The Breakdown
Pros
Cons
Open-ear earbuds are becoming more popular, with many brands releasing new options that aim to deliver great audio and enhanced comfort. OneOdio entered this niche by introducing the OpenRock Pro, which were flagship earbuds packed with features. The company later launched the budget-friendly OpenRock S, and now it has brought out the OpenRock X.
As someone who has been following these launches and used the OpenRock S, I can say that OneOdio may have just nearly perfected the open-ear formula. I say “nearly” because there is still some room for improvement. Want to know what the OpenRock X bring to the table? Let’s take a deeper dive.
OneOdio OpenRock X Review – The Pros
First showcased at CES 2024, OneOdio seems to have listened to all the users who pointed out the shortcomings of previous OpenRock open-ear earbuds. The OpenRock X are improved version in almost all aspects.
What’s In the Box
- OneOdio OpenRock X open-ear earbuds
- Type-C charging cable
- User manual
- Carabiner
OpenRock X Flaunt a Revamped Design
The first thing that I noticed about the OpenRock X is the revamped overall design. While the OpenRock X and OpenRock Pro were portable, when compared to compact regular in-ear earbuds, they were not pocket-friendly. The newer open-ear earbuds make a big jump in that regard, with the charging case being significantly smaller than the OpenRock S. You can check out the difference from the picture attached below.
As for the open-ear earbuds, they have also seen a size reduction. Shown in the picture below, they are more compact than the OpenRock S. The OpenRock X also feel lighter on the ears, which is a big plus when it comes to comfort. Another notable aspect is that the earbuds have a premium design. With a 50-degree adjustable biaxial, they deliver a natural fit too.
Other than that, both the charging case and the OpenRock X earbuds have a solid build quality. The case has a sleek push-and-slide opening mechanism, and the metal construction means that it can handle daily abuse with ease.
Sound Quality
The OpenRock X don’t disappoint in terms of sound quality either. OneOdio has packed the earbuds with 14.2 mm Dynamic Driver. Combined with BassDirect acoustic cavity channels, the earbuds can direct all the details of the audio directly to your ears.
Moreover, the OpenRock X feature the LISO 2.0 algorithm, which aims to offer crystal clear sound over the entire frequency spectrum. I’ve tried the earbuds with different genres, and I found them to deliver a great audio experience.
Another big highlight of the sound department is the support for spatial audio. With it enabled, I had a similar experience to sitting in the middle of the room with speakers filled on every corner. This spatial sound mode is also very useful to get a more immersive experience when watching movies.
Finally An App with a Good Number of Customization Options
OneOdio has finally developed a companion app. The past two open-ear earbuds didn’t have it, and with the new app, you can customize a good number of things about the OpenRock X. The most important bit is the ability to customize the equalizer. There are three predefined presets: Boom, Rock, and Relax.
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The first two are catered for sports, with the Boom mode making all the bass of the music come to life. Again, if you don’t like the presets, you have the option to customize the frequencies and make the drivers of the OpenRock X deliver sound how you want them to.
Besides that, the companion app allows you to customize the gestures on the earbuds (more on this later), set a max volume limiter, enable an over-time wear reminder, and do a lot of other things.
Calling Performance of OneOdio OpenRock X
You won’t be disappointed with the calling performance of OpenRock X. The earbuds feature a four-mic configuration, with an AI-powered noise-cancelling tech. This tech makes the microphones focus directly on your voice and cancels out the sound around you.
As a result, even if you’re in a little busy area, the person on the other end will be able to hear you loud and clear. Another thing to note is that the AI-powered noise cancellation tech can also cancel out strong winds, very handy when you’re taking a call in the middle of an outdoor activity.
Controls and Connectivity
The OpenRock S came with touch controls, which worked great, but the thing with touch controls is that they are prone to accidental activations. I found myself accidentally pausing the music while trying to adjust the earbuds on my ears. This isn’t a problem with the OpenRock X.
Instead of touch controls, the OpenRock X feature buttons, eliminating the chances of accidental presses. What’s rather interesting is that OneOdio has placed the button on the right spot of the earbuds. I didn’t find the earbuds coming loose or getting out of place when pressing the buttons.
Connectivity-wise, the OpenRock X feature Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring fast and reliable connections. Thanks to having Bluetooth multipoint, you can keep the earbuds connected to two devices at once. This is a rather handy feature for people like me who keep their audio gears connected to their laptops while working.
Reliable Battery Backup of OpenRock X
While the OpenRock X saw a size reduction and is more compact, the battery backup is still great. The earbuds can deliver up to 12 hours of runtime after a full charging session. With the charging case, you get a total of 48 hours of playtime. Another great aspect is that there is support for flash charging, enabling the earbuds to offer 1 hour of runtime with just 5 minutes of charging.
OneOdio OpenRock X Review – The Not-So-Good Parts
Although the OpenRock X is a solid pair of open-ear earbuds, there is some room for improvement. First of all, OneOdio OpenRock Pro came with aptX support, which is much better than the SBC and AAC codecs. The newer earbuds, unfortunately, don’t have it and I found it relying on AAC instead. I noted the same issue on my OpenRock S review.
Secondly, while the charging case is more portable than cases that previous OpenRock open-earbuds came with, it’s still larger than a typical charging case of in-ear earbuds. Of course, OneOdio did offer a portable silicone case for the OpenRock S and Pro, which allowed you to carry the earbuds without needing to take the case with you. But as of now, there isn’t one for the OpenRock X.
Lastly, at the moment, the companion app only lets you customize the long-press gesture. The gesture customization menu does have the other gestures visible, but they are not customizable at the moment. Maybe OneOdio will offer support with future updates.
OneOdio OpenRock X Review Summary
Overall, my experience with the OpenRock X has been great. They are a great pick for someone who wants more comfort and environmental awareness while doing outdoor activities without sacrificing the sound quality. Even though the open-ear nature means that there’s no Active Noise Cancellation, they perform quite well in noisy environments.
Moreover, the cons that I’ve mentioned aren’t dealbreakers. So, if you’re looking for sporty open-ear earbuds, I can safely recommend the OpenRock X.
