Denon AH-C500W: Two-minute review

It’s something of a cliche among tech writers and audio fans to refer to any stem earbuds as a ‘cheap AirPods alternative’, before heaping upon it praise for being just as passable a pair of headphones as Apple’s are, or superior in some arbitrary way. I was almost ready to trot out that same, somewhat tired comparison with the new Denon AH-C500W to be perfectly honest. That was until I realised it was actually incorrect.

Not the part about them being AirPods rivals – you’ve seen the picture at the top of this review, even AirPods’ mom wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between her child and the Denon. And not about them being cheaper either; the AH-C500W do undercut Apple’s options.

No, I’m talking about the new Denon earbuds being superior. The Denon don’t have any unique selling point to beat the AirPods, no untouchable audio quality to keep them competitive, and a price that isn’t actually that cheap, in the grand scheme of things. If you’ve got an Android phone and so can’t use AirPods to anywhere near their full potential, here’s Denon, but if not they’re harder to recommend – and that's coming from me, an AirPods naysayer.

If you’ve not heard of Denon (not to be confused with Danone of yogurt fame), it's a celebrated Japanese audio company mainly focused on larger speakers, soundbars and AV set-ups, but also selling choice premium headphones and earbuds too. In this gilded array the AH-C500W are the odd duck, coming at a much more affordable price point than basically everything else on Denon’s website.

A blast from the past, the C500W use an open-fit ear design. No, not the fully open earbuds that’ve been launching left, right and center throughout 2025, but like AirPods: they sit in your ear but without any tip to wedge it in there. Instead, you cross your fingers and pray to whomever you believe in that they don’t fall out. In my testing the Denon never actually did, but they’d often move around in my outer ear slightly, which would affect music quality – and when I tried to fix it, the oversensitive touch controls would think I’d pressed ‘pause’ and stop my music. Not very handy.

Audio quality is actually fair, at least when you’re at home, but step outdoors into the noisy world and the lack of any kind of noise cancellation will have an audible effect on your listening. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) isn’t mandatory in earbuds, but open designs block virtually no noise, and I found myself wishing for ear tips to offer some relief from background noise.

Something else missing from the Denon AH-C500W is an app… that does anything truly meaningful. That is to say there is an app, but its only functions are to turn off touch controls or adjust your listening using the most barebones EQ I’ve ever seen.

If there’s anything resoundingly positive to be said for the Denon, it’s the design. AirPods comparisons aside these are sleek-looking, lightweight when in your ear and easy to tote around thanks to the tiny carry case. The latter in particular was a source of joy when going out with the earbuds – sometimes I test buds with huge containers that are a pain to put in my pocket, but not the Denons.

Denon AH-C500W review: Price and release date

• Unveiled and released in April 2025
• Costs $99 / £99 (roughly AU$209)
• Already available cheaper

The Denon AH-C500W earbuds were announced in April 2025 and went on sale shortly afterwards. They were joined in this release by the AH-C840NCW, a slightly more expensive alternative which comes with ear tips and noise cancellation.

When announced, the buds were given the price of $99 / £99 (roughly AU$209) but three months later at the time of writing this review, the UK price is already down by £10 on Denon’s official website (and not via a sale, but as the default price) so you can pick them up for below RRP very easily.

I’ll save you clicking over to its review; the also-devoid-of-ANC Apple AirPods 4 cost $129 / £129 / AU$219 so they’re only slightly more expensive. That’s not the only competitor at this price point though and the splendid Nothing Ear (a), the Skullcandy Method 360 and Sony WF-C710N all match the Denon (in at least one country each, although in some others they're a hair pricier).

While the Denon AH-C500W are cheaper than the AirPods 4, it wouldn’t be right to refer to them as ‘cheap’ earbuds, and they’d need to cost at least 30% less to be considered budget alternatives.

Denon AH-C500W review: Specs

Denon AH-C500W review: Features

• 7-hour battery life, 25 with case
• No noise cancellation of any kind
• App has few features

Pick up the Denon AH-C500W if you think the AirPods 4’s 5-hour battery life is awful – the Denon doesn’t do an awful lot better, but at least it’s not so noticeably below the class-leaders.

According to Denon’s stats – which I’d back, from my experience – the earbuds will last for 7 hours on a full battery. That’s roughly in line with industry standards, but remember that anything that’s average is worse than literally half of all other options. The charging case brings the full figure up to 24 hours which isn’t amazing either, and actually falls short of Apple, possibly because Denon opted to add wireless charging support instead of a bigger battery.

In the ‘Features’ section of our reviews, we generally talk about earbuds’ noise cancellation. The C500W doesn’t have any, something I bring up just in case anyone skipped the introduction to this review (no judgement, I sometimes do the same thing). If you use these, expect to hear what’s going on around you.

For the vast majority of my testing time, I used the Denon without a tie-in app, finding that searching ‘Denon’ in the Play Store brought up an AVR remote, and the buds work just fine without an app. Towards the end of the review period I realised that had I simply scrolled down I would have discovered that there actually is an app, called Denon Headphones, which I missed below myriad other apps from the company.

Downloading the app didn’t actually make much of a difference to my user experience though, and that’s because it doesn’t really add too many perks and features.

Nowhere is that exemplified more than in the equalizer, a feature which many would argue is all but necessary in earbuds these days. It’s the most barebones music customizer I’ve seen, offering a 5-band EQ and no presents, and I needed to slide each band to its extreme to hear even a noticeable difference.

Beyond that you’ve got a way to turn off and on touch controls, and to change some of the triggers (but not all of them), monitor which devices are connected to the buds and turn on LE Audio. Regarding the middle point, the buds offer Multi-point connection so you can use the Denon alongside two phones, tablets or computers at once, which is useful and becoming an industry standard now. Also, they're Auracast ready, another (hopefully) soon-to-be industry standard perk.

The AH-C500W do have one feature I really liked though. There’s wearer detection which you can customize by bud, so you can set up music to pause if you remove, say, the left earbud but not the right one, or only if you remove both buds. As someone who likes the idea of auto-pausing music but finds it annoying that songs stop if I remove one bud just to readjust it or as a polite gesture, this was a wonderful fix.

• Features score: 3.5/5

Denon AH-C500W review: Design

• Light, compact case and buds
• Unreliable fit due to lack of tip
• Black or white color options

I loved how small the Denon AH-C500W case is, definitely one of the teeniest carry cases I’ve seen in the wireless earbuds realm. It measures 58 x 48 x 28mm, and weighs 50g.

In a rare diversion from the AirPods playbook it’s a short and wide pebble-style case that opens to reveal the whole bud, not just the top, and I find this kind of design makes it easier to remove the bud. The only feature of note is a USB-C charging port on the back.

You can pick up the Denon in either white or black, and both the buds and case come in your chosen hue.

The earbuds weigh 4.5g and they’re dead ringers for AirPods, from their open design which means they hang (relatively) loose in your ear, to the stem which dangles down from your ear, and even down to the fact that the bud is angled slightly along your cheek.

Copying is largely accepted in the tech world, but I wish Denon had copied from another design playbook than the AirPods’, because the AH-C500W carries over all of the design's shortcomings. With that comment I’m largely looking at the open design, which means the body of the bud is wedged in your ear without a silicon tip or sports loop to keep it in place. A replaceable ear tip can offer some insulation from outside sound and keep an earbud from jostling around in your ear. The lack of it also means that the Denon is susceptible to sound leakage (both from outside to the listener, and from the buds to people nearby) and doesn’t sit particularly still in your ear.

The latter point isn’t horrible, and I’ve tested earbuds (even tip-bearing ones) that are worse, but almost every time I took the C500W for a walk I’d find myself fiddling with them to ensure they were sitting in my ear right – and after 10 minutes of walking they’d have shifted, and I’d have to repeat this process all over again.

The Denon have a touch control that you can press several times or hold for different controls, and the lack of a visual or touch indicator as to where this haptic button is means that you have to get used to the design yourself. And do you remember me saying I had to constantly fiddle with the earbuds in the last paragraph? Yeah – good luck doing so without accidentally pressing the enigmatic ‘pause’ button.

The buds have an IPX4 resistance to water, which makes them sweat-proof but not ready to survive jets of water.

• Design score: 3.5/5

Denon AH-C500W review: Sound quality

• Sole 12mm driver
• Detailed sound, if you can even hear it
• Lots of distortion in certain genres

The Denon pack 12mm drivers and 2 microphones each. A more intriguing feature present is called Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology or Masimo AAT, which Denon previously used in some other of its wireless earbuds. This is mentioned only on Denon’s website right at the bottom, and not in its app or marketing materials, so it’s hard to know what it actually does. Masimo’s own website suggests that it’s a listening test to create a personal listening profile, but no such feature is present in the app.

The audio quality of the AH-C500W is mixed, but that’s a mix of highs and lows. There’s a lot of quality and detail in music – you can hear the timbre and individual strings of a guitar strum, the bowing of a violin – but then there’s also quite a bit of peaking on instruments like hi-hats, acoustic guitars and percussions.

Your mileage with the buds will vary dramatically based on what kind of music you listen to. Certain genres will feed you a cacophony of hisses and hums, with instruments that the Denon distorts too easily, but when listening to other genres I could go for multiple songs without hearing an issue, and while enjoying top-quality music.

The sound profile of the buds is largely neutral, though there’s a more emphatic and pronounced bass than I was expecting given the form factor. That form factor is, at the end of the day, the biggest issue with the AH-C500W’s music quality. However songs sound in a vacuum (or at home), they sound a lot worse when outside noise is leaking in, or when your buds are constantly slipping in your ear to change position.

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Denon AH-C500W review: Value

• Not amazing value by default
• Wait for sales to pick up

When I first saw the Denon AH-C500W – and indeed, for the fortnight of testing before I started writing this review – I thought the buds cost about half as much as they actually do.

That’s because I made an assumption based on the feature set, sound quality and design, comparing it to similar traits in other buds on the market, and I presumed that these would cost about £50 / $70 / AU$100. The fact that they actually cost a lot more probably tells you all you need to about their value as a proposition in a hugely congested market.

If you can find them discounted further, the AH-C500W might be worth buying – you don’t have to wait for them to get as low as my presumed price – but at the original retail price, my verdict is that they don’t offer great value for money.

• Value: 3/5

Should I buy the Denon AH-C500W?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Denon AH-C500W review: Also consider

How I tested the Denon AH-C500W

• Tested for at least three weeks
• Tested at home, in the office and on walks

I used the Denon AH-C500W for at least three weeks before writing this review, and possibly for a month (I didn't keep track religiously). I tested them alongside their contemporary siblings, the AH-C840NCW.

The buds were paired with my Android smartphone for testing and I used them on apps like Spotify, YouTube, Netflix and certain games during the testing period. Spotify was the main one though. Testing was done at home, around my neighborhood and at the gym.

I've been reviewing audio products for TechRadar for years now, including products made by many of Denon's rivals.

• First reviewed in July 2025

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

OneOdio OpenRock S2: Two minute review

I’ve tested so many of the best open earbuds recently that they’ve almost started to blur into one, but I’ve never forgotten two of the first open-ears I tested for how unique they were. One of these was the OneOdio OpenRock S – and it has finally seen a successor in the OneOdio OpenRock S2. But the thing is, it’s quite a different proposition.

The OpenRock Pro and OpenRock S were pretty big and bulky open-ears compared to what we’re seeing in 2025 but they were perfect for outdoor adventures or running thanks to their absolutely huge battery life, rugged design and solid, robust, inflexible design.

For better or worse the OpenRock S2 aren’t like the first-gen model but keep closer to current market trends in terms of design and feature set. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but these new buds could be more appealing to a wider audience so I can understand the change.

These are slightly more affordable alternatives to most of the other major open earbuds we’ve seen this year, the majority of which sit just north of the $100 / £100 / AU$200 price line. I’d recommend them to people who want decent open-ears but don’t need the very best audio, fully-rounded feature set or long-lasting batteries.

The S2 are lightweight buds with a more flexible design and much smaller carry case, so won’t take up so much space in your bag or on your head than the last-gen model. I did find that this design presented a few issues with fit though, as the buds would sometimes move position on my head or get stuck on my ear’s antitragus, and I found myself missing the older buds’ design.

Another downgrade is a battery life in that it's roughly half that of the predecessors, but other areas compensate: OpenRock finally has a phone app for its earbuds, which wasn’t the case upon the release of the previous-gen buds.

The sound profile is warm with a clear focus on bass, with tech from the company emphasizing bass not to give it extra oomph, but to ensure you can even hear it in this form factor (which often loses it). They’re good options if you’re looking for something to work out with.

If you were put off by the original OpenRock’s rugged, chunky look and huge carry case, thinking it a bit too much of a fringe option for you, you’ll definitely think the S2 an interesting new pair of earbuds. But if those traits were the entire selling point of the originals for you (as they were for me), the S2 just don’t have that uniqueness.

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Specifications

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Price and availability

• Released in June 2025
• Costs $98.99 / £79.99 / AU$154

The OneOdio OpenRock S2 went on sale in June 2025, officially marking the second generation of OpenRock’s sports-specific open-ear headphones.

You can pick up the buds for $98.99 / £79.99 / AU$154 , so they’re cheaper than their predecessors, which released in October 2023 for $99 / £89 (roughly AU$150) although price cuts have seen the OpenRock S go for half that.

That also puts the OpenRock S2 as some of the most affordable open earbuds to come out this year, a good option for cost-cutters. You can find some competitors below, but let me speak plain: the options worth buying are all about $130 / £100 / AU$200.

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Design

• Small and lightweight case
• Lightweight buds, slightly wobbly design
• Hard-to-press physical buttons

Having tested previous OpenRocks, I was expecting a similarly huge carry case (relatively – earbuds cases can be like boxes of dental floss now) for the S2, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a much smaller pebble-shaped holder which weighs just 58g and easily fits in a hand.

While it’s made from a fairly brittle plastic that doesn’t feel like it’d survive much of a battering (I didn't try any drop tests), the speckled pattern on it makes it more distinctive-looking than the vast number of its rivals I've used.

The earbuds themselves are also smaller and more svelte than previous offerings from the company. They weigh just 7g each and are made up of a small bud, a thin rubbery sports loop and a larger counterweight/battery pack that sits behind your ear.

As stated, I’ve tested loads of open-ears and these have got to be some of the most comfortable, thanks to how small and lightweight they are. Often I’d completely forget I was even wearing them.

Despite being comfortable, the fit isn’t reliable, likely due to just how thin, flexible and wobbly the sports loop is. When running, working out or sometimes even walking, the driver housing near my ear would wobble or change position a little, which can have a big knock-on effect on audio quality.

Another thing to criticize on the design front is the touch controls. On-ear controls, be they touch capacitive sensors or physical clicking buttons, are a hard thing for companies to get right, but the S2 is possibly the worst example yet on an open earbuds design.

The button is on the bottom of the counterweight, so if you want to pause your music, you have to press upwards — which shoves the thing straight out of your ear. Now that’ll stop your music! The solution is to hold the bud in place with your other fingers or hand to keep it in place, but this is a much more convoluted process than, say, picking up your phone and pressing ‘pause’.

• Design score: 3.5/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Features

• 8-hour battery, 32 hours from case
• New app with extra features
• Reliable connection via Bluetooth 6.0

OpenRock has seriously cut the S2’s battery life from its predecessor, which is a big shame. You’re now looking at a lasting power of 8 hours per bud, or 32 hours when you factor in the case, which is about average for open-ears but far short of the 19/60-hour life of the OpenRock S. It’s a shame to see a downgrade like this from one of the S’ best selling points.

As with most open earbuds, there’s no noise cancellation here; in fact, the form factor makes it easy to hear surrounding sounds. In truth, the buds’ relatively low max volume means that often, you might not even hear your music over the surrounding din in built-up cities, say.

The OpenRock S2 work alongside the OpenRock phone app which brings a few extra features. The most important one of these is the equalizer, which has three presets (Rock Mode, Relax Mode and Boom Mode, a graphic of the equalizer curve being the only way you’ll know what any of them do) and a seven-band custom mode.

This was a little infuriating to use as every time you change profile, music quickly flickers off and back on, so repeatedly tweaking the sound creates a strobe-like effect.

The app offers a few premium features like Spatial Sound, a way to adjust the left-right balance of music, a Hi-Res Mode and Multi-Point Connection. Some expected features appear like the ability to customize touch controls and there are two rarer ones: the ability to set an alarm to let you know you’ve been listening for a set amount of time, and a maximum volume limiter (ironic, given what I said about the volume).

Throughout testing, I found the OpenRock S2 quick and easy to connect to my phone, and reliable at maintaining a connection.

• Features score: 4/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Sound performance

• 14.2mm driver
• Bass tech returns for warm sound profile
• Low max volume, can be hard to hear

Each bud of the OpenRock S2 has a 12mm driver. It supports LDAC, AAC and SBC codecs, the former once you enable it via the app. The buds sound decent for their cost, though they’re not the best open-ears for audiophiles.

A selling point of OpenRock’s first-gen open-ears is back here: TubeBass, which boosts low-end sounds to fix a common complaint of the form factor, that thumping rhythms can be lost in the gap between earbud and ear canal.

TubeBass works well in ensuring the S2 is one of the better open-ears for bass fans, ensuring that you hear the bump of a bass guitar, synth or double bass in your chosen song. It makes the buds useful for people who listen to lots of workout songs, though obviously they don’t compare to any over-ear or in-ears which will deliver far more bass.

The bass isn’t overwhelming though, so it doesn’t drown out the treble in sounds. The overall sound profile of the buds is undeniably warm though, so guitars are crunchy and brass can be punchy but vocal lines lack some sparkle and sharpness through the upper mids and trebles. Mids can also be lost in songs, even rockier ones that enjoy extra ‘oomph’ from their rhythm guitars.

The soundstage is fairly limited, combining instruments into a bit of a thick lump at times, but this isn’t as damning as it sounds because the kind of nuance that a detailed soundstage can offer can also be quickly lost in open-ears when surrounding sounds get in the way.

• Sound performance score: 3.5/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: Value

OpenRock’s decision to price these as more affordable than most other open-ears from major brands was a smart one. It makes them tempting as an alternative to top options from brands like Nothing, Huawei and Honor, for people who want to save money.

The S2 isn’t so fantastic value for money that it’s an instant must-buy, but they still provide lots of bang for your buck. That’d be doubly true if a discount ever comes to them to reduce the price a little further, especially for US buyers.

• Value score: 4/5

OneOdio OpenRock S2 review: scorecard

OneOdio OpenRock S2: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Also consider

How I tested

The OpenRock S2 underwent roughly two weeks of testing in order to write this review, and as the introduction implies they're just the latest in a long chain of open-ears I've been testing.

During the review period the buds were connected to an Android smartphone and I generally used them for music on Spotify but also occasionally for calls, games, TV show streaming and listening to voice notes. This took place on runs, at the gym, on walks around my neighborhood and at home.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar since early 2019 and have used a huge range of tech. This includes other open-ear buds as well as past earbuds from OpenRock and other headphones from parent company OneOdio.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: July 2025

JLab Epic Open Sport: Two minute review

The hottest earbuds craze of 2025 is open earbuds. These are usually hook-like headphones (no headband or neckband) that don't invade your ear canals and as such, let in surrounding sound so you can be safe and aware outdoors.

That said, not all makers have figured out to solve the fit and sound quality problems that come with the design territory. Key player JLab isn’t going to be left out of the tournament, but its most premium offering – the Epic Open Sport and the subject of this review – in the space doesn’t do enough to compete with what I've seen in the first half of the year.

The JLab Epic Open Sport were released over six months after JLab’s last offering in the area, the JBuds Open Sport, and our list of the best open earbuds has been changing near-constantly during that time. Back when those older buds were released, I hadn’t tested any that I thought provided decent sound quality, and was constantly facing buds which fit poorly and without a tip to anchor the buds in the ear.

That’s no longer the case though and while the Epic Open Sport match some of their top contemporaries in terms of price, the buds lack refinement in a few key areas and they simply don’t have that one unique selling point or draw that’ll cause you to consider them over their rivals.

When I say ‘lack of refinement’, I’m primarily looking at design. The case is bulky and cheap-feeling, with a poking-out-logo that catches dust. The grooves for the buds within said case don’t hold them very well. The buds too are bigger than many rivals (although I never had any comfort problems when wearing them).

The earbuds don’t have too many features either, beyond the relative must-haves in 2025 (an equalizer; the ability to customize what touch controls do) with a battery life that’s decidedly average too. And in terms of sound, the JLabs are nothing to write home about, although the sound profile does feel custom-picked to appeal to sports users so I’ll give kudos for that.

You can probably guess, given that my main issue with the JLab Epic Open Sport is that I don’t think they offer value for money or a competitive hook in a crowded marked, that there’s not anything particularly wrong with them either. They work well and rarely in my testing did I find something to grumble about. Purchase them and you won't be disappointed – you just won't be wowed either.

But if you’re on the market for open-ear buds, you’ve got plenty of superior options to consider for the money (more on those later), so it’s hard to make a case for the JLabs over those, in this busy market.

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Specifications

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Price and availability

• Released in April 2025
• Cost $114.99 / £99.99 / AU$199.99
• JLab's priciest sports or open-ear buds

The JLab Epic Open Sport were announced in April 2025 and put on sale near the end of that month.

The buds cost $114.99 / £99.99 / AU$199.99, which makes them JLab’s priciest open-ears, $55 / £40 / AU$50 more than last year’s JBuds Open Sport. It also makes them JLab’s most premium sports-hook earbuds too.

In the open-ear market, you can also find the likes of the excellent Huawei FreeArc, Honor Earbuds Open and (less fantastic, but still) Acefast Acefit Pro for roughly the same asking fee – it’s a really competitive price area.

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Design

• Case has a few minor issues...
• ... but supports wireless charging
• Buds feel bulky, but fit well

Both the case and the buds for the JLab Epic Open Sport feel a little on the big side – in the former case at least it’s far from the chunkiest I’ve seen though.

Let’s start with that case. It weighs 49.6g (discounting, I presume, the buds themselves), measures 26 x 76 x 67mm and comes adorned with a large and slighty-jutting-out JLab logo (you can actually push it in a tiny bit if you want, which seems like an unintentional design decision). It opens in a clamshell style and there’s a USB-C charging port at the back.

The case’s plastic material feels a little cheap in the hand, and the looks of the thing make it seem unrefined. The buds also don’t sit in the case properly if you lightly drop them in, and I had to push down on them to make sure they were charging properly. However, points awarded for one premium feature: the case supports wireless charging.

Onto the buds themselves, these weigh 16.8g each so are some of the heavier open-ear buds I’ve tested, but it’s a negligible difference of a few grams. They consist of a bulky bud, a sport loop and a counterweight, all of which you can see in the images.

What you may not see is all the touch controls: the button atop the bud is obvious but you can also tap the JLab logo for a different function. I found the latter pretty unreliable in picking up my touch but the use of a physical button for the former made these buds much easier to use than some touch capacitive solutions I've tested.

Despite being a little heavier than the norm, I found the JLabs comfortable to wear. I could use them for long periods of time without feeling them weigh me down or rub my ears, and they stayed in place solidly without moving around too much above my ear.

There’s only one color option: black, for both the buds and case – so if you want snazzier colors you're out of luck here. The buds do have an IP55 rating which offers limited protection against dust ingress and also protection from low-pressure water jets (including rain), but they can't be immersed in water – so no swimming, OK?

• Design score: 3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Features

• 7-hour battery life (30 for case)
• Useful 10-band EQ
• Small ambient sounds library within the app

JLab has put the Epic Open Sport battery life at 7 hours, a figure I’d roughly back from my testing time, with the charging case bumping that up to 30 hours.

Those figures are both basically standard for earbuds, although some open-ears beat that figure by a considerable margin. Like most (though not all) same-form rivals, there’s no noise cancellation at play here – you may laugh, but the aforementioned Honor Earbuds Open do have ANC, and very good it is too.

To get the most of your Epic Open Sports, you can download the smartphone app, simply called ‘JLab’.

This lets you adjust both the touch and button controls of the buds, set a volume limit and toggle between Music Mode and Movie Mode (nowhere on JLab’s site or app can I find information on what this does but, judging by rival devices’ equivalents, the latter likely reduces latency at the expense of detailed audio quality). The app also has a limited library of ambient sounds you can listen to, which is a fairly unusual – though hardly unheard-of – inclusion.

Its equalizer is perhaps the main reason you’d download the JLab app. There are two presets, simply called EQ1 and EQ2, but a 10-band custom mode lets audiophiles design their bespoke mix.

All things considered, that’s a pretty light feature set, with no unique selling point or range of extras to win over buyers. At least the Bluetooth connection was reliable, not dropping at all during testing, and pairing was quick and easy.

• Features score: 3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Sound performance

• 14mm driver
• V-shaped audio profile helps sports users
• Max volume could be higher

The JLab Epic Open Sport aren’t going to top my list of the best-sounding open ear buds I’ve ever tested, but they’re definitely nearer the top of the list than the bottom.

JLab has given the buds 14mm drivers and they connect via Bluetooth 5.4. They support the SBC, AAC, MPEC-2 and LDAC codecs which could appease some audiophiles but, as you can tell from the name, these are mainly for sports users.

The buds have a V-shaped sound, emphasising bass and treble and leaving mids by the wayside. As someone who likes balanced sound, initial impressions weren’t in the JLab’s favor, but when I started using them for sports (specifically, for Epic Open Sport, the only type I know), it all fell into place.

This kind of profile benefits exercisers: heavy scooping bass to keep the rhythm, piercing treble to cut through the noise at the gym. A little bit of peaking, some tinny sibilance, a limited sound stage can be overlooked. It’s not for audiophiles, but I think people who want tunes as they work out or run will appreciate how these sound more than some better-sounding rivals.

What isn’t as handy is the max volume, which isn’t quite as high as I would’ve liked. When I was running past busy intersections my tunes would fight against the sound of traffic — and lose, lots of the time.

• Sound performance score: 3.5/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Value

The JLab Epic Open Sport aren’t cheap, and their price roughly matches some competitive rivals (read more in the next section of this review).

However the specs don’t quite match up — the JLabs are good, but you can get greatness for the same price and in light of these competitors, it’s hard to view the Epic Open Sport as offering that good value for money.

If you find these things reduced below the $100 / £100 / AU$200 mark, that’ll definitely change. But for now, their lack of refinement or a unique selling point makes them hard to recommend from a value perspective.

• Value score: 3/5

JLab Epic Open Sport review: scorecard

JLab Epic Open Sport review: Should you buy them?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Also consider

How I tested

I used the JLab Epic Open Sport for over three weeks before I started writing this review, and I continued to test them during the writing process.

I wore them to the gym and on runs, but also in non-sports situations like walking to the shops or working at home. They were paired the whole time with my Android smartphone.

I've been reviewing gadgets for TechRadar for over six years and that's included plenty of open-ear buds, especially through the first half of 2025.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: June 2025

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.

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?

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

Should you buy the Activo Volcano?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

Activo Volcano review: Also consider

How I tested the Activo Volcano

• 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