Modern TWS headphones can be in-ear or in-ear. There are also those that are equipped with behind-the-ear mounts and are called open-type models. Usually, such headphones are more often made for sports, but not always. For example, the brand-new Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo look spectacular and bright, and stands out for their noise-canceling function, and they do not work on the principle of bone conduction. At the same time, they have flexible behind-the-ear mounts, and because of this, the case is significantly larger. So who is this model made for? Who will fit it, and who will pass it by? We will find out all this and much more in this review.
Content
| Type | Open type, with behind-the-ear fasteners |
| Drivers | Dynamic drivers + special 10mm drivers |
| Connection | Wireless via Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Audio codecs | AAC, SBC, LHDC |
| Certification | Wireless Hi-Res |
| Frequency range | 20 – 40000 Hz |
| Microphones | Dual noise-canceling microphones |
| Noise reduction | Yes, ANC (beta mode) |
| Battery | 788 mAh case, 60 mAh each earphone |
| Working hours | Up to 7.5 hours headphones and up to 38.5 hours headphones + case |
| Charging time | Headphones in the case for 1.5 hours, charging case + headphone — 2.5 hours |
| Protection | YES, IP54 |
| Weight | Headphones — 9.6 grams, case — 70 grams |
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo come in a small white box with a headphone pattern.
Inside we see the audio device itself, documentation, and a short USB-C cable.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo — is a classic model with curved earbuds. In this case, they are rubber and flexible, but that’s on the top, and inside there are reliable nickel-titanium alloy body elements. Because of this, the behind-the-ear mounts should be able to withstand up to 5000 bends.
The outer side of each earbud has a chrome part and the Xiaomi inscription. There is also a built-in touch panel.
On the inside, there are speakers, a pair of microphones, charging contacts, and the L and R inscriptions.
In general, the headphones look stylish and bright. Especially in the Sandstone Biege color available for review. There is also a more classic gray version in Cosmic Gray color.
Each headphone weighs 9.6 grams. The total weight of Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo with the case is 70 grams. The latter has an elongated oval shape and is significantly larger than the cases of conventional TWS models.
Just like the headphones, the case has a stylish look with a chrome strip along the body, Xiaomi inscription, and a textured surface. However, in this color, it will probably collect dirt and other traces of use over time. But in the gray version, this is most likely not noticeable at all.
Inside, the case has a glossy finish, a connection reset button, and large headphone slots. When they are in place, it is very difficult to shake them out.
The front of the case has a curve for easy opening of the lid and a subtle LED status indicator.
On the rear panel we see a USB-C port. There is nothing on the bottom.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo is equipped with 17×12 mm super-linear drivers, and there are also special additional 10 mm drivers. They emit anti-phase sound waves and reduce sound loss. It is claimed that this device provides powerful and clear sound even when there is a lot of noise around. Hi-Res Audio support is also declared.
The impedance of the model is 16 ohms, and the frequency range is 20–40000 Hz. The headphones support AAC, SBC, LHDC (Hi-Res Audio Wireless) audio codecs. However, the latter does not work with all devices.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo can connect to two devices simultaneously. Switching is relatively fast, and the function itself must be activated in the proprietary application. The same must be done for the active noise cancellation system, which is currently in beta mode, at least that’s what it says in the same application, but it doesn’t actually work.
When ANC is activated, nothing changes at all. Either this function drowns out some ambient noise, but so weakly that there is no difference at all.
Also, there is no «transparency» function, which is usually equipped with the latest models of headphones with active noise control. And all because of the design of the model because it provides transparent sound by itself, and the headphones actually transmit sound to the ears without direct contact with the ear canal. Therefore, the user will always hear their surroundings clearly.
The headphones (not the case) are IP54 protected. This means that they can be used during strength training or in the rain because they are not afraid of sweat, dampness, and water splashes.
It is a pity that there is no very useful function to automatically pause or stop the track/video when one earbud is removed. In this price category, in my opinion, it should be.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo are equipped with a Bluetooth 5.3 module and can connect to two devices simultaneously. The first connection is as simple as possible — just open the lid of the headphones, they will see the smartphone on their own and offer to connect.
The earbuds have an adequate signal that works even through two thick walls, but during the tests, sometimes the right earbud disconnected right next to the phone, although it worked fine far away from it. This happened about five times in two weeks of use. It reconnected if the headphones were put back in the case and then taken out. I hope this is a bug of a specific model and not a permanent glitch.
The headphones are controlled by taps on the chrome touch panel. The sensor is sensitive enough, but not too much, so there were no random taps. And it is hardly possible if there is no function for this single tap. The basic settings are as follows:
But in the app, you can change it and add your options.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo works with the Xiaomi Earbuds proprietary program. This is a simple, intuitive, and functional application. It allows you to check the remaining charge of the headphones and case, activate dual-connectivity and noise cancellation, set up touch controls, find the headphones and case, activate sound presets (there is no classic equalizer), view the user manual, and more.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo has an open design, so it feels as much like using earbuds as possible. That is, the sound of the environment will always be present in the background. As I wrote above, it is not removed even by the available noise reduction if it works at all.
The same feature of the model, when it transmits sound to the ears without direct contact with the ear canal, means that there is very little bass, and the middle is so-so. The available frequencies seem to be officially amplified, as stated by the manufacturer, but in fact these frequencies simply do not reach the user’s ears. The relatively wide frequency range also does not help with this at all, so if you like to emphasize low frequencies, then this model is not for you.
However, the upper frequencies are excellent and detailed. The headphones transmit voice in a conversation or podcasts, or vocals with high quality. However, the microphone quality is average, so you’ll hear the person you’re talking to well, if their microphone is good, but yours is not.
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo case has a 788 mAh battery, and each earbud has a 60 mAh battery. The battery life of the headphones is claimed to be up to 7.5 hours on a single charge and up to 38.5 hours when recharged from the case.
This is the rare case in reviews when I actually had less, and it was 5.5-6 hours. Usually, the declared time is considered at 50% volume without active noise reduction. And I often listen quieter because I work and the music plays in the background. But in the case of Xiaomi OpenWear, the volume was at least 50%, and often it was 60-70% or more. With the open design of the headphones, everything is very audible, so I often had to turn up the volume because I couldn’t hear anything. Especially if you listen to a podcast or audiobook. And even in YouTube videos, I often turned the volume up, especially if there were people around or some serious sounds from the environment, the street, etc.
That’s why the battery life in my case was less than the claimed one, but I think it will be about the same for you. In general, even 5-6 hours is not a bad battery life, but in fact it is less than the declared one.
It takes two and a half hours to fully charge the headphone case. The headphones themselves charge in a little over an hour. The wireless charging function was not included.
The experience of using Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo headphones is ambiguous. On the one hand, they are unusual, stylish, and cool looking. I liked their design, I liked wearing them because they are easy to put on and fit perfectly on my ears, they don’t fall off, don’t fall off, etc. That is, you can do sports in them, and just move around actively, do your thing and not be afraid that the headphones will fall off or get lost somewhere.
However, their chrome touch part will definitely get scratched soon because this kind of surface looks good only at the beginning. And you can see the prints right away. The headphones also have a huge, albeit very stylish, case. Of course, you can put it in your pocket, but it will not always be convenient.
The microphone sound is just fine, as in most similar fully wireless models. I liked the sound of the highs because the lows and mids are almost inaudible. Of course, this is their design, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo are perfect for those who don’t take off their headphones but need to communicate with someone all the time, whether online or in real life. And for such people, they are almost the perfect choice.
However, there are not very many of them, so for most people this model looks strange. And not for sports because somehow the style is not the same, and they will get scratched. Not for music because there is almost no bass and midrange, but for podcasts and conversational videos it’s fine.
It’s also bad that there’s no headphone detection function, and the available noise reduction function doesn’t actually work, although occasionally it would really help. And this design forces you to turn up the volume because sometimes you can’t hear anything at medium volume, and this greatly affects battery life.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo can be called universal because you can listen to music, watch videos or movies, listen to audiobooks, and more. They are suitable for all of this. But some of these activities will be much less enjoyable, such as listening to music, and you need to be prepared for that.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo are sold at a price starting at UAH 4999. For some, this price tag may be a bit expensive, but among the competitors (we chose models with behind-the-ear mounts), we have both lower prices and similar ones. However, this model has a versatile, stylish, and decent look, so for some, this may also be an advantage.
Among the competitors are Soundcore V30i with a price tag starting at 1999 hryvnias. They also look more or less universal and aesthetically pleasing. Similar and more functional Soundcore Aerofit (price from UAH 3349), and for sports there areSoundcore Aerofit Pro with a price tag of 4600 UAH. Also, for active recreation and sports, take a look at the model Soundcore Sport X20 (price from 3390), and there are also the most affordable and also quite versatile Black Shark T20 (price from UAH 1249) and bright BASEUS Eli Sport 1 (price from 1999 UAH).
