These $40 open-ear buds are my new favorites
I own multiple pairs of earbuds and headphones. I want different things based on where I am. At the office, I need to drown out the noise around me. But at home? Hearing UPS ringing my doorbell is vital. (Gotta be quick to beat porch pirates to my packages.)
On a whim last month, I grabbed a new pair of open-ear buds during Amazon’s Prime Day sales for $40—the Anker Soundcore C50i. To my surprise, they’re my new favorites.
The audio is balanced, with just enough bass for a smooth vibe, and I can still clearly hear the outside world. Meanwhile, my JLab Open Sport (also open-ear buds) lacks the same warmth in the low end. Its highs and mids are also harsher and more dominant. I’d even go as far to say that the Soundcore C50i comes fairly close to my Sennheiser HD 599 SE open-back headphones, but at about half the cost.
Almost more important, the C50i buds clip loosely to my ears, much like a high-tech version of an earcuff. I’ve now worn them for several multi-hour calls, and they haven’t pinched or felt heavy. (In contrast, I get headaches using Sennheiser HD 599 SE and JLab Open Sport after the same amount of time, because of too much pressure on the top of my head or around my ears.)
Given these buds’ rating of seven hours of playback, plus another 21 through the case, I have had zero complaints about them so far. (This rating is based on 50 percent music volume, which has been plenty loud for the quieter environment I use them in.) I’ve haven’t run out of battery yet, especially since I rarely go more than four to five hours with them.
At the MSRP of $70, the Soundcore C50i isn’t exactly an impulse buy—but they often drop down to $40 to $50 on sale. In fact, at the time of this writing, Amazon’s discounted them this much again. At that price, I’ve been recommending them to friends who also need to hear what’s going on around them, but don’t like sacrificing comfort or sound quality.
