PhoneSentral Tech in Simplicity
Recently I got my hands on the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro and this is my review of these very interesting earbuds.
Now, compared to traditional in-ear earbuds which go into the ear, these Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro ‘sort of’ dangle outside the ear.
While attaching the OpenWear Steareo Pro to the ear can be quite a task when it’s done for the first few times, it gets easier once I’ve done it a couple of times and the comfort it offers as compared to traditional earbuds is significant.
In addition, the earbuds also stays in place during exercise and vigurous activities, and the fact it’s not in the ear, means that it still feels comfortable exercising.
Side note, if you are bald like me, then the earbud do look rather odd, but if you aren’t, it looks very much at home and can be mistaken as some pricey ear accesory at first glance.
Design and built
Xiaomi’s OpenWear Stereo Pro earbuds are great for long hour use as they are in fact very comfortable.
Breaking from the traditional in-ear or over-ear models, the OpenWear Stereo Pro features a unique open-ear design that rests gently on the ear.
The build quality is a key highlight, utilizing a flexible 0.6mm flexible memory titanium wire embedded in the ear hook.
This allows the earbuds to conform to different ear shapes while ensuring a secure and stable fit, even during strenuous activities.
The exterior is made with a skin-friendly liquid silicone and making them feel lightweight and comfortable enough for all-day wear. This means it is perfect for those who tend to travel long hours and want to stay connected.
Each earbud weighs around 9.7 grams, contributing to the “featherlight” feel. I used them during cycling and jogging, and they stayed in place, and were hardly noticeable if compared to in-ear earbuds.
Both earbuds are rated IP54 for dust and water resistance, meaning they can handle sweat and splashes. Not only do they work fine when I was exercising, but the fact they are not in the ear also meant they were so much more comfortable as sweat didn’t gather near it.
The charging case is designed to be sleek and portable, adding to the overall convenience. To me, it looks like a ring case, which means it looks premium.
Overall, both the ear pieces as well as the case feel very premium and well built.
Control and connectivity
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro earbuds offer a suite of advanced controls and connectivity features designed for a seamless user experience.
Utilizing Bluetooth 5.4, they provide a stable and low-latency wireless connection, essential for both listening to music and gaming.
Pairing the earbuds with Xiaomi smartphones are the easiest as they sync with each other without much fuss. In fact, the earbuds just synced with the Xiaomi phone I by just opening the case. – It was that simple.
But I also tried the earbuds with other brands, and they too synced pretty quickly.
This is perhaps due to the earbuds also supporting multi-device smart connection, allowing them to be paired with two devices simultaneously and switch between them automatically.
I love this feature as it allows me to switch devices with ease, without buying saperate earbuds for different devices I own.
Control is managed through intuitive smart touch controls in which its gestures can be customized.
For a more personalized experience, the Xiaomi Earbuds app allows for further customization of the touch controls and provides firmware updates.
The earbuds also feature Google Fast Pair for quick and easy initial setup with Android devices.
Sound and call quality
During my test, the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro earbuds delivers a compelling audio experience that balances quality with the unique demands of an open-ear design.
The sound benefits form Harman AudioEFX Tuning and this is likely the reason why audio is much better than in-ear earbuds or earphones.
While the open design somewhat means I had less deep, thumping bass of traditional in-ear headphones, they do still offer clear highs and a full midrange, with a low-frequency enhancement algorithm to optimize woofer performance.
In addition, the earbuds gain from dimentional audio which means that sound produced by the earbuds adapt to head movement, making the audio heard more precise and realistic particularly when playing games of wathing videos.
For calls, the earbuds have an upgraded sound leakage reduction feature which keeps audio out from the surroundings.
This results in clear and uninterrupted conversations and less sound leakage as compared to other earbuds.
The reduction in sound leakage means enhanced privacy as my audio is limited mostly to myself and not those around me.
In addition, you can also record audio while wearing the earbuds, as the recording is recorded in the earbuds itself, and only synced to the phone when required via the Xiaomi Earbuds app. – This is a pretty cool feature!
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro battery life
The battery life of the device is exceptional, said to provide up to 8.5 hours of continuous music playback.
When you factor in the included charging case, the total battery life extends dramatically.
With the case’s capacity of 788mAh is said to offer a combined 45 hours of listening time.
Well, I didn’t test the device for 45 hours straight, but I instead used in as I normally use earbuds and this saw me charging the device only after a week of use.
In addition, the case recharges the earbuds quickly and efficiently and supports both USB-C charging and Qi wireless charging.
A quick 10-minute charge can provide up to 2 hours of playback, so it’s really great for those who tend to forget charging their devices.
I never reached two hours of continous playback, but I can confirm that 5 minutes of charging juices the earbuds for at least an hour.
Price and where to buy
The Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro will retail at RM699 but it will enjoy promotional prices during its launch at RM549. This promotional price extends to all three colours Sand Gold, Titan Gray, Black.
You can get them from Xiaomi’s official stores, including their official Xiaomi Shopee Store.
Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro verdict
Sound quality and comfort play a huge role in selecting my favourite earbuds, and the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro excels in both.
If you like an earbud that’s durable, comfortable regardless of situations, and provides compelling audio experience, then the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro is definately for you.
However, if you are not a fan of someting over the ear and strikingly big, then you may want to skip this earbuds.
Either way, my personal verdict is that this have just become my new favourite earpiece because it is very versatile.
