OPN Sound Aria Bluetooth Open-Ear Headphones
- They don’t go in the ears; they sit on the outside and beam sound waves in
- If you want compact buds but hate shoving stuff in your ear, these are for you
- The reviews say the sound is solid
- Preferred home layout: open concept
Ear We Go
This is the product Meh was made for: the exact kind of thing where you’re like, “I love this concept… on paper.”
Here is what they are (again, on paper): earbuds that don’t go in your ear. Instead, they rest just outside your ear and beam sound waves in so that you can enjoy music or a podcast without drowning out the entire world around you.
Again, it’s a very cool concept.
But you know what else was a cool concept? That thing they used to hawk on TV for cooking eggs in the microwave. Or that cage your grandmother got you so you could wash your baseball caps in the dishwasher.
Our point is: earbuds that don’t have to go in your ears sound great, unless, of course, they don’t sound great. And the problem is, based on what we can find on Amazon, it seems your mileage may vary.
User EB, in a 4-star review, says:
I got these to fly and had my husband listen in with me. Against the noise in the plane not so bad… but in a gym the volume doesn’t go loud enough.
Not a terrible review, by any means. Sweeping. Going for a walk. Prepping stuff for dinner. All of these activities benefit from some background noise and none of them are as loud as a gym, so you can opt for comfort over volume.
That’s what PraJana Lotai did, according to a 3-star review titled “More Comfort, Less Sound”:
I enjoy that it is wireless, has noise cancelling capabilities and provides a decent sound. The best part is that it is designed so that it doesn’t go into your ears, making it pain-free to listen to.
Elsewhere, you find other reviews that make the same point–really comfortable and the sound is good enough for someone who is “not a musician or some kind of sound aficionado”–and some that sing other praises, like how they’re solid for running outside.
Still, it might seem a little risky, right? Like, it seems as though every single review amounts to, “These are good. Not perfect. But fine.” And do you really want to spend more than $80 on that?
No way. Which is why you come here and spend less than half that. Then, if you love them, you can be comfortable investing more in an even better pair in the future. And if you feel like they’re maybe okay for using around the house once in a while, well, hey, you’re only out 30 bucks.
So go ahead. Roll the dice. We dare you.
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