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I reviewed Anker’s cheap AirPods 4 alternative earbuds, and you could do much worse for the money

5:30 pm | June 9, 2025

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5: two-minute review

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 are a modestly priced pair of stem-equipped wireless earbuds, aiming to offer “detail-rich” sound and silencing ANC. With a list price of $129 / £99 / AU$169, these buds are hardly short on competition. But they do a decent amount to stand out in what is a congested market.

One of the ways they do that is by offering a broad, rich suite of features. Whether it’s a preference EQ test, low-latency gaming mode, customizable touch controls or environment-specific ANC, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into. Of course, the adaptive ANC is a standout feature here. It’s not groundbreaking and I’ve experienced better noise-nixing capabilities from wireless earbuds, but external sounds are dulled effectively overall and there are lots of customization options.

That said, to compete with the best earbuds on the market, you need to sound good – in fact, the audio needs to be very good. And thankfully, the Liberty 5 do sound pretty solid overall. You can uncover substantial sonic detail – especially with LDAC deployed – plus booming bass and even a fair amount of breadth and separation when using Dolby Audio. Out of the box, the Liberty 5 do lack a modicum of neutrality, showing a clear preference for bass and treble (read: 'excitement' or 'zeal' over a more natural, faithful and integrated balance across the frequencies). The detail in musical passages and layering of instruments are unlikely to impress audiophiles either. However, it's all relative and for the price you pay, these buds meet the mark.

Something that’s not so impressive, though, is the Liberty 5’s design. I’m just not digging the plasticky housing and stem design. Touch controls, which are accessed via the stems, are fiddly and inconsistent too. You do, however, get a pretty cool sliding case and IP55 dust and waterproofing.

Other aspects that could be better include call quality, which is not exactly bad but not quite as “crystal-clear” as advertised. I also experienced a notable amount of sound leakage – though that’s pretty common for earbuds at this level.

Still, there’s a lot to like about the Liberty 5. My testing suggested battery life may not be as long as quoted, but you still get a decent amount of playtime. There’s a fit check option to get the best seal, a range of additional ear tips in the box and multi-point connectivity too.

All in all, I’d argue that the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 make for a decent pair of wireless earbuds, though their design flaws in particular hold them back from greatness. If you want an even cheaper option, I’d go for the similarly stemmed Earfun Air 2 NC which impressed me in the audio and noise cancelling department.

At a similar price you could instead get the Nothing Ear (a) – more on those later. And finally, if you’re willing to step it up a little bit, I absolutely love the Dolby Atmos-enabled LG Tone Free T90S, which you can grab on-sale close to the $180 / £150 mark. If the Liberty 5 see a significant price-slash at any of the upcoming sales events, I’m sure they’d be worth adding to your online shopping cart. But right now, you can do better for the money.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 buds on circular surface — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: price and availability

$129 / £99 / AU$169
Launched in May 2025

The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 launched in May 2025, just over two-and-a-half years after their predecessor, the Liberty 4. They have a list price of $129 / £99 / AU$169, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were on sale in the not too distant future. Notably, you can grab the Liberty 5 in four different color options: Black; White; Blue; or Apricot. The color you select should have no bearing on price.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: specs

Drivers	9.2mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	Buds: 12 hours (8 hours with ANC on); Total with case: 48 hours (32 hours with ANC on)
Weight	4.6g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproofing	IP55

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 charging case in hand — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: features

Customizable noise cancellation options…
...but actual ANC performance isn’t top-class
Top-tier companion app

I want to start off with a big plus-point: I really love the Soundcore companion app – and as someone who has countless similar audio apps on my phone, it’s rare that I really love something priced at this level. Said app is laid out in a clean, user-friendly manner, with all of the crucial settings listed on a hub page and smaller nuggets up in a separate menu. I find some companion apps to be a bit slow or buggy – not this one.

So, let’s run through all of the key features you can find on the Soundcore app. There’s the classic inclusions like multi-point connectivity, a Find Device option if a pesky bud goes amiss, and customizable touch controls – something I’ll discuss more in the Design section.

But one of the key areas I want to focus on is EQ adjustment. Soundcore has really knocked it out of the park here; there are just so many ways to tailor the Liberty 5’s sound to your tastes. Firstly, there’s all the usual suspects – think Bass Booster and Bass Reducer, as well as genre-specific choices such as Classical and Dance. There’s also a Dolby Audio option (not Atmos) with music, podcast, or movie sub-options. Mobile gamers are in luck too: there’s a low-latency Gaming Mode that enhances the sounds of footsteps and voices – though you won’t be able to use this alongside the ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth codec, LDAC, which is a great inclusion.

And there’s more! You can even take a preference test, as seen on the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro, which presents a series of sound ‘A’ and ‘B’ options, and forges a bespoke sound for you based on the selections you make. Honestly, I think Soundcore is doing this better than all of its rivals – I even like this more than the preference-based EQ function on the Sony WH-1000XM6.

Of course, the main event here is active noise cancellation, but despite the Liberty 5’s admirable report card so far, this is where things take a slight dip. Is ANC bad on the Liberty 5? No, that would be harsh. But is it the best around? Also no: it’s acceptable, but no better.

When walking near a busy road, I could still hear vehicles going by, even in the 60-70% volume range. Sure, sounds were significantly dulled, but there was a touch more extraneous noise filtering in than I would’ve liked. Similarly, while working away in the office, chatter in an adjacent room was easily phased out, but low-level discussions from my colleagues would creep in. If you don’t need silence or near-silence at all times, the Liberty 5 will do just fine. But if you’re looking for S-tier noise-crushing capabilities, you’re gonna have to look some more.

Interestingly, you can adapt noise cancelling between one – the weakest, and five – the strongest, if you want to take a more balanced approach to listening. There’s a transparency calibration too, as well as a wind noise reducer and ANC modes for traveling via plane or car. If you’d like, you can even use Fit Test, to ensure you’re getting the perfect seal for shutting out the world around you.

Finally, Soundcore says that the Liberty 5 can manage eight hours of playtime with ANC on – that is if you listen at moderate volume with basically every extra option switched off. That’s a pretty solid amount, though I did realize that the battery depleted by 20% after one hour of testing. That suggests you may not quite get that full eight hours after all. Still, the case packs plenty of charge, so unless you want to lock in for a super-long session, there should be enough battery life here.

Features score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 charging case connected to USB-C cable — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: sound quality

Impressive bass output
Lack a bit of balance out of the box
…but there are extensive EQ options and Dolby Audio to fix it

For $129 / £99 / AU$169, it’s rare that you’ll find top-of-the-range sound quality. And the Liberty 5 aren’t going to plate up the kind of perfectly nuanced, beautifully separated sound that audiophiles are hunting down – if the Liberty 5 could do that for this money and without wires, we could all pack up and go home.

All the same, I’m pleased to report that they do sound good overall. When listening to It’s Possible by Piero Piccioni and Catherine Howe, vocals had a pleasing degree of detail, with tongue clicks on the palate and subtle breaths sounding three-dimensional and largely authentic. Audio was particularly revealing with the higher-resolution Bluetooth codec, LDAC, switched on, but even then, the vocals weren’t quite lifted out of the mix for the most expressive, layered listen.

Similarly, when tuning into Black Eye by Allie X, the vocal performance was clear, but felt as if it could be more prominent in the mix. This track did reveal, however, that the Liberty 5 pack some serious low-end punch. The pumping drum machine – though perhaps not as agile as you’d hear on more premium buds like the Technics EAH-AZ100 – offered impressive depth. And again with Breather by Christ Stussy & S. A. M., the Liberty 5 had the talents to replicate the thumping bass at the heart of this track’s energetic, almost hypnotic bounce.

When listening to Breather, I did feel that percussion in the treble range could sound overemphasized, especially at higher volume levels. That may well cause some fatigue during longer listening sessions, so if you’d like to tone things down, it’s going to be worth taking a trip to the Soundcore app. After making use of the custom eight-band equalizer, I was able to largely quash this issue, which really is a testament to the highly tunable sound of the Liberty 5.

Yes, you really can make these earbuds sound your own. There’s a Dolby Audio option, if you want slightly wider, more immersive sound. For reference, you’re not getting Dolby Atmos – something you’ll find on models like the LG xboom Buds, as an example. How does this particular Dolby side-sauce sound? Well, it does what it says on the tin. Bass in particular sounds broader… more encapsulating. But you may find that a touch of detail is lost compared to listening with Dolby Audio off.

One more performance-related element I should discuss is mic quality. Soundcore proudly states that the Liberty 5 are capable of “crystal-clear” call quality, thanks to six mics, a wind-resistant algorithm and a helping hand from AI. But I wasn’t all too impressed in this department. My voice was decently clear, but my surroundings would often get in the way. Similarly on a voice note, I could certainly hear myself, but my voice wasn’t particularly forward and external noises crept in easily.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: design

Stem design won’t be for everyone
Neat sliding case
The touch controls just aren’t it

I think it’s only fair that I put my cards on the table here and say that I’m not a mega-fan of the Soundcore Liberty 5’s design. Part of that comes down to personal preference – I like the smaller, more discreet look of stemless rivals like the Sony WF-C710N.

Still, I can put that aside to a degree. But I couldn’t help feeling that the Liberty 5 look like a more plasticky and less sleek pair of AirPods. I would argue that their slightly slanted look is a plus though, that does give them a sharper, more angular edge. And unlike AirPods, you can grab these in multiple color options: Black; White; Blue; or Apricot.

Looks aside, there is one major impracticality about the Liberty 5’s design: their touch controls. Soundcore’s gone for a kind of ‘pinch’ control scheme, which frankly, I found a little awkward. The buds wouldn’t feel very secure when I was pinching at the stems to skip or go to previous tracks. And the effectiveness of my attempts varied. Sometimes I had to make multiple attempts to pause or play a song – it’s just not a massively consistent way to control playback.

So, yes, not a lot of good stuff to say so far. But one thing I do like about the Liberty 5 is their charging case. Simply, slide it open and there you are. Your earbuds, right before you! I prefer this motion to the flip-top motion cases opt for and would like to see a few more manufacturers consider it.

The buds are also fairly comfortable in-ear, so it’s unlikely you’ll feel exhausted after mere minutes of use. You can find multiple sized eartips in the box too, helping you find the most secure fit possible. Despite getting a nice seal, though, a colleague did hear some sound leakage at around 65-70% volume. There’s an adaptive sound leakage compensation toggle in the Soundcore app’s advanced settings but, still, you’re not going to get the perfect isolation that the best over-ear headphones supply.

Waterproofing is also pretty solid. The Liberty 5 are IP55 dust and waterproof rated, which means that they can withstand low pressure water jets from multiple directions. That’s better than a lot of competitors, but you can do even better. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, for instance, are IP57-rated, so they can even survive being immersed under a meter of water for a while.

Design score: 3/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 in open charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: value

Fairly moderate list price
But still, you can do better for the money
Outperformed by a number of rivals

The Soundcore Liberty 5 are playing in a pretty competitive field, coming in at $129 / £99 / AU$169. It’s a decently modest price tag, sure, but a lot of manufacturers are producing pretty great earbuds for even less.

Now, there are a lot of rivals I could name here. I own the Sony WF-C700N and they sound great while also offering a more low-profile look than the Liberty 5. We also rate the Nothing Ear (a) highly, but I’ll discuss those a little more below. But if you want the ultimate guide to the leading cheap models, then I’d recommend checking out our guide to the best budget earbuds.

Ultimately, $100 / £100 / AU$150 is still a significant spend. And I’m not convinced these are particularly standout – aside from their excellent companion app and decently broad feature-set. In terms of sonic prowess, ANC abilities and design, it’s a more mixed picture. If these are on sale, I wouldn’t count them out, of course. But at the moment, I’d rather grab a pair of buds from Sony or Nothing.

Value score: 3.5/5

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 charging case on circular surface — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Awesome companion app, customizable but fairly average ANC, OK battery.	4/5
Sound quality	Good overall sound for the cost with impressive bass, calling could be better.	4/5
Design	Impractical touch controls, divisive stem design, IP55 waterproofing and case.	3/5
Value	Decent price but outperformed by rivals on sound and design.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You’re looking for a cheaper alternative to AirPods
AirPods are expensive, there’s no getting around it. And there’s no doubt that the Soundcore Liberty 5 are attempting to be a more budget-friendly alternative. With a stem design and a spatial sound option, via Dolby Audio, you can expect a lot of the AirPods’ niceties on the Liberty 5.

You want highly customizable sound
I love the Soundcore app, and one of the reasons for that is its incredibly rich set of EQ options. There’s a preference test that helps you create a truly bespoke sound profile, genre-based presets and even an eight-band custom equalizer. If you want a more balanced listen, it’s definitely worth exploring the options at hand here.

Don't buy them if...

You want class-leading ANC
ANC isn’t all too bad on the Soundcore Liberty 5. External sounds will be dulled fairly effectively and there’s a tasty selection of customization options too. But even at the highest intensity, I wasn’t blown away by the Liberty 5’s noise-crushing skills. I didn’t quite get near-silence in more built up areas and a whisper of noise crept through when I was working in the office, even when blasting music at around 70%.

You’re an audiophile
And finally, these earbuds may not satiate your needs if you’re a true audiophile. Even with LDAC turned on, you won’t get the best instrument separation or perfect control right across the frequencies. With some tuning, they do sound good for the money, but yes, maybe not for the most analytical listeners out there. If that's you, I'd suggest instead checking out our list of the best noise cancelling earbuds.

Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 review: also consider

	Anker Soundcore Liberty 5	Nothing Ear (a)	Apple AirPods 4
Price	$129 / £99 / AU$169	$99 / £99 (about AU$150)	$129 / £129 / AU$219
Drivers	9.2mm dynamic	11mm custom	Custom
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	No
Battery life	Buds: 8 hours (12 hours without ANC on); Total with case: 32 hours (48 hours without ANC on)	Buds: 5.5hrs (9.5hrs without ANC) Total with case: 24.5hrs (42.5hrs without ANC)	Buds: 5 hours (official), 7 hours (measured); Total with case: 30 hours
Weight	4.6g (per bud)	4.8g (per bud)	4.3g (per bud)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Frequency range	20Hz-40kHz	Not stated	Not stated
Waterproofing	IP55	IP54	IP54

Nothing Ear (a)
The Nothing Ear (a) are an excellent pair of budget-friendly earbuds that we’ve talked up no end here at TechRadar. And for good reason. They serve up zealous, expansive audio, surprisingly strong ANC and a compact design. Sure, their battery life is nothing special by today’s standards, but all in all, they’re an awesome pair of buds. Read our full Nothing Ear (a) review.

Apple AirPods 4
In design alone, it does feel like the Soundcore Liberty 5 are a direct competitor to the Apple AirPods 4. And I’m comparing Soundcore’s effort here against the ANC-less version of the AirPods 4, simply due to their closeness in cost. Anyway, Apple’s earbuds are, well… OK. They offer decently fun and dynamic spatial sound as well as that classic design. But no ANC at this price-point, combined with middling levels of detail and lackluster cross-platform features, is disappointing. Read our full Apple AirPods 4 review.

How I tested the Anker Soundcore Liberty 5

Tested for two weeks
Used in the office and while out in public
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Soundcore Liberty 5 over a fortnight, listening to songs and watching videos for hours on end. I used them out at the office, while at home and when on walks to assess the fortitude of ANC across multiple environments.

Typically, I tested these buds using Tidal, but I also tried using them with both Spotify and YouTube. When listening to music, I ran through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a wide variety of genres. Of course, I also tuned in to tons of tunes from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared these to the LG xboom Buds on metrics such as comfort, audio quality, ANC capabilities and features. And for reference, I’ve tested tons of audio products here at TechRadar. I’ve reviewed flagship over-ear headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6, wired earbuds like the Sennheiser IE 600 and, of course, other wireless earbuds like the LG Tone Free T90S.

First reviewed: June 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested the solid budget IEMs that bring Astell & Kern’s audiophile talents to the masses, and they go hard in ways I didn’t expect

12:30 pm | June 7, 2025

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

Activo Volcano review

Astell & Kern’s lifestyle-focused sub-brand is back with a new offering, the Activo Volcano. These wired in-ear headphones aim to bring audiophile-quality sound to all, combining supposedly “vibrant, immersive sound” at an easy-to-swallow price.

Specifically, the Activo Volcano IEMs will set you back $80 / £99 (about AU$120), which is considerably – and I mean considerably – cheaper than most of the brand’s oeuvre to date. As well as carrying a modest price tag, the Activo Volcano come with a 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and a USB-C connector, meaning they’re available to a broad audience, across a broad range of devices. But is Activo’s budget offering a hit?

Well, to some degree, I’d answer that with a resounding yes. That ability to cycle through various connectivity options is something many of the best wired earbuds skip out on and to be clear, the Activo Volcano execute this fantastically well. Simply unscrew whichever connector is in use and swivel the desired alternative on – that’s all there is to it.

There’s a handy carry case included too, so you can store the out-of-use adapters when you’re on the go. On top of that, you get a nice selection of both foam and rubber eartips in a range of sizes. After you’ve found the right fit, you should get a tight seal, ensuring you hear their various drivers at their best and with commendable passive noise isolation. Activo’s decision to pack all of this in at such an uncharacteristically low price-point is certainly something to be applauded.

Where I become – let’s say, a little more picky – is in the audio department. Yes, this is a product from the Astell & Kern ecosystem, but if you’re expecting truly premium high-grade sound, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Do the Activo Volcano sound poor, then? Absolutely not. But if you want the most intricately detailed sound around, you will need to spend more.

So, let’s really zoom in on how the Activo Volcano sound. Each earpiece boasts a triple driver design: a main 8mm unit partnered with two 6mm drivers. This configuration, says Activo, is intended to enhance the richness of lower-midrange and bass. And perhaps as the name suggests, you can hear rumbling bass erupt from the get-go.

Yep, you’re gonna sense a significant emphasis on low-end output with these in-ears – something that perhaps a lot of IEMs hesitate to go too hard on. When tuning into Breather by Chris Stussy & S. A. M., I was struck by palpable low-end output, with the Volcano easily able to replicate the track’s pounding drum machine.

Activo compares these IEM’s low frequency output to the “eruption of magma” from a Volcano. And although you’re not going to get that ultra-immersive, almost tangible boom that some of the best over-ear headphones can deliver, say, I’d argue there’s enough depth here for fans of bass-heavy bangers to sink their teeth into.

I’ll admit, I certainly do enjoy a slight emphasis towards bass registers, especially given that I predominantly listen to a mixture of funk, dance, and jazz fusion. But many looking for a flashy new pair of IEMs – whether musicians, audiophiles, or just casual listeners – may be hoping for a more neutral sound signature. And that is something you’re not going to get out of the gate here.

When listening to Flying Beagle by Himiko Kikuchi, I felt the low-end could sound a little overstated, not giving quite enough room for the flowing piano to sit forward and work its magic, while letting light percussion roll through the backdrop. And when listening to Splash Mountain by Yung Gravy, an already bassy track, I felt that both the low-end and treble were a touch aggressive, meaning vocals in the mid-range were left behind. That’s not to say that the Volcano are regularly harsh-sounding or typically deliver muddy audio, but just know that there are more well-rounded options out there.

For instance, I switched over to my Sennheiser IE 200, which are among my very favorite IEMs, and cost a very similar amount to the Volcano. As soon as I did this, I could tell a big difference in quality across all genres. The IE 200, put simply, plate up better balance and instrument separation, meaning you get a more nuanced, revealing listen.

Even still, the Volcano aren’t going to smack you with distorted or tinny sound. Generally, I found tracks were clear and there were noticeable details, such as light electronica in Black Eye by Allie X, that didn’t go amiss. And if you customize EQ in your source device or streaming app’s settings, you’ll be able to get a more neutral sound – or not – depending on what you’re into. But, all in all, I’d be lying if I said these blew me away, sonically speaking.

Activo Volcano right earbud on block — (Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, I’m not done with my criticism of these IEMs just yet, though. If I’m honest, there’s not a ton that I love about their design. First of all, I want to talk about looks. Now, Activo says that the Volcano have a “crater-inspired” design that symbolizes the “immense power and energy” of their triple drivers.

But really, I’m getting moon crater, rather than volcanic crater from these – especially given the white and silver finish that’s been selected here. I also moaned at Tribit earlier this year after the Tribit Stormbox Lava speaker totally failed at playing to its open-goal volcanic theme. Any audio manufacturers out there fancy making a more fun volcano-inspired product? I’ll be keeping an eye out.

On top of that, I just found the Volcano earpieces a bit too bulky in my ear. Each bud felt substantially heftier than my IE 200 and I found it challenging to keep these on for much more than an hour or so before fatigue kicked in. The cable is pretty chunky too and is without playback options or a mic – something you’d get from a rival like the Shure Aonic 3.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I have to say, the build of the Activo Volcano appears more luxurious than perhaps its price suggests. The cable, while large, looks and feels high in quality. It’s also detachable if you want to swap in an after-market alternative. For reference, though, the included wire is made up of seven-strand silver-plated copper and five-strand oxygen-free copper cables. The PC material used for the buds themselves also feels smooth and not overly plasticky, oozing a sense of durability and reliability.

So, let’s return to the all-important question. Are the Activo Volcano a hit? Well, perhaps not quite. There’s plenty to like here for sure, whether that be weighty bass output, high build quality or various connectivity options. But equally, there are a few areas that left me a touch disappointed. I personally found that the model is overly large, with a design that while secure and easy to fit, isn’t particularly comfortable or on-theme. And the audio – though still good for the price – could be more revealing and balanced.

Should you buy the Activo Volcano? Well, if you don’t need fantastic evenness across the frequencies and don’t mind it’s slightly larger feel, then perhaps. But for a similar price, I’d say you’ll be better off with the Sennheiser IE 200 – did I mention I like those?

3.5mm connector attached to the Activo Volcano — (Image credit: Future)

Activo Volcano review: Price and release date

$80 / £99 (about AU$120)
Launched in March 2025

The Activo Volcano IEMs came to market in March 2025. Activo is still fairly fresh and was created by parent Astell & Kern as a lifestyle brand. And the Volcano are its cheapest offering to date, with a list price of $80 / £99 (about AU$120). That’s a massive chunk less than Activo’s previous effort, the Activo Q1 IEMs, which we rated four-and-a-half stars, lauding their excellent clarity and superb separation.

Activo Volcano review: Specs

Drivers	1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver
Weight	5g (per bud)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproof rating	Not stated
Connectivity	3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C

Activo Volcano right earbud balanced on block — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Activo Volcano?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Detachable cable, interchangeable connectors, no controller.	4/5
Sound quality	Good audio for the price, big bass, but rivals offer more balance and detail.	4/5
Design	Unremarkable looks, bulky, not massively comfortable, but premium feel.	2.5/5
Value	Cheap given overall quality, but similar-priced competitors are stronger.	4/5

Buy them if...

You're on a tight budget
The Volcano stray from much of their parent’s audio tech in that they're very much an affordable model. For $80 / £99, you're getting a solid set of IEMs, ideal for those that value the details, yet don’t want to spend an arm and a leg.

You want multiple connectivity options
A lot of IEMs use a 3.5mm connector and don’t leave space for anything else. That can be pretty limiting if you want to use them with a modern smartphone, say, that's ditched the good ol' headphone port. So, in come the Activo Volcano with not only a 3.5mm option, but also a USB-C and 4.4mm option. Simply screw on whatever connector you want and you're good to go, no matter what device you're using.

Don't buy them if...

If you’re an audiophile seeking top-tier sound quality
The Activo Volcano never had to wow me with absolutely top of the range audio, given their price tag. And I want to echo that here – you’re not going to get the ultimate mixture of effortlessly balanced and stunningly separated audio from the Activo Volcano. Yes, they’re more than up to the task of dishing out an enjoyable listen that leans into warm bass tones, but if you want the most analytical IEMs on the market, it’s worth looking elsewhere.

You're looking for a lightweight option
What's likely to be the most divisive aspect of the Activo Volcano is their chunky build. Both the IEMs themselves and the braided cable are pretty weighty, meaning they're not the most discreet looking or feeling. So, if you want a featherweight, understated way to listen to your tunes, it may be best to avoid these in-ears.

Activo Volcano review: Also consider

	Activo Volcano	Sennheiser IE 200	Master & Dynamic ME05
Price	$80 / £99 (about AU$120)	$149.95 / £129.99 / AU$239.95	$199 / £169 (about AU$320)
Drivers	1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver	7mm dynamic	8mm high-excursion
Weight	5g (per bud)	4g (per bud)	23g
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	6Hz-20kHz	20Hz-20kHz
Waterproof rating	Not stated	Not stated	Not stated
Connectivity	3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C	3.5mm	3.5mm; USB-C

Sennheiser IE 200
If I’m ever asked to recommend some IEMs, I almost always find myself suggesting the Sennheiser IE 200. Why? Because in this price range, they’re simply the best sounding IEMs that I’ve heard so far. You get open, articulate audio with sublime instrument separation, a straight up sexy design and dual-tuneable sound. There’s no USB-C adapter and you’ll have to buy a cable with playback controls separately, but if you’re all about sound, these are an amazing pair of in-ears. They’re also regularly on sale for a solid amount less than their list price. Read our full Sennheiser IE 200 review.

Master & Dynamic ME05
If you’re in the market for great-sounding wired in-ears, but don’t need IEMs specifically, the Master & Dynamic ME05 are a fantastic choice. These remastered classics supply balanced, detailed audio, a premium build, and dual 3.5mm/USB-C connectivity. Pretty neat. Oh, and you’ll get a mic and playback controller too. Read our full Master & Dynamic ME05 review.

How I tested the Activo Volcano

Activo Volcano connector — (Image credit: Future)

Tested for multiple weeks
Used in the office and while on a flight
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I used the Activo Volcano over the course of multiple weeks. I predominantly tested them while working at home, but also used them at the office and while on a flight. When listening to tunes, I mainly turned to Tidal, but I also spent some time blasting songs on Spotify.

When testing, I ran through the entirety of the TechRadar testing playlist, which contains tracks from a variety of genres. I also compared the Volcano against the Sennheiser IE 200 and re-released version of the Master & Dynamic ME05.

First reviewed: June 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested AKG’s N5 Hybrid earbuds, and I was so impressed by their noise cancellation and extra features, as long as you find them at the right price

12:00 pm | May 27, 2025

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

AKG N5: One minute review

When I’m testing new earbuds, and considering if they deserve a shoutout for our list of the best earbuds, the first thing I do is look at the price to set expectations – but for this AKG N5 review, I found two.

There’s the official list price, which sets you up for these buds to be powerful premium players, but I was also tripping over discounted prices, with the N5 seeing some hefty discounts since launch. So while I’ll test these as top-end earbuds, I’d be remiss not to point out that you can buy them for less – and you should, as they present fantastic value for money with a reduction.

The AKG N5 are the latest pair of wireless earbuds from originally-Austrian audio company AKG (which is owned by Harman, which itself is owned by Samsung). AKG puts out wireless headphones only sparingly, with its website populated almost entirely with professional wired headsets and microphones.

And it’s clear that some of that ‘professional’ DNA is present in the AKG N5 because there are loads of features which are helpful in such a setting: a USB-C dongle included in the case lets you easily (and temporarily) connect to any laptop, tablet or similar device, while call tone settings basically act like an EQ but for incoming voice calls. There are also loads of ANC settings for people who work in busy offices.

Suffice it to say I was impressed by the feature suite of the AKG N5, but not just as someone who himself tries to drown out the infuriatingly-loud team seated next to him – they’re all features that will be handy to regular buyers, not just office-locked ones.

Another strength of the AKG N5 is their audio chops, because the buds offer expressive and clear audio with plenty of detail and texture. A few more in-app modes (sorry to mention features again) let you carry out a sound test or tweak the sonic offering to your pleasure.

Some people may be put off by the AKG N5’s design. It’s true the case is pretty huge, the build quality feels iffy, and the earbud controls are hard to activate when you want to and easy to activate when you don’t. The battery life that won't last a full day of work might also put some people off.

But it’s easy to overlook these issues if, like I said, you’re able to find a good deal on these buds. And that shouldn’t be hard given I found it more of a chore to find their actual original price rather than the current one. The N5 are fine value at their official price – but discounted, they’re a steal.

AKG N5 review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP54
Battery life (quoted)	6 hours (earbuds), 24 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g / Charging case: 48.4g
Driver	10mm

The AKG N5 on a stone wall — (Image credit: Future)

AKG N5 review: Price and availability

Announced in September 2024
Priced at $299 / £249 / AU$309
Readily available for under $250 / £199 / AU$250

The AKG N5 were announced in September 2024, at IFA 2024, as the latest entry into the brand’s line-up of earbuds. At the time of writing they're the company’s only competitor for the best wireless earbuds.

At launch, the AKG N5 cost $299.95 / £249 / AU$309, which makes them a premium audio offering. However it’s worth pointing out that I could easily find it sold online for a discount of $60 / £50 / AU$65, so you’ll easily save money if you shop around.

Lowered price or not, these are still premium earbuds and we’ll treat them as such. Included in the box you get the buds, case and dongle as well as a USB-C to USB connector and some bud tips of varying sizes.

The AKG N5 in a man's hand. — (Image credit: Future)

AKG N5 review: Features

Poor real-world battery life
Range of ANC options
Useful dongle connector

The AKG N5 connects to your phone via Bluetooth 5.3; initial pairing for me was quick and easy, and during testing there were barely any drop-outs or stutters.

You can also easily connect to new devices via a dongle included in the charging case; plug this into any device, and the N5 will stream audio from that.

The dongle is a USB-C one, though an adapter included in the box lets you plug it into standard USB ports. This is a really handy extra for people who own multiple devices and can’t pair to all of them, or who use unfamiliar devices on occasion. As someone who owns (and tests) too many gadgets, I found it incredibly handy.

9 times out of ten, this dongle worked well, however now and then I’d find the headphones would re-pair with my phone even if the dongle was connected to another device. One thing to note is that it did sap the battery of the device it was connected to: fine for gadgets plugged into an outlet, frustrating for my iPad.

Battery life is a weak spot for the buds. AKG predicts a 10-hour battery life… if you listen to music with ANC turned off, and that drops down to six hours with ANC on, or even lower if you’re talking or using the dongle.

However, in my testing I was lucky to get anywhere near six hours of listening time, and I’d usually have to charge after four and a half or five hours. That's not just below what's promised, it's way below average.

The case itself contains four full charges for the buds, however long you make that.

So should you turn off ANC to preserve battery life? Well you can, but it’d be a shame, because the AKG N5 have fantastic noise cancellation – my usual ANC test is how well it drowns out the trains that commonly pass my house, and when testing the N5, I have no idea if it passed because I could never tell if trains had passed.

ANC is complicated here, though. There are three modes: standard, Ambient Aware and TalkThru (as well as off, obviously). TalkThru boosts nearby voices so you can hear people and Ambient Aware does a similar thing for background voices, with a slider letting you fiddle with the intensity of the effect.

In standard ANC mode you can toggle Adaptive ANC, which adjusts the level of noise cancellation based on your surroundings, and turning it off presents you with a slider to change the intensity yourself. There’s also Auto Compensation mode which tweaks with ANC depending on your ‘wearing and ear canal status’, whatever that means.

Suffice it to say that every time I was presented with the ANC part of the AKG Headphones app I was scratching my head at all the options presented to me – and that’s really the theme of this companion app which bombards you with options. This’ll be pleasing news to tech-heads, but horrifying for technophobes.

Let’s fire through some of the features and settings: SilentNow turns off music and ramps up ANC to help you focus or study; Smart Audio & Video adjusts sound stage based on whether you’re listening to music or watching a video; the equalizer has a load of presets or lets you customize your sound on a 10-band EQ; various call settings let you change how you or a caller sound on the phone; and Right/Left Sound Balance does what it says on the tin.

These are as well as all the standard app modes: gesture control customization, a find-my-buds feature, and a fit test.

The app also gives you the option to toggle Hi-Res Audio, but turning this on precludes you from several other features, including Spatial Sound and Personi-Fi. This latter is a lengthy audio test that presents you with a bespoke equalization fit for your music, and I don’t know any audiophiles who don’t appreciate this kind of feature.

If you’ve skimmed that list you may have noticed something I want to explicitly commend: there are loads of options with small or large accessibility use cases here, which is always great to see.

Features score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Sound performance

The AKG N5 in a man's ear. — (Image credit: Future)

10mm drivers
Balanced sound profile
Textured audio in high-res mode

Whether you’re listening via Bluetooth or dongle, with Hi-Res Audio on or instead Personi-Fi enabled, there’s one thing that’s hard to deny: the AKG N5 sounds great.

The sound profile is lovely and balanced, with well-defined bass sitting comfortably alongside clear treble and distinct mids. I didn’t feel the need to touch the equalizer as I liked the default mix, and wasn’t losing any instruments to overbearing bass or treble.

It’s easy to hear the texture in each instrument with the N5: I could make out the ripples of reverb on vocal lines to the flick of a bass guitar string being strum, and the audio lines were all spread out enough to make them distinct and clear (although I have tested buds with a better soundstage).

If I have to say one bad thing about the buds, it’s that audio sounds precision-tuned but not very energetic – they helped me really appreciate great songs sonically, but didn’t always make me feel like rocking out to them.

Sound performance score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Design

Chunky and cheap charging case
Lightweight and comfortable buds
Annoying touch controls

Perhaps because it contains a dongle, the case of the AKG N5 is a little on the larger size, and I’ve seen some people online criticize its bulk. Honestly, it’s not that big, and doesn’t allay the space-saving advantages of earbuds like this over full-on headphones or open earbuds with a a wraparound design – plus they're light at 48.4g.

But I did notice the thing in my pocket when I was walking – it's on the larger end of the scale.

What’s arguably worse about the case is its build: the plastic feels cheap, groans under slight pressure and picks up fingerprints readily. However AKG has it certified at IP52, which protects it from limited fine particles and sprays of water at certain angles. I can’t remember the last time I saw a charging case with an IP rating, so it’s a welcome spec.

Now onto the earbuds: these are buds with stems, but with a bigger bud and shorter, flatter stem than on your generic AirPod doppelgänger. They have an IP54 rating so they’re a little better protected against water than the case.

Due to the tips material being quite smooth, when I first started testing the N5, it constantly felt like they were on the verge of falling out of my ear. Two weeks on and that hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve still been too apprehensive to take them on a run, cycle or any kind of activity which might actually cause them to fall to the floor.

At least the buds are lightweight, so when I was sitting still, they were comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They weigh 6g each which is comparable to rivals.

Each bud has a touch-sensitive area over the ‘A’ of the AKG logo, which lets you control music playback; by default the left side toggles ANC and Ambient Aware, while the right one is for play and pause.

It took some time getting used to tapping the right spot when I was wearing the buds, and there’s a noticeable delay in the gesture being picked up – more than once I got caught in a loop playing or pausing a tune, thinking that my touch hadn’t been picked up, and constantly flicking between the two.

An even more annoying issue was that it’s very easy to accidentally press the button when you’re trying to readjust loose buds.

You can pick the AKG N5 up in white or black, and your choice affects both the buds and the case. As you can see from images, I tested the black pair.

Design score: 3.5/5

AKG N5 review: Value

While it's not easy to make reasonable argument for $299 / £249 / AU$309 earbuds being good value propositions, it does bear repeating that these things have been seeing increasing discounts over their first year of existence.

The AKG N5 aren’t bad value for money by any means, with their top-notch audio and range of useful features justifying the price, but they’re far from bargains either (except in Australia, where they’re much cheaper than elsewhere).

That certainly isn’t the case if you can find them for below about $200 / £180 / AU$300, which would make them a really tempting alternative to earbuds that are usually priced in that area.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the AKG N5?

Category	Comment	Score
Features	There are so many features that it's hard to get your head around them all. Battery life isn't amazing though.	4/5
Sound	The N5 offered a lovely balanced sound that lets you hear the texture and sound stage of your music.	4/5
Value	By default they're not especially competitively-priced, but discounts help.	3.5/5
Design	A few small design problems affect the user experience, but they're still great to wear.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You find them discounted

I've yammered on about this enough, but this will be the last time: the AKG N5 are a terrific value proposition if you find them notably below their list price.

The dongle sounds useful

Love the idea of being able to listen to audio from any USB-C or USB-port-toting device without pairing Bluetooth? The AKGs' dongle is a real game-changer.

You need solid noise cancellation

While they're not quite a Bose, the AKG's noise cancellation is fantastic, with a range of features and modes letting you customize it to a surprising extent.

Don't buy them if...

You need a long-lasting battery

I didn't love how quickly the N5's battery life plummeted, and real-world use is well below the promised level.

You need a svelte charging case

I took to carrying the AKG N5's case in my bag because it just didn't fit comfortably in my pockets. You can easily find buds with more convenient-to-carry cases than these.

Also consider

Component	AKG N5	Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro	Apple AirPods Pro 2
Water resistant	IP54	IP57	IP54
Battery life	6 hours (earbuds), 32 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (total)	6 hours (buds); 30 hours (case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g (buds)	5.4g (buds)	5.3g (buds)
Driver	10mm	10mm dynamic driver + planar tweeter	11mm

Apple AirPods Pro 2

The obvious competitor: these Apple buds only fully work on Apple products, but they're cheaper than the AKG (even discounted) and offer some top-tier features and noise cancellation. They also have a very svelte case.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Another cheaper alternative, Samsung's wireless buds are mostly built for owners of Samsung phones, but work for others too. They sound great and have a lightweight and comfortable design.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review

How I tested the AKG N5

My testing process before writing this AKG N5 review took two weeks. I tested them alongside their contemporary siblings, the AKG N9 Hybrid over-ear headphones, and I've tested a huge number of earbuds recently to compare them against.

I connected the AKG N5 to a range of devices including my smartphone (via Bluetooth), my desktop PC (via dongle) and my work laptop (again via dongle) with a roughly 50/50 split between Bluetooth and dongle listening.

I also split my Bluetooth listening time roughly equally between Hi-res Audio and Personi-Fi (and other feature) modes, bearing in mind that you can't have both enabled at the same time.

My listening was done in a range of environments including at home, on public transport, in my office and on walks around my borough – and following TechRadar's testing guidelines for earbuds.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested AKG’s N5 Hybrid earbuds, and I was so impressed by their noise cancellation and extra features, as long as you find them at the right price

12:00 pm |

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

AKG N5: One minute review

AKG N5 review: Specifications

Component	Value
Water resistant	IP54
Battery life (quoted)	6 hours (earbuds), 24 hours (total)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g / Charging case: 48.4g
Driver	10mm

AKG N5 review: Price and availability

Announced in September 2024
Priced at $299 / £249 / AU$309
Readily available for under $250 / £199 / AU$250

AKG N5 review: Features

Poor real-world battery life
Range of ANC options
Useful dongle connector

The AKG N5 connects to your phone via Bluetooth 5.3; initial pairing for me was quick and easy, and during testing there were barely any drop-outs or stutters.

You can also easily connect to new devices via a dongle included in the charging case; plug this into any device, and the N5 will stream audio from that.

The case itself contains four full charges for the buds, however long you make that.

These are as well as all the standard app modes: gesture control customization, a find-my-buds feature, and a fit test.

If you’ve skimmed that list you may have noticed something I want to explicitly commend: there are loads of options with small or large accessibility use cases here, which is always great to see.

Features score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Sound performance

10mm drivers
Balanced sound profile
Textured audio in high-res mode

Whether you’re listening via Bluetooth or dongle, with Hi-Res Audio on or instead Personi-Fi enabled, there’s one thing that’s hard to deny: the AKG N5 sounds great.

Sound performance score: 4/5

AKG N5 review: Design

Chunky and cheap charging case
Lightweight and comfortable buds
Annoying touch controls

But I did notice the thing in my pocket when I was walking – it's on the larger end of the scale.

At least the buds are lightweight, so when I was sitting still, they were comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They weigh 6g each which is comparable to rivals.

An even more annoying issue was that it’s very easy to accidentally press the button when you’re trying to readjust loose buds.

You can pick the AKG N5 up in white or black, and your choice affects both the buds and the case. As you can see from images, I tested the black pair.

Design score: 3.5/5

AKG N5 review: Value

That certainly isn’t the case if you can find them for below about $200 / £180 / AU$300, which would make them a really tempting alternative to earbuds that are usually priced in that area.

Value score: 3.5/5

Should I buy the AKG N5?

Category	Comment	Score
Features	There are so many features that it's hard to get your head around them all. Battery life isn't amazing though.	4/5
Sound	The N5 offered a lovely balanced sound that lets you hear the texture and sound stage of your music.	4/5
Value	By default they're not especially competitively-priced, but discounts help.	3.5/5
Design	A few small design problems affect the user experience, but they're still great to wear.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You find them discounted

I've yammered on about this enough, but this will be the last time: the AKG N5 are a terrific value proposition if you find them notably below their list price.

The dongle sounds useful

Love the idea of being able to listen to audio from any USB-C or USB-port-toting device without pairing Bluetooth? The AKGs' dongle is a real game-changer.

You need solid noise cancellation

While they're not quite a Bose, the AKG's noise cancellation is fantastic, with a range of features and modes letting you customize it to a surprising extent.

Don't buy them if...

You need a long-lasting battery

I didn't love how quickly the N5's battery life plummeted, and real-world use is well below the promised level.

You need a svelte charging case

I took to carrying the AKG N5's case in my bag because it just didn't fit comfortably in my pockets. You can easily find buds with more convenient-to-carry cases than these.

Also consider

Component	AKG N5	Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro	Apple AirPods Pro 2
Water resistant	IP54	IP57	IP54
Battery life	6 hours (earbuds), 32 hours (total)	7 hours (earbuds), 30 hours (total)	6 hours (buds); 30 hours (case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.3
Weight	6g (buds)	5.4g (buds)	5.3g (buds)
Driver	10mm	10mm dynamic driver + planar tweeter	11mm

Apple AirPods Pro 2

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro 2 review

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

Another cheaper alternative, Samsung's wireless buds are mostly built for owners of Samsung phones, but work for others too. They sound great and have a lightweight and comfortable design.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review

How I tested the AKG N5

I also split my Bluetooth listening time roughly equally between Hi-res Audio and Personi-Fi (and other feature) modes, bearing in mind that you can't have both enabled at the same time.

My listening was done in a range of environments including at home, on public transport, in my office and on walks around my borough – and following TechRadar's testing guidelines for earbuds.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

I tested these clip-on open ear headphones with 3D audio – here’s how I rated them

9:00 pm | May 13, 2025

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

Anker Soundcore C40i: review

Enter the Anker Soundcore C40i, another competitor in the ever-growing field of open ear headphones. Thanks to their lack of a seal, these clip-on headphones are ideal for those who want to be aware of their surroundings – such as runners or gym-goers. At the same time, the Anker Soundcore C40i still aim to deliver a strong sonic experience – something that a lot of open ear models have struggled to accomplish. So how do they fare?

Well, as you may expect, you’re not going to get stunning audio from the Anker Soundcore C40i. Like all open ear headphones, the loose design means that sound is less concentrated and there’s ambient noise to compete with from your surroundings. Yet these still perform decently in the audio department. Well, that is, after a bit of tinkering.

You see, out of the gate, I wasn’t sure if me and the Anker Soundcore C40i would be best pals. The default Soundcore Signature tuning is a little convoluted and bass packs a pretty feeble punch… well, more of a tap really. But I had no need to fear, because like many of the best open ear headphones, the C40i have custom EQ settings. I simply wandered over to the Soundcore app and refined audio by selecting 3D Surround Sound.

I was actually quite surprised that the 3D audio mode was a hit – I’ve seen no end of headphones fail on this, including rival clip-on buds like the Edifier LolliClip. Bass response is improved and you get a decently immersive listening experience – I stuck with 3D mode for much of my testing. There’s also a Bass, Volume Booster and an eight-band custom option for those who aren’t digging the 3D effects.

After getting all set up, I got straight into A Seagull & Clouds by Himiko Kikuchi, a beautiful funk-infused jazz track. The C40i performed very well for a pair of open ear headphones, with subtle percussive elements including tambourines coming through clearly, yet subtly enough to give the expressive trumpet, dancing keys and smooth bass plenty of limelight.

Moving over to Black Eye by Allie X and the pounding drum machine didn’t have the razor sharp speed that I’ve heard from more premium headphones, but its depth was replicated nicely, especially given the C40i’s open build. Higher pitched vocal segments sounded perfectly clear at medium volumes but could sound a little harsh at top levels.

Overall, I’d argue that the C40i sound above-average for a pair of open ear headphones. There’s no LDAC for ‘hi-res’ listening and you’re unlikely to be wowed by massive sub-bass, for example. But these do still offer up surprisingly good separation and impressively immersive overall sound, which is to be applauded.

There’s no noise cancelling here, as seen with some open ear headphones like the Honor Earbuds Open. And if you pair that with the C40i’s inherently leaky open design, you can expect listening sessions to be significantly interrupted if you’re in busy areas.

That could be a big win if you’re concerned about the risks of using ANC-enabled buds in traffic-heavy areas for your morning run. But if you’re instead looking to shut out the world around you, don’t worry – you can check out our guide to the best noise cancelling earbuds instead!

Someone picking Anker Soundcore C40i out of charging case — (Image credit: Future)

In general, there really aren’t a ton of features to play around with on the Soundcore C40i. Again, you can adjust EQ in the super easy-to-use app, which also shows devices connected with multi-point and battery life remaining for each bud and the charging case. The only other major inclusion is customizable button controls. You can assign a different function to tapping once, twice, or three times on the buds’ buttons. Options include playback control, voice assistant activation and volume adjustment.

The decision to use traditional button controls was also one that I had no issue with whatsoever. Sure, it’s not the most modern approach, but it removes the frustration I’ve experienced when accidentally triggering touch commands on rivals like the Happy Plugs Clip. These buttons also let you take or reject calls, which brings me onto mic quality. I found the C40i performed nicely, with clear speech on both calls and a voice recording. Background static was very limited and I wasn’t subjected to harsh sibilance either – no complaints here!

Outside of their button controls, I didn’t quite fall in love with the C40i’s design, though. Firstly, they’re not particularly pretty, with the Midnight model I tested having an almost muddy shade to it. The case also feels a little chunky and positioning the sync button on the underside of the case is a little odd – not that I really needed it thanks to the C40i automatically pairing to my phone via Bluetooth 5.4.

I also didn’t find these open ear headphones to be particularly comfortable. They were a little tight for me, so I rarely found myself keeping them on for longer than a couple of hours at a time. That’s something that the slightly newer, more expensive model, the Anker Soundcore AeroClip corrected with a more flexible build.

A couple more things before I stop moaning – both the C40i’s waterproofing and battery life are markedly average, with a number of competitors outperforming them. They’re just IPX4-rated, meaning they can handle some water splashes and sweat, but might not be the best with water jets or submersion. That’s not the case for a model like the IP57-rated Huawei FreeArc, which have plenty of protection against the elements. And you’re getting a moderate eight hours of playtime from the buds and maximum 21 hours with the case – again, nothing special.

The C40i still plate up impressive audio in 3D sound mode and I’m a big fan of the Soundcore companion app, so their list price of $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99 is hardly outrageous. But you can do better. Specifically, the newer Anker Soundcore AeroClip are a more rounded, comfortable pick and only cost a touch more. And if you’re on a tighter budget, you can grab an excellent budget alternative like the Huawei FreeArc, which I’ve spotted on sale for less than £80 fairly regularly – but more on these below.

Anker Soundcore C40i review: specs

Waterproof rating	IPX4
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds); 21 hours (with charging case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.4
Weight	5.8g (per bud); 40g (charging case)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz

Anker Soundcore C40i with one of the earbuds outside of the charging case — (Image credit: Future)

Anker Soundcore C40i review: price and availability

$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99
Launched in October 2024

The clip-styled Anker Soundcore C40i released in October 2024 alongside a more traditional open ear model, the Anker Soundcore Aerofit 2. You can grab this model in three colorways: Desert Bronze; Midnight (black); or my personal favorite, Champagne Mist, which is a see-through variant, similar to the Sony WF-C710.

The C40i launched with a list price of $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99, which is in the budget-to-midrange category. It’s worth noting that this model is significantly pricier than its predecessor, the Anker Soundcore C30i, which are typically $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99.99. On the other hand, you’ll have to shell out $129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210) for the more recent (and superior) Anker Soundcore AeroClip.

Anker Soundcore C40i against block — (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Anker Soundcore C40i?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Solid mic quality, effective 3D sound mode, battery life just OK, no ANC.	3.5/5
Sound quality	Need some tuning, but offer solid bass output and clear audio for open ears.	4/5
Design	Not the most comfortable, average waterproofing, nice button controls.	3/5
Value	Fairly priced but you can do better in a similar price range.	3.5/5

Buy them if...

You’re on a budget
With a sub-$100 / £100 list price, the Anker Soundcore C40i are far from the most expensive open ear headphones on the market. They’re a bit less than the newer AeroClip model, making them a solid budget alternative.

You’re not into touch controls
If you don’t want fiddly touch controls then you’re in luck, because the C40i stick with good ‘ol buttons. You can customize the button controls in the Soundcore app too, allowing you to assign a different function to one, two, or three button presses.

Don't buy them if...

You’re an audiophile
These sound above average for a pair of open ear headphones, but still, you’re not going to get that rich, detailed and separated sound that a pair of the best wired earbuds can offer, for example.

You’re looking for ANC
Like a lot of open ear headphones, you won’t get ANC out of the Anker Soundcore C40i. Combine that with their open design and you’re going to find that a lot of ambient noise will flow in.

Anker Soundcore C40i review: also consider

	Anker Soundcore C40i	Edifier LolliClip	Huawei FreeArc
Price	$99.99 / £99.99 / AU$149.99	$129.99 (about £100 / AU$210)	£99.99 (about $130 / AU$200)
Waterproof rating	IPX4	IP56	IP57
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds); 21 hours (with charging case)	9 hours (earbuds); 39 hours (with charging case)	7 hours (earbuds), 28 hours (with charging case)
Bluetooth type	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.4	Bluetooth 5.2
Weight	5.8g (per bud); 40g (charging case)	7g (per bud); 46g (charging case)	8.9g (per bud); 67g (charging case)
Frequency range	20Hz-20kHz	20Hz-40kHz	Not stated

Edifier LolliClip
OK, so at the time of writing, this model is only available to those of you in the US, although I got to test them out myself on the other side of the pond. These are a great pair of open ear headphones that have plenty of features – including ANC, heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen tracking. They also supply strong sound quality, a neat design and high comfortability. Sure, their companion app isn’t as sleek as the Soundcore one and EQ options are a bit limited, but they’re still an option that’s well-worth your consideration. Read our full Edifier LolliClip review.

Huawei FreeArc
Conversely, the Huawei FreeArc are an alternate option for UK customers who want a truly excellent open ear experience. We love these buds for their “top-tier sound”, natural fit and competitive price. That’s right, these can also be yours for less than £100 (about $130 / AU$200). Like the C40i, there’s no ANC and battery life won’t blow you away. But still, these are a great value option in a red-hot market. Read our full Huawei FreeArc review.

Anker Soundcore C40i review: How I tested

Anker Soundcore C40i plugged into USB-C charger — (Image credit: Future)

Tested during a one-week period
Used in the office and while out in public
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Anker Soundcore C40i across the course of a week, predominantly when working at Future Labs, but also when out and about. I played around with their full set of features, tuned in for casual and critical listening and assessed their quality across all EQ presets.

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. I also blasted a ton of tunes from my personal music library and compared audio capabilities against the Soundcore AeroClip on ear headphones.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more about how we test

Viaim’s AI recording and transcription earbuds will blow your mind, if you’ll accept ANC that’s just a shade off excellent

1:00 pm | May 10, 2025

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

RecDot Earbuds: Two-minute review

Boy, have I enjoyed my experience with the Viaim RecDot earbuds. Beginning with the AI recording and transcription functionality and ending with the sound quality, there’s very little not to love about Viaim’s latest offering.

The positives begin with the ability to record and transcribe calls, audio/video clips and meetings. This covers all situations and scenarios that you could ever find yourself wanting this type of functionality. I tried all of these features and thankfully found them to be reliable and accurate; otherwise, I would have been left seriously frustrated. My only gripe was that if a speaker (as in, the person speaking) paused for too long, Viaim would insert a full stop. Not very helpful, but perhaps a nice reminder that AI doesn't have consciousness, creativity or actual emotion.

Transcription is extended further by translation tools, the creation of to-do lists and summaries, and sharing audio or transcriptions to other devices. It really is a one-stop shop for managing your professional life. I found that these buds fit seamlessly into all aspects of my life, but especially at work.

I’ve already mentioned how impressed I was with the sound quality, but my brief comment deserves expansion. Having listened to music and carried out calls with friends and colleagues, I think Viaim has hit the mark across the board for detail across the frequencies. Remarkably, I found that I could just as easily discern a caller’s words while in a busy location as I could enjoy soulful tunes having sunk into my favorite chair for the night.

In short, far from being AI earbuds with average sound quality that you have to put up with, these are buds that are as good as much of the competition out there at the moment. The fact that they also transcribe recordings like a pro is ever more impressive.

From a design point of view, the RecDot are slightly chunkier than I would have liked, although they look pretty good for it. They’re not the snuggest fit and therefore aren’t really suitable for intense exercise, but they’re fine for when you’re sat at a computer, commuting or in a meeting.

Each bud comes with a long stem which houses a sensor for picking up presses and swipes. I would love to have had a recognition tone or perhaps haptic feedback integration, as it can at times be difficult to tell if your touches have been picked up. The buds sit cosily in the charging case, which offers a total of 36 hours of life, with each bud able to hold a maximum of 9 hours of power. All of this is more than enough to keep you going even through the busiest of days.

At $249.99 / £185 / AU$375, they’re not the cheapest buds around, but I wouldn’t compare them like-for-like against any other alternative on the market right now. These are excellent-sounding buds that deliver game-changing transcription. If you’re looking to save time in (and after) work meetings, there’s no easier way than with Viaim’s RecDot.

Any flies in the ointment? One or two; the case lid feels a tad flimsy and the ANC is fine rather than fantastic. OK, so they're unlikely to ever make it into our guide to the best noise cancelling earbuds, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they popped up in our broader best earbuds guide. I also think that if ever we created a ‘best earbuds for AI’ category (can't be long, surely?) the RecDot would be a front-runner.

Viaim RecDot Earbuds review: Price & release date

Released January 2025
Priced $249.99 / £185 / AU$375

As Viaim’s flagship product, the RecDot earbuds attract a premium price tag. Early AI adopters might be able to stomach the price, but if you only have a passing interest in how AI can streamline your workflows, you might not be convinced.

It’s difficult to bring a direct price comparison given there are so few AI earbuds on the market that can do everything these earbuds can. One example would be the Aidio X1 AI Earbuds for $149, but we’ve not yet tested those – oh, and Samsung's Galaxy Buds can do the real-time translation trick (and have been able to for a little while now) provided you've got a Samsung phone.

A helpful comparison is always Apple's AirPods Pro 2, which usually cost under $199 / £199 / AU$349. Let's not mince words – the design correlation between Apple's buds and Viaim's newer effort is striking. If you go for the RecDot earbuds, you’ll be sacrificing ANC quality, but for the extra money, you’ll get an abundance of useful hearing health features that are well worth the money (especially if you own an iPhone).

Viaim RecDot Earbuds review: Specifications

Viaim RecDot Earbuds review: Features

Excellent AI recording
Live transcription
Smart ANC leaves a little to be desired

When you buy a pair of the best wireless earbuds, you’ll be looking for great audio, excellent ANC and a snug fit. What most people are not looking for is an extensive set of recording and transcription services. But just because you might not have been looking for them, doesn’t mean you don’t need 'em.

With that introduction out of the way, are you ready for some seriously good features? Let’s begin with recording. There are three primary ways your set of RecDot Earbuds can do this, including call recording, audio/video recording, or live recording. The first will transcribe in real-time during a system or VoIP call. The second transcribes speeches in an audio or video clip, again in real time. The last transcribes live when you are in face-to-face dialog or in a small meeting room.

No matter how you access these recordings and transcriptions, you’ll find them to be reliable, comprehensive and useful for everyday purposes. I used it to make written notes from my own voice, to access a transcription of a conversation with a friend, and in a meeting with colleagues.

The Viaim software was able to pick up what was being said with very few issues or errors. The only snafu I experienced was that if I or someone else spoke too slowly or paused, Viaim would think it needed to begin a new sentence even if that wasn’t the speaker’s intention. So, you'll need to sub-edit your notes afterwards, but I find that's true of all note-taking software. I’d definitely like to see some post-AI tools that can sweep through the text and bring corrections, but it's still a neat perk.

What is maybe even more impressive than real-time transcription is that Viaim is able to distinguish between different speakers and mark them accordingly. I found this feature to be surprisingly reliable, making it a good fit for creating extensive meeting notes about who said what.

Transcriptions can also be simultaneously translated into up to 14 languages. With support for English, Chinese, French, German, and others, Viaim has covered a very high percentage of the world’s languages. I wasn’t involved in any bilingual meetings during my time of testing, but I can imagine how helpful this would be to non-native speakers.

The final AI feature to mention is the meeting assistant, which extracts concise summaries and actionable to-do items from lengthy recordings. If my mind hadn’t already been blown, then it most certainly was when I tested this feature. I couldn’t believe how accurately it was able to determine who needed to do what. It also did it remarkably quickly. My experience of this particular feature rings true through all the AI tools: impressive, reliable, and accurate.

Let’s finish by talking ANC. The 'Smart ANC' in the RecDot claims to reduce ambient noise by up to 48 dB, which would make it more than capable of drowning out most ambient noise. They don’t nix noise to the level of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but they’re still capable enough for general everyday use. Given that they’ll be used primarily in office settings, you’re unlikely to need the highest-performing ANC buds – although for long-haul flights their minor shortcomings when it comes to jet engine noise cancellation could be more noticeable.

Features score: 4.5/5

RecDot Earbuds review: Sound quality

Vibrant, detailed, and crisp
Only one profile works for those with broad music tastes
ANC can be hit and miss, but auto option is best

I began by firing up Azizam by Ed Sheeran. The RecDot are able to deliver high levels of vibrancy with the strong dance beat punching through, without fighting against the vocals. While I was in an Ed Sheeran mood, I jumped into Galway Girl and sat back to enjoy the surprisingly wide soundstage. I would have taken a little more detail across the listening experience, but in general, it was all very pleasant.

Transitioning to a more sombre mood, I hit play on The Curse by Agnes Obel. Obel’s voice rises above the beautifully defined plucking of strings, delivering a near-perfect blend of instruments and notes. Alongside numerous other tracks, I was keen to play something layered, complex and gentle. I turned to the theme from Jurassic Park, by John Williams. Given this track's multiple instruments, I was pleased to hear the distinction between the flutes, piano and in fact all other sections of the orchestra. Well done, Viaim.

Most of my testing was carried out using the 'balanced' sound setting, although I did have a play around with other options, including pop, bass boost, and electronic. These other profiles were fantastic for specific tracks, but given my broad music tastes, I found them unreliable across multiple genres. I would therefore recommend sticking with the default unless you have reason to change it.

It was a similar story when it came to ANC. There’s the option to set it to low, middle, or high, but I found these weren’t reliable enough across a wide range of environments. I opted instead for the auto option and let the RecDot do the work. It’s fair to say that this did affect the sound, negatively at times, but it was better than choosing one of the three predefined options.

All that being said, I wouldn’t buy these buds purely for their sound quality. As good as they are, audiophile purists will want a dedicated pair of earbuds or headphones – probably with wires to their source device. The RecDot are for audio lovers who want more from their buds, namely a meeting companion that gets the job done.

Sound quality score: 4/5

RecDot Earbuds review: Design

Accessible recording controls
Well-designed case that’s easy to use
Plenty of eartip options

The RecDot earbuds look pretty similar to almost all other long-stemmed earbuds, although they feel a little bulkier in the hand than something like the AirPods Pro. The additional size is no doubt due to the extra recording features that make the RecDot stand out from the competition.

The sensor strip is located on the stem and provides all on-board controls. The sensor supports five types of interaction with a simple slide increasing and decreasing the volume. I don’t mind sensors instead of buttons, but only if they work well. I found the RecDot earbuds a little fiddly to operate, especially the triple press to go to the previous track. Part of this will be personal preference, but I feel there’s some fine-tuning required.

The also buds ship in black, although I was sent the silver colorway. Both look smart, but I think the black offers a slightly more premium appearance. To help with fitting, Viaim supplies five different sizes of dustproof eartips. They’re a little bit fiddly to swap out, although I’ve never experienced a problem-free eartip change on any earbuds I’ve used to date. Finding the correct size of eartip took a little time, but I was glad to have an abundance to choose from.

With an IP55 rating, the RecDot earbuds are resistant to dust and water. That means you’ll be fine if sweat and rain are your only concerns, but if you’re looking to do anything more adventurous, then they’ll come up lacking. Given their recording and translation talents, these aren’t designed for extreme sports anyway.

Before moving onto the case, the only other thing to mention is that the 11mm dynamic drivers are coated in titanium, which provides the highest possible strength-to-weight ratio. This makes sure they are as light and strong as possible.

No pair of wireless earbuds would be complete without a charging case. Aside from the slightly flimsy sliding top, I only have positive things to say about it. The buds magnetically slot in with a seriously satisfying click, with zero chance of them falling out despite serious shaking. And yes, I did try!

The case supports USB-C charging, which delivers a total of 36 hours of battery life. Each charge will only give the buds a maximum of 9 hours, although this is more than enough for a full day of listening to your favorite music – and quite competitive.

The final element of the charging case is the physical record button. Offering one-click recording during meetings, all you have to do is place an earbud in the charging case, hit record, and wait for either the left or right indicator to flash. I love this feature and have used it regularly. My only bugbear is that I think this record button should double up as a ‘now recording’ light. In my opinion this would be far more satisfying and demonstrative than a dim blinking indicator on a bud.

Design score: 4/5

RecDot Earbuds review: Value

AI features to die for
Admirable sound considering the extra perks
Competitive battery life

At $249.99 / £185 the Viaim RedCot are far from cheap. You’re paying a premium price for a fully featured set of innovative earbuds. Whether they’re worth the money will hang solely on whether you will utilize their AI features. If you’re only concerned about design and sound then I’d perhaps nudge you towards the much more affordable AirPods 4 with ANC instead.

The AI recording tools are far above the biggest strength of Viaim’s latest buds. Record calls on your phone or at on-site meetings and view translations in realtime. With a capture distance of up to 7 metres you’ll be covered no matter where you’re sitting. I appreciate that you could download software to do this but to have all this tech alongside very capable sound performers makes the recording and listening workflow beautifully seamless.

Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the RecDot Earbuds review:

Buy them if...

You want on-board recording capabilities
Not only do the RecDot buds sound fantastic, but they also record audio and transcribe it.

You need a meeting assistant
Extract concise summaries and create actionable to-do lists from lengthy recordings.

You want a great all-rounder
With fantastic sound, decent ANC, good battery life and AI smarts, these are the buds that do it all.

Don't buy them if...

You’re on a budget
At $249.99 / £185, there are much more affordable alternatives.

You must have tight fitting earbuds
They fit fairly well, but I wouldn’t call them a super secure or sports-optimised fit.

Sound is your only priority
The Viaim RecDot do sound good, but there are superior alternatives on the market if detailed, nuanced, neutral audio is your chief concern.

RecDot Earbuds review: Also consider

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Prefer device-agnostic head-tracked spatial audio plus some of the best ANC in the business? These September 2023-issue earbuds from Bose are a great shout – and the in-ear security is nearly as good as the Powerbeats Pro 2. You'll have to forego a bit of stamina (it's only 6 hours here) and transcription/translation, but the noise-cancellation is superior.
Read more in our Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds review

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
The ANC-off and transparency profiles are much more enjoyable here – as is the sound quality generally. You also get a similar battery life and the option of Matt Berry on voice prompts (his "Waiting to pair!" is a delight). The overall aesthetic isn't as striking though, and they aren't as secure in your ears – also you can forget about meeting transcription…
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 review

How I tested the RecDot Earbuds

Tested for three weeks at work, home, while exercising
Listened to Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer on a MacBook Pro, and iPhone

I began by getting them fitted correctly. This was helped by the numerous ear tips provided and the in-app test that covered both sound quality and noise reduction. With that out of the way and my app fully configured, I was ready to test them out in earnest.

Given their AI recording smarts, I was keen to focus my attention on that in the first instance. This mean utilizing them in meetings, conversations, and when I'm on my own. I tested all the different workflows for recording and transcription alongside all the finer elements of functionality. The only part I wasn’t able to test accurately was the translation feature.

Once I was happy with that, I turned my attention to sound quality and ANC. With Ed Sheeran, Agnes Obel and John Williams all lined up alongside TechRadar's trusted track list, I sat back and let my ears do the work.

First reviewed: May 2025
Read more on how we test earbuds at TechRadar

AceFast’s open-ear offering has all the trappings of the best cheap open earbuds… except the price

12:30 pm | April 23, 2025

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

AceFast AceFit Pro: Two minute review

Having tested several of the best open-ear headphones now, I’ve been waiting for a really affordable pair of earbuds to shake up this burgeoning and relatively new audio market that's perhaps still looking for a reliable budget offering. So when I heard that AceFast had made some open-fit earbuds, I was ready to be excited – however, I was wrong to be.

AceFast isn’t a big player in the game yet, but I tested the AceFast T9 last year, and loved the funky look, low price and emphasis on usability. I was expecting the new AceFit Pro to replicate all three of these traits, then. Sadly, it only actually nails one.

Arguably, the one attribute it does nail is the most important check-box for open earbuds. These designs typically hover just over the ear canal instead of sitting in it, to ensure you can hear your surroundings while listening to music. And AceFast’s have a reliable, comfortable fit that doesn’t wobble in your ear or fall out without warning, issues other open-ears have certainly fallen foul of.

But AceFast drops the ball with the other two traits. The price is one, as not only are they not cheap earbuds, they’re actually more expensive than some impressive mid-range rivals from Honor and Huawei.

And then there’s the design, which initially began as my favorite thing about these earbuds. Not only do they come in a range of colors, all toting see-through cases with LED lights that you can customize the hue of, but they also boast battery displays. This lets you know the battery percentage left for the case, and how close to fully-charged the buds are. And I absolutely love it – it’s incredibly handy in planning your charging and knowing how much listening time you have left (that’s despite the battery life being pretty awful, all things considered).

Unfortunately, the AceFit Pro’s design is its biggest strength but also its biggest weakness, with a few sad and curious design choices. The sad one is that, like many other cheap earbuds, the case is unreliable – just two weeks into my testing, the right earbud developed a problem that meant the case didn’t always recognize its presence. It wouldn’t always charge when in the case, or turned on when removed, and though removing and reinserting the bud several times would generally resolve the issue, it’s not a good sign for the longevity of the AceFast AceFit Pro.

The ‘curious’ decision I spoke of was to put the charging port on the underside of the case. To power it up, you have to flip it on its back like a beached turtle.

Beyond that, the AceFast AceFit Pro don’t do that much to impress. They have a limited range of features (though they do have an equalizer at least, which you can’t say about all open-ears) and the audio quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Most of these issues could be hand-waved with the simple explanation that cheap earbuds aren’t perfect, and that’s what I did a lot of the time during my testing… but the inescapable fact is that the AceFast AceFit Pro aren’t actually that low-cost. They just have all the hallmarks of cheap earbuds – and all in all, that makes them hard to recommend.

AceFast AceFit Pro review: Specifications

AceFast AceFit Pro review: Price and availability

The Acefast Acefit Pro on a window sill — (Image credit: Future)

Kickstarter campaign ran Jan-Feb 2025, now selling via Amazon
Priced $159.99 (roughly £120, AU$250)
Cheaper option is AceFit Pro at $79.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$160)

The AceFast AceFit Pro were launched on Kickstarter, in a campaign which ran from mid-January to late-February 2025. Nowadays, though, you can buy them on Amazon, and I’m going to use this price as a guide instead of the Kickstarter fee, as it’s the only way for new buyers to pick up the buds.

At the time of writing, the AceFast AceFit Pro are on sale in the US and not the UK or Australia, though based on precedent (and the Pro's siblings, which we'll get to) I'd expect them to hit Amazon's UK site at some point soon.

You can pick the buds up for $159.99 (roughly £120, AU$250) so they’re mid-range open earbuds, in the rough price bracket that most rivals inhabit (although towards on the higher end of the spectrum than most contemporaries).

For some context, the also-open-ear AceFast AceFit Air sell for $79.99 / £79.99 (roughly AU$160) so those at least are affordable earbuds.

AceFast AceFit Pro review: Design

Funky battery display and see-through parts
Weird-placed charging port
Earbud recognition/charging issues

It’s unusual to find much to say about the case of headphones; that’s never the case with AceFast products. The case – which you can pick up in white, pink, purple or green, as with the buds – is transparent, letting users pretend they’re putting on gadgets from the noughties instead of the twenties.

That’s not all, as the case also has a digital battery display that shows you the overall power of the case in a percentage, as well as the charge in each bud while they’re enclosed. This isn’t just a funky design element but a really useful way to know that your case is fully charged, to prevent overcharging, and to remind you when it needs charging too. I really appreciated this feature and it deserves being mentioned in the ‘Pros’ list of this review.

The feature came in handy when (and this is where things take a turn for the worse) it showed me that one of the buds wasn’t charging. The AceFit Pro buds weren’t always good at recognizing that they were in their charging case: they wouldn’t begin powering up when inserted, or automatically turn on when taken out, and I’d have to wiggle the buds or remove and re-insert them for it to work. I can’t say whether this was a problem with my review unit or a larger issue with the device but it’s not an uncommon headache among cheap earbuds (and in the case of these buds, it didn’t completely scupper the buds, which isn’t always true).

This feature is potentially disastrous, so if you’re confused why I’m not making a bigger deal about it than I am, it’s because the buds still worked, and because I can’t say with any certainty that it’s not just my review unit. It seems unlikely, but it’s not impossible.

As well as the battery display, the case has an array of LED lights to fully embody that noughties aesthetic. You can change the color of this via the app, and since it only turns on when the case is open there’s no need to turn it off.

The case is quite thin, and it’s light too at just 74g. It looks like it’s made from cheap plastic, as you can probably see from the images, but it actually feels surprisingly premium and solid when you get your mitts on it. It’s also sturdy, as I found out through dropping it repeatedly. This wasn’t my butter-fingers but a symptom of the shape of the case: it’s rounded like a pebble, not even flat on the bottom, and so it had a habit of sliding off things I put it on if they weren’t totally flat.

Another weird quirk of the case is that the charging port is on the bottom, meaning you need to turn the case on its back like a flipped turtle in order to power it up – apparently AceFast didn’t take notes from the Apple Magic Mouse. Functionally it doesn’t have much of an effect but it means you can’t really see the battery display while charging, and it frankly looks pretty silly too.

Finally, we move to the earbuds. These will look pretty standard to people familiar with open earbuds: A large pill that hovers over your ears, and a sports loop that ends in a counterweight ad battery pack behind the ear. Your earbuds will be the same color as your charging case.

The AceFit Pro buds are comfortable and lightweight to wear, at 7.8g each. I only rarely found issues with them wobbling too much during exercise, and they felt pretty flexible to fit different ears too. They’re also protected against sweat with an IP54 rating.

There’s a touch-sensitive area on the buds’ body for gesture controls, but this was less reliable than South London buses and I rapidly gave up any hope of using them.

Something that may impress certain users (and upset others) is that the AceFast logo on each bud lights up, which is a lot more obvious than the simple, single LED that most buds have. I’ll admit I did feel quite self-conscious working out with a giant glowing logo on each ear, but the app does let you turn this off.

Design score: 2.5/5

AceFast AceFit Pro review: Features

6-hour battery life (25 for case) or less
AceFast app brings few features
Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity

Even early into my testing for the AceFit Pro, I was surprised by how quickly the battery level dropped. AceFast says the buds have a battery life of 6 hours and the case bumps that to 25 hours, both relatively low figures compared to rivals. But read the fine print and you discover that that’s listening at just 60% volume – I don’t think I ever listened with the volume this quiet.

In my personal testing, I found the AceFit Pro to have a battery life of about five hours, listening at around 80%-90% of their volume (out and about I generally used them one or two volume increments below max volume). That is, frankly, pretty awful battery life – even the AirPods Pro 2 beat that! You know if your product is beaten in battery life by a 2022 Apple option, it’s not quite up to par.

The AceFit Pro can pair to the AceFast phone app, but it doesn’t offer all features that buyers might hope for. No ANC, no find-my-buds feature, no listening tests, but at least there’s an 8-band equalizer and a few presets, as well as the ability to change gesture controls.

It feels like the main point of the app is to customize the LED lights of the bud and case. You can toggle whether the AceFast logo lights up on the buds and change the light color and effect pattern of the case. It’s not exactly a feature which makes the app a must-download, I'd say.

The AceFit Pro connect to your phone with Bluetooth 5.4 and I never had any issues with it during my testing.

Features score: 3/5

AceFast AceFit Pro review: Sound performance

The Acefast Acefit Pro in a man's ear. — (Image credit: Future)

20x8mm driver
V-shaped audio profile loses mids
Some peaking

If, like me, you’re used to cheap-and-cheery AceFast buds sounding… well, cheap, then you might be surprised to peruse a little down the AceFit Pro specs list: three-magnet 20x8mm speakers, bass enhancement tech and a special design to reduce sound loss – it's all painting a very pretty picture.

The acoustic design sadly comes to nothing, because these earbuds simply don’t sound amazing, embodying once again AceFast’s modus operandi of ‘cheap and cheerful’. The audio is fine for the budget-conscious end of the market, but the AceFit Pro can't compete with the big dogs they find themselves up against at this price.

The buds have quite dramatic V-shaped audio – bass and treble vocals abound, but at the expense of just about anything else. As I write this, I’m listening to Counting Crows’ Omaha. I can hear the vocals and bass well but the accordion frequently trails off into nothingness and the acoustic guitar is almost totally missing.

It doesn’t help that audio isn’t very detailed, with character and texture missing from instruments and vocals. And this is when I’m listening indoors – as open-ear users will know, buds like this sound much worse when you’re out and about and they’re competing with every passing bus, street busker and annoying fellow human playing social media videos straight out of their phone's speakers instead of using their own headphones.

For what it's worth, audio loss outside isn't as bad on some other buds I've tested. It's still noticeable, but that's hard to avoid due to the nature of open-ears.

There’s some peaking going on here too, though it’s admittedly hidden well by the fact it’s largely happening in the midrange frequencies – which are so lost in the mix themselves that you might not notice!

I can see buyers looking for simple workout buds finding the AceFit Pro acceptable due to the audio profile, but audiophiles – the few of them who’d ever consider open earbuds – won’t love these buds.

Sound performance score: 3/5

AceFast AceFit Pro review: Value

The AceFast AceFit Pro have all the trappings of the best cheap open-ear buds… except the price.

If these buds had launched for more than a third less (or even better, half the price), I’d be hailing them as a great option for budget-conscious buyers, however the various issues are hard to overlook when you consider the price you’re paying for these earbuds. The low battery life, unimpressive audio and possible longevity concerns all hurt when you’re paying $160 (or equivalent) for earbuds. The competition at this level is fierce – and AceFast simply hasn't aced it.

If you can find the AceFit Pro for below $100 (or equivalent), they could be worth picking up, but it’s hard to recommend them even then, especially when the AceFit Air are still cheaper.

Value score: 3/5

AceFast AceFit Pro: scorecard

AceFast AceFit Pro: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

You like the battery display

The battery display is a really useful feature that I've loved on various AceFast gadgets, as it's both functional and fun.

You want a reliable on-ear fit

I've tested a fair few open-ear buds that don't sit still when you're walking, running or working out, so sometimes it's nice for buds to just fit reliably.

You find them majorly discounted

The AceFit Pro doesn't offer a great value-for-money proposition, but that could change if you find them with a meaty discount.

Don't buy them if...

You need to listen for long periods of time

Sub-6-hour battery life gadgets are always hard to recommend, due to many use cases requiring longer-lasting buds.

You're worried about how long they'll last

The fact that my buds kept falling off surfaces and partly broke may put off people who've been burned by cheap tech before.

You want top-tier audio

Actually, you can get great audio in an open-ear design (from Huawei or Honor, see below), but if audio quality is your chief concern, you won't enjoy the AceFit Pro.View Deal

Also consider

Huawei FreeArc

These are the best open-ear buds I've tested and they significantly undercut the AceFast AceFit Pro. They sound great, they last longer in your ears and they fit comfortably.

Read our full Huawei FreeArc review

AceFast AceFit Air

The Pro's siblings, which I haven't actually tested, seem to be everything the Pro aren't. They're more affordable, last longer and weigh less, yet don't sound any worse and seem to fit just the same. You're missing out on the battery display, mostly.

How I tested

I tested the Acefast AceFit Pro for two weeks in order to write this review, though I continued to test them for an extra week during the writing process.

The use cases match how I tested many rivals: I paired them to an Android smartphone (and, a few times, a Windows laptop) to go on walks, work at home or in the office, go on runs, cycle around my city and work out at the gym.

I have six years of experience testing tech for TechRadar, which includes many earbuds. I've tested five different pairs of open-ear buds in the last four months and have plenty more waiting to be tested...

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.