OneOdio OpenRock Pro Review
An open-ear true wireless pair with a big sound
Verdict
The OneOdio OpenRock offers the kind of big sound that most open ear headphones sincerely lack, but the not so super secure fit during sweatier exercise time and its struggles to deliver that power in louder environments means they’re not the best open ear headphones you can buy right now.
Pros
- Punchy sound profile
- Strong battery life
- Includes physical controls
Cons
- Fit struggles during sweaty workouts
- Power struggles in loud environments
- Not a very discreet or elegant design
Key Features
- OpenRock TubeBassEnhances low frequencies
- Battery life46 hours with charging case
Introduction
The OpenRock Pro are open ear truly wireless earbuds that promise to deliver something that most open ear headphones struggle with: big, bassy sound.
Primarily pitched at fitness folk with the scope to use them outside of that workout time, the OpenRock Pro joins a small group of truly wireless earbuds that embrace an open-style design including the Cleer Arc, which I tested (and didn’t absolutely love) as well as the Bose Sport Open, which remain on sale in the US only.
So this is an opportunity for OneOdio to make its more affordable alternative that’s easier to buy further afield, a standout option that can promise enjoyable sound, big battery life all while keeping you in tune with the world around you.
Availability
- UKRRP: £122
- USARRP: $129.99
- EuropeTBC
- CanadaTBC
- AustraliaTBC
You can currently buy the OpenRock Pro directly from the OneOdio website for $109 / £99 / AUD$158, making them cheaper than the Bose Sport Open and Cleer Arc.
Design
- Available in black and silver looks
- Onboard physical controls
- IPX5 waterproof rating
OneOdio opts for a hooked design in either black or white looks, where the hooked part sits over and around the top of the ear, planting the speakers that deliver the open ear sound slightly ahead of your ear. So while it’s not entirely freeing up the ear, it’s covering a small section of it.
Below that speaker section on both buds you’ll find flat, textured physical buttons, which lets you play or pause audio when you press the left side, double tap to adjust volume and can hold it down for 1.5 seconds to skip back and forward through audio. You can also use those controls to handle calls and have a chat with your smartphone assistant.
In terms of using those physical buttons, they’re well positioned and nicely tucked away, but I definitely found that on the move, trying to skip tracks or adjust volumes was trickier than hitting that button once to play and pause audio. There’s also no companion app to tinker with how those controls are assigned to those buttons.
These are far from discreet buds to wear and while they weigh 13g per bud or 90g as a set, these aren’t earbuds that you forget about when wearing them. Whether that’s sitting at a desk or whipping them on for a run, you’re always aware they’re on.
The way you wear them seems straightforward enough, though I didn’t get the perfect fit experience in all scenarios. They often feel like they are resting as opposed to holding onto the ears and while that’s fine for a walk or sitting down, it’s more of a problem when your movements become energetic.
When I used them in the gym for some bodyweight and kettlebell workouts after a quick HIIT rowing session, the sweat generated from that workout was enough to knock the buds out of place when I took the workout to the gym mat. If you’re wearing them upright, it’s generally fine, but I never felt fully comfortable they were going to remain in position at all times.
While sweat creates a fit problem, OneOdio does slap these with an IPX5 water rating, which doesn’t give you the best waterproofing you’ll find on a set of headphones but it does give you something that’s resistant to dust, sweat and moisture.
Those far from svelte buds sit inside of a plastic shell charging case, which isn’t a very pocket-friendly size, but does magnetically secure the buds in place. There’s a USB-C port to charge them up and a physical button you can press to access the pretty precise colour-coded battery status. So if the battery level is 0-10% for instance, the light will flash red five times. If there’s 51-99% of battery, the light slowly flashes green.
Features
- Dual noise-cancelling mics for calls
- Impressive battery
There’s dual-noise cancelling microphones on board, which does mean you can handle calls and speak to your smart assistant as well as accept or reject calls. Again, if you’re inside, that call quality is pretty solid overall but as soon as you’re battling louder external sound, it’s much more of a challenge.
On the battery front, battery life has definitely impressed with the OpenRock Pro. You can expect up to 19 hours from the headphones alone and that jumps up to 46 hours when you factor in a fully charged case.
A solid week of using the headphones didn’t make a huge dent in battery and that’s helped by a quick charge feature that gives you 60 minutes of playtime from a 5-minute charge.
Sound Quality
- 16.2mm driver
- OpenRock TubeBass technology
- Dual noise cancelling microphones
OneOdio delivers audio through an open ear design, using 16.2mm drivers and what it calls ‘OpenRock TubeBass technology’ to give it that bassier, more powerful sound profile than the majority of other open ear headphones.
As far as successfully delivering that bigger, punchier sound, the OpenRock Pro certainly achieves it, but I do think its presence really depends on the environment and level of exterior noise it has to battle against to offer that balance between hearing your audio and still being aware of what’s going on around you.
Sitting at a desk indoors or walking around in relatively quiet streets and that thump of bass makes its presence felt. In open ear terms, it doesn’t quite match the bassier profile you get on Philips’ TAA6606BK bone conduction headphones, but compared to a pair of Shokz headphones and other similar headphones that have sought to bring that power and you get well-rounded audio that performs across all music genres and is well suited to podcasts, delivering smooth mids with no real harshness in the treble department.
It was more problematic when I tested them in louder environments like running on pavements and paths near busier motorways and roads and in more blustery, windy conditions. That power and sound in general can be quickly drowned out, even at top volume. It’s not much of a battle really with the loud exterior noise comprehensively coming out on top. It does fare better in moderately loud environments, but when it’s truly put to the test, it struggles.
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Should you buy it?
If you enjoy some welly to your bass: For an open ear sound the OpenRock Pro does serve up a well-rounded sound profile with a pleasing thump of bass to give it the power that most open ear headphones do lack.
If you’re a sweaty person: While the fit was fine for walking around, sitting at a desk and out on easy runs, it struggled when things got sweatier and you’ve got to put them to more energetic workout use.
Final Thoughts
It’s a big positive that there are open ear headphones that are striving to deliver better, richer, more powerful sound all while retaining the qualities that make having open ear headphones appealing. They want to keep you safe and in tune with what else is going on around you. As long as you’re not in very loud environments, the OpenRock Pro performs well, but the slightly problematic and not very elegant fit and design means they’re not going to be the perfect fit for everyone.
How we test
We test every headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested for several days
Tested with real world use
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FAQs
The OpenRock Pro have an IP rating of IPX5, which means it can resist a low pressure jet of water. You should be able to rinse these headphones if they get dirty, but we would not recommend dunking them into water.
Full specs
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.