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The 15 Best Open-Ear Earbuds & Headphones of 2026: Ranked and Reviewed

The search for the best open-ear earbuds of 2026 is finally over. After three years of intensive testing and reviewing over 20 different pairs, I’ve finally settled the debate. Whether you’re looking for the absolute king of sound or a budget alternative that doesn’t feel cheap, I’ve put every model in its rightful place.

Why Trust This Ranking? (The Transparency Policy)

Let’s get one thing straight: this is a 100% independent review. Unlike many big tech sites, every single pair of earbuds on this list was bought with my own money. MyChooz is not a store—it’s a project built on honest, hands-on experience. I’m not here to “sell” you anything; I’m here to make sure you don’t waste your cash.

Solving the “Pain”: Why Open-Fit?

If you’re here, you’re likely tired of ear fatigue. Traditional in-ear monitors with silicone tips create invasive pressure that makes long listening sessions a nightmare. This is where the open-fit design shines. By sitting outside the ear canal, these earbuds deliver a natural timbre and perfect situational awareness without the “plugged-ear” sensation. If you love the way standard AirPods feel, this list is for you.

Methodology: How We Score

To keep things objective, I use a strict 100-point scoring system. No fluff, just data:

MetricWeightWhat We Test
Sound Quality50%Frequency balance, soundstage width, and detail retrieval.
Features37.5%ANC performance, app support, and battery life.
Design & Comfort12.5%Ergonomics, build materials, and “stay-put” factor.

Top 15: Best Wireless Open-Ear Earbuds of 2026

Interactive rating table with filters

1. Huawei Freebuds 6 8.99Best overall open-ear earbuds 2026 for Sound Quality

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

11mm DD + PM
Codecs AAC, SBC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

LDAC, L2HC 4.0
Battery life ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6h / 36 h with case
Bluetooth ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.2
Huawei FreeBuds 6

Huawei FreeBuds 6 – the best sports open-fit earbuds design. The main reasons to buy: the best sound in the open-fit earbuds category, reference-quality microphone among the true wireless models and unique design with comfortable fit. The headphones are barely noticeable in the ears from the first minutes of use. And only after 2 hours there is minor fatigue. With LDAC codec we get an increase in sound up to 20%. On the downside, some features are available only on Huawei phones with HarmonyOS: proprietary codec L2HC, translator, voice assistant, etc.

Sound. 9.33 Great out-of-the-box tuning. The main plus of the sound is excellent natural timbre and detail retrieval. Musical instrument and vocals sound clean, almost without artificial timbre and without coloration. The main disadvantage of the sound is a slightly boomy bass, and sometimes it is not enough in bass-heavy tracks and lack of soundstage size, the sound is rather intimate presentation. Slightly closed-in sound, you want more space. In tracks with plenty of percussion the sound is harsh.
Read More.
Microphone array. 10.00 In quiet conditions: 10 In noisy conditions: 10
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Functions. 8.42 Active noise cancellation (ANC) is at a good level for open-ear design. There is no transparency mode, but even without it you can talk freely with your conversation partner without removing the headphones. Battery life is excellent up to 6 hours of work and up to 36 hours with a case. The controls are convenient, touch controls, but you need to get used to it. The companion app is great, in it I recommend selecting the LDAC codec and tune the EQ.
Read More.
Design. 9.00 Comfortable, 2 hours without discomfort, durability is excellent. The design is peculiar, but it looks better in person than on the photo.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Best sound in the open-fit category.
  • Reference-quality microphone.
  • Good active noise cancellation (ANC) for open-ear design.
Reasons not to buy:
  • The sound is overly bright in some tracks.
  • Cons: No transparency mode, L2HC 4.0 codec and many proprietary features are available only on HarmonyOS 4.3+ on Huawei devices.

2. Apple AirPods 4 ANCBest open-fit earbuds for iPhone and Ecosystem

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

DD
Codecs ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AAC, SBC
Battery life ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

5 h. / 30 h. with case
Bluetooth ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.0
Apple AirPods 4 ANC

Apple AirPods 4 ANC are the best open-ear designs for iPhone and Apple devices. You get good sound, Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ. The headphones have good battery life, normal microphone array and active noise cancellation (ANC). Read review — Apple Airpods 4 ANC REVIEW – BEST open-fit earbuds for iPhone and #2 for Android.

Apple Airpods 4 ANC Microphone. 8.50 In quiet conditions: 10 In noisy conditions: 8

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Functions. 7 Active noise cancellation at a benchmark level for open-fit earbuds, as if they were in-ear earbuds. Unbelievable level. There is no transparency mode, but even without it, you can talk freely with your conversation partner without removing the headphones. Battery life is excellent up to 6 hours of work and up to 36 hours with a case. The controls are convenient, touch controls, but you need to get used to it. The companion app is great, in it I recommend selecting the LDAC codec and tune the EQ.
Read More.
Design. 7 Very comfortable, 2-3 hours without discomfort. Durability is ok, the only thing is the headphones are VERY scratchy. Apple style design, beautiful. Headphone case is the smallest of all that I have seen, the headphones themselves are miniature. No issues with the design.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Soft and musical sound, top level for open-fit earbuds
  • Microphone quality is excellent
  • Active noise cancellation and transparency mode are the best among open-fit earbuds
  • The design is comfortable and beautiful
Reasons not to buy:
  • No volume controls
  • Companion app only available on iOS, stripped down functionality on Android
  • Battery life is only 4h with ANC and 20h total with the case
  • Non-critical minuses: gloss scratches quickly, no cable in the box

3. Huawei Freebuds 5 7.90Best open-fit earbuds for Android

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

11mm DD
Codecs: AAC, SBC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

L2HC , LDAC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

5 hours, 30 hours with a briefcase
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.2
Huawei Freebuds 5

Huawei Freebuds 5 are the best open-fit earbuds for Android, and with the LDAC codec, the audio boost is up to 30%. The headphones came out in 2023 and have not lost relevance. The sound and microphone array are close to the benchmark, and a couple hours of use does not cause discomfort.

Sound. 8.01 Headphones with an emphasis on bass, slightly recessed mids and muted highs. I did not notice a frank synthetic sound, a minimum of grainy treble. The sound is spacious and voluminous, with good instrument separation in space. Detail retrieval is good, but it is more difficult to make out the texture of the instruments in comparison with the tops. The sound lacks expressiveness, a little brightness and airiness, without which such sound quickly gets boring. EQ compensates for some of the shortcomings.
Read More.
Huawei Freebuds 5 microphone array. 8.75 In quiet conditions: 9.5 In noisy conditions: 8 Clear and detailed recording without external noise. Speech remains highly resolved in noisy environments, active noise cancellation (ANC) does not immediately reduce noise.
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Functions. 7.00 Active noise cancellation (ANC) reduces the background noise of a PC or laptop. There is no transparency mode. Playback time in our tests slightly diverges from the manufacturer’s data. The control sensor in the headphones responds anywhere, and the volume changes by slides up and down. The companion app is convenient and thoughtful.
Read More.
Design. 9.00 The headphones have a comfortable fit and minor fatigue appears after a couple hours of use. The assembly and materials are without complaints. The design of the headphones is unique, with a choice of 3 colors.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Top sound among open-ear designs
  • Reference-quality microphone array at reference-quality level
  • Unique design and 2 hours of use without discomfort
Reasons not to buy:
  • Muffled out-of-the-box tuning.
  • Light white noise with active noise cancellation (ANC).

4. Samsung Galaxy Buds 8.04Best open-fit earbuds design for Samsung phone

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

11mm DD.
Codecs: AAC, SBC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

SSC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

30 h. with case
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 are the best open-fit earbuds for Samsung phone in terms of sound and features. The main reasons to buy: proprietary codec with 24-bit/96 kHz sound quality and proprietary features – simultaneous translator, voice assistant, Adaptive noise cancellation (ANC) and EQ. It makes sense to take the headphones only for a flagship Samsung phone with up to 25% more sound.

Sound. 8.83 With a proprietary Bluetooth codec, the headphones cover the needs of the audiophile and will delight audiophiles. The headphones have a bright and engaging sound! I appreciate the expressive mids that bring vocals and instruments to the forefront. I also liked the detail retrieval and voluminous soundstage. On the downside – uneven highs, which in some tracks deprive the sound of u0022airinessu0022 or add harshness. There is a slight lack of really deep bass – in complex compositions it can affect the clarity and soundstage depth.
Read More.
Microphone array. 8.00 In quiet conditions: 9 In noisy conditions: 7
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Functions. 6.42 Active noise cancellation (ANC) blocks light background noise, no Transparency mode. The controls are user-friendly and the claimed playback time is consistent. The companion app is ergonomic and functional with Samsung phones, for other phones the app is useless. The signal is stable connection at a distance of 10-15 meters.
Read More.
Design. 8.50 The headphones are comfortable, lightweight and ergonomic. Slight discomfort appears after 4-5 hours of use. Dust and water resistance IP57. No complaints about the assembly and materials. The design feels solid and reliable in the hands. They look good and modern.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Best sound in the open-fit category with proprietary codec SSC
  • Sturdy headphone and case assembly
  • Detailed microphone array
Reasons not to buy:
  • Sound and features are tied to a proprietary ecosystem.
  • Non-critical cons: Not enough airiness (HF), little impact (Lows), poor active noise cancellation, high latency (Games)

5. Xiaomi Buds 7.50Best Bluetooth TWS open-fit earbuds under $100 – with voice recorder

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

11mm DD
Codecs AAC, SBC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AptX Lossless, AptX Adaptive, AptX
Battery life ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6.5h / 39h with case
Bluetooth ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
Xiaomi Buds 5

Xiaomi Buds 5 – the best bluetooth open-fit earbuds under $100, with a reference-quality microphone array and a 3-hour recorder. With aptX Adaptive codec, the increase in quality is 10-15%, with aptX Lossless up to 10% more. Among the significant disadvantages – inconvenient compression controls.

Sound. 7.67 We tested the sound on three phones. On MediaTek models, the emphasis is on bass, and the sound is slightly boomy bass. On Snapdragon – emphasis on highs, the sound is slightly sharp and embellished. In both cases, you can tune the EQ in the proprietary EQ. Vocals and musical instruments sound clean, pleasant and quite natural. There is a bit of artificial timbre in the highs. The soundstage is a little wider than the head. But the detail retrieval drops in tracks with a dense mix.
Read More.
Xiaomi Buds 5 microphone array. 9.00 In quiet conditions: 10 In noisy conditions: 8
Read More.
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Functions. 6.88 Active noise cancellation is close to the tops, no transparency mode. Playback time is consistent, in our tests up to 7 h. 23 min. and up to 40 hours with a case. Controls pinch on the earpiece stem is not convenient and works once in a while. The companion app is convenient and useful. The signal is not interrupted within a radius of 10 meters.
Read More.
Design. 8.00 The headphones are minor fatigue and headphone fatigue appears after a couple hours. The headphone assembly and materials are unremarkable, only the coating is fingerprint magnet and easily collects fingerprints. The headphones came in 4 colors, look good without much excitement.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Best sound under $80 with EQ
  • Reference-quality microphone array at reference-quality level
  • Recorder for 3 hours of recording
Reasons not to buy:
  • Uncomfortable pinch controls on the earpiece stem
  • Recorder recordings longer than 60 min. cannot be transferred
  • The sound is different on different sources

6. Marshall Minor IV 6.78Wireless open-fit earbuds with good sound

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

12 mm DD
Codecs: SBC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

LC3
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

7h, 30h.
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.3
Marshall Minor IV

Marshall Minor IV – wireless open-fit earbuds with good sound and lovers of NOT bass sound. The main reasons to buy: recognizable design, build quality and premium materials.

Sound. 6.93 The sound of the Marshall Minor IV did not disappoint me, but it did not please me either. It’s average. I lacked bass, although I’m not a headless person and I take into account the form factor of the open-ear design. Otherwise, you can get used to it. And I got used to the sound after a few days of use, it has its own thing. If you are not a fan of bass, you will like the model.
Read More.
Microphone array. 7.25 In quiet conditions: 7.7 In noisy conditions: 6.8
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Functions. 5.71 The headphones have no active noise cancellation (ANC) and no Transparency mode. Battery life up to 7 hours and 30 hours with a case. Controls are convenient, there is a sound response, you can customize in the companion app. The companion app itself is ergonomic, there are Settings for sound and charging headphones. The signal is stable at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Read More.
Design. 8.00 Medium sized ears get tired after an hour of use – I recommend trying the headphones on before buying. It is also uncomfortable to take the headphones out of the case – hard to grasp. The construction is sturdy and reliable. Only one color – black with the brand’s recognizable design.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Robust and reliable design
  • Stylish and recognizable design
  • Sound for mids and highs lovers
Reasons not to buy:
  • My ears get tired after an hour
  • Not much bass.
  • Quiet crackling in the left earpiece when no music is playing

7. SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS 6.26Inexpensive quality wireless open-fit earbuds design

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

14.2 mm DD
Codecs: SBC, AAC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

LDAC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

5 hrs, 20 hrs with briefcase
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.2
SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS

SoundPEATS Air3 Deluxe HS is an affordable, high-quality wireless headphone with a recognizable design. The main reasons to buy: the best sound in the open-fit category under $50, durable and reliable construction. And with the LDAC codec, you get up to 10-15% more quality.

Sound. 6 Powerful and balanced, and the listening experience is rich and spacious. The headphones are better suited for vocal and instrumental tracks.
Functions. 6.2 The headphones have no active noise cancellation (ANC) and no Transparency mode. Battery life up to 5 hours and 20 hours with case. The controls are responsive and comfortable. The signal is not interrupted within 10 meters.
Design. 7 The headphones are comfortable, yet my ears get tired after about an hour of use. The assembly and materials are unremarkable. Only the coating is fingerprint magnet and collects fingerprints. Good appearance in the corporate style, although without much enthusiasm.
Reasons to buy:
  • Best sound under $50
  • LDAC codec gives a boost in sound quality
Reasons not to buy:
  • Fingerprint magnet headphone coating
  • Bulky case, 3 times the size of a normal case

8. UGREEN HiTune H6 Pro 6.09Best wireless open-fit earbuds designs under $40

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

13 mm DD
Codecs: AAC, SBC ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

LDAC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6h, 30h with case study
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.3
UGREEN HiTune H6 Pro

UGREEN HiTune H6 Pro – Best wireless open-fit earbuds with active noise cancellation and Transparency mode under $40. A mid-range model with a pre-top microphone array and comfortable fit. There is an LDAC codec, but the gain in sound is less than 5%.

Sound. 5.21 The headphones have a bassy and muffled sound. Average detail retrieval and natural timbre with LDAC codec, and bitrate increase has no effect on sound quality. Soundstage with minimal elaboration, mostly the sound comes from one point. Therefore, these headphones are more suitable for background listening.
Read More.
Microphone array. 7.00 In quiet conditions: 8 In noisy conditions: 6
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Functions. 6.69 The headphones have a working active noise cancellation and normal Transparency mode – a rarity in open-fit earbuds. In our tests, the playback time is less than stated – 5 hours and 22.5 hours. Touch controls are responsive, you can customize in the companion app. The connection is interrupted after about 8 meters. The companion app with a mass of shortcomings. I’m glad Ugreen regularly updates and refines the companion app.
Read More.
Design. 7.40 The headphones have a comfortable fit, minor fatigue appears after a couple of hours of use. Assembly and materials without complaints, only fingerprint magnet coating in places of gloss. The headphones look good, without much enthusiasm.
Read More.
Reasons to buy:
  • Detailed microphone array
  • Working active noise cancellation and Transparency mode (ANC)
  • Comfortable fit
Reasons not to buy:
  • LDAC codec does not affect sound quality
  • Sound is on par with $20-25 models

9. SoundPEATS Air5 6.05Best budget wireless open-fit earbuds under $50

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

13 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AptX Lossless, AptX Adaptive
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6h, 30h
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
SoundPEATS Air5

SoundPEATS Air5 is the best budget wireless open-fit earbuds if your budget is under $50. The headphones have good sound quality for their price, and with AptX Lossless, AptX Adaptive codecs we get a +10-15% increase in quality.

Sound. 5.8 Out-of-the-box tuning is a little thin in all frequencies. Little bass, recessed mids, and not bright enough treble. Just good sound. Settings are better – more detail retrieval. Good instrument separation in space.
Functions. 5.7 The headphones have no active noise cancellation (ANC) and no Transparency mode. Battery life is up to 6 hours and 30 hours with a case. There is multipoint, and the signal is not interrupted at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Design. 7.2 The headphones are solid in a signature and recognizable style. Comfortable fit, slight discomfort after an hour of use. The construction and materials are unblemished.
Reasons to buy:
  • There are AptX Lossless and AptX Adaptive codecs
  • Robust and reliable construction
Reasons not to buy:
  • Need Settings for sound with EQ
  • Not highly resolved microphone array

10. OPPO Enco Air 4 5.96Budget open-fit earbuds with bass

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

12.4 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AAC, SBC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

9.5h, 48h
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
OPPO Enco Air 4

OPPO Enco Air 4 – budget open-fit earbuds with good bass. Good open-fit earbuds for everyday background listening. Game Mode and controls can be enabled in the companion app.

Sound. 5.71 The headphones have a good bass foundation and no bright tuning. Detail retrieval and natural timbre are average. The sound comes from one point with a little bit of distance. It feels like a movie theater in the side seats. For background listening it will do.
Read More.
Functions. 5.6 The headphones have a normal microphone array, no active noise cancellation (ANC) and no Transparency mode. Normal touch controls, you can reassign some of the actions in the companion app. The signal is stable and does not interrupt.
Design. 7.1 The headphones are light, after a couple hours you want to take a break. The gloss on the headphones is fingerprint magnet. The assembly is solid and free of defects. They look good, available in two colors – black and white.
Reasons to buy:
  • Good bass sound
  • Highly resolved microphone array
Reasons not to buy:
  • Aggressive active noise cancellation (ANC) microphone array.
  • No surround sound like the last generation.

11. OPPO Enco Air3 5.68Wireless open-fit earbuds, best sound under $25

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

13.4 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

SBC, AAC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6h, 25h
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.3
OPPO Enco Air3

OPPO Enco Air3 is a wireless open-fit earbuds with the best sound in the open-fit category under $25. The main reasons to buy: surround sound and good headroom. And a microphone array with detailed speech and active noise cancellation that effectively reduces loud noises like a handheld vacuum cleaner.

Sound. 5.08 Good medium sound for background listening. I liked the mids – vocals are clear and expressive. Good overall detail retrieval as for a budget open-ear design. With EQ presets bass can be added to the overall quality.
Read More.
Functions. 5.8 The headphones have a good microphone array, active noise cancellation effectively reduces the noise of a handheld vacuum cleaner. There is no active noise cancellation and Transparency mode (ANC). Controls are accurate, blunders are rare, you can reassign some of the actions in the companion app. The signal is stable and is not interrupted at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Design. 7 The headphones are lightweight with a good fit, after about 1.5-2 hours you want to take a break. The assembly in the hands feels solid, there are no defects. There is only fingerprint magnet gloss, which quickly collects fingerprints. The appearance of the headphones is normal and not particularly impressive.
Reasons to buy:
  • Detailed microphone array with active noise cancellation (ANC)
  • There is headroom for volume
  • Surround sound
Reasons not to buy:
  • No active noise cancellation (ANC) and no Transparency mode.
  • The sound is suitable for background listening

12. MOONDROP Block 5.55Best budget open-fit earbuds by design

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

13 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AAC, SBC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6h, 15h
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
MOONDROP Block

MOONDROP Block – the best budget open-fit earbuds with a nice design and good fit. The main reasons to buy: interesting design and semi-open form factor of the case. Therefore, the headphones are quick and easy to remove from the case.

Sound. 5.1 Pleasant sound for its price. The emphasis is on mids and highs, bass is not enough. At the same time, the sound is not bright and does not cut the ear. Average natural timbre and detail retrieval. Soundstage is limited to your head.
Functions. 5 The headphones have a normal microphone array, no active noise cancellation (ANC) and no Transparency mode. Controls are responsive, there are rarely any misses. The signal is stable at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Design. 7.5 The headphones have a good fit, minor fatigue appears after about an hour. Assembly and materials without complaints, no defects. The highlight of the headphones is the design, neat and pleasant, like all Moondrop products.
Reasons to buy:
  • Nice and neat design
Reasons not to buy:
  • Average sound and microphone array
  • No support for the companion app

13. Xiaomi Redmi buds 6 active 5.41Xiaomi's best wireless open-fit earbuds designs under $20

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

14.2 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AAC, SBC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

6 hours, 30 hours with a briefcase
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
Xiaomi Redmi buds 6 active

Xiaomi Redmi buds 6 active are the best Xiaomi wireless open-fit earbuds with a budget under $20. The main reasons to buy: good microphone array on 8/10, and the external environment is quieter by about 20% – a great result. The rest of the parameters are average, and the fit is not suitable.

Sound. 4.92 The sound is slightly bright and fatiguing. For me there is little detail retrieval across all frequencies, average natural timbre and detail retrieval. And the soundstage is limited to the head. Considering the price, the sound is good.
Read More.
Microphone array. 8.00 In quiet conditions: 8 In noisy conditions: 8
0:00
0:00
Functions. 5.5 Good quality microphone array. Normal battery life and controls. The signal is not interrupted at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Design. 6.5 The construction is lightweight, while at the same time after about half an hour you want to take a break. The assembly is solid, there are no defects, only the glossy surface is fingerprint magnet. The headphones look normal, there are 4 colors to choose from.
Reasons to buy:
  • Good microphone array with active noise cancellation (ANC)
Reasons not to buy:
  • Below average sound
  • Uncomfortable seating
  • Signal latency up to 200 ms

14. realme Buds T01 4.68Cheap Chinese open-ear designs.

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

13 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

SBC, AAC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

7h, 28h.
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.4
realme Buds T01

realme Buds T01 – cheap Chinese open-ear design with normal sound. The main reasons to buy: compact design, the headphones are small and fit ears of appropriate size.

Sound. 3.96 The sound is bright tuning and tires quickly. Vocals and musical instruments sound unnatural, there is artificial timbre and grainy treble. And the sound comes from approximately one point.
Read More.
Functions. 4.8 The companion app has Game Mode and multiple EQ presets can be selected. Controls are responsive with rare misses. The signal is stable at a distance of standard 10 meters indoors.
Design. 6.3 The headphones are light and small, while in large ears after an hour of use want to take a break. The assembly is solid and without defects, only the glossy surface of the headphones is fingerprint magnet and collects fingerprints. They look normal, do not cause much excitement. Available in white and black colors.
Reasons to buy:
  • Compact size for small ears
  • Normal microphone array active noise cancellation (ANC)
Reasons not to buy:
  • Mediocre sound
  • There are clicks on the microphone array.

15. IQOO True Wireless Air 3 4.23Lightweight open-fit earbuds design

Drivers ?

Drivers are the drivers in your headphones that are responsible for creating sound.

DD + PM + BA – means that there are several different types of drivers in these headphones.

DD – “Dynamic Driver” dynamic driver (deep bass, natural sound).

PM – “Planar Magnetic Driver” planar driver (wide soundstage and treble response).

BA – “Balanced Armature Driver” armature driver (accuracy and detail retrieval).

BC – “Bone Conduction Driver” or bone-conduction driver, which transmits vibration to the body of the headphones, transmitting sound through the bone/cartilage to the inner ear.

14.2 mm DD
Codecs: ?

LDAC – treble, high quality, high speed (Sony).

SBC is the basic Bluetooth standard, low quality.

AAC – Apple standard, good quality, low latency.

Codecs are audio compression formats that affect sound quality and latency.

AAC, SBC
Battery life: ?

Headphone battery life is the playback time without recharging, measured in hours. Manufacturers measure without active noise cancellation (ANC), at medium volume (50-70%) and usually with ANC codec, as these parameters affect battery consumption. Actual time may vary from 1% to 50%, depending on volume, active noise cancellation features enabled, codec (LDAC or other) and environmental conditions (cold, hot). It is important to consider not only the claimed playback time, but also the charging time and fast charging support.

4.8 h, 25 h
Bluetooth: ?

Bluetooth is a wireless data transmission standard.

Support for new audio technologies.

Improved connection stability.

Reduced power consumption.

5.2
IQOO True Wireless Air 3

IQOO TWS Air 3 – lightweight 3.5g true wireless earbuds. The main reasons to buy: weight and size. The headphones are lightweight and barely noticeable in the ears, better suited for people with small ears.

Sound. 3.46 The sound is overly bright tuning and tires you out quickly. Out of the box it is impossible to listen to the headphones. A lot of digital processing and grainy treble, it is difficult to make out the sound of drums or double bass. Vocals and instruments come from far away and almost from one point. At the same time, the headphones lend themselves well to Settings EQ. If you add bass, you get +1 point to the overall sound. The sound is more bodacious, energetic and highly resolved. And if you turn down the highs, you get closer to the minimum mark for background listening.
Read More.
Functions. 5 The controls on the headphones are standard for budget models – responsive, misses are rare. In the companion app of useful functions. The signal is stable and is not interrupted at a distance of up to 10 meters.
Design. 5 The headphones are light and small. At the same time, the sharp edge near the sound outlet leads to discomfort from the first seconds of use. The materials of the headphones and case are visually budgetary, while the assembly is solid and without defects. The glossy finish quickly collects fingerprints. The headphones look ordinary without much excitement. Available in white and black color.
Reasons to buy:
  • Detailed microphone array with active noise cancellation (ANC)
  • Small size, weight – 3.5 g.
Reasons not to buy:
  • Poor sound quality without EQ
  • The edge of the headphones can chafe
Vladimir Papazov
Vladimir Papazov

Vladimir Papazov - Chief Editor. I answer questions, publish news, reviews, ratings and FAQs.

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