Xiaomi’s take on flagship open wearable stereo (OWS) earbuds. The open wearable stereo (OWS) market gained serious traction over the last two years, and.
The open wearable stereo (OWS) market gained serious traction over the last two years, and just about every brand has its own entry now. While traditional earbuds come with the tried and tested plug form factor, which sits inside your ear, the OWS models position their drivers right at the tip of your ear canal. The result is raised awareness of your surroundings at the cost of subpar passive isolation.
OpenWear Stereo Pro is the latest offering from Xiaomi, and it aims to one-up its competitors by offering a more premium build while still retaining its open-fit system. Xiaomi is promising impressive claims of reduced sound leakage and extraordinary battery life rated at 8.5 hours from the buds and up to 45 hours alongside the charging case.
So, are the OpenWear Stereo Pro worth their €150/£140 asking price or are you better off with a traditional pair of in-ear buds? These are our findings.Table of Contents:Design
While Xiaomi could have used a less convoluted name for the OpenWear Stereo Pro, we have to admit that the fit and finish on the buds and case feel great. The buds feature a shiny metal finish encasing the drivers, which connect via TPU to the bulb on the back. The shiny plastic looks great, but it attracts fingerprints quite easily.
The swooping design hooks around the top half of your ear and positions the driver right on top of your ear canal without actually making contact. This makes for a comfortable fit, and Xiaomi’s three-point support design distributes pressure evenly across the length of the buds.
Each earbud weighs 9.8 grams, while the case is 53 grams, bringing the combined total to just over 73 grams. We never felt discomfort while using the OpenWear Stereo Pro and their ergonomic design is right up with the best of the best in the OWS market.
The ear hook design also ensures that the buds stay in place at all times, even during runs and workouts, where normal in-ear TWS buds would easily lose their grip.
The case feels like a skipping stone in that it is smooth and sculpted to perfection with a soft and pleasant in-hand feeling. It’s certainly not compact, but that goes with most OWS earbuds we’ve tested.
Our review unit comes in Graphite Black and features a faux leather finish on the case lid and a matte on the bottom half. Despite its plastic build, the case feels well-built and does not give out any creaking sounds. The lid closes with a firm snap, and the hinge gives off a reassuring feeling.
The inside of the case has an imitation suede inner lining on the top. This is our first time seeing this choice of materials inside an earbuds case, and it’s nice to see Xiaomi put this much effort into something that’s only visible when opening the case.
