How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, open-back studio reference headphone for analytical mixing and critical listening, choose Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701; if you need an open-ear wireless headset built for calls, meetings, and staying aware of your surroundings, choose ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2.
• Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 — biggest strength: a genuinely open-back, over-ear reference design (62 Ohm, 10–39800 Hz, 105 dB SPL/V) paired in the box with a rechargeable headphone amp, so it's a complete wired listening kit.
• Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 — biggest trade-off: it's wired (fixed 3 m cable, 3.5 mm with a screw-on 6.3 mm adapter), not foldable, and open-back means it leaks sound both ways — no isolation, no wireless freedom.
• ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 — biggest strength: an open-ear, bone-conduction wireless headset that keeps your ears uncovered, runs up to 16 hours of talk time, and includes a noise-canceling mic plus a USB-A dongle for stable computer connection.
• ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 — biggest trade-off: it's a communication tool, not a critical-listening headphone — 8.5 Ohm, 20 Hz–20 kHz, no headphone jack, no noise control, and audio quality tuned for voice, not for mixing.
• Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 is for: producers, engineers, and hi-fi listeners who work at a desk and want an analytical open-back reference sound with a dedicated amp.
• ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 is for: remote workers, call-heavy professionals, and anyone who needs hands-free audio on the move while still hearing the room.
The Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 is a two-item kit: the AKG K701 open-back studio reference headphone plus a Rockville HeadRock battery-powered personal headphone amplifier. The headphone itself is an over-ear, open-back design rated at 62 Ohms with a frequency bandwidth of 10–39800 Hz and a sensitivity of 105 dB SPL/V. It terminates in a fixed 3 m cable with a 3.5 mm stereo plug and a 6.3 mm screw-on adapter, and the ear cups are finished in silver aluminum. It is not foldable. The package also includes a 3.5 mm male-to-male audio jack cable, a Micro USB cable for the amp, and a manual and warranty card.
What this setup does best is analytical listening at a desk. The open-back cup design lets air move freely behind the driver, which is the whole point of this style of headphone: instead of sealing you off from the room, it trades isolation for a wider, less boxed-in presentation. Combined with the flat-wire driver technology AKG describes in the product's own materials, the intended result is precise placement of individual instruments rather than a thick, bass-forward wall of sound. The included HeadRock amp is what makes the bundle practical — it runs 16–300 Ohm headphones, offers high/low gain switching and a volume control, uses an NE5532 chipset, and its 800 mAh lithium battery lasts 5–8 hours per charge. Its output power scales from 65 mW at 16 Ohm up to 95 mW at 64 Ohm, which lines up neatly with the K701's 62 Ohm rating. If you've ever plugged a 62 Ohm headphone into a laptop jack and found it thin and quiet, this amp is the answer the bundle is selling.
ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2: Who It's For
The ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 is an open-ear wireless headset built around bone conduction rather than eardrum-firing drivers. It weighs 35 g, uses a flexible nickel-titanium alloy frame with a soft silicone finish rated IP55 for water resistance, and rests on your cheekbones rather than over or inside your ears. It connects over Bluetooth 5.1 with a stated range of up to 98 feet, and the package includes a Shokz Loop 120 USB-A wireless adapter, a protective case, and a charging cable. There's no headphone jack at all — this is a wireless-only device.
What it does best is communication while staying present in the room. The 7th-generation bone conduction driver with PremiumPitch 2.0 tuning and a noise-canceling microphone with DSP is aimed squarely at voice clarity on calls, and the headset is Zoom-certified with the Loop 120 dongle keeping a PC or Mac connection stable. Physical buttons handle volume, mute/unmute, play/pause, so you're not fumbling with a phone mid-meeting. Battery is the headline: up to 16 hours of talk time and 8 hours of listening per charge, with a 5-minute quick charge giving 2 hours of talk time, and a full charge in about an hour. Audio specs sit at 8.5 Ohm impedance and a 20 Hz–20 kHz range — a voice-first tuning, not a studio one.
Buy it if your day runs on calls, video meetings, and being reachable without sealing off your ears. The open-ear design means you can hear traffic, a doorbell, or a colleague walking up, which is exactly why this style is popular with mobile professionals and anyone who works in a shared space. Skip it if you want a headphone for mixing, critical listening, or immersive music — the frequency response, low impedance, and absence of any wired input make it the wrong tool for that job. It also won't isolate you from noise; there's no noise control on the headphone side, and by design your ears stay open.
• Best for studio mixing and critical listening → Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701. Open-back over-ear design, 10–39800 Hz, flat-wire driver approach, and a bundled amp to drive it properly.
• Best for all-day calls and meetings → ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2. Bone conduction mic, mute button, Zoom certification, and a USB-A dongle for your computer.
• Best for battery life → ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2. Up to 16 hours of talk time and 8 hours of listening, plus a quick charge that adds 2 hours of talk time in 5 minutes, versus the amp's 5–8 hours per charge.
• Best for desk-bound wired reliability → Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701. A fixed 3 m cable and a 3.5 mm plug with a 6.3 mm adapter means no pairing, no dropouts, no charging anxiety for the headphone itself.
• Best for situational awareness and safety → ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2. Open-ear bone conduction leaves your ear canals completely uncovered, so you hear your environment.
• Best for commuting and travel → ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2. 35 g, flexible frame, IP55 water resistance, and a protective case — the K701 is 235 g and doesn't fold.
• Best for people who hate charging things → Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701. The headphone needs no power at all; only the included amp has a battery.
• Best for shared or quiet-sensitive spaces → neither, honestly. Both are open designs that leak sound. If isolation is your priority, this isn't the category for you.
In my opinion, the right pick here comes down to what your ears are actually doing all day. If you're mixing, editing, or listening analytically at a desk, I'd buy the Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 — the open-back reference design plus a matched amp is a coherent, purpose-built kit, and the 62 Ohm load is well served by the HeadRock's 16–300 Ohm range. If your day is meetings and calls and you want to stay aware of your surroundings, I'd buy the ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 — 35 g, 16 hours of talk time, a noise-canceling mic, and a dongle that keeps your PC connection stable. These two barely compete; they solve opposite problems. Pick the one that matches your workday, and check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
how to open back headphones work
Open-back headphones have grilles or vents behind the driver instead of a sealed cup, so air can move freely in and out. That reduces the pressure build-up inside the cup and, in the K701's case, is paired with a flat-wire driver design for a more spacious, precise presentation. The trade-off is that sound leaks out and room noise leaks in, so they're best used in a quiet room.
what is open back studio headphones
They're headphones built for monitoring and mixing where the open rear chamber is intentional rather than a flaw. The Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 fits this description: 62 Ohm impedance, 10–39800 Hz bandwidth, over-ear open cups, and a fixed 3 m cable. The included HeadRock amp adds high/low gain and volume control so a 62 Ohm load gets driven properly.
what are the best open back headphones
That depends entirely on your use case, and I won't pretend one spec sheet settles it. For analytical desk work with an amp included, the Audiosavings Bundle AKG K701 is a strong open-back option at 62 Ohm with a 10–39800 Hz range. For open-ear awareness during calls rather than open-back listening, the ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 is the better fit — but it's a bone-conduction communication headset, not a mixing headphone.
are open back headphones better
Better for some things, worse for others. Open-back designs like the K701 tend to give a wider, less enclosed soundstage, which helps when you're placing instruments in a mix. But they offer no isolation, leak sound, and need a quiet room — so for commuting, noisy offices, or calls in public, the open-ear wireless ShenzhenShokzCo.Ltd OpenComm2 is the more practical choice.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: POWMEE Bundle M2&M1 vs VOKALEN Hyper Pro Adaptive, Samsung AKG Earbuds vs NonoUV Samsung Earbuds, NEEWER Compact 4-Channel vs URIZONS QKZ AK3: Dj Monitor