OpenRock X Open-Ear Air Conduction Sport Earbuds review

REVIEW – Open ear air conduction earbuds are a fancy way of saying ‘directional earbud speaker’, but their capabilities are surprising.  I’m digging further into this new trend of portable audio bliss with the latest flagship by OpenRock – the X earbud.  It’s a premium offering, and we’ll see if it’s worth the premium price.

What is it?

OpenRock is the open-ear air conduction brand of OneOdio, who have been in the audio game since 2013.  Unlike traditional earbuds, the OpenRock X sit on the outside of the ear and use directional speakers to project sound.  The result is an earbud that sounds better than bone conduction, while still giving you the benefits of situational awareness.  This format is an absolute game changer for those who find in-ear buds uncomfortable, or want a decent audio experience while exercising.

The OpenRock X is the current flagship in the OpenRock lineup, followed by the OpenRock Pro and OpenRock S.

What’s included?

• OpenRock Earphones
• Charging case
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• Ring hook
• Manual

Tech specs

Design and features

The OpenRock X has a functional design. The earbuds are attached by a hinge to the ear hook. This hinge helps ensure the wearer can find the right position for the optimal listening experience.

On each earbud is a single button which has various functions depending on a long, single, or double press.  The ear hooks are a soft silicone and are well balanced.  The IPX5 rating makes them tolerant to sweat or getting caught out in the rain, but not for swimming.

If I had one critique of the aesthetics, it would be the OpenRock text branding across the earbuds.  The app actually has a pretty cool OpenRock logo that I think would have been a better fit.

I really, really like the case design for these earbuds.  It does trend slightly on the larger size, though remains pocketable.  Capable of quick charging the earbuds up to three times, the case holds the earbuds on a sled – and boy is it satisfying to deploy.  Words are not enough here… check it out in action!

Setup

Connecting the OpenRock X earbuds is as easy as opening the case while the earbuds are docked, which will put them in pairing mode.  You can connect them straight into your device over Bluetooth from there, or you can grab the OpenRock app on iOS or Android.  The app does not require an account, and will give you customization options for the buttons, EQ, and general settings.

There are a few EQ presets, as well as a custom option to dial in your own.  Other options are available to toggle through depending on your needs.

Performance

OpenRock has a really nice sounding earbud in the X.  I immediately jumped into the True Power album by I Prevail, and was hooked.  The sound profile is generally well balanced with a slight emphasis on the mids.  The nature of the open air earbud has the benefit of a wider than typical soundstage for an earbud.  This is at the cost of punchier lows, though the OpenRock X still manages to deliver a satisfying low end.

There is a proprietary LISO 2.0  tuning on the OpenRock X.  Despite my best efforts to educate myself on what LISO 2.0 stands for, my searches of the OpenRock website and the documentation were fruitless.  Regardless, it sounds good and that’s all that matters – though there is a caveat on volume.  I did find when I pushed the volume up to around the 70% mark that the sound quality began to drop a bit.  This was at a point where they were uncomfortably loud, and not at a level that I would ever use in normal listening conditions.

The only dig on performance would be the mic quality on calls.  While I had zero issues hearing folks, the feedback was generally in the vein of ‘passable’ to those on the other end, with a comment that I sounded ‘far away’ being common.  A credit, however, to the mic noise cancelling, as my wife mentioned she couldn’t hear much background noise while I was at the airport.  These will certainly work in a pinch, but I wouldn’t want to use them for a day of meetings (for the sake of those on the other end of the conversation).

While I mostly stuck to these for day-to-day listening, I had no issues with them while out on the bike.  Sunglasses will push the earbuds out slightly, but this is mitigated by their ability to flex and pivot.

Over the past thirty days I’ve been enjoying the OpenRock X as my daily drivers, and found them especially useful during a week of travel.  Enjoying my own background music while still being able to hear the gate announcements at the airport was something I didn’t know I needed, and it let me save the battery on my ANC over ear headphones for the flight.

What I like about the OpenRock X earbuds

• Superb sound quality
• Charging case is a fresh take on the format
• Quality app experience which doesn’t require an account

What needs to be improved?

• Mic quality on calls
• Earbud branding
• Price point

Final thoughts

I am absolutely here for the open ear air conduction earbud trend.  The comfort, audio quality, and practicality of the format are next level, and an absolute must for those like me who have long suffered with in-earbuds.  For the price, the OpenRock X earbuds need to be perfect, and while it’s close, its mic experience was functional but unimpressive.  The hardware is solid, and the fact that their mic noise cancellation works well leads me to believe there is maybe some tuning needed that could be addressed in a future software update.  As is, I would recommend these if a strong mic experience is not a requirement for your needs.

Price: $169.99
Where to buy: OpenRock and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by OpenRock. OpenRock did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.