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Reddit Reviews
Batustone2I have Sennheiser accentum open which are open ear earbuds which I think sound acceptable for the price, but if you want earbuds that don't rest in your ears then you should go with the clip style. There are many options these days from the more expensive ones like bose to the more affordable from sony, anker and earfun.
_dont_tr1pI just bought the jbl flex tune 2 for $60 on bestbuy and they’re great open earbuds with ANC or you can shut it off and great sound for price. Also bought the sennheiser accentum open for $120 which are crispier and more comfortable than the jbl but no ANC. Better for calls and office work than music. So I kept both. Decided on these over the AirPod 4 to replace my AirPod 2
rastallpCan’t comment on the JBL’s but I had the accentum open for a weekend and returned them and got AirPod 4’s instead. The accentum were really poor audio quality. AirPods blow them out the water.
ryanppax1I've been using air pods for several years and my third replacement is ready for a replacement due to sweat corosian and frequent battery drain and disconnects. Bought the soundcore liberty open and the senheiser accentum open. Both have sound quality that is comparable. I like the Anker app, and the ability for eq and ANC. I will rarely use ANC because there is a hiss with it on. The buds fit snug with the tips and deeper in ear. The senheiser feels light and barely there. I worry they will fall out but somehow they don't move. I expect these are more comfortable long term. There is no app or eq as far as I can tell. Decisions...
theothersinclairLower price point and far superior sound 🇪🇺
Seems really good! Been using them for a couple of weeks now, and I have yet to run out of battery while using them.
Not sure about other brands out there, but I’ve been really positively surprised by Sennheiser especially given the better price point. Battery life is strong, the sound is more nuanced more than AirPods and the ear fit is more comfortable for me. One thing I wish was different as an iPhone users though is being able to control what happens when tapping the earbud. With my AirPods I used the tap to switch song, but on Sennheiser it controls the volume instead (and you seemingly can’t change it). Edit: for reference mine are Sennheiser Accentum Open.
The anc is modest in my opinion
UnstableManifoldsDo you have a small outer ear, and/or a small ear canal? I have the latter, not the former, and the only in-ear stuff I can use is the Sennheiser IE200, but they're wired and for listening only. If you're looking for wireless stuff, I use a pair of Sennheiser Accentum Open which I found to be similar in size to the AirPods (regular model, the flat version).
Voltaire420I just lost my liberty 4s and replaced them with sennheiser accentum opens and Im pretty sure I'm going to replace them they sound good but they just aren't the same. Those liberty 4s were amazing. Crazy that the Sennheisers aren't significantly better for twice the price
0rangeBMWI'm not really someone who can speak to as new price since I tend to be happy with buds in Open Box, Used - Like New, or Refurb'd condition. I feel like I get a lot more for my sound dollar. That said, I am able to comment on sound and fit/comfort. I find the Sony WF-1000XM5s to have excellent sound, but their fit and long-term comfort let me down. I find the WF-1000XM4s much more comfortable and their sound is very good in its own right. I've owned many other Technics earbuds, but never the AZ100s. I recall their sound as being good to very good, with very good noise cancelling. Fit and long-term comfort were very good across the board. The controls were also solid. I moved on from them because I always thought the midrange was a touch veiled and they were not the last word in dynamics. I only own the Bose QuietComfort earbuds, but I find their sound and noise cancellation excellent overall. Long-term comfort is good for me, but I feel the fit could be a touch more secure. The Ultras are less interesting to me because I don't really like earbuds in the mic boom form factor. I've only owned the Sennheiser Accentum earbuds. They aren't bad, but I found the fit a bit odd. I feel like it's possible to get better sound for similar money. The Technics EAH-AZ40s would be a huge upgrade. I should like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro for their compact form factor, but I feel the fit and long-term comfort should be better than good or very good. Sound is good but nothing spectacular. The multipoint connectivity between my phone and laptop could also be more seamless. I feel like my Sony WF-C700Ns have flawless multipoint and at least 90% of the sound + noise-cancelling for a lot less money. I've never owned the Liberty 4, but if you're on a tight budget the Anker Soundcore Space A40s are tough to beat. Very good sound, NC, fit, and long-term comfort. If you are on a super tight budget and can live with passive isolation the Soundcore Life A1s are worth a listen. I own a ton of Jabra Elites over the years, including the 75ts, 4s in Black and Blue, 5s (currently missing), and 7s. I tend to find them cheap on eBay. I find their sound and NC good to very good. I like their tiny form factor, which makes the long-term fit and comfort excellent for me. This makes the Jabra Elites my favorite workout buds. My 75ts have held up to years of runs and workouts in all manner of conditions. Because of this, I'm bummed Jabra are leaving the earbud segment. In conclusion, I need to declutter and sell off my ridiculously large collection of earbuds!
Rankings by Use Case
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Best for Air travel
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Best for Audiophile sound quality
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Best for High-intensity workouts
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Best for Industrial hearing protection
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Sony - WF-1000XM5
Best for Meetings & video calls
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Apple - AirPod Pro Series
Best for Situational awareness (when running, cycling, parenting etc)
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Shokz - OpenFit Series
