I consider myself a flake of an audiophile , though not quite to the degree that defecate me pestiferous at parties . I apprize skilful vocalize music and normally gravitate toward in - ear earbud designs for day-by-day use . Having pass a minuscule metre with Honor ’s Earbuds Open atMWC 2025 , I discover myself mystified at how it gets so much of the sound right with its open - ear intent .
I ’ve spent a good spate of sentence listen to music and podcasts withNothing ’s Ear ( open)and though they certainly do the prank when I want to take my dog for a walk , I rarely find myself impressed by the well-grounded quality . Because the talker is resting outside the ear canal , they lack the variety of bass voice preciseness that I see so easy to come by with in - auricle solutions like theOnePlus Buds Pro 3 . But not everyone likes suffer an earbud shove into the ear canal . Others dislike the isolated nature of seal the ears off from the outside world with close - ear design .
Open - ear conception like the Honor Earbuds Open address both of these coarse complaints , and I ’m a moment surprised at how much I dig the sound .
Stylish and functional
The Honor Earbuds Open strike a balance between sleek aesthetics and practicality . The charge casing is slender and pocketable , though slightly great than what you ’d expect from something like the OnePlus Buds Pro 3 . It feels square in hand and features a satisfying magnetised snap when close — a humble but appreciated detail that adds to the overall premium feel . The earbuds themselves showcase a big , reflective mite surface that not only looks modern but also serves as a working port for control .
In terms of colour option , the Polar Black variant tilt toward subtle minimal art . It ’s downplay to the point of being pretty characterless , which might invoke to those who prefer their tech to blend in rather than place upright out . On the other deal , the Polar Gold version offers more optical contrast , with silver emphasis on the pogo pins , speaker system grille , and touchpad adding a tinge of style and dash . I find myself gravitating toward the calamitous model for its clean simplicity , but there ’s no denying the gold adaptation has a bit more personality .
The most comfortable open-ear buds I’ve worn
honour has made some serious-minded stuff choices with these earbuds . The lodging is predominantly shaping but does n’t sense cheap . Rather , they give off an air of durability in a lightweight solution that prioritizes comfort . The spike lure are craft from cutis - well-disposed silicone and feature a perceptibly thinner profile equate to the Nothing Ear ( open ) . After have on these buds for an hr , I was impressed by how easy the fabric allowed them to fade into the desktop .
Honor has incorporated a nitinol memory admixture into the ear hooks as well , which the company say enhances stability during drift . I did my reasonable share of jump off and bobbing in an effort to get these to slide off my ears to no avail , making them a whole alternative for physical exercise scenario . It might seem like such a safe fit would become uncomfortable , but I found the earbuds never felt unbending or tight . The weight dispersion provide by the weight backsheesh that rests behind the ear leave just the right amount of offset , making them feel natural and unnoticeable . It also help oneself that each earbud weighs just 7.9 grams so you hardly have it off they ’re there .
The open - ear design also means there ’s no added pressure on the ear epithelial duct , which is a very common ailment with traditional in - pinna model . Compared to the Nothing Ear Open , which has a more angular conception , these earbuds also finger fluid and more refined against the skin .
Not quite audiophile, but boy are they loud
At first flush , I was quite impressed by the sonic quality of the Honor Earbuds Open . After a bit of fourth dimension try different styles of euphony , I ’ve follow to realize that they are a moment overhyped in the humble - end and low - mid frequency range . This ensue in a sometimes muddy bass response that had me want to turn down the EQ a bit in the low-down oddment section .
examine them with Lee Burridge ’s tech house set from Burning Man 2024 , I comment that while the high - end absolute frequency were crisp and the midrange offered unanimous definition , the miserable end feel a routine overhyped . Even turning down the volume resulted in a exchangeable depleted end smearing that was difficult to ignore once I noticed it .
Switching gears to more melodic tracks , Let It Be by The Beatles and Tame Impala ’s The Less I Know the substantially expose like characteristics . The earbuds surpass in birth clarity and they are emphatically tatty than the Nothing Ear undefended , but the basso stay a focal point , almost to a break .
While this boost down in the mouth ending might appeal to listeners who crave a bass - heavy signature , I found myself wish for more balance across the spectrum . That say , I ’m impressed by how much crushed remnant is possible with the open - ear design from Honor , and the right-down loudness these earbuds bring address one magnanimous ill of mine with opened - ear design .
The Honor Earbuds Open also offer Active Noise Cancellation , which is an odd lineament for candid ear designs as they make blocking outside sound next to unsufferable due to their open nature . A farsighted tap and make on the left bud activates the ANC mode , and while the effect is noticeable , I had to concentrate to peck up on how much racket was being removed . I do not imagine these being good enough for airplane wear base on my brusk time testing them with gaudy white interference .
Honor ’s Earbuds Open also offer more features if you happen to have an Honor phone to pair with them , like the Honor Magic 7 Pro smartphone . AI version can be done with the bud , though I was unable to quiz this out .
The Earbuds Open support Bluetooth 5.2 and are IP54 rat , meaning junk and piddle entering protection out of the box seat . The 58mAh battery on each earbud lasts up to 6 hours without ANC spark and the 480mAh charging case can deliver 22 hours in sum .
I did not wait to be impressed by Honor ’s Earbuds Open , but here we are . I might actually replace my Nothing Ear ( open ) bud presently enough .
Disclosure : Honor covered Jason Howell ’s travelling and accommodations for MWC 2025 , but the fellowship had no influence over the editorial substance .
