Audio quality, immersion, ANC, balance, sound stage, etc. These are all terms we use to properly describe our headphone/earbud experience. However, we never use the term “Perspective.” It might seem like an odd term to use, but here’s a question: From your perspective, what are earbuds? I was given the opportunity to review the OpenRock X Open-Ear Air Conduction Sport Earbuds. Like any pair of earbuds, they provided me with a listening experience, yes, but more importantly, they changed my perspective on what a pair of earbuds could be.
The OpenRock X are a pair of air-conduction earbuds that don’t deliver sound in the way that in-ear earbuds do. Rather than sipping into your ear canal and driving the audio directly to your eardrums, they sit just outside your ears. This makes for differences in how they sound compared to in-ear earbuds, for better and for worse. The question is whether you should choose these.
What about the OpenRock X make them the ideal earbuds for you? What about them should make you pass them up? How can they change your perspective on what a pair of earbuds should be? That’s what I’m here to answer.
How I tested these earbuds
To make sure that I properly put the OpenRock X through the wringer, I was a bit systematic with my testing. Firstly, the OpenRock app has a set of EQ presets along with a mode that lets you customize it. Out of the box, the EQ was set to the Rock Mode which has a boost in the bass with a dip in the mids. However, for testing, I flattened the EQ. At some points in my testing, I did boost some frequencies temporarily, but the testing was typically with a flat EQ.
As for the content I listened to, I used all of types of music that I listen to typically. This includes music anywhere from the 2020s to the 1720s. This includes classical, rock (60s – 80s), pop (60s – present), R&B (70s – 90s), film scores (late 90s – present), video game music (90s – present), and others. Each of these genres and time periods has its own characteristics that test headphones in different ways. I’ll point out certain songs and genres in my testing so that you can hear what I’m talking about.
Not only did I test these earbuds inside, but I also tested them outside (in calm and windy conditions). Since these are targeted at athletic people and fitness-focused individuals, testing outside was crucial. I also took them into loud coffee shops and supermarkets.
To test the battery, I used these for full writing sessions at work and for casual listening. I also conducted a more clinical test where I fully charged them, cranked them up to full volume, and timed how long it took for them to run to 0% battery.
To test the fit, I did many of the activities that you’d do when working out. I jogged, sprinted, and ran at full speed. I also spun around, shook my head fiercely, and collapsed onto my bed.
OpenRock X Review: Hardware and design
I can tell that OpenRock prides itself on its hardware. There’s a level of quality here that I just don’t get with most other earbuds, and some of them are much more expensive than the OpenRock X. They feel extremely well-made and premium. Picking them up, I felt that reassuring heft that lets me know that the company opted for quality materials.
They’re primarily made from plastic, but we’re not talking about some cheap plastic you’d find on a set of $20 SkullCandys. It’s a sturdy plastic that I know will protect the internals from all sorts of abuse. Basically, if I drop them, I don’t have to worry if I’m going to need to shell out for a new pair.
The main housing is made from plastic, but the part that wraps around the ear is made from a flexible, liquid silicone rubber that feels rather nice. There’s some nice flex to it, but it always snaps right back into place. Separating that and the main body is a hinge that lets you lock the buds into place on your ear. It can rotate 50° vertically and 45° horizontally. The hinge is also smooth, but it can still hold its place when you turn it.
The OpenRock X cost $169; I’ve used earbuds that cost this much before. I don’t think I’ve felt this level of build quality with any other earbuds at this price point. In fact, after just taking them out of their case and trying them on, I had to double-check the price to see if I wasn’t mistaken. There are $300 earbuds that don’t feel quite as premium as these.
There are companies that prioritize affordability, but it’s clear that OpenRock prioritizes build quality. Adding to the build quality, they’re IPX5 water-resistant. This means that your sweat won’t get into them during a workout.
Charging case
The superior build quality also extends to the charging case. First things first; OpenRock knows about a little something called Presentation. You don’t simply open the case. Rather, the earbuds emerge from a sliding mechanism. I’ve reviewed a lot of audio devices, and I’ve never reviewed any with a charging case like this. I honestly think that it was the coolest thing I’d seen.
The company went with a pretty boxy design for the case, and I think that it was mostly for the sliding mechanism. Admittedly, the case’s design isn’t all that inspired, but damned if it doesn’t have some aesthetic flair. Firstly, it’s made from metal. I love the feeling of cool metal when I pick up the case. It’s a constant reminder that these earbuds are all well-built.
There are also the chamfered edges that give the case an almost industrial quality. Think about some of the older metal smartphones from the mid-2010s, like the Google Nexus 6P or the HTC 10. They’re boxy, but there’s this beauty to them that the edges lend to them. There are chamfered edges around the top, bottom, and USB-C port on the case, and they boost the design in my opinion.
Lastly, I love the matte texture of the metal. It feels really nice on the hand. Not only that, but when it’s in the light, it gives off almost a glittery look.
I know where OpenRock’s head’s at
OpenRock launched its first device in 2021, so it’s a relatively new company. Also, it’s a smaller company in the grand scheme of things, with only a handful of devices out. But, that’s the beauty of it! I’m using a pair of earbuds that were crafted, not manufactured. OpenRock poured its heart into making a beautiful and well-crafted product. I can feel and see the passion that went into making the OpenRock X.
They’re lightweight, but they’re not cheap
I mentioned that these earbuds have a nice heft to them. I can feel it when I’m holding them, but not when I’m wearing them. In fact, it honestly feels like there’s nothing on my head when I’m wearing them. Sure, earbuds aren’t heavy in general, but most other earbuds have the majority of their weight hanging off your ear.
Most of the weight of the OpenRock X seems to sit in the cylindrical tip opposite the main housing. Well, these earbuds really hug your ear, so all that weight sits as close to the ear as possible. This makes them feel so much lighter than they are. The feeling is a part of why these changed my whole perspective.
OpenRock X Review: Sound
These earbuds look good and they feel good, but do they sound good? There’s something special about the sound that the OpenRock X produce that set them apart from many of the other earbuds on the market. As I said before, you don’t insert them inside your ears to hear the audio. Rather, they sit outside of your ears, and that plays a huge part in the overall audio quality. This is for better or for worse, depending on the listening situation. But let’s go down the line.
Treble
I consider the treble performance a high point of the OpenRock X’s performance. I really appreciated the tactile punch that they give to higher tones. Depending on the genre of music you listen to, the higher tones could play a bigger part in the overall sound. But no matter what I listened to, I could hear an ample amount of bite in the higher-pitched sounds.
What’s more important than bite is balance. Overall, they kept from sounding tinny, which is pretty easy for lower-quality earbuds to do. I listened to a wide range of music, but it did put a bit of a focus on 80s pop when evaluating the treble, as there’s plenty of high-pitched icy synth and crunchy bass.
Overall, I think that the OpenRock X tends to be a bit top-heavy; there’s a slight emphasis on the higher-end that I could start to hear after a while. It’s not bad, but after some time of listening, I could start to feel just a little bit of fatigue. It never drove me to take them off, however. It’s just something that could be addressed by making a tweak to the EQ.
Bass
The bass is a bit of an interesting story. The sound coming from the earbuds is pretty open, which aligns with the company’s philosophy. As such, the bass isn’t as substantial as what you’d get from a pair of in-ear earbuds. There are just some lower tones that don’t travel as well in the space between the speaker and your eardrum. This leaves the bass sounding a bit weaker than what I’m used to.
Believe me, I’ve heard much weaker from in-ear earbuds. While it’s not as powerful, it’s still pretty warm and engrossing. I can still hear some rumble and depth to the lower end. The majority of the music I listened to sounded really good, and I didn’t have an issue at all with the bass.
When I listen to notably bassy and warm music like 90s R&B, the OpenRock X really shine. I still don’t feel 100% of the rumble from the music, but the exaggerated bass from the song makes the OpenRock push out a warm and velvety sound. It’s that perfect amount of bass that draws you into the music.
I temporarily pushed the bass to its maximum in the EQ, and it did deliver some more depth, but it’s still not exactly what you’d get from a pair of in-ear earbuds. The funny thing is, however, that I didn’t find myself missing my in-ear earbuds. I couldn’t really understand why. There’s something about the way that OpenRock X push the lower tones that still immerses me in the sound despite missing some of the depth. It brings the words “Just right” to mind.
I chalk this up to the BassDirect technology that they use. This tech reduces the sound leakage while delivering great bass response.
Mids
The mids can often be overlooked. Heck, there are several EQ presets that straight-up cut out the mids. In our bass-heavy world, it can be tough to find companies that don’t just boost the bass and ignore the rest.
However, this is something you mostly see with low-quality audio companies. I had no issue with the OpenRock X as far as the mids went. Just like the treble and bass, I could hear that the company paid equal attention to the mids. I really felt this when listening to classical music. The thing about classical music is that all parts of the audio spectrum are important.
Sure, higher instruments usually take the melody, but the melody hops from the higher instruments down to the lower instruments often. The melody hops down from the violins and flutes down to the violas and clarinets. You want to hear just as much detail in the lower instruments as you want to hear in the higher instruments, and I do. I can hear the subtle grit of the violas’ bows scraping against the strings. I can hear all of the subtle nuances of instruments that take up the mid-range. This also goes for more modern music with guitars, pianos, and other instruments.
When it comes to vocals, I’d say that I’ve definitely heard better, but the OpenRock X aren’t shabby at all. Voices project rather clearly over the mix, and I can hear some nice detail. I wouldn’t call it spectacular, but I rather enjoy them.
Balance
The overall balance is what really ties everything together. When I listen to these earbuds, I hear this beautiful balance that makes everything I listen to sound amazing. There’s just enough treble, mids, and bass to add life and character to whatever I’m listening to. 70s pop has this certain warmth to it, 80s pop has this high-pitched and tactile charm, 90s R&B has this deep and warm nature, and 2000s music has this punch to it. All of these genres, and others, sound amazing through the OpenRock X. I think that the company really knocked it out of the park with these earbuds.
OpenRock X Review: Sound stage
OpenRock’s founder, Jack Lee, wanted to create earbuds that let you immerse yourself in your music while having a more open experience. This is the singular most important aspect of the sound. Again, the audio isn’t being shot directly into your eardrums. Rather, it exists around your ears.
This was my first experience with a pair of earbuds like these, and I had this “Ah Hah!” moment. During a work session, I took the OpenRock X off to charge them, and I immediately switched to my open-back headphones. Guess what, I didn’t hear a difference in the overall audio. That’s when it hit me, what these earbuds are all about. They’re meant to give you the same kind of feeling that wearing a pair of open-back headphones gives you.
Despite being so open, the sound still envelops you. There are times when I forget that I’m not wearing in-ear earbuds. The sound is just that immersive. Be that as it may, it still has this light and open quality that you’d get from a pair of open-back headphones.
This is great, but…
Obviously, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to audio. The OpenRock X can be great for people who want a more open sound. They can be perfect for people who love their open-back headphones, but can’t take them on the road with them. However, while they share many of the best attributes of open-back headphones, they also share their main downfall.
One thing I was worried about was wearing OpenRock X outside or in a loud location. I typically work in a crowded coffee shop. Well, when I’m wearing these earbuds, I can hear EVERYTHING. This includes the wind, cars, people, music, etc.
That’s not much of a problem when you’re trying to stay aware of your surroundings. However, these are the kind of earbuds that define what kind of music listener you are. Are you a person who likes to put their music on and tune out the world? Or, are you the kind of person who wants their music to augment the world around them?
Honestly, I’m the former. I’m the kind of person who puts their earbuds in on a long walk or writing session, turns on ANC, and just gets lost in what I’m doing. So, using these earbuds outside for the first time was a bit jarring. Was it bad? No. After a bit of time, I was able to adjust. This is because the audio is so full and immersive that it’s able to overpower much of the ambient noise.
The only issue with that is that I sometimes find myself turning my volume up pretty high to have the music overpower the surrounding noise. That could lead to some pretty intense fatigue before too long.
If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like the outside getting in, then you might not find yourself reaching for the OpenRock X all too often.
As for me, these earbuds opened my eyes
It took some getting used to, but it didn’t take me long to see the beauty of open earbuds like these. Even though I like to tune out the world, I really appreciate the sort of experience they’re meant to give you. Like I said, the OpenRock X feel so lightweight that I often forget that I’m wearing earbuds in the first place. Well, the sound is so open that it truly feels like the audio just exists around me.
I discovered this while walking through a quiet neighborhood. I could still hear the wind through the trees, my footsteps, and the neighbors while listening to music. It hit me that enjoying music didn’t mean cutting all of those sounds out. It was like being a part of the world while listening to music rather than being apart from it.
Granted, this changes when I walk around heavy traffic. So, if I know that I’m going to be around a lot of noise, I’d switch to another pair. However, I find myself reaching for the OpenRock X rather often when I’m in quiet environments.
OpenRock X Review: Battery
The battery life in these earbuds is a game-changer. I can honestly say that none of the earbuds I’ve used can match the OpenRock X’s battery longevity. To test the battery life, I ran the earbuds at full volume on a nonstop playlist and just let them run out. It took more than 9.5 hours for the earbuds to die on their own. That was pretty insane. There are many earbuds I use that can’t survive an eight-hour writing shift without needing to charge at least once.
I ran the test with the volume at full blast, so if you have it at a lower level, then you’ll get much more mileage. OpenRock says that you can get up to about 12 hours, so don’t be surprised if you get somewhere close to that figure.
I can comfortably go through a full writing shift without even getting the “low battery” warning. The charging case further extends the battery life immensely. To put things into perspective, I had received more than one pair. I fully charged a pair to run the battery test, but there was one pair that I used casually as my main earbuds. The case came with north of 60% of power left and the earbuds were full. I successfully went an entire week of listening before I even plugged the case in, and I still didn’t get the low battery warning. I never felt any urgency to refuel the case.
If you’re a casual listener, then you should have no problem going more than a week without needing to charge the case. Heavier users will still get a handful of days before needing to charge.
After running the batteries dry on one pair, they were back up to full charge in no time, thanks to the fast charging. I know that, if I’m in a pinch, a quick 5-minute charge will be enough to get me an hour of listening time.
OpenRock X Review: App & Other Features
These earbuds come with a companion app, and it ranks highly on my list. Like most other companion apps, I’m greeted with the battery level for both of the earbuds and the case at the top. Under that, I see a feed of items like the EQ, gestures, and toggles for certain settings. These settings are the Max volume limiter (this keeps the volume from rising to a dangerous level), spatial audio, sound balance (a feature that lets you adjust the volume level of each earbud individually), auto power off, voice prompts, and the over-time wear reminder.
It’s all pretty straightforward, and I don’t have many complaints. I wish that there were more EQ presets, as you only have three by default. I do like that I can customize the EQ to better suit my own tastes. It’s a neat 7-band EQ that lets you adjust between 6dB and -6dB.
My only other complaint is that the button gestures are pretty much set in stone. There’s a single button on each of the earbuds, and you use it to perform several actions. A single press will play/pause music, a double press will play the next track, and a triple press will play the previous track.
Wish that I had the ability to change these. The only gesture I can adjust is the long-press gesture. I can choose between volume up, volume down, microphone on/off, and voice assistant. However, I wish that I could choose the function for all of the gestures.
Multi-device connectivity
The OpenRock X Open-Ear Sport Earbuds can connect to two devices at the same time. They’ll remain connected consistently and automatically play audio from the device that’s in use. I typically find myself switching between my computer and my phone, so I found this feature useful. They’re pretty quick to switch to the other device once it starts playing audio. It doesn’t take more than about five seconds.
Carrying case
OpenRock also sent over the unique carrying case for the earbuds. Just like everything else, the carrying case is high-quality. It closes magnetically, and it has a clip at the end that you can use to attach it to your bag.
OpenRock X Review: Final verdict
So, how did these earbuds change my perspective on earbuds? I’ve always viewed earbuds as an escape from the world around me. They were a way to isolate myself with my music. While I still maintain that mentality much of the time, the OpenRock X introduced me to the notion that music can become part of the world. While I’m outside, in a line at the market, or just sitting at home, I can casually listen to music while still being aware of the world. It almost feels like they add a soundtrack to my world.
That’s the mentality behind these earbuds. They’re designed for people to be aware of their surroundings while working out. I can hear cars while on a run, which makes me feel safer.
I’m not sure I would have had this revelation with a low-quality pair of earbuds. However, the OpenRock X are extremely high-quality. The sound they produce is spectacular. I hear a full sound that just wraps my ears in a blanket of sound. It’s punchy, velvety, and high-quality.
I’m most impressed by the engineering of these earbuds. They look and feel like they should cost twice as much as they do. Everything from the feeling in the hand to the appearance, to the charging case just tells me that OpenRock gives a damn about the product that people stick on their ears.
If you’re a fan of open-air earbuds, then I highly recommend that you pick them up. They are a top-tier pair of earbuds that check most of the boxes in terms of the sound, hardware, mobile app, and overall experience.
If you’re a person who likes to isolate themselves with their music, I would usually say that you might want to skip these; however, I’m going to do the opposite. I recommend that you give them a try. You should try a new approach to listening to music, especially if you like to work out. I think you should experience the feeling of integrating music into the world around you. Sometimes, all it takes to boost your experience is a new perspective.
You can pick up these earbuds at a 15% discount on the OpenRock website (use the code: Android Headlines). You can also get a 20% discount on Amazon if you use the coupon code: G4WQOYWI
