I tried Honor's new Earbuds Open and they jumped right to the top of a growing pile

(Image credit: Future)

Honor has launched its first ever open-ear earbuds – and I tried them
Noise cancellation and AI translation are among the unusual features
Honor Earbuds Open's 'industry-first virtual bass algorithm' is a big hit

Sometimes when trialling a set of earbuds designed specifically not to enter your ears, I approach them slightly differently. And by 'differently', I mean that I try to get my other half to put them on in the first instance.

This is because he, for whatever reason, finds all of the best earbuds – specifically putting any in-ear design actually into his ears – abhorrent. Even some open-ear options have made this near-phobia kick in as he tried to fit them. The Honor Earbuds Open, however, slipped over his auricles like a dream. These earbuds had him happily listening to the Beatles and Arctic Monkeys for a good hour, a pleased expression never leaving his face as we chatted about the sound.

The set of earbuds is the just-released Honor Earbuds Open, and although this missive should not be considered a full review, early impressions are resoundingly positive – and not just because of the unobtrusive fit.

Haven't considered open-ears? You will

Full disclosure: open earbuds are very hot right now. Readers may remember that according to Huawei (upon launching its IP57-rated new FreeArc earbuds) open ear headphones are the fastest-growing product category in consumer audio, with output of such designs up 600%, year on year. So it would be easy to simply add the Honor Earbuds Open to the pile as just one more set. But I don't do that, reader…

The Honor Earbuds Open have a delightfully svelte and chic case for the category – in fact I don't think I've ever seen one this small and pocketable. How slimline are we talking? It's around half the depth of the Powerbeats Pro 2 (see the image below). Honestly, it feels more like a high-end makeup compact than a set of earbuds in my hand, emphasized by the full grain leather-effect texture on the matte plastic casework.

Inside, the earbuds have an unusual (for this design) spherical driver housing, under which you'll find a "φ16mm toroidal multi-magnetic circuit unit" – ie. a larger passive driver that, aided by its circular symmetry, transfers energy using a magnetic field, thus inducing an electromotive force of sorts. And let me be clear: it works very well indeed. Honor lists a "Crescent Curve, Full Moon Body, Slimline Ear hook, Ultra-thin Design" and what I can tell you is that for me (and for my other half) they slip on very easily.

Are they secure enough for more intense sports? Perhaps not, although I haven't tried that yet. This is not to be considered a full review – I also haven't tested the AI translation capabilities because for that I'd need to get my hands on an Honor Magic7 Pro – but a strong shake of the head didn't move them. What I can tell you is that each 7.9g earbud sports three microphones and a bone conduction mic, and Honor vouches for the call quality against gales of up to 6m/s, following testing under lab conditions.

Stream the Boss? You don't have to ask me twice

Honor tells me you're also getting an "industry-first virtual bass algorithm and dynamic bass compensation" as standard. You can't turn this off in the Honor AI Space companion app, but you can select a 'workout amplifier' in the EQ sound mode tab, if you'd like even more dynamic zeal to cut through the ambient noise at your gym.

Honor suggests you stream Bruce Springsteen's Streets of Philadelphia as a litmus test of the Earbuds Open's delivery of lower frequencies and as a huge fan of the Boss, I don't mind if I do. The initial bassline is more resonant, impactful, circumaural and full-bodied than I've heard in such a design, and I don't say that lightly. It's so unusual in fact that I cue up the track from the beginning again, which is done with a triple-tap of the left earbud (a solution that isn't my favorite where easy-to-misuse capacitive on-ear touch controls are concerned, but it works well here). I go rogue and cue up the grimy Fester Skank by Lethal Bizzle instead and again, for an open-ear fit earbud the sound is remarkably meaty for bass weight. From my initial listen, the toe-tapping sound here is neutral, nuanced and clear, in an opened-out but still cohesive mix.

Three screen-grabs of Honor Earbuds Open's Honor AI Space companion app — Noise the noise canceling option… (Image credit: Honor)

Elsewhere, Bluetooth 5.2 is running the show, IP54 means there's a degree of dust and water ingress protection and the quoted stamina is 6 hours from the buds or up to 22 hours from the case. That is acceptable by today's standards, but remember that in-ear competitors such as the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 can go for 10 hours alone, plus a total of 45 hours including the charging case.

Oh, and you get noise-cancellation which is highly unusual in such a design and if it proves effective, will certainly add value. I need to test this further to report back on it fully, mind. At the time of writing, official pricing and global availability isn't yet known, but as and when I know this, so shall you.

For now, just know that I'm well into my second hour of wearing the Honor Earbuds Open without issue, and my other half just asked if he could take another listen to them once I've finished this missive. And if that's not high praise, I don't know what we're doing here…