Baseus Eli Sport 1: The Eli Sport 1 can be purchased for around $80. While they may not sound as good as some of the premium open-back headphones out there — there can be a touch of distortion at higher frequencies with bass-heavy tracks — they sound quite decent for their modest price, and I was comfortable wearing them. They look more premium than their price would suggest. They have 16.2mm drivers, are IPX4 splash resistant, and are rated for up to 7.5 hours of battery life at moderate volume levels.
Samsung Galaxy Buds FE: With a retail price of around $100, Samsung's 2023 Galaxy Buds FE have a single driver (Samsung doesn't say what size it is), three microphones on each earbud, and active noise cancellation. They pack into a case that's the same size and shape as what you currently get with all of Samsung's latest Galaxy Buds, including the Galaxy Buds 2 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. And they look a lot like an updated version of the non-Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus earbuds, which also came with a set of replaceable fins that helped create a secure, comfortable fit. Like those buds, the Galaxy Buds FE are sweat-resistant with an IPX2 water resistance rating that protects against splashes.
Bose Frames (Tempo) (Out of Stock): Bose headphones are one of those products that you have to try to fully appreciate — or ditch. The concept is that you get a decent pair of sunglasses with a pair of headphones that don't actually go in your ears. Instead, integrated micro speakers in each arm direct a beam of sound to your ears. That design could appeal to people who don't want to have headphones in or on their ears, while also offering a degree of safety for runners and cyclists who want their ears open to the world.
Jabra Elite 8 Active: Equipped with six microphones instead of four, slightly improved adaptive noise cancellation and wind reduction technology, along with a higher durability rating, the Elite 8 Active looks, feels and performs like a modestly upgraded version of the Elite 7 Pro and Elite 7 Active. Jabra bills them as the “world's heaviest headphones,” and based on our tests (they survived several drops without a scratch), that could very well be true.
Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS: What makes these Soundpeats Air3 Deluxe HS buds special is that they sound surprisingly good for open headphones — they're pretty close to what you get from Apple's AirPods 3 for sound. Moreover, they support Sony's LDAC audio codec for the devices that offer it. Not too many cheap open-ear headphones sound good, but these Soundpeats have good bass response and clarity. They are also good for making calls and have a low latency gaming mode. Battery life is rated at 5 hours at moderate volume levels, and they're IPX4 splash-resistant.