Honor Earbuds Open review: Unmatched comfort, unbelievable sound

Honor is on a high following the debut of the Magic 7 Pro, and it is building out its accessory ecosystem with the introduction of the Earbuds Open, Pad V9, and Watch 5 Ultra wearable.

The Earbuds Open are highly interesting because they mark the manufacturer's debut in the world of open earbuds. There has been a sizeable interest in this category in the last 12 months, and Honor's buds combine a lightweight design with a comfortable fit and engaging sound signature.

What's so good about open earbuds is that they don't actually fit inside the ear, so you don't need to worry about any strain even with extended use. That said, because they don't create a tight seal, you don't get the same sound quality, but manufacturers have come up with interesting solutions to deliver powerful bass, and Honor in particular did a terrific job in this area.

I tested several open earbuds, and after using the Earbuds Open for a week, it's evident that these are among the best you can get right now.

Honor Earbuds Open: Pricing and availability

Honor unveiled the Earbuds Open alongside the Pad V9 at its Mobile World Congress keynote on March 2, and the earbuds are going on sale shortly. Similar to the manufacturer's other devices, the Earbuds Open will be coming to the U.K. and other global markets in the coming weeks.

Honor Earbuds Open: What I like

I generally like open earbuds as they have a better fit than in-ear models, and that's no different with the Earbuds Open. I think these may be the most comfortable earbuds I've used yet, and while I tested Baseus's take in this category and am going through several other models — this is clearly the latest trend in audio — Honor's design is the one that stands out the most.

A big part of that has to do with the unique design. The Earbuds Open have ear hooks that ensure they don't fall out even when you're running, and as the driver doesn't actually nestle into your ear canal — it's designed to sit outside the ear — it doesn't exert any pressure on the inner ear cavity.

Because of the design, you can hear ambient noise in your surroundings while still getting immersive sound, and there's no audio leakage, so no one in your near vicinity will be able to hear what you're listening to — which is a good thing for me as I mostly listen to heavy metal.

The ear hooks have a natural curve and are made out of an alloy that makes it easy to adjust the fit comfortably. The chassis is fashioned out of silicone, and I didn't see any issues with the build quality. The earbuds weigh just 7.9g each, so there's absolutely no fatigue even with all-day use.

You can get the earbuds in Polar Gold and Polar Black, and I'd recommend getting the gold model if you want earbuds with a bit of a design flair. The black model is muted, and it doesn't have a strong presence; so if that's what you need, it's a good option.

The case has an oblong design to accommodate the unique nature of the earbuds, and while it is wider than most earbud cases, it is still easily pocketable. Pairing the buds is about as easy as it gets (they connect over Bluetooth 5.2), and I didn't have any issues in this area. I got good range too, with the earbuds delivering a rock-solid connection even when I around the house doing chores. If you're prone to losing earbuds, there's a nifty locate option that uses Bluetooth.

You get IP54 ingress protection, and they hold up incredibly well during workouts thanks to the ear hooks. Interestingly, you get ANC on these earbuds, and while the isolation isn't as high as regular earbuds — the Buds 3 Pro manage to tune out sounds up to 40db, while the Earbuds Open can do so up to 24dB — it is a considerable achievement that this is available on open earbuds at all.

While the earbuds did a decent enough job with ambient sounds like that of an air conditioning unit, they're not quite as effective if you're in a noisy cafe. There's environmental noise isolation as well, with the earbuds doing a great job blocking out the wind, and it is easily noticeable while making calls outdoors.

I used a half-dozen open earbuds until now, and I'm constantly amazed by how good they sound. You wouldn't think that the sound quality would be on par with regular earbuds as they don't go into your ear, but that isn't the case at all — if anything, the Earbuds Open sound better than most in-ear models.

What surprised me the most is the bass; the Earbuds Open have a vibrant and engaging bass that works across genres, and you somehow get a noticeable rumble even though the sound tube doesn't wedge into the inner ear. There's good mid-range clarity, with vocals shining through and decent instrument separation. There's some harshness with the treble at times, but you don't get much in the way of sibilance. Overall, I'd sum up the sound quality as lively; it lends itself well to diverse genres, and Honor did a great job with the tuning.

Like with everything else Honor is doing, the Earbuds Open pick up AI-assisted features, including real-time translations. It is available in 15 languages, but I wasn't able to make full use of it as it doesn't have Hindi or Telugu (yet). That said, it works with Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Portuguese in addition to other languages, and it is a nifty addition.

You get three modes: Shared Mode is ideal when you need instantaneous translations, Simultaneous Interpretation is pretty cool in that it spits out translations in two languages at once (with one language in each earbud), and Exclusive Mode is useful if you're in a country where you don't know the language. In this mode, you talk into the earbuds and the connected phone's speaker puts out the translation in the language selected in real-time.

Finally, the battery life is decent. Each bud houses a 58mAh battery and lasts just under six hours between charges, and there's a 480mAh battery within the case that charges the buds two and a half times over. Basically, you get over 20 hours of usage before needing to charge the case. On that note, there's fast charging, so a 15-minute charge delivers two hours of music playback.

Honor Earbuds Open: What I don't like

I don't really have many negatives to point out with the buds. I would have liked the integration of AptX codecs, but that clearly isn't a priority in this category, and it isn't a huge omission al things considered.

The buds have gesture controls, but they tend to be finicky at times, and I ran into issues getting a gesture to trigger reliably. The only other point is the fit; while I like the way they sit outside the ear, they may not be suitable to everyone, and if it's possible, I'd recommend trying out the buds if you're interested in the design.

Honor Earbuds Open: The alternatives

I like what Nothing is doing in this category, and its earbuds combine a comfortable fit with great sound. Coming in at €149, they are costlier, but you also get a good value considering the uniqueness of the design and engaging sound.

Soundcore's AeroFit Pro share a lot of the same attributes as Honor's earbuds, and they have decent sound combined with useful workout extras, including IPX5.

Honor Earbuds Open: Should you buy it?

You should buy these if:

• You want earbuds that are highly comfortable
• You need great sound quality with powerful bass
• You want good battery life
• You need workout earbuds

You shouldn't buy these if:

• You want the best noise isolation
• You need high-res codecs

Outside of AptX codecs, you're not really missing out on much with the Earbuds Open. Honor did a terrific job with the design and build quality of the earbuds, and they're easily one of the most comfortable I've used in this category.

The fact that you don't have any fatigue even with all-day use is a big deal, and that's driven by the unique design where the driver sits outside the ear. You still get wonderfully detailed sound, and Honor somehow managed to deliver powerful bass here, and they hold up well with genres as diverse as heavy metal and classical.

There are other niceties too; IP54 ingress protection is great to have, and the earbuds do a solid job tuning out ambient sounds. They're not quite as effective as regular earbuds, but there is a noticeable difference regardless, and if you usually have issues with earbuds and want something that's much more comfortable, I highly recommend giving the Earbuds Open a chance — I was pleasantly astonished by how good they are, and you will be too.