Gadgets: True wireless earbuds

OneOdio's OpenRockX open-ear air conduction true wireless sport earbuds are designed, as the name states, to use when working out, running or doing other athletic activities. But that’s not all. They work great for general listening on a boring walk, while doing outdoor chores, including lawn mowing, and just general music listening.

If you’re unfamiliar with open-ear air conduction true wireless earbuds, they don't fit into your ear canals like typical earbuds. Instead, a hook goes around your ear, and the speaker sits outside your ear canal. Their big advantage is that the design won't allow you to shut off the sounds of the outside world. That’s important if you're on a run and want to hear surroundings such as cars and their horns.

What you need to know is that they are a versatile set of earbuds, good for everything listed above and then some. The ear hook design is a personal favorite of mine. They stay in place, and I don't have fear that they’ll fall out and get lost. This is ideal for anyone, especially for more active uses.

They are filled with all the features you would expect and more. The most important feature is the sound from the OpenRock X custom dynamic driver, a 14.2 mm long-stroke loudspeaker in each ear. It features a high-quality nanometer bio-fiber and cis-molecular polymer diaphragm, delivering sound to your ears with a richer and more delicate tone.

There are three customizable EQ modes in the Bluetooth OpenRockX earbuds. They are: multipoint connectivity, BassDirect technology and the LISO 2.0 algorithm. The BassDirect is what I seem to go to most often. It delivers sound, as stated by OneOdio, and will efficiently transmit energy to the ear canal with a significant amount of bass and clarity.

With the included charging case, you'll get about 48 hours of battery life, with 12 hours of use from a single 1.5-hour charge. For fast charging, a 5-minute charge will produce 1 hour of playtime. Sweat, getting caught in a rain shower, rigorous workouts and other moisture exposure won't be a problem; they have an IPX5 water-resistant rating (not waterproof).

With the companion app, features such as maximum volume (a great feature), over-time wear reminders and adaptive volume control can be customized. For hands-free calls, the OpenRockX includes four AI noise-canceling microphones for clarity and wipes out background sounds, including use by loud roadways, crowded malls, lousy weather conditions and wind. The app also customizes the EQ settings and tones and will update the firmware.

All of our ears and head sizes are obviously different. So using the OpenRockX earbuds has a big advantage: You can adjust the fit, feel and deliver the audio. They have a dual-axis precision pivot design, allowing the outside speaker and ear hook to be adjusted to fit right for each user. They can be adjusted up and down to get a secure and comfortable fit.

Bluetooth 5.3 can be used for multipoint pairing. For example, have them paired with a work computer and an iPhone so they can pair instantly with both; just pause one and use the other. If a call comes in, OpenRockX will prioritize the calls automatically.

The app (iOS, Android) allows customization of three sound modes: boom mode for noise environments, relax mode for low-intensity workouts and rock mode for high-intensity sports.