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If you want open-ear earbuds that double as a pocket translator and give you four fit positions to dial in comfort, choose Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2; if you need headphones you can actually swim in, with onboard MP3 storage that works with no phone at all, choose RR SPORTS IP68. Both keep your ears open to the world, but they solve that problem for two very different owners.
• Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 — biggest strength: a genuinely loaded everyday package — 20 mm × 11.5 mm racetrack drivers, LDAC over Bluetooth 5.4, four adjustable ear-hook positions, real-time two-way translation in over 100 languages, and up to 42 hours of total listening time with the case.
• Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 — biggest trade-off: IP55 only. That resists sweat and rain, but it is not built for swimming or submersion, and there is no onboard music storage.
• RR SPORTS IP68 — biggest strength: IP68 sealing rated for submersion in up to 2 meters of water, plus a built-in 32GB MP3 player so you can leave your phone on the pool deck entirely.
• RR SPORTS IP68 — biggest trade-off: bone conduction sound and a 7-hour battery, with no case to extend it and no app features like translation or EQ.
• Who each pick is for: the AeroFit 2 suits commuters, office workers, runners and travelers who want one pair for everything on land. The RR SPORTS IP68 suits swimmers and heavy-sweat athletes who need water to be a non-issue.
The AeroFit 2 is the more complete product of the two, and it is not close on features. Anker built it around the idea that open-ear should not mean "thin and tinny." The 20 mm × 11.5 mm racetrack drivers and BassTurbo acoustics are the spec that backs that up, and with LDAC support over Bluetooth 5.4 the wireless signal itself is capable of hi-res audio rather than just standard-quality streaming. If you have ever tried cheap open-ear buds and walked away disappointed by the bass, this is the design detail that separates it.
The second thing that stands out is fit. Four adjustable ear-hook positions is unusual — most open-ear buds give you one shape and tell you to deal with it. On a long run or an eight-hour desk day, having four angles to choose from is the difference between "fine for an hour" and "I forgot I'm wearing these." Add directional acoustic technology that pushes sound into your ear instead of out to the person next to you on the bus, and four beamforming mics with AI noise reduction for calls, and you have a pair that behaves well in public.
Then there is the battery picture: roughly 10 hours per charge, up to 42 hours total with the case, a 1-hour charge time for the buds and a 10-minute top-up that adds up to 3 hours. Plus real-time AI translation in over 100 languages through the soundcore app, which requires app version 3.8.7 or later and updated firmware.
Who should buy it: commuters, remote workers, runners, gym-goers and travelers who want one pair of open-ear buds for music, calls, podcasts and the occasional translated conversation — and who want the strongest audio hardware of the two.
Who should skip it: swimmers. IP55 covers sweat and rain, not the pool. And if you want to leave your phone at home, there is no onboard storage here — the AeroFit 2 is a Bluetooth product through and through.
The RR SPORTS IP68 is a specialist, and I respect it for that. The headline is the IP68 rating: fully waterproof and moisture-resistant, able to handle submersion in up to 2 meters of water, with a sealed design and nano-hydrophobic coating keeping sweat, rain and pool water away from the internals. It is designed to be worn with a swim cap and goggles, and the adjustable band is there to lock the fit in place so it does not slip mid-stroke.
The second headline is the 32GB of built-in memory. That is roughly 7,000 songs in MP3, WMA, WAV and FLAC, playable with no phone involved at all. For lap swimming this matters more than any spec sheet number — you cannot take a phone in the water, and Bluetooth does not work underwater anyway. RR SPORTS is explicit about that: use MP3 mode when swimming, because Bluetooth mode will not work. A magnetic charging cable handles both charging and transferring files from your computer.
Sound comes from bone conduction drivers rather than speakers, which is why the ears stay fully open to ambient noise — the brand frames this as safer than in-ear or over-ear designs for running, cycling and outdoor work. The build is ultra-soft silicone, lightweight and ergonomic for extended wear, and you get up to 7 hours of battery life with a Bluetooth range of up to 10 meters on Bluetooth 6.0. The finish is Indigo, and the box includes the earphones, magnetic charging cable and user manual, with a 1-year manufacturer warranty.
Who should buy it: swimmers first, then anyone whose workouts drown their electronics in sweat — marathon runners, cyclists, shower listeners. Anyone who wants music without carrying a phone.
Who should skip it: people who want premium wireless audio. Bone conduction trades bass depth and detail for safety and water resistance, and 7 hours of battery with no charging case is a real limitation for all-day use.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for audio quality → Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2. 20 mm × 11.5 mm racetrack drivers, BassTurbo acoustics and LDAC hi-res support beat a bone conduction driver for music listening.
• Best battery life → Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2. Up to 42 hours total with the case against 7 hours on a single charge with no case.
• Best for phone-free workouts → RR SPORTS IP68. 32GB of onboard storage for roughly 7,000 songs, no phone required.
• Best for calls and meetings → Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2. Four beamforming mics with AI noise reduction and directional acoustics built for voice.
• Best fit adjustability → Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2. Four ear-hook positions versus the RR SPORTS' adjustable band.
• Best for travel and language barriers → Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2. Real-time two-way AI translation in over 100 languages via the soundcore app.
• Best for shower and rain use → RR SPORTS IP68. Nano-hydrophobic coating and full sealing versus water resistance only.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2. It is the more capable everyday product: better drivers, LDAC, 42 hours of total playtime, a case, four fit positions, proper call mics and translation on top. I would pick it without hesitation for commuting, running, the gym, the office and travel.
But I would pick the RR SPORTS IP68 the moment water is involved. If you swim laps, its IP68 sealing and 32GB of phone-free storage are not nice-to-haves, they are the whole reason to buy. Choose based on whether your ears get wet.
how to turn off aware mode on bose headphones
That is a Bose-specific control, and neither product here uses Bose's aware mode system. The Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 and RR SPORTS IP68 are both permanently open-ear designs — there is no active transparency mode to toggle, and both list noise control as None. Your ears stay open to the world all the time by design.
how to turn on aware mode on bose headphones
Again, this is a Bose feature and does not apply to either of these pairs. On the AeroFit 2 and RR SPORTS IP68, ambient sound is not something you switch on — it is the default state because the drivers sit outside your ear canal. If you specifically want a toggleable aware mode, you are shopping for a different category of headphone.
how to turn off aware mode on jlab headphones
JLab's ambient aware setting is also brand-specific and has no equivalent here. What matters for these two is that neither has an active mode to disable: the AeroFit 2 uses directional acoustic technology to keep your music from leaking outward, while the RR SPORTS IP68 uses bone conduction, which leaves the ear canal completely unobstructed.
what is ambient aware on headphones
Ambient aware (sometimes called transparency or aware mode) uses microphones to pipe outside sound into your ears while you wear sealed earbuds. Open-ear and bone conduction headphones achieve a similar result acoustically instead of electronically — which is exactly how both the Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 and the RR SPORTS IP68 keep you aware of traffic, coworkers and surroundings. If price matters to you, check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
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