Open Ears and the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds in Review

I tested the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and I'm Keeping Them. They sound great and allow listening at safe levels while being aware of what other people say. These make a great case for Open Ears and that's the topic of this article where I have inserted my review of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and I provide examples of how the industry has been exploring alternative designs that avoid in-ear occlusion, from loose-fit earbud shapes to the recent air conduction craze.

Shokz, known for its patented open-ear bone conduction technology and headsets, announced OpenFit, the brand's first open-ear true wireless stereo earphones, made with its patented air conduction technology. Soon to launch globally, the new Shokz OpenFit TWS around the ear design leaves the inner ear open and features a new ultra-lightweight on-ear hybrid dynamic driver unit and DirectPitch technology to produce a full audio experience. Not a bone conduction product.

After debuting its Olive Pro 2-in-1 FDA-Registered class II hearing aids in 2020, smart hearing company Olive Union returns with a second and more ambitious product. The new Olive Max take the concept of affordable hearing health a step further, exchanging the convenience of compact true wireless earbuds for a large, around-the-ear (wrap-around) form-factor that the Japan-based company believes will be able to deal even with severe hearing loss.

The new IE 600 earphones are the first product from Sennheiser's consumer division - now part of the Sonova group following the acquisition. The model sits between the flagship IE 900 and the IE 300 earphones, both launched in 2021, all designed for music enthusiasts that remain indifferent to wireless options and still believe "the tiniest details count." With the new Sennheiser IE 600, the company also promotes "a lifetime of listening pleasure," in reference to the advanced materials used in the ultra-tough earphone housings.

Technical innovation, meticulous attention to detail, and an uncompromising demand for perfection to deliver a listening experience without compromise. These are the premises for another ambitious product development from Sennheiser, the new IE 900 around-the-ear earphones. The high-end concept required designing a completely new 7mm driver, the X3R, to match the product’s flagship status.

Designed to offer great sound every day, the new Sennheiser HD 450BT and HD 350BT around-the-ear Bluetooth 5.0 headphones, first presented during CES 2020, offer a winning combination of improved audio quality, 30-hour battery life and instant voice assistant access. The HD 450BT also features active noise cancellation so no matter how loud the environment, it’s possible to enjoy a truly captivating audio experience without any distractions.

Highly praised for its innovative approach to headphone design and combination of materials, AudioQuest’s first headphone, the NightHawk, offers a unique combination of comfort and sound quality. The Californian company says the NightHawk’s success was evidence of the intensifying convergence between the high-fidelity and high-technology worlds. But different users demand options, and now AudioQuest decided to expand the range with two new around-the-ear models: NightHawk Carbon and NightOwl Carbon.