OneOdio’s solution is to dangle a mini speaker over your ear, so it’s not blocking out all your surrounding noises but instead traversing a bit of open space and still getting the job done.

While air conduction hasn’t historically leant itself to fantastic audio fidelity, the feature works for its intended purpose, and you can enjoy music while also being aware of vehicles, people, aggressive dogs or other hazards. Too aware, perhaps, as one of the S’ big problems is that its max volume is just too low. Lots of the time during my testing, music was all but drowned out by noises such as cars, treadmills or, as my parkrun testing will attest, the sounds of other runners!

That’s doubly true if you’re riding a bike or somewhere windy, as the sounds of gusts of wind rushing past your ears will all but drown out your tunes.

If you can get around this volume issue (if perhaps you listen during a yoga class, say), then you may well be impressed by the OpenRock S. Like their predecessors, the OpenRock Pro, they have an incredibly comfortable fit that keeps them secure on your ear; they’re lightweight too, and it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them.

Plus, the battery life here is absolutely incredible. You can listen to music for 19 hours non-stop before you need to charge the earbuds, and when you factor in the charge of the carry case itself, that number goes up all the way to 60 hours. You’d be hard-pressed to find a rival sports earbud that comes even close to that figure.

These are some of the most affordable sports earbuds too, costing roughly half the price of some of the best-known rivals from the likes of Shokz. A great pick for people on a budget.

As you can tell from that description, these are some solid sports earbuds at heart. OneOdio has added quite a few features which don’t work too well – the touch controls perform poorly and the EQ modes seem to have little effect whatsoever – but if you can ignore these, the OpenRock S are decent buds for fitness fans.

OpenRock S review: Specifications

OpenRock S review: Price and availability

The OpenRock S bud being held in a hand. — (Image credit: Future)

Announced and released in October 2023
Cost $99 / £89 (roughly $150)
Some of the most buds with this kind of tech

The OpenRock S was announced in mid-October 2023 as the newest entry to OneOdio’s line-up of over-ear sports headphones.

You’ll pay just $99 / £89 (roughly $150) for them, which is a competitive price compared to rivals within and without of the company. This is the price that OneOdio announced them for, and that they’re selling for, but Amazon US lists this as a discounted cost down from $129. As far as we can tell, they’ve never actually sold for this price.

At this price, the S undercuts OneOdio’s own previous entry into the running earbuds space, the OpenRock Pro, which cost $119/£119 (around AU$185). For the most part, those are more premium, though in some areas (like battery life) the S is the better buy.

Most rivals cost more, like the Shokz Openfit which sells for $179.95 / £179.99 / AU$289. So you could well consider these budget options if you’re looking for air conduction earbuds, though of course, you can buy fitness earbuds for much cheaper if you don’t need this tech.

Value score: 4/5

OpenRock S review: Design

The OpenRock S's case, closed. — Yes, that's an earbuds case, not a reading glasses case… (Image credit: Future)

Solid and light earbuds build
Temperamental touch controls
Carry case is big, bulky and heavy

There are two aspects to the OpenRock S’ design: the earbuds themselves and the carry case.

I’ll touch briefly on the carry case because you can't miss it: it’s a big sturdy plastic shell that charges the buds and keeps them safe when you’re not using them. However, it’s pretty long and wide, so it may not slip into your backpack’s side pocket like most other buds' charging cases will.

Now the buds: these are very comfortable. They’re lightweight at just 12g each, and have the hooked design common in sports earbuds that means they stay lodged on your ears whether you’re on a mountain bike or running around on an uneven surface.

The best testament to the design is to point out that not once during testing did they fall out. I will say, though, that the OpenRock Pro did feel even more robust on the ear, thanks to a tighter grip.

Ostensibly there are touch controls on the buds, but in testing these rarely worked reliably. You’re meant to be able to tap the OpenRock logo on the buds to control your music or calls, but I found it often failed to pick up touches. That was doubly the case if my hands were damp from rain or sweat, and I would sometimes end up just hammering at my ears trying to stop a track. I found it much easier to just use the paired phone to change tracks or hang up a call.

The OpenRock buds are IPX5 water resistant, which in theory means they’re protected from water jets and low-pressure streams. They’re certainly sweat-proof, which is the most important thing, but I wouldn’t recommend using them in heavy rain if you’re hoping to use the touch controls.

Design score: 4/5

OpenRock S review: Features

The OpenRock S bud in an ear — (Image credit: Future)

Air conduction makes sure you can hear your surroundings
Possibly the best stamina on the market
EQ modes have little impact

As was mentioned in the introduction, the OpenRock S are air-conduction earbuds. This means that a speaker on the bud hovers over your ear canal and ‘projects’ the music in – the whole point is that you can wear these and also hear surrounding sound, perfect for if you’re on a road or somewhere else where awareness is important.

For this purpose, the OpenRock S works really well – I could hear my music while also having situational awareness. The main issue would be that this is often too much the case – sometimes I couldn’t actually hear music, for reasons I’ll get into in the ‘Performance’ section.

There’s also fairly little audio spilling, so people around you aren’t going to hear you working out to an hour-long loop of Mambo No. 5 (unless you sing along, of course).

The best feature of the OpenRock Pro is back and even better for the S, and that’s the battery life. The Pro version of these sports headphones had incredible lasting power but OneOdio has turned that up to 11 for the OpenRock S.

The OpenRock S: a single bud — (Image credit: Future)

The OpenRock S buds last for 19 hours straight of music or calls, but when you factor in the battery in the case, you can get a whopping 60 hours of use time before you need to power them back up. That’s an incomprehensibly long battery life when you consider that many sports headphones only last for 10 hours or less before needing a boost.

With this one feature, the OpenRock S make themselves invaluable for people doing long expeditions and trips, who want to listen to music but might not have reliable access to a charging point.

Not all the features of the headphones are this commendable though. One I’ll flag is OneOdio’s attempt to utilize adjustable EQ: pressing and holding both buds’ touch controls at once will toggle you between ‘Rock’ and ‘Relax’ modes. Sounds useful for whatever kind of exercise you’re doing, right?

Not quite right. Ignoring what I’ve already said about the messy touch controls, the difference between these two modes is incredibly minor. What’s worse, is that you can’t actually change the mode when you’re on a call or listening to music – you have to turn that off before you change the mode, making it harder to perceive the EQ changes. An app would work so much better for this function, but the OpenRock doesn’t have one.

Features score: 3.5/5

OpenRock S review: Performance

The OpenRock S's two buds next to each other. — (Image credit: Future)

The design doesn't lend itself to great audio fidelity
OneOdio's TubeBass only succeeds ensuring there's any bass
Max volume is very low

Given the nature of air conduction technology, it’s understandable if you’d expect the OpenRock S to struggle in the audio performance department compared to other fitness bud rivals… and you’d be right.

The biggest issue I faced during the testing period is that the OpenRock S was just too quiet, even at max volume. The point of the tech is to let you hear surrounding sounds, but sometimes that’s all I could hear – for example at the gym, it was sometimes hard to hear parts of a song over the sound of surrounding treadmills, and when wearing the buds near a road, traffic could drown out a song. To be clear, this isn’t an issue I had with the OpenRock Pro to the same degree.

Of course, you don’t want to be deafened by earbuds, especially since air conduction tech could easily disturb people around you if it were too loud. But OneOdio would only have improved the buds by letting them crank out a few more decibels.

When you can hear them properly, the OpenRock S sound just fine – audiophiles won’t be impressed but with the drivers dangled close to your ears instead of directly in them you’re not getting the same treatment as you would for in-ear earbuds or headphones. Yes, the tech is improving a lot, but these earbuds aren't the best example of great sound in an open design.

OneOdio has a tech called TubeBass which offsets some of the issues of air conduction, as it’s designed to enhance bass. However its benefits can only go so far.

As I mentioned before, there are two sound profiles you can toggle between. Rock mode is the one I’d recommend – relaxed is just too tinny.

Performance score: 3/5

OpenRock S review: scorecard

OpenRock S: Should I buy them?

The OpenRock S's open case with the buds inside. — (Image credit: Future)

Buy them if...

Battery life is important to you

The OpenRock S battery life is so good that it makes almost all other sports headphones feel rubbish in comparison. An easy recommendation here.

A lightweight bud is important

Depending on your sport, lightweight headphones might be much more valuable than good-sounding ones. The OpenRock S are easily the former, not so much the latter.

You need to hear your surroundings

The central feature of air conduction works well here (if anything, too well). Using these, you'll be able to hear traffic and people around you.

Don't buy them if...

You care about music quality

If loud, booming tunes are all you need for a good workout, you'll find that the OpenRock S doesn't really impress in that regard.

You need a svelte carry case

If you prefer to travel light at all times, you might find the OpenRock S' carry case is a little unwieldy. It won't fit in clothes or bag pockets very easily.

You rely on touch controls

If you want earbuds with stellar touch controls, so you can ignore your phone on a workout, avoid the OpenRock. The touch controls are too unreliable.

Also consider

OpenRock Pro

The OpenRock S' predecessor (and higher-end sibling) costs more and has a lesser battery life. However the audio sounds a little better, the fit is tighter (and therefore a little cosier) and the travel case is much smaller and lighter too.

Read our full OpenRock Pro review

Shokz OpenFit

These are perhaps the OpenRock Pro's closest rivals, as alternative air conduction headphones. They're smaller, lighter and better-sounding, but don't have as impressive battery lives and the fit isn't as customizable.

Read our full Shokz OpenFit review

How I tested

The full testing period for the OpenRock S ended up being well over a month, and while that was partly due to an illness which meant I couldn't test these buds for exercise purposes for the entire period, it does mean I got to use them a lot.

I tested the buds in the following ways: while cycling through a city along roads, while running in busy and quiet areas, while in gyms on various pieces of equipment, and also when at home in an otherwise-quiet area. I really put the OneRock S through their paces, with different activities and in different environments.

Mainly I streamed music through an Android smartphone, but I did test calling and video calls with them too. I also tested them side-by-side with the OpenRock Pro, to fully test out how they compare.

I've been writing for TechRadar for almost five years now, for several as a full member of team and several more as a freelance tester. I've tried various pieces of fitness equipment including earbuds, headphones, smartwatches, fitness trackers and sleep headphones and also tablets, smartphones, ereaders, speakers, scooters and a lot more.

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I tested Sony’s cheap new ANC earbuds, and if noise-cancelling is king, you just found your new budget buds

12:31 pm | April 19, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, LDAC, London | Comments: Off

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

Sony's WF-C710N earbuds find themselves in a similar spot to The White Album in 1968: you want to better the absolute barn-stormer that was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band a mere year later? Good luck. But of course, the Beatles managed it (was it transcendental meditation, or was it simply a clean mind?). So, has Sony done the same with its update on the WF-C700N? Yes and no, Dear Prudence. And given that Sony actually had two years to work on its follow-up, that may not feel enough initially.

The model the C710N are based on topped our pick of the best noise-cancelling earbuds in the budget space for over a year following their release, until Nothing's (a)-suffixed set of buds came in and did almost everything the Sony buds did just that little bit better – and looked slightly classier doing it. And although there are improvements here, a few in-app foibles and initial pairing issues left me struggling to find a reason to pick the Sony WF-C710N over the rivals… until I tested the ANC.

Here, Sony has truly upped its game. On a packed commuter train, I drifted off into my own happy bubble of music. I genuinely didn't expect the blissfully quiet backdrop they served up. The uptick in ANC efficacy is almost certainly aided by the extra mic in each earpiece, but however Sony achieved it, it's commendable.

Also, (because I'm still talking about those mics), call quality is very good for the money here, thanks to Sony's new AI-enhanced voice pickup technology. So, if you regularly take calls on your earbuds, there's an extra value add.

The overall sound profile and fit? It's still good despite the size increase – but it's not better than the outgoing model (Sony has essentially said that little about the driver and acoustic setup changed), so if you've picked up the older set for a discount, you may be tempted to stick with them unless you need that improved ANC.

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Yes, there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab, but it works by asking you to pick from a selection of pre-made sound profiles rather than dishing out any otoacoustic tests or splodges to denote where your hearing might be lacking, unlike JBL's Personi-Fi or Nothing Ear's hearing tests (although it's true that you have to pay a little more to get those). The two basic 'Which do you prefer?' tests offered by the WF-C710N don't feel quite as comprehensive, detailed, or involved as those rivals.

Sony WF-C710N earbuds in 'blue glass' on a grey table, with a woman's hand holding one of the earpieces — See the wires in the case? (Image credit: Future)

Also back for 2025 is Sony's entry-level DSEE upscaler, so Spotify streams will sound better, plus there's that Sony-special 360 Reality Audio support. However, since Tidal parted ways with the format, your only source options for listening to this particular spatial-audio-adjacent offering now are Amazon Music Unlimited and Nugs.net.

Do I still like the new transparent blue colorway now that I've tested it? Not as much as I'd wanted to. The shiny plastic avidly collects fingerprint smudges, and at the risk of stating the bleedin' obvious (as these cases have almost always been plastic, dear reader), this one feels overly plastic. It's also a little bigger than the older model. That said, Sony's more traditional matte black, off-white and pink colorways are available too.

For sound, there's no addition of LDAC, but they're still a solid listen with good volume and energy levels, albeit sacrificing a modicum of dynamic nuance, detail and sonic placement to get there. They're still good for the level, but that's my point, good is simply no longer great in budget 2025 noise-cancelling earbuds.

To really hammer it home: in 2023, when the WF-C710N's predecessor made its grand entrance, earbuds bearing these kinds of features had never been seen at that level. But the competition really upped its game in the following 24 months, didn't it? One can even buy inexpensive open earbuds with excellent ANC now (see the Honor Earbuds Open), something unheard of, even considered impossible, until very recently. So, the fact that these Sony earbuds fit well, boast slightly better stamina and offer auto-off isn't quite enough to trounce the competition these days. But the ANC? If you prioritise noise-nixing, that'll make up the difference…

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

Released on March 25, 2025
Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

The fact that Sony released these follow-up earbuds at the same MSRP as their older counterparts is welcome but unsurprising news: we've seen it with everything from AirPods to Bluetooth speakers. Why? Because competition is rife, and once-flagship tech (comprehensive ANC, wearer detection, EQ tweaks, spatial audio tech, customisable on-ear functions, and so on) keeps trickling down to entry-level products.

If you've done even a little research into this end of the market, you'll know the current class leader is the Nothing Ear (a) mentioned above, with the insanely cheap $30 / £30 / AU$70 JLab Go Pop ANC or even the $69 / £59 / AU$110 (approx.) Earfun Air 2 NC not far behind.

So have the few extra perks offered by the new WF-C710N – slightly better battery, an auto-off feature, improved call quality, a rudimentary equalizer test and much better noise cancellation – trounced the Nothings? Depending on your priorities, yes, but it's all about that last point…

Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

Sony WF-C710N review: Features

Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
Auto-off is a welcome addition
AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Let's start with the above bullet points: call-handling? It was good before, but it's even better now. That's thanks to the implementation of AI-enhanced voice pickup technology, which works a treat even on crowded, windy and rainy London Soho streets during rush hour (trust me on this one).

Wearer detection for auto-off is perhaps the biggest usability perk added this time around, which means music pauses when you remove one bud (or both) and resumes once you put it back in. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but once you're used to it, you'll always be reaching for buds that can do it.

OK, so Sony's 360 Reality Audio – 24 object-based channels arranged in a 360-degree soundstage (launched back in 2019) – isn't the big ticket feature it used to be, since few streaming platforms support it and Tidal waved goodbye to its support in July 2024.

As noted, Sony's Headphones Connect app is gone, but it's been replaced by the Sony Sound Connect app. Adaptive Sound Control still takes the wheel as far as noise profiles go, optimized according to what you're doing – yes, they know when you're 'Staying'. And although you can't manually up the noise cancellation levels on the fly (although you can tailor the ambient awareness on a slider from 1-20), if you tap the cog under 'Optimize switching for you', you can tailor each sound profile according to your actions. So if you want Adaptive ANC to kick in on your commute, here's how you do it.

That extra mic has paid dividends because the WF-C710N's dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) provides much more robust noise-cancellation performance. On a packed train from London to Dorset, I was struck by how cocooned in my music I felt.

Any omissions worth mentioning? Although there's multi-point to two devices now (you can toggle it off if you want, but why would you?), there's still no LDAC support. Why mention this? Because the WF-C710N's main rival, the Nothing Ear (a) do boast it.

Also, while there's now a 'Find Your Equalizer' tab in the app, it's a little basic compared to any hearing tests to create splodge-type graphs of your hearing profile you might have tried. Essentially, playing your choice of music, there are five profiles to pick from, and then a further four based on your initial pick. It's more than the older model offered, but given the lengths the competition is going to these days (see JBL, Nothing and Denon to name a few, and, of course, the AirPods Pro 2, for a surcharge), it feels a little basic. Yes, the WF-C710N are budget earbuds, but the Nothing Ear with their lengthy hearing tests are roughly the same price now…

Features score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

Agile, fun, energetic listen
Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
LDAC would be a great addition

The sound, as with the older option, is good for the money, but there are incremental gains to be had here. The opening keys in Grian Chatten's All of the People are textured and three-dimensional. There's a human quality to the depressing of each key that most entry-level earbuds cannot convey through the upper midrange.

Out of the box, the older WF-C700N feel just a little congested and treble-centric in direct comparison – although it took me a while to set up this comparative test, since once paired to either set of buds, my phone flat-out refused to pair to its siblings, and I'm still unsure why. Anyway, the Beatles' Helter Skelter is a great test of the stereo imaging, and with the C710N, drums sit dutifully in my right ear (until the fill, when the kick drum darts between each ear) as the driving bass sits in my left concha with pinpoint precision.

In more layered, complex and groove-heavy tracks (Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, for instance), timing and musicality are bang on across the frequencies. I can detect a minor shortfall in dynamic nuance to get all of that exuberance and volume – these are loud and proud earbuds, and for the most part, that's great news. There's just a small compromise to be made in the leading edges of lower-mids and bass notes, and just a shred of distortion through the treble, very occasionally.

Look, I'm nitpicking – and I'm better able to do it because the noise cancellation here provides such a glorious backdrop. Of course, you can tweak the sonic curve to your liking in the Sound Connect app, but it's important to note that, by default, these are zealous, unafraid earbuds. Compare them to the excellent Technics EAH-AZ100 and you'll get a greater rise and fall through each pensive, building musical passage in Dom Sigales' The Ghost is Me, with exhalations of breath, jagged keys, and waves of strings given an extra ounce of due diligence to be impactful. It's hardly a fair test given the price difference (the EAH-AZ100 retail for $299 / £259 / AU$479), but it's important to note that the sound is very good here for the money, rather than just very good, period.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N three 'Sound Connect' app screen-grabs on gray background — (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Design

Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

These are still some of the most comfortable earbuds I've had the pleasure of wearing (besides the aforementioned Technics), even though the buds and case are bigger this time around. While 4.6g to 5.4g may not sound like much of a size increase, it is noticeable. Given that the WF-C700N really were small, that's perhaps not such a bad thing, depending on your ears.

I still found them easy to fit. That said, the shinier plastic of my glass blue colorway did affect the in-ear security, and the right one fell out on a train. I don't think the fit was an issue, as they feel beautifully weighted and slipped easily into my ears with very little work. I think I just need a more matte, brushed plastic finish – and that is available.

Sony WF-C710N next to the Sony WF-C700N, side by side — See the difference in case (and earpiece) size, against the WF-C700N (Image credit: Future)

One potential bone of contention is the case: it's bigger – well, deeper – than the older WF-C700N case, and it feels a shade off high-end. Do I love the transparent finish? I'm not sure. Seeing the little red, yellow and black cables under the casework is novel, but the overall aesthetic feels a bit (dare I say it) cheap and cheerful, compared to the way Nothing has implemented transparent sections within its earbuds design language.

And the physical button is gone. I liked it, but it seems I'm in the minority. And to be honest, the new touch capacitive sensor is aided by a slightly larger concave top plate to help your finger find it, and it works fairly reliably.

My main gripe with this? You can now control volume in addition to playback, sound modes, and access to a virtual assistant, but a little more scope for customisation on what each tap does would be a huge bonus. Right now, the only way to up the volume a little is a quadruple press on the right earbud, and a quadruple press on the left lowers it just a tad. As you can probably imagine, these constant quick presses are hit-and-miss. Ah, well – and it hurts your tragus and external auditory meatus (the bit right before your ear canal) a little, after a while.

Design score: 4/5

Sony WF-C710N held in a woman's hand — The case is quite a bit deeper than the previous model (Image credit: Future)

Sony WF-C710N review: Value

For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
Nothing's products look and feel more premium

Before the Nothing Ear (a) arrived, with their LDAC and great audio quality, I'd have no issue recommending the Sony WF-C710N above all else. But times have changed. Nothing's earbuds are here, and they are impossible to ignore.

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Then again, here I sit at our shared table-slash-desk, my partner hitting the keys of his MacBook Pro keyboard heavily, because he's under a tight deadline and is stressed. Can I hear him? Not really. And there's the value, folks – because I've never heard ANC this good for this money…

Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N?

Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You have an Amazon Music Unlimited account
Link Amazon Music Play Now (after taking photos of your ears, all guided by the app) and you unlock Sony's proprietary 360 Reality Audio for Sony's own spatial audio solution.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (a)
The battery life isn't as good, and the ANC is close but no cigar. But if you need a better level of dust- and waterproofing and want LDAC audio support, these buds are oh-so-stylish and just slightly cheaper than the Sony WF-C710N.
Read our Nothing Ear (a) review for more information

Sony WF-C510
What if you want quality Sony sound in Sony's smallest earbuds (smaller than the WF-C710N) and even better battery life, because you don't care about ANC? This is the model you need, and you'll save money. But just to be clear, the noise cancellation is the WF-C710N is very good…
See our Sony WF-C510 review for the full scoop

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to work (walking brusquely to Weymouth station at an ungodly hour; boarding a train to London Waterloo; and at the office – yes, I really do this) and throughout a long weekend at Seaham, collecting sea glass from the stunning County Durham shoreline.

To better test the comfort and battery life claims of the Sony WF-C710N, I wore them throughout the working day on numerous occasions – and as you can see from the above over-share, my working days can be long.

To get through it all, I listened to various playlists (spanning everything from Korn to Dom Sigalas) on Apple Music and Tidal, but also to podcasts and albums on Qobuz and Deezer – and YouTube tutorials (mostly about making music on Cubase and using Cakewalk, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit and user experience have always taken priority for me personally – but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what to look for.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: April 2025

I tested Sony’s cheap new ANC earbuds, and if noise-cancelling is king, you just found your new budget buds

12:31 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, LDAC, London | Comments: Off

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

Released on March 25, 2025
Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

Sony WF-C710N review: Features

Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
Auto-off is a welcome addition
AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Features score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

Agile, fun, energetic listen
Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
LDAC would be a great addition

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Design

Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

Design score: 4/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Value

For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
Nothing's products look and feel more premium

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N?

Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: April 2025

I tested Sony’s cheap new ANC earbuds, and if noise-cancelling is king, you just found your new budget buds

12:31 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC, LDAC, London | Comments: Off

Sony WF-C710N: Two-minute review

In fact, other than the much-improved noise cancellation, it's a case of incremental upgrades rather than anything headline-grabbing or ground-breaking.

Sony WF-C710N review: Price & release date

Released on March 25, 2025
Priced $119 / £100 / AU$189

Yes, Sony has won this territory before (see the April 2023-issue Sony WF-C700N I keep going on about), but that was before the excellent Nothing Ear (a) arrived, a year later in 2024.

Sony WF-C710N review: Specs

Sony WF-C710N review: Features

Dual noise sensor tech (feedback and feedforward mics) for ANC
Auto-off is a welcome addition
AI-enhanced voice pickup for clearer calls

Features score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Sound quality

Agile, fun, energetic listen
Minor treble distortion if we're being picky
LDAC would be a great addition

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Design

Bigger but still ergonomic earpieces
Case is a little bigger – and a little cheap?
Capacitive touch controls aren't very customisable

Design score: 4/5

Sony WF-C710N review: Value

For ANC, there's real value-for-money here
360 Reality Audio isn't the draw it once was – LDAC would be excellent
Nothing's products look and feel more premium

The design of the Sony WF-C710N is fine rather than groundbreaking, and the feature set is good, although 360 Reality Audio support is not the big draw it once was.

Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Sony WF-C710N?

Buy them if...

You need great ANC for budget money
These earbuds are some of the most gifted at noise-nixing as I've tried for the money, thanks to that new mic array.

You like earbuds that pause the music when you take one out
The WF-C710N now have wearer detection, and you love to see it.

Don't buy them if...

You prioritize on-ear volume control
You can do it, but you still need to press each bud four times quickly to get an incremental increase or decrease. It's a bit much.

You're expecting buds the same size as the C700N
There's a difference: the C710N are a little bigger and heavier owing to that extra mic and capacitive touch plate

You want LDAC
No dice, sadly. You'll need to look to Nothing's Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N review: Also consider

How I tested the Sony WF-C710N

Tested for two weeks, compared against the Sony WF-C700N and Technics EAH-AZ100
Used in the office, walking through London, on a train, and at home
Listened to Apple Music Lossless tracks, Qobuz, Deezer and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Pro and a MacBook Pro

As always when testing portable earbuds, the Sony WF-C710N became my musical companions for two weeks – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: April 2025

OneOdio’s DJ headphones have two features non-DJs will love –but for most listeners, there are better-sounding options for the money

1:00 pm | April 18, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Comments: Off

OneOdio Studio Max 1: Two-minute review

According to friends of mine who've tried it, and a quick Google check to see if they know what they’re talking about, the best headphones for DJs (and other kinds of live music performers, by all accounts) are wired ones. Why? Latency – going wireless incurs a lag, and that's just not OK when you're building a set or trying to keep to a beat. But all of this is something OneOdio seems set on challenging with its new Studio Max 1 DJ headphones.

These new wireless cans aren’t aiming for our list of the best wireless headphones, but instead aim to provide musicians with a tempting wireless rival to the current wired hegemony – with the option to go back to wired if you'd like to. So, a sort of best wired headphones hybrid proposition, if you will.

In many ways they work, with a range of useful features and some handy in-box extras that you don’t see in many rivals. However, TechRadar is first and foremost a consumer website and for everyday non-DJ cans – or even people who want an audio solution for work and for play – and the Studio Max 1 don’t cut the mustard I'm afraid.

The primary issue is that the headphones just don’t sound good. Audio is oddly crunchy and with overblown bass that drowns out most everything else, and treble is so weak that even spoken-word audio doesn’t sound great.

The Studio Max 1 are also a little tiresome to set up, with a Bluetooth pairing process that’s a bit confusing and a design that needs some untangling when you use them, despite the lack of cables.

But there’s a lot to like here. OneOdio isn’t just giving you a pair of headphones in the box but several different cables (the cans have multiple ports) as well as a wireless transmitter to give you much further range for Bluetooth. For many users, the inclusion of this transmitter is all that it’ll take to make the Studio Max a must-buy; cutting the cable gives DJs a lot more freedom anyway, and the transmitter gives you even longer range.

A further potential downside of wireless over wired DJ headphones is that they need recharging, unlike wired ones. However OneOdio has given the Studio Max 1 such a big battery life that it lasts a whopping 120 hours between charges, a figure so high that it dwarfs even its longest-lasting rivals. Honestly, if battery life is important to you and you’re not a DJ, it still might make these cans a great buy.

These fantastic features aren’t quite enough to offset the poor audio quality in terms of my star rating for this review, but they'll definitely give some buyers a reason to ignore my rating and pick up the OneOdio Studio Max 1 anyway.

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Price and release date

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a colored rug. — (Image credit: Future)

Released in February 2025
Sell for $169.99 / £135 / AU$275

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 were announced in December 2024, and were released a few months later in February 2025.

You can pick up the headphones for $169.99 / £135 / AU$275, which is a little north of some of our favorite Bluetooth headphones but a reasonable price when you consider what comes in the box: there’s a carry bag, a USB-C to USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm-3.5mm audio cable, 3.5mm-6.35mm audio cable, 6.35mm audio adaptor and special Bluetooth transmitter. Yes, it's all included in that upfront cost.

The world of wireless DJ headphones features few competitors so far, and OneOdio’s offering is relatively affordable compared to, say, the AIAIAI TMA-2 which costs $300 / £250 (roughly AU$500). Of course, DJs or musicians can also find many worthy offerings by heading over to our list of the best headphones, but they won’t all have the full range of jacks and features.

Here's the thing: for accessories and functionality, there's value here. The problem is, headphones need to sound good first and foremost – ideally to anyone who listens, whether pro mixer or dedicated music lover. And as we'll see, that's the main issue with the OneOdio Studio Max: I don't think they'll appeal to either listener.

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Specs

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Features

Impressive 120-hour battery life
Myriad connectivity options
No ANC or app (but that's not really the point)

Let’s start with the OneOdio Studio Max 1’s best feature: its battery life. Stamina here stretches to a whopping 5 days of listening time. That’s right, days and not hours – OneOdio puts the figure at 120 hours.

That’s by far one of the longest battery lives you’ll find on wireless headphones, making this a fantastic pick for all kinds of users who may be unavailable to charge (or to remember to charge) their headphones regularly.

Certainly helping that battery life, but not helping all listeners, is the lack of any kind of noise cancellation in the Studio Max 1 (beyond the natural damping and passive isolating effect of the ear pads).

Given that you may want to use the DJ headphones in, say, busy music-filled halls where you’d want to cut away audience and reverb and projected music to hear just your turntables, it feels an odd choice in 2025 – although it's true that traditional DJ cans don't come bearing ANC. The thing is, it also makes these headphones a little less appealing for everyday listeners, although again, hybrid users will likely look to all the other things they can do that others can't.

The OneOdio Studio Max 1 on a man's head. — (Image credit: Future)

So back to the Studio Max’s unique features, then: in the box OneOdio has included something called the Transmitter M1. You plug this into your musical instrument or DJ deck to greatly extend the Bluetooth connection range, and I can see this being useful in many a professional or casual situation. It also lets you plug into devices that don’t have on-board Bluetooth like guitar pedals, certain DJ decks and, very usefully for me, custom-build PCs which don’t have Bluetooth adaptors.

Also helping connectivity is a feature which OneOdio calls Rapid WiLL+, and it’s basically an improved latency for everyday Bluetooth connection. That’s not its only connection option though as the headphones, as mentioned, have a 3.5mm and 6.25mm jack as well as in-box cables to use them. There are a plethora of connection options available, making these really adaptable headphones.

Bluetooth users beware though: I found the Studio Max hair-pullingly annoying to set up via the standard in the first instance, due to (as I found out later) the headphones defaulting to pairing in a different mode. I never normally say this, but you’ll need to keep two eyes on the in-box instruction manual to make sure you set this up properly.

If you’re using your Studio Max 1 alongside a smartphone or tablet, you might miss the lack of a companion app and any of the features it might bring (an equalizer, touch control customization, visual indicator of battery life, etc). Almost all the features of these headphones boast are musician-friendly ones, and although notable and niche, the Studio Max 1 do therefore lack certain perks mere mortals may have become used to – and I do mean those you'd find in an app.

Features score: 4/5

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Design

Bulky body
Many ports
Many more buttons

The Studio Max 1 are rather large 'I'm the DJ' headphones – as far as I can recall, they’re the first headphones I’ve ever tested which I could see in my peripheral when worn normally. So don’t expect svelte little things, these are industrial-strength and industrial-sized.

The Studio Max 1 are big over-ear headphones with a padded headband and thick padded cups that tip the scales at 350g. Something I grew to really appreciate about them is how moveable they are, making them easy to fold for a bag, fit on different heads or listen with just one ear pressed against the corresponding driver: each cup rotates across 90-degrees inward to fold as well as 180 degrees on the x-axis and almost a full 360 degrees of tilt.

This did get a little confusing sometimes when I wanted to quickly listen to music, yet had to spend ages fiddling about and rotating cups, but I’m still in support of it.

The OneOdio take quite a lot of getting used to, and that’s because of how many different ports and buttons the headphones have. On the left cup you’ve got the USB-C charging port and the 6.25mm jack – so far, so simple. However, on the right side we’ve got the 3.5mm jack as well as a volume up button, a power button, a volume down button and another icon which simply says ‘B’ that I constantly forgot the function for (it’s for changing pairing modes).

When listening to music, I’d find it impossibly hard to feel out which of these little plastic stumps was for volume, and I quickly decided to stick to my input device’s volume buttons instead.

I couldn’t find an IP rating for the Studio Max 1 – they’re not exactly streamlined enough for swimming, but it’s something to bear in mind if you’re DJing at, say, a pool party or foam party (in case you take a time machine back to the 90s).

Design score: 3/5

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Sound quality

Tinny-sounding audio
Overwhelming bass
One issue better, one worse with wired audio

Given the range of features and the target audience of live musicians on a budget, you can begin to understand that perhaps connectivity was key and music quality wasn’t the most important aspect when delivering the OneOdio Studio Max 1 to meet a brief. I need to say that to get you in a forgiving mood, because these headphones don’t sound great.

The one thing going for the Studio Max 1 is a meaty amount of bass, so if that’s all you care about, then you might find the headphones acceptable. But it’s an indistinct and crunchy one-note kind of bass, so while you can feel your head shake, it’s hard to make out the actual strumming of a bass guitar or timbre of lower-register instruments.

I also struggled to enjoy vocals and other treble lines when they were barely audible behind the bass, a problem that also affects mid-register instruments and… well, anything that isn’t bass, really. Boy, did I wish that OneOdio had given these things some kind of equalizer I could use to reduce bass!

Another issue with the sound quality was simply that music sounds a little tinny, most notably in the usual suspects like drum hi-hats and rhythmic guitar riffs but apparent, per song, in everything from vocals to classical instruments. I say “a little” to indicate that it’s not as bad as in, say, cheapie $30 headphones, but it’s more than I’ve come to expect at this price.

It's worth noting that I did most of my testing in Bluetooth mode. When I connected the headphones via wires, the bass problem was noticeably diminished. However, the audio was inexplicably even crunchier across the frequencies, which put me off using cables.

Sound quality: 2.5/5

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: value

On their own, the OneOdio Studio Max 1 don’t quite justify their price, with the iffy audio quality making other headphones much more tempting.

However, OneOdio tilts the balance in its favor with all the in-box extras: the multiple cables, transmitter and carry bag and just their imposing size and meatiness all help the headphones to justify their cost.

Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the OneOdio Studio Max 1?

Buy them if…

You often struggle with Bluetooth range
If you're often wandering outside the Bluetooth range of your headphones, whether it's for specific use cases or you're just a pacer, the in-box transmitter with the Studio Max will stop your songs sounding patchy.

You have the worst memory for charging
Reliably forget to charge your gadgets for weeks at a time? The 120-hour battery life of these headphones means you don't need to.

Don’t buy them if…

You care about audio first and foremost
Audio isn't the most important aspect of headphones for everyone, but if it is for you, then the Studio Max 1 won't impress you very much.

You want lightweight headphones
There's no denying that the OneOdios are some pretty hefty headphones, and they won't win you fashion points.

OneOdio Studio Max 1 review: Also consider

OneOdio Studio Wireless C
These alternative headphones to the Studio Max from OneOdio have many similar features, including a very long battery life and 50mm driver, but without any of the DJ trappings. Oh, and they're much cheaper…

AIAIAI TMA-2 Wireless
If you want DJ headphones, the AIAIAI options here are much more lightweight options. The battery life isn't comparable but they also come with a wireless transmitter. (Our AIAIAI TMA-2 experiential is incoming, but until then, you can read more about the older TMA Studio Wireless+).

How I tested the OneOdio Studio Max 1

Tested for two weeks
Tested with smartphone, computer and keyboard

I tested the OneOdio Studio Max 1 for two weeks before writing this review. For the most part I used them alongside my Android smartphone via Bluetooth but I also used them alongside my PC and plugged into a digital keyboard at several times too.

I listened to music and audiobooks with the headphones, both at home and about, and also watched a movie and several hours of TV with them at home. The keyboard I used them with was a cheapie one, and this part of the testing was largely to appreciate the versatility that the in-box wires provides.

I've been testing gadgets at TechRadar for six years, so have a wealth of knowledge to draw on for this review. I've been playing the keyboard for about 20, but that didn't help out here too much.

First reviewed in April 2025

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I reviewed Earfun’s new cheap open earbuds and sadly, they come up short in a flooded market

1:00 pm | April 13, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Earfun OpenJump: Two minute review

Now that open-ear headphones have evolved from a simple fad to a fully-fledged new kind of headphone (and a hugely competitive one, at that), two rough groups are emerging. On one hand you've got the open-ears designed for fitness use, offering long battery lives and hardy builds so you can run and cycle around traffic; on the other you've got lifestyle open-ears that provide decent music and some useful additional features.

The new Earfun OpenJump seem to want to straddle that divide, landing loosely in the second camp, but offering features which will appeal to the first. Unfortunately, poor timing has hampered what could have been a warm reception.

I associate Earfun with making cheap and cheerful audio tech, but the new OpenJump cost roughly the same as, and came out at the same time as, the Huawei FreeArc. These rival buds trump the Earfuns in myriad ways, with another contemporary (the Honor Earbuds Open) also eclipsing the OpenJump. So it's hard to recommend Earfun's proposition given that you can easily buy those alternatives – and I think, depending on your priorities, you should (although that's a different piece, isn't it? This is about Earfun).

But forgetting its rivals for a second, how do the Earfun OpenJump hold up? Well, they're... decent, but I don't think they'll be remembered for ushering in the new age of open earbuds as much as their H-branded rivals.

The buds are fairly lightweight and comfortable to wear, though some design issues made the fit and gesture controls a little unreliable. There's a decent feature set, particularly with a long-lasting battery life and an in-depth equalizer, and this is almost certainly where the OpenJump stands out.

Unfortunately, the audio quality just isn't there, and I mean that despite some bass tech from Earfun plus the aforementioned equalization options. Until very recently, you couldn't expect top-notch audio from such a design. But times have changed, and although the OpenJump are decent, that isn't quite good enough any more, even for this money.

Something to bear in mind: already in my testing period, Earfun has reduced the OpenJump by a noticeable margin. So there's a good chance that you can find these buds for a significant discount over the price listed below, firmly placing these into cheap earbuds territory. If that's the case, you can ignore a healthy chunk of my criticism here, since you'll be picking up a useful bargain. But at retail price, perhaps it's worth waiting for these to come down.

I really didn't mind using the OpenJump through the testing period, and I see myself continuing to use them until my next pair of open-ears come in. Nothing about them offends or annoys, but also, nothing delights or wows. And in the end, a tech review is meant to be an appraisal of which option is most worthy of your hard-earned cash. It's just too hard to point to the OpenJump as being that, given the competitive state of the market right now.

Earfun OpenJump review: Specifications

Earfun OpenJump review: Price and availability

The Earfun OpenJump on a white ledge. — (Image credit: Future)

Announced in February 2025
Costs $79.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99
Price is variable

The Earfun OpenJump was announced and released in February 2025, ready for everyone who put ‘exercise more’ on their list of New Year’s Resolutions (but didn’t start straight away, for whatever reason).

You can buy the earbuds for $79.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99 – Earfun’s website has them listed as costing more in certain regions (£129.99 in the UK, for example), and the prices I’m going by are the RRP on Amazon.

In an odd break from Earfun’s modus operandi, that means that these are priced in the mid-range of the open earbuds market, not at the super-cheap cutting edge of it. At that price they’re the same price as the Huawei FreeArc, and there are a fair few open-ear options on Amazon for less – though don’t expect reliability and quality if you don't pay for it.

It’s worth noting that, unlike competitors, Earfun’s open-ear buds are already subject to price cuts and discounts. I found them at $20 off in the US and £40 off in the UK, just one month after their release. So it seems money-saving deals come thick and fast on these buds, however it wouldn't be fair for me to treat these prices as the default, since you may not be so lucky.

Earfun OpenJump review: Design

Cheap-feeling plastic charging case
IPX7-protected buds
Slightly unreliable fit and gestures

From a distance, the Earfun OpenJump’s case looks like most other open-ear buds’: a medium-sized clamshell. And that’s certainly true, but when you get up close and get the thing in your hand, you realise how cheap the plastic material feels. It didn’t feel very robust either, and I’d be curious to see how durable the case is over a longer amount of time. Even over a relatively short testing time of two weeks, it picked up a few scratches.

Of course, the case is simply for holding and charging the buds. It does that, with a USB-C port for powering up and an indicator LED on the front. On to the buds themselves then, and these look how you'd expect for open-ear designs: they have a bud which is held just over your ear by a sport loop, with a counterweight (and a very little battery pack) tucked behind your ear.

The Earfun OpenJump in a man's ear — Evidence of how easily-bendable the hook is. (Image credit: Future)

They mostly fit well, and I went on several runs and workouts without issue, but now and then there was slight wobble and which made me worry that they'd fly off at any moment. This was nowhere near as bad as with some other rivals I've tested, mind you, but I've also used other buds without issue.

The buds have an IPX7 rating, meaning that they're protected from immersion in water up to a depth of a meter for up to thirty minutes. Given that the new athletically-minded Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 (although these are in-ear, rather than open-ear) only list a splash-proof IPX4 rating, it's good to see that the Earfuns will handle a puddle drop and survive.

Both buds support gesture controls by tapping once, twice, thrice or tapping and holding. They picked up my taps reliably, but the angle of the sensor meant I kept whacking my ear antihelix when trying to tap them. In a telling move, I soon relied on my phone or smartwatch for music control instead of these sensors.

Unlike some rivals, there's only one color option for the Earfun OpenJump: black. They weigh 8g each so they're pretty light, and they never felt a burden to wear.

Design score: 3.5/5

Earfun OpenJump review: Features

Pairing issues
Versatile EQ
Long-lasting battery

I had some troubles during my initial pairing with the Earfun OpenJump, in which my phone wouldn't find the buds it'd paired to, and throughout the testing process the Earfun App listed a profile for phantom OpenJumps which were simply a leftover from the first time I had tried to connect. After a while I got them to connect, and didn't have problems after that, but it's worth bearing in mind. I test earbuds constantly, and I rarely have these issues.

Talking of the Earfun app: it's worth downloading, because it brings a plethora of extras. These include various modes for gaming or streaming movies, the ability to customize touch controls and, most importantly, an equalizer.

Earfun fans will know that the company offers a fairly robust (possibly to a fault) equalizer. There are countless presets to pick from plus a 10-band equalizer and also a listening test to provide a custom sound profile.

A slight issue with the latter is that, like most other companies' versions, it requires you to listen to a sound until it fades from your hearing... all well and good except that these are open-ears. So by their very design, it's especially hard to tell when audio is soft, or when the sounds of the world are simply creeping in (unless you own a hermetically sealed subterranean bunker in which to conduct these tests).

The OpenJumps have some of the best battery life of any open earbuds that weren't made by OpenRock. The buds themselves will last for 11 hours according to Earfun, and my testing backed that up. The case itself offers a total of 42 hours of listening time before it needs to be charged and if anything, I'd say that my actual listening time seemed to surpass that slightly, up to nearly 44 hours, meaning stamina is one area where these buds are genuinely competitive.

Features score: 4/5

Earfun OpenJump review: Sound performance

14.2mm driver
Music is slightly lacking in energy and detail
Bass redemption tech

The Earfun OpenJump came out at a poor time, released simultaneously alongside the two best-sounding open-ear headphones I've ever used (more on that in the Competition section later), so it was always going to struggle in the sound department. And they certainly do, though not to the extent I was expecting.

That's not a huge surprise given that the open-ear form factor naturally means that the drivers are hanging over your ears with no seal. This form factor still isn't for audiophiles and the OpenJump don't change that.

You're getting a fairly forward sound profile with the OpenJump, but music lacks energy or detail. There's little separation between instruments or any expanse to the soundstage, and it doesn't help that the treble lacks sparkle in a congested, compressed-sounding mix.

I had hoped that the Theater mode, which is meant to improve the soundstage, would help. While it did seem to spread out the music a little more, it also sadly made the overall performance quite tinny.

Earfun has added a feature which it's cryptically calling 'BassSurge Bass' (I wonder what that does?) and this goes some way into providing a little kick in certain songs, but it's hardly a surge of juicy and impactful low-end frequencies. You could argue that bass-heads should still look for over- or in-ears rather than an open-fit design, but other rivals have managed to deliver better bass, despite the inherent shortfalls of a design that doesn't fully cover or go into your ear canal.

The other bit of tech of note is a 14.2mm driver, which is a fairly standard piece of tech for this kind of bud, and I remember the Nothing Ear (open) had the same.

The OpenJump have quite a lot of noise bleed – again an inevitable part of open-ears given the design, but it was a little more pronounced here than on some other buds I've tested.

Sound performance score: 3/5

Earfun OpenJump review: Value

I'm going to use the Amazon price to judge the Earfun OpenJump's value rating, because it seems that the buds are readily accessibly at that lower cost.

These are reasonably affordable open-ears for this price, undercutting some more expensive rivals though not quite offering the refined design, or sonic prowess.

They're certainly not alone at this price point though...

Value score: 4/5

Earfun OpenJump review: scorecard

Earfun OpenJump: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

You like using an equalizer

Compared to other open-ear rivals, the Earfun OpenJump have one of the best equalizers I've used with lots of options for sound customization.

You prioritise a long-lasting battery

The OpenJump outlast many competitors with their 11-hour listening time, and that's equally true with how much extra power the case offers.

You're on a budget

While not the cheapest open-ears out there, the Earfuns still offer you great value for money, especially if you find them discounted.

Don't buy them if...

You're picky about fit

For many users, anything but the most solid fit for open-ears isn't enough, and these users won't like the OpenJump.

You need best-quality audio

This brand tends to offer decent audio and a great feature-set, and although the feature set is still good here, the audio was a little disappointing.

Also consider

Huawei FreeArc

For the same price as the OpenJump you can buy these buds which sound great, have a sturdy fit and come in a more premium-feeling case. They struggle compared to the OpenJump in the battery life department and the app is a chore to download, but overall, I prefer the Huawei option.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

Honor Open Earbuds

These slightly-pricier models have an incredibly slim carry case, a design that's most similar to the Earfuns, and a very good audio offering. Again, the battery life doesn't match up, but for sound and secure fit, Honor wins the race.

Read our full Honor Open Earbuds review

How I tested

I tested the Earfun OpenJump for two weeks prior to writing this review, and before them I'd tested two similarly-priced contemporaries: the Honor Earbuds Open and the Huawei FreeArc.

I used the earbuds paired to my Realme phone for listening to music and podcasts, and the testing took place when I was at home, at the office, cycling through the city, going on runs and working out at the gym.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019 and have used a huge range of tech. This includes other open-ear buds as well as audio offerings from Earfun.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: April 2025

Vertere’s DG X turntable is both sonically gifted and easy to use,and for ‘serious’ hi-fi, that’s rare

3:48 pm | April 10, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Turntables | Comments: Off

Vertere DG X: two-minute review

Put $5,400/ £4,150 / AU$8,500 Vertere’s way and in return you get a beautifully constructed DG X turntable, a strange-looking but remarkably capable Groove Runner X tonearm, and a cartridge that’s a lot more serious than the model name ‘Lite Sabre’ might lead you to believe. Although this review is titled 'Vertere DG X' for brevity, I'm reviewing the full package here: Vertere DG X / Groove Runner X / Lite Sabre – and what a package it is.

What’s more, you get a proper power supply and equally capable cables too. You even get a dust-cover. The DG X package is simplicity itself to set up – all the hard work has been done in the factory – so your sonic gratification need not be deferred very long at all.

And gratification is really what the Vertere DG X is dealing in – it'll be the reason it soon features in our pick of the best turntables, at any rate. It might lack the last scintilla of audio bolshiness, and not be quite as willing as some alternative designs to really attack those recordings that are, let’s face it, asking for it. But in every other respect it’s a thrillingly accomplished listen. Where control, balance, tonal fidelity, frequency response, rhythmic expression and all the other stuff that goes into making a rounded and convincing presentation, the DG X barely puts a foot wrong. And it’s engaging and entertaining at the same time – which is by no means a given no matter how much you’re spending on a record player.

Vertere DG X turntable, in a hi-fi listening room, ready for testing — (Image credit: Future)

Vertere DG X review: Price & release date

The Vertere DG X / Groove Runner X / Lite Sabre package was released on March 20, 2025, and in the United Kingdom it’s yours for £4150. In the United States it sells for $5400, while in Australia the going rate is AU$8500.

There are two equally important things to bear in mind when considering this asking price. The first is that there are plenty of very capable turntable/tonearm/cartridge combinations available at this sort of money from extremely well-regarded manufacturers. The other is that Vertere itself is now firmly established as an extremely well-regarded manufacturer…

Vertere DG X review: Features

Microprocessor-controlled belt drive (33.3 and 45rpm)
Tri-point articulated tonearm bearing system
Vertere DC-2 bespoke power supply

Somehow ‘features’ seems too weak a word to describe the lengths Vertere has gone to, and the engineering mania that has been brought to bear, to deliver the DG X / Groover Runner / Lite Sabre package. Still, it’s the word I’ve been given to work with – so here goes…

The DG X turntable has a main bearing housing made of precisely machined brass alloy, with a tungsten carbide thrust ball. Its non-magnetic stainless steel spindle is mirror polished, and it features aluminium alloy plinth interface clamps. The drive system is made up of a machined acetal motor spindle thrust bearing, a machined aluminium alloy pulley along with a resonance control disc of the same material. The platter it turns is also (mostly) of machined aluminium, and Vertere supplies a cork/neoprene/nitrile mat which has, so it claims, a positive effect on the resulting sound. 33.3 or 45rpm speeds are electronically selectable via microprocessor-controlled motor drive – a silicon drive belt does the donkey work.

The Groover Runner tonearm, meanwhile, is 240mm long and an unusual flat shape. It’s made up of two bonded lengths of five-layer polymer – the idea is to minimise the resonance peak inherent in the more common tube arm designs. It’s a tri-point articulated design, and uses three captive silicon nitride balls with a machined non-magnetic bearing point. It’s similar in this way to the far more upmarket Vertere SG 1 turntable’s tonearm assembly. The azimuth setting mechanism and stainless steel counterweight have been updated - there’s now a locking aluminium alloy counterweight screw – and there’s a secondary weight that’s adjustable along much of the length of the tonearm to help with cartridge-matching.

The tonearm beam features a magnetic rest, so the arm doesn’t need to be clipped into place when it’s not active. The lift/lower mechanism is insulated, and is fixed to the non-resonant bearing pillar. The arm is pre-fitted with a new moving-magnet cartridge called Lite Sabre – it might seem a slightly flippant, pun-tastic name at first, until you realise it’s designed to offer a lot of the performance of the company’s considerably pricier Sabre MM cartridge. Naturally it’s optimised in every respect to be the perfect partner to the arm and the turntable it’s wedded to.

Power is supplied by Vertere’s DC-2 ‘Challenger’ 30V DC unit that was, until very recently, a cost option. Some very acceptable stereo RCA connection cables are included in the package too – so as far as the DG X system goes, you have everything you need to get up and running.

Features score: 5 / 5

Vertere DG X review: sound quality

Sky-high detail retrieval
Rhythmically positive and assured
Tightly unified overall presentation

I may as well get this out of the way from the get-go: the Vertere DG X package isn’t a complete all-rounder. It very nearly is, but in one respect this turntable falls fractionally short. That’s not to say it wouldn’t be ideal for your purposes, of course – but nevertheless it’s something you should be aware of.

Basically, the DG X isn’t quite as attacking or driving as it might be. With a fairly assertive recording playing (a chunky reissue of Pere Ubu’s The Modern Dance, for instance) there’s not quite the charge or the onslaught the material demands. It’s not that the DG X is overly polite – it’s prepared to bare its teeth if it absolutely has to. But other price-comparable rivals are more willing to blitz through the recording than this record player is.

And with that out of the way, I’m free to discuss all the very many ways in which the DG X is an admirable, engaging and thoroughly convincing listen. Where to start?

With frequency response, maybe? It’s absolutely even from top to bottom; the DG X delves deep into the lower frequencies and reaches high at the top end, but no area of the frequency range is overstated and no area is underplayed. It’s even-handed and unified, and the overall presentation is brilliantly naturalistic as a result.

Tonally, too, the Vertere is expertly judged. There just doesn’t seem to be any significant input into tonality from the DG X – so when you listen to something warmly analogue like Heart of the Congos by The Congos, ‘warmly analogue’ is what you get, and when you listen to something rather more chilly and austere like Kraftwerk’s Trans Europe Express what you get is chilly an… well, you get the picture. The tonal balance of this record player seems to be dictated by the music it’s playing rather than any idea of what’s ‘correct’, and it’s an impressively balanced listen as a result.

Detail levels, across the board, are sky-high – and the DG X seems to have no problem identifying the most transient episodes in a recording and placing them into context with just the right amount of weighting. Despite its attention to detail, though, it never sounds analytical or dispassionate – it simply has a happy knack for extracting every shred of information in the groove of your record and handing it over in a completely unforced manner.

Rhythms are confidently expressed, thanks to the sort of low-frequency control and authority the Vereter demonstrates, and even the gimpy tempos of Tony Allen’s Lagos No Shaking roll along as if they’re the most natural and simple thing in the world. The attention the DG X pays to harmonic variations is fanatical, and it has the sort of effortless power to put significant distance between the quietest and the most vehement moments of a recording. When the horns really start to blare, the increase in volume and intensity is made absolutely apparent.

And all of this good stuff happens without sacrificing the sort of unity and singularity of presentation for which the vinyl format is routinely prized. There’s a sense of togetherness and of performance to the way the Vertere presents music that’s extremely persuasive – and this is the case even when it’s playing music that never was a performance. Four Tet’s And They All Look Broken Hearted sounds as whole and as singular as any recording by a band playing all together in the studio.

Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

Vertere DG X review: Design

130 x 469 x 384mm (HxWxD including dust cover)
Black, white or red gloss finishes
Adjustable feet

Fundamentally, the DG X looks like a record player, but Vertere has managed to design just a little individuality into it. The company will of course tell you that everything it’s done, it’s done in the name of performance – but the fact that the result is a turntable that’s just slightly individual and even mildly dramatic in the way it looks can’t have disappointed Vertere either.

The main plinth, with its racy little angular cutaways on each of its four sides, is made up of three layers of cast acrylic arranged in a non-resonant sandwich. The filling is clear, and internally illuminated for a little visual pizzazz; the upper and lower sections are available in gloss black or gloss red as well as the gloss white of my review sample.

The substructure is a black-coated zintec steel chassis, and the entire arrangement is supported on three threaded feet that are topped (or, more correctly, bottomed) with resistive felt. They’re adjustable, naturally, so you can be sure your DG X is perfectly level. A spirit gauge is provided so you can make absolutely certain.

On the rear of the plinth, along with an input for the mains adapter, there are a pair of gold-plated RCA output sockets. Like almost every electrical element of this package, they have selectable shielding – choose from ‘signal’, ‘chassis’ or ‘floating’.

The DG X is supplied with a tinted acrylic dust-cover, and as is appropriate in the overall context of this turntable, it is designed to be as resistant to resonance as is possible. With the dust-cover attached to its hinges, the all-in weight of the Vertere is 8.5kg.

Design score: 5 / 5

Vertere DG X review: Usability & setup

Pre-fitted and pre-adjusted cartridge
Simple anti-skate adjustment
Both counterweights factory-set

It’s not unheard-of for an upmarket and shamelessly ‘audiophile’ turntable to be simple and straightforward to set up – it’s just quite rare. So it’s nice to be able to add the Vertere DG X package to the list.

As the Lite Sabre arrives connected to the Groove Runner X tonearm, everything that needs to be done has already been done in the factory. Tracking weight adjustment? Vertical tracking angle? Anti-skate, azimuth and counterweight? All taken care of. All you have to do is position the tonearm and plug its cable (which is terminated with what looks very much like a microUSB socket) into the body of the plinth and you’re in business. Well, once you’ve made a connection to an amplifier and to mains power, anyway.

And as far as usability goes, well, this is a record player – there’s next-to-nothing to it. The speed control is on a switch on the top left of the plinth as you look down on it - short presses toggle between 33.3 and 45rpm, and a long press switches the deck either on or off. Put a record on the mat, set it turning at the correct speed, lower the tonearm – and you’re in business.

Usability and setup score: 5 / 5

Vertere DG X review: Value

‘Value’ is a slightly tricky consideration where products like this, at this sort of money, are concerned. After all, shouldn’t spending north of £4K on a turntable guarantee impressive build quality, flawless finish and stunning sound quality?

If you’ve read this far then you know all of this is covered by the Vertere DG X – and you also know that if you’re going to take full advantage of what this record player has to offer, you’ll need a similarly expensive system with which to do so.

There’s no disputing this product’s credentials, and by extension the value for money it offers. Ultimately, it’s going to depend on whether or not you enjoy the way the DG X looks, and even more importantly, the way it goes about doing the audio business…

Value score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Vertere DG X?

Buy it if…

You enjoy a full and unequivocal account of your records
The DG X package doesn’t scrimp on the details - quite the opposite, in factView Deal

You think this sort of money should by everything you need in a record player
From power supply and cables to a pre-fitted and pre-adjusted cartridge, the Vertere is ready to goView Deal

You like a bit of thoughtful design
The DG X is just individual enough in its design to count as ‘interesting’View Deal

Don't buy it if…

You want sonic blood and thunder
The DG X is talented in very many ways, but it’s not the most attacking listenView Deal

You don’t have particularly steady hands
The Groove Runner X tri-point articulated tonearm can feel perilously loose. It isn’t, of course, it just feels it…View Deal

You own lots of 78rpm recordings
Plenty of alternative designs can indulge your throwback ways… View Deal

Vertere DG X review: Also consider

Technics SL-1300G
The Technics SL-1300G will set you back $2,999 / £2,799 – but by the time you’ve specified an appropriate cartridge you’ll be rapidly closing in on Vertere DG X money. Sturdy and purposeful in appearance where the Vertere is relatively slender and delicate, the Technics is a potent and unshakably stable listen with plenty going for it where rhythmic expression and detail retrieval is concerned.
Read more on the Technics SL-1300GView Deal

Rega Planar 10

…Or you might go to the other visual extreme and consider the Rega Planar 10 – at $5,000 / £4,350 or so without a cartridge it’s a pricier proposition than the Vertere, and that money doesn’t seem to buy you very much stuff at all. But rest assured the Rega is a stunningly complete performer without a significant shortcoming to report on… View Deal

How I tested the Vertere DG X

How did I test the Vertere DG X / Groove Runner X / Lite Sabre? After setting it up, I connected the turntable to a Naim Uniti Star using the supplied RCA connections. The Naim was then connected to a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 Signature loudspeakers (bolted to their bespoke FS-700 S3 stands) using QED XT40i speaker cable.

Then, I spent well over a working week listening to as much music as I could, of many different genres, and of many different qualities of pressing, in an effort to find something the Vertere couldn’t get along with. And if this sounds in any way arduous, I assure you it wasn’t.

First reviewed: April 2025
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I’m slowly being converted into a cuff-style open earbuds fanatic, thanks to this top effort from Soundcore

1:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Anker Soundcore AeroClip: review

If you’re the athletic type or maybe just a regular gym goer, the Anker Soundcore AeroClip could be the perfect set of open earbuds for you. These clip-on buds have the basics down: solid sound, a secure and comfortable fit plus nifty companion app functionality. And although they’re not perfect, their more-than-fair price of $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) makes them an option well worth considering.

Generally, my problem with open-ear headphones and open earbuds is that they don’t offer a proper seal and let in a lot of ambient sound. That means you’ll hear all sorts, from squawking gulls to wailing children. As you can imagine, that can make it difficult to indulge in a high-quality listening experience. But after putting my anti-open-ear bias to one side, I discovered that the Anker Soundcore AeroClip pleasantly surprised me in a number of ways – especially in terms of their audio performance.

From the off, I was met with clean, impressively immersive audio and an airy, ear-filling quality brought out the best in Não Tem Nada Não by Marcos Valle. Similarly, when tuning into Remind Me by Patrice Rushen, I was delighted to hear clear, distortion-free vocals, layered with smooth, tonally accurate bass and controlled percussion. Even at higher volumes, vocals didn’t sound muddied in the overall mix and higher pitched percussion didn’t get tinny either. That sort of performance is exactly what I’d expect from a pair of the best open ear headphones.

Sure, there are no fancy audio codecs, like LDAC, for a more detailed sonic experience, but the AeroClip were still pretty well-rounded, considering some similarly priced rivals struggle to even manage clean, balanced sound.

When listening to wyd? by wev, I encountered a couple of sonic shortcomings, though. First up, the track’s deep bass was a little much for the AeroClip to handle at times. I could almost hear the drivers overextending themselves to manage the tune’s low-end, something you’re not going to experience when using a pair of the best earbuds, for instance. Secondly, I felt that the excitable treble was a little understated, meaning the record’s energy was sapped out slightly.

There wasn’t much I could do about that first point, but help was at hand for my treble trouble. I took to the Soundcore app and created my own custom EQ – one which put a bit more emphasis on high-end frequencies, while also bumping bass and slightly lowering mids. That gave the AeroClip a far more colorful, charismatic sound profile than the balanced, yet sometimes slightly unexciting Soundcore Signature tuning.

On top of custom EQ options, you can also pick from a small selection of presets: Bass, Treble, or Volume Booster (all pretty self-explanatory), or Classical (big dips in the mids, large bumps to bass, sub-bass and treble) and Podcast (essentially the opposite of that). With the right tuning, you’re going to get energetic, yet crisp highs, clean mids and relatively rich bass – just don’t expect these to reach into the depths of sub bass with too much skill.

However, one characteristic of the Soundcore AeroClip that will either make or break your listening experience is their open design. As I mentioned earlier, their lack of a proper seal means that a lot of noise from your surroundings will creep through. Now, if you’re someone that loves a good run and you want to keep an ear out for traffic or people around you, that could be ideal.

But personally, I prefer to focus on my tunes and the lack of external noise nixing really did prevent that at times. Chatter in public, wind and even typing in my office were all very much audible – there’s no ANC or anything to counter that either, something the Edifier LolliClip open ears supply. These Soundcore headphones are also prone to leaking sound to those around you, especially above 50% volume.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip on a circular surface — (Image credit: Future)

There might not be any ANC, but what features do these open ear headphones offer? Well, if you head into the very slick Soundcore app, you can mess around with the aforementioned EQ options, toggle multi-point or customize touch controls. And the touch controls were really responsive in my experience. You can double tap to pause or triple tap to skip – the absence of a single tap option means you’re unlikely to make accidental, unwanted adjustments too.

What’s here works very nicely, but I would have liked to see a more fleshed out feature-set, in honesty – even just the addition of auto-pausing media when you remove the buds from your ears. Another aspect that could be better is battery life. You get a respectable eight hours of playtime per charge, which I found to be accurate during my testing. But with the charging case, you only get a maximum of 24 hours – not that much compared to the 40 hours from the Honor Earbuds Open, for instance.

Before I put an end to my moaning, I want to point out a couple of slight design shortcomings. Firstly, these are only IPX4 waterproof rating, meaning there’s no guarantee on dustproofing and you’re only getting resistance against sweat and water droplets. A lot of rivals outdo the AeroClip here – the splendid Huawei FreeArc, for example, are IP57 rated, meaning they can survive submersion under a meter of water for 30 minutes.

Secondly, I’d argue that these aren’t the prettiest buds around. I quite like the look of the batteries and buds, but the clips do appear slightly cheap-looking. On the other hand, these are still highly comfortable and secure on-ear, so you’ll never have to worry about them flinging off mid-workout.

Having said all this, I want to end on a real positive note: mic quality. These open ears claim to deliver AI-enabled clear calls. And I found them to be plenty clear – though I’m not so sure how much of that is thanks to AI. During a phone call, I was told that my voice sounded “crisp”, even at lower volumes – something that I also felt when listening back to a voice recording.

So all in all, are the Soundcore AeroClip worth a $129.99 / £129.99 outlay? I’m not 100% sure. If you’re only after an open design, I’d say yes – you get great sound for this headphone type, as well as impressive calling capabilities. But if you want noise cancelling and a more premium design, I’d suggest pursuing a pair of the best wireless earbuds instead, for awesome audio and ANC.

Edifier LolliClip review: specs

Someone picking a bud from the Anker Soundcore AeroClip charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore AeroClip review: price and availability

$129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210)
Launched in March 2025

The Anker Soundcore AeroClip released in March 2025, marking the manufacturer’s latest foray into the world of open ear headphones. They launched with a list price of $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) and are available in three colorways: Midnight (black); Rosy Brown (pink and brown) ; and the variant I tested, Champagne Mist (white and gold).

These are very similar in price to the Nothing Ear (open), which launched at the tail-end of 2024. And they’ll set you back far less than a premium option like the wonderful Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which carry a sizeable list price of $299 / £299 / AU$449.95…woah!

Anker Soundcore AeroClip in charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Anker Soundcore AeroClip?

Buy them if...

You want open ears that still sound up-to-scratch
The AeroClip sound surprisingly crisp, offering rich bass, clean mids and controlled treble. You can even use the Soundcore app’s preset and custom EQ options to get the right tuning for you. It’s still worth noting, though, that the open design of these means that they may not produce audio as faithfully as a pair of the best wireless earbuds, such as the Technics EAH-AZ100.

You want earbuds suitable for a workout
OK, the waterproofing could be better – more on that below – but still, these earbuds are awesome for workouts. They have a highly comfortable, secure fit, and IPX4 rating, enabling them to discard excess sweat and water droplets. You’ll also be able to hear ambient sounds if you’re in a traffic-heavy area, for instance.

Don't buy them if...

You’re looking for noise cancelling earbuds
Like a lot of open-ear models, the Soundcore AeroClip skip on active noise cancellation. If that’s something you’re looking for in an open design, check out the Edifier LolliClip below. But if you’re instead looking for top-tier external noise reduction, you can instead assess the options in our best noise cancelling earbuds guide.

You want ultimate protection against the elements
These open ear headphones are only IPX4 waterproof rated, meaning they aren’t dustproof and only resist sweat and water. If you want something a bit more hardy, I’d recommend the IP57-rated Huawei FreeArc below.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip review: also consider

Edifier LolliClip
There’s a lot of similarities between Edifier’s LolliClip open-ear headphones and the Soundcore AeroClip. Both go for that jewellery-esque aesthetic, offer high comfort and crucially, supply impressive sound considering their build. The big differentiator is that this Edifier model incorporates adaptive ANC, which is decently effective. You’ll also get better waterproofing and battery life here, but the companion app is less user friendly. Read our full Edifier LolliClip review.

Huawei FreeArc
The Huawei FreeArc serve up surprisingly strong sound quality, fantastic protection against the elements and high comfort levels. They’re available for less than £100 (about $130 / AU$200) and at that price, they’re an absolute steal. There’s no ANC and battery life could be better. But still, these are an excellent value pick. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

Anker Soundcore AeroClip review: How I tested

Anker Soundcore AeroClip charging case connected to USB-C cable — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for one week
Used in the office and while out and about
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I put the Anker Soundcore AeroClip to the test over a one week period. I predominantly listened in the office, but also made use of them at home and when out and about. I tinkered with each and every feature, engaged in both casual and critical listening and compared them with the Edifier LolliClip for on-ear comfort.

When listening to music, I tapped into Tidal on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. And as per usual, I flicked through the whole TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a wide range of genres and is optimized for judging sound quality across the frequencies. In addition, I played a bunch of tunes from my personal library.

First reviewed: April 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested the Edifier LolliClip and they’ve changed my mind about open ear headphones – here’s why

6:45 pm | April 8, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: ANC | Comments: Off

Edifier LolliClip: review

The Edifier LolliClip make for a somewhat peculiar, yet enticing proposition. They have an open design – something typically marketed towards exercise lovers who want higher awareness of their surroundings and are willing to take this design’s inherent threat to sound quality. But the twist is that the earbuds are sculpted with audiophile-friendly features, like ANC, higher-resolution audio capabilities and spatial audio.

So, how does Edifier fare in its attempt to fuse high sound quality with an open-ear design? Largely, very well, actually.

Let’s start by talking about audio quality – an area where this model stacks up against some of the best open ear headphones around. The Edifier LolliClip are powered by a 13mm dynamic driver, which the manufacturer claims can plate up “dynamic, detailed, and powerful sound”. And I’d say that’s a fair assessment.

When tuning into I Want You by Moloko, the continuous bassline was relatively impactful – not as hard-hitting as some of the best wireless earbuds, but attention-grabbing nonetheless. But that low end, though prominent, could sound a little muddied at high volumes, meaning that pumping effect was slightly dampened. That’s forgivable for a pair of open ears, but something that audiophiles will pick up on.

If you want massive sub-bass you might be a little disappointed too. Some ultra-deep notes in The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy sounded a little understated, especially during vocal segments. But again – perhaps to be expected given the

But generally, bass is still solid considering these are open-ear. For example, when listening to Black Eye by Allie X, I was pretty impressed by the depth on offer, this time from the thumping drum machine. Vocals were clear too, with high notes sounding controlled and decently separated from other instrumental elements.

And generally, the LolliClip handles mids nicely, with guitar and synths in Alright by Jamiroquai sounding tonally accurate and decently balanced. Some finer details came through too, thanks to the LolliClip’s use of the LDAC codec, but you’re still not going to get the microscopic interpretation that, say, some of the best wired earbuds will supply.

If you’re not loving the sound signature, you can change things up a bit in the Edifier ConneX app with EQ adjustment. However, there’s not much here and I would advise against switching out of Classic when listening to music. Bass Boost caused the soundstage to get cluttered at high volumes and when testing Treble Boost, high-pitched sounds were, on occasion, overly forward. There’s a Vocal mode if you’re listening to podcasts, which works nicely, and I also discovered custom EQ in a sub menu, but this didn’t seem to work – a real shame.

On top of that, you can immerse yourself in spatial audio and head tracking. However, I’m still going to advise against this for one major reason: general audio quality takes quite the plunge when in use. There’s almost a distorted tone to music and although head tracking did follow my every move to commendable precision, I’d rather watch movies or blast tunes with the best available sound, sorry!

But there’s so much more to dig into with the Edifier ConneX app. For instance, you can activate adaptive ANC, which is not always a given for open-ear headphones. How good is it? Well, as you may expect, not top-tier – but it’s not bad either. I could still hear the sound of typing, for instance, when listening at around 70% volume, something you’d likely avoid with, say the AirPods Pro 2. But ANC still did a good job of dampening sounds like strangers chattering in the street and sound quality was about as good with, or without it turned on.

Speaking of turning ANC on and off, this segues into a major gripe I have with the LolliClip. When switching between these modes or adjusting EQ, playback cuts for a couple of seconds, which I found to be pretty frustrating. Even worse is when you activate LDAC – you have to wait for the earbuds to turn off, on again and restart playback. That all felt a bit clunky.

Edifier LolliClip charging case — (Image credit: Future)

More generally, the in-app experience, via Edifier ConneX could be better too. Settings like LDAC activation, touch-control customization and more are hidden in a sub menu in the top right, which I didn’t spot at first. And this part of the app is rammed with all sorts of options. There’s a drainage feature that causes the earbuds to vibrate and discard excess moisture, tap sensitivity options for touch controls, a ‘find my earbuds’ option and wearing detection customizability, which enables you to pause (or not pause) playback when removing the buds.

But one feature – which was less hidden – really stood out to me: the health monitoring tools, including heart rate and blood oxygen tracking. Both of these use the pulse in your ear and produce results after a 30-second period, telling you your heart rate (in bpm) and blood oxygen (in %). The data is stored on a calendar so you can track changes over time too – something we loved in the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, for example.

That’s just one inclusion that shows the practicality of these buds. For instance, they're also IP56 dust and waterproof rated, which means they’re projected against strong water jets – that’s more than enough durability for rainy days and sweat-heavy workouts. They also offer solid playtime of 9 hours per charge – 39 hours with the charging case, meaning you’ll rarely have to juice them up.

Capable sound? Check. Decent feature set? Check. Practical build? Also check. But let’s check out how these buds perform in the looks department. In honesty, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. First of all, the case and buds have a glossy finish, which has a slightly cheap look to it and attracts fingerprints like a moth to a flame. The plastic charging case perhaps doesn’t feel too durable, either.

But I do quite like the clip-like appearance of the buds. It’s not particularly discreet, but carries a unique aesthetic as well as delivering security and comfortability. I tried the LolliClip out in black, but you can grab them in white instead if you’d prefer.

The Edifier LolliClip are a strong pair of open-ear headphones with above-average sound in the category. They combine that with plenty of playtime, health monitoring functionality and a clippy appearance that’s sure to attract plenty. At $129 (about £100 / AU$210), are they worth it? That really depends. If you’re set on the open design, that’s a solid price given the inclusion of ANC and adept audio quality. Still, there are a lot of cheaper, yet excellent rivals to check out in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, if you’re willing to sacrifice the looser fit.

But all in all, the LolliClip earn my recommendation, especially for those who are reluctant to sacrifice too much quality in the sound department. There are a lot of great alternatives to consider, though. If you’re a UK customer unable to snap up the LolliClip, I’d suggest the Honor Earbuds Open, which again serve up surprisingly good sound and an excellent fit, but also nuanced ANC and even a translation tool. And for US customers, why not take a look at the Anker Soundcore AeroClip, which plate up immersive audio, an excellent companion app and comfortable on ear feel.

Edifier LolliClip earbuds on a block — (Image credit: Future)

Edifier LolliClip review: specs

Edifier LolliClip review: price and availability

$129.99 (about £100 / AU$210)
Launched in February 2025

The Edifier LolliClip released in the US during February 2025. They’re not available in the UK or Australia yet, but we’ll let you know if anything changes on that front. This model has a list price of $129.99 (about £100 / AU$210), which is in line with models like the Anker Soundcore AeroClip, for instance. That price should remain the same whether you purchase the black or white variant.

Should you buy the Edifier LolliClip?

Buy them if...

You don’t want to compromise on sound quality
I was surprised by just how talented the Edifier LolliClip are when it comes to playing music. OK, you’re not going to get the most stunning, hi-res sound in the world, but for a pair of open ears, these sound great. You’re getting decently weighty bass, clear mids and pleasingly controlled highs. Little to no tinniness to contend with here – something that’s fairly common with open ear models.

You want earbuds for workouts
Thanks to their open design, the Edifier LolliClip let in plenty of ambient noise – well, with adaptive noise cancelling turned off. That means you’ll be able to keep tabs on your surroundings if you’re on a run, say. That’s ideal for when you’re in traffic-heavy environments.

Don't buy them if...

You want awesome ANC
Having noise cancelling at all is a win here, but in terms of effectiveness, it won’t compete with some of the best noise cancelling earbuds. If awesome ANC is a priority for you, I’d suggest checking out the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2, which offer some of the best external noise crushing capabilities in the game.

You want a smooth companion app experience
Unfortunately, the Edifier ConneX app is a bit painful to use. Selecting a different EQ mode causes sound to cut out for a while, you can’t save a custom tuning, activating LDAC causes the buds to reset and some key options are hidden in sub-menus. Sure, these are still pretty feature-rich, but playing around with the most interesting options can feel like a chore.

Edifier LolliClip review: also consider

Huawei FreeArc
When we tested the Huawei FreeArc, we highlighted their “top-tier sound”, highly comfortable fit and crucially, competitive price. Yep, for less than £100 (about $130 / AU$200), you’re getting some of the best value open-ears on the market. There’s no ANC and battery life doesn’t quite stack up to that of this Edifier model. But hey, there’s still so much to love. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

OpenRock Pro
The OpenRock Pro have one standout feature – their immense battery life. You’re getting 19 hours from a single charge, with 46 hours total thanks to the charging case. That’s great for a pair of open ears and should mean you can listen for around a week without needing to charge the case – what a win! Again, these have a competitive price and comfortable fit, but they’re a little bit more middling in the audio department. Read our full OpenRock Pro review.

Edifier LolliClip review: How I tested

Someone picking out an Edifier LolliClip earbud from its charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for one week
Used at home and while out and about
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Edifier LolliClip for one week, predominantly at home but also when outdoors. I exhausted all of their features, used them for casual and critical listening and assessed their quality with ANC switched on and off.

When listening to music, I made use of Tidal on my Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. As always, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a variety of genres and is optimized for assessing sound quality across the frequencies. On top of that, I blasted a whole host of tunes from my personal library.

First reviewed: April 2025
Read more about how we test

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