Open-ear earbuds have been gaining traction in the audio market over the past year, offering a unique listening experience that doesn't involve inserting anything into your ear canal. Honor has now entered this growing segment with its Earbuds Open, launched alongside the Pad V9 and Watch 5 Ultra at Mobile World Congress. These earbuds are generating buzz for potentially solving some of the most common complaints about open-ear designs, particularly regarding sound quality and fit.
Design and Comfort
The Honor Earbuds Open feature a distinctive design with ear hooks that ensure stability without applying pressure to the ear canal. Available in Polar Gold and Polar Black colorways, the gold variant offers a more stylish appearance with creamy beige and shiny golden accents, standing out in a market dominated by white and gray options. The earbuds weigh just 7.9g each, making them incredibly lightweight for all-day wear. The ear hooks are made from an adjustable alloy that can be customized for a perfect fit, while the chassis uses silicone for comfort. This design approach results in what might be some of the most comfortable earbuds available today, allowing for extended listening sessions without the fatigue often associated with in-ear models.
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| The stylish black case of the Honor Earbuds Open, showcasing its elegant design |
Sound Quality
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Honor Earbuds Open is their sound quality, which addresses the primary criticism of open-ear designs. Despite not creating a seal in the ear canal, these earbuds deliver surprisingly powerful bass that works well across various music genres. The midrange offers good clarity with vocals coming through clearly, though there can be some harshness in the treble at times. The overall sound signature is described as lively and engaging, with decent instrument separation. For listeners of diverse genres from heavy metal to classical, the Earbuds Open provide a satisfying audio experience that comes remarkably close to traditional in-ear models – a significant achievement for open-ear technology.
Features and Battery Life
The Honor Earbuds Open come with IP54 ingress protection, making them suitable for workouts and light exposure to water. One surprising inclusion is active noise cancellation (ANC), which can reduce ambient noise by up to 24dB – not as effective as the 40dB offered by Honor's Buds 3 Pro, but impressive for open-ear design. The earbuds also feature environmental noise isolation that works particularly well for blocking wind noise during calls. Battery life is decent, with each earbud lasting approximately six hours on a single charge, and the 480mAh case providing an additional two and a half charges for over 20 hours of total playback time. Fast charging is supported, with a 15-minute charge delivering two hours of music playback.
Smart Features
Honor has incorporated AI-assisted features into the Earbuds Open, including real-time translation capabilities in 15 languages. The translation feature offers three modes: Shared Mode for instantaneous translations, Simultaneous Interpretation for outputting translations in two languages at once (one in each earbud), and Exclusive Mode for speaking into the earbuds and having translations played through the connected phone's speaker. However, it's worth noting that some of these AI features are only available when paired with the latest Honor smartphones.
Controls and Connectivity
The earbuds connect via Bluetooth 5.2, offering reliable connectivity with good range. Touch controls are implemented on the earbuds, though they can be finicky at times and may not register consistently. When pressing the touch panels, the buds can move uncomfortably against the ear, which might be a design aspect that could be improved. For users prone to misplacing their earbuds, there's a helpful locate function that works through Bluetooth.
Case Design
The charging case has an oblong design to accommodate the unique shape of the earbuds. While wider than typical earbud cases, it remains pocketable and features a leather-like effect that enhances the premium feel despite the product's competitive price point. The case houses a 480mAh battery that provides multiple charges for the earbuds.
Limitations
Despite their impressive performance, the Honor Earbuds Open do have some limitations. The lack of high-resolution audio codecs like aptX may disappoint audiophiles, though this isn't uncommon in the open-ear category. The touch controls can be inconsistent, and the fit, while comfortable for many, may not suit everyone's ear shape. The ANC functionality, while present, doesn't match the effectiveness of traditional in-ear designs in noisy environments like cafes. Battery life, while adequate at six hours per charge, isn't exceptional compared to some competitors.
Market Position
Honor's Earbuds Open enter a growing market segment that includes offerings from Bose, Nothing, and Soundcore. Compared to alternatives like the Bose Ultra Open, Honor's offering appears to provide a more secure fit while matching or exceeding sound quality expectations for the category. With their combination of comfort, sound quality, and features, the Honor Earbuds Open represent one of the most compelling options in the open-ear earbud space, potentially winning over even those skeptical about this emerging form factor.