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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• Cyber Acoustics AC-104ENC — biggest strength: a wired USB-A mono headset with environmental noise cancellation, a rotating boom mic, and an 8 ft cable plus in-line volume and mute controls. Built for desk work, not movement.
• Cyber Acoustics AC-104ENC — biggest trade-off: you are tethered to your computer. No Bluetooth, no battery, no water resistance, and the audio is mono through one ear cup rather than stereo.
• AYI Open Ear — biggest strength: open-ear, wireless freedom with Bluetooth 5.3, multipoint pairing to two devices, a 270° rotating boom mic, and IPX5 sweat resistance. Great for movement and staying aware.
• AYI Open Ear — biggest trade-off: open-ear designs deliberately leak sound both ways. You hear your surroundings, but so does everyone near you, and it is not a sealed, immersive listening experience.
• Pick Cyber Acoustics AC-104ENC if your day is long calls at a desk and you want zero charging and zero pairing.
• Pick AYI Open Ear if you split your time between calls, workouts, and gaming, and you refuse to be tied to a cable.
The AC-104ENC is a mono USB headset. That single word — mono — tells you almost everything about the design intent. Audio comes through one ear, which is exactly what call center agents and support staff want. You keep one ear open to the room, you never get that closed-off, isolated feeling, and your voice is the focus. The dual-microphone environmental noise cancellation works off an algorithm to pull your voice forward and push background chatter back. In a busy open office or a house full of noise, that is the whole point.
At roughly 45 grams, it is light. The headband adjusts, the ear pad is soft leatherette, and the boom mic rotates so you can wear it on either side. You position the mic about two finger widths from your mouth, plug the USB-A connector into your computer, and pick it in your audio settings. The 8 ft cable and tethered in-line controller give you volume adjustment and mic mute with an LED indicator — that LED matters more than people admit, because "am I actually muted?" is a daily panic in remote work.
Who should buy it: remote workers, call center agents, distance learners, and anyone whose job is hours of talking on a computer. It works with Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, and major contact center platforms. It comes with a storage bag, a one-year warranty, and US-based support. Who should skip it: anyone who wants to move around, listen to music in stereo, or use it with a phone. There is no battery here because there is no wireless — that is a feature, not a flaw, if you hate charging.
The AYI Open Ear is a different animal entirely. It is wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, and it rests around your ears instead of inside them. The design promise is simple: no in-ear pressure, no ear fatigue, and you stay aware of traffic, coworkers, or your surroundings while you wear them. If you have ever ripped out earbuds after an hour because your canals hurt, this is the category built for you.
The mic is the interesting part. Instead of a tiny built-in mic buried in the earpiece, AYI uses a professional-grade boom microphone that rotates 270°, so you can swing it right up near your mouth for calls. It folds flat against the headband when you are done. On top of that, environmental noise cancellation filters wind, traffic, and office chatter, while dynamic sound enhancement pushes deep bass and crisp highs for music. Bluetooth 5.3 brings lower latency and steadier connections, and multipoint pairing lets you run two devices at once — phone plus laptop — switching between calls and music without re-pairing.
Battery is the headline for a lot of buyers: 11 hours of continuous playback per charge, and the listing mentions a 48-hour playtime figure tied to the charging case for the earbud-style setup. The IPX5 rating handles sweat, rain, and splashes, which is why this is aimed at workouts and outdoor use. It is also glasses-compatible, which matters if you wear frames all day.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for all-day desk calling → Cyber Acoustics AC-104ENC. Wired, no battery, in-line mute with LED, 8 ft of reach.
• Best for movement, workouts and gaming → AYI Open Ear. Wireless, IPX5 sweat resistance, low-latency Bluetooth 5.3.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → AYI Open Ear. The open-ear fit does not seal your canal.
• Best for blocking out a noisy office on the mic side → both, in different ways. The AC-104ENC leans on dual-mic ENC; AYI leans on ENC plus a boom mic you position right at your mouth.
• Best for stereo music listening → AYI Open Ear. The AC-104ENC is mono by design.
• Best for zero setup and zero charging → Cyber Acoustics AC-104ENC. Plug into USB-A and go.
• Best for two devices at once → AYI Open Ear. Multipoint pairing is the reason.
• Best for glasses wearers and long sessions without ear fatigue → AYI Open Ear. The open-ear ergonomics are the point.
If I had to pick one, I would buy the Cyber Acoustics AC-104ENC — but only if my job is talking on a computer. In my opinion, for call centers, remote work, and distance learning, the combination of a mono design, a rotating boom mic, dual-mic ENC, an 8 ft cable, and in-line mute with an LED indicator is exactly right for the task. There is nothing to charge and nothing to pair. That said, if you want one pair for calls, music, workouts, and gaming, the AYI Open Ear is the more flexible choice, and its open-ear comfort and IPX5 rating make it the better fit for an active life. Match the tool to your day and you will not second-guess it.
FAQ
It is wired. It connects over USB-A with an 8 ft cable, so there is no battery and no Bluetooth pairing involved. That makes it a fixed desk headset rather than something you carry around.
Yes. It supports Bluetooth 5.3 multipoint pairing, which lets it stay connected to two devices at once — for example a phone and a laptop — and switch between them. The AC-104ENC does not offer wireless pairing at all.
Both use environmental noise cancellation, but they approach it differently. The AC-104ENC uses dual microphones with an algorithm to isolate your voice, while the AYI adds a 270° boom mic you can place near your mouth for stronger pickup. For a loud open office on a desk, I lean toward the AC-104ENC; for calls on the move, the AYI boom mic is the practical pick.
Yes. It has an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which covers sweat, rain, and splashes, and the open-ear fit keeps you aware of traffic and surroundings. The AC-104ENC has no water-resistance rating, so it is best kept at the desk. Whichever you choose, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since cost is the one thing that shifts constantly.
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See also: LEEMC Earbuds vs Paekole Open Ear Earbuds, RICHJOY Open Ear Earbuds vs CXPSUE Neckband Earbuds, YuShaTra Headphone vs Kinglucky Open-Ear Headphones