We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
If you want to walk into a face-to-face conversation in another language and actually understand the reply, choose EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds; if you need a lightweight, wired pair of retro-styled on-ear headphones for casual listening and on-camera looks, choose SECFOU Retro.
• EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds — biggest strength: a real-time two-way AI translation system covering 188 languages, with an open-ear fit, quad-mic noise cancellation and a charging case that stretches total use to 80 hours.
• EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds — biggest trade-off: it is a feature-dense, app-and-Bluetooth-dependent device, so it only pays off if you actually need translation or long wireless listening sessions.
• SECFOU Retro — biggest strength: a compact, lightweight wired on-ear design (27.22 g) with a PVC sponge build that reproduces vocals and instruments with clear definition.
• SECFOU Retro — biggest trade-off: it is wired, has no active noise cancellation, no battery, no translation and no warranty — its appeal is style, simplicity and portability, not technology.
• Who each is for: EUQQ for travelers, business users, students and expats; SECFOU Retro for music listeners, content creators and anyone who wants a retro prop or a backup wired pair.
The EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds are built around one big idea: removing the language barrier in real time. The AI system handles instant two-way translation across 188 languages, including major ones like Spanish, French and Chinese. In person, you hand one earbud to the person you're talking to and the conversation flows without a labored setup. Remotely, you send a browser link to the other side — they don't need to install anything — and translation keeps running through video or voice calls. That browser-link approach is the detail I find most practical, because it removes the most common reason remote conversations fall apart: getting the other person to install an app.
The hardware is aimed at long days and noisy places. There's an open-ear design that sits outside the ear so you stay aware of traffic and surroundings, plus 14.2 mm drivers and a four-mic AI noise-cancellation setup to pull your voice out of airports, cafés and busy streets. Battery is a strong point: up to 8 hours of continuous translation or music per charge, an 80-hour total with the charging case, and a 5-minute quick charge that yields about an hour of use. Each earpiece weighs 0.28 oz (8 g) with silicone ear hooks, and the IPX7 rating means rain, sweat and splashes are not a problem.
Buy it if you travel internationally, run meetings with people who speak another language, or you're a student or expat actively learning one. Skip it if you just want a cheap pair of headphones for the commute — you'd be paying for translation hardware and features you'd never touch, and the in-ear fit isn't for everyone.
The SECFOU Retro is a different animal entirely. This is a small wired on-ear headphone in black, made from PVC sponge, measuring roughly 15 × 11 × 4 cm and weighing just 27.22 g. It's the kind of thing you throw in a bag without thinking about it. The pitch is clarity and character: the wired design reproduces vocals and instruments with strong definition, which makes it a reasonable pick for recording sessions, studio-style listening, or simply enjoying music without any pairing, charging or app fuss.
The styling is the point for a lot of buyers. The vintage look works as a photography prop, a costume accessory, or a decorative piece, and the snug adjustable fit keeps it comfortable for shorter sessions with reduced ear pressure compared with tighter on-ear designs. Connectivity is listed as hybrid and the ear placement as in-ear, though the product is described throughout as an on-ear, over-the-ear wired headphone.
Buy it if you want a lightweight wired pair for casual music, recording reference or retro aesthetics, or if you need a spare set that never runs out of battery. Skip it if you need wireless freedom, noise cancellation, translation, or any kind of long-session comfort and durability guarantee — there's no warranty listed, and a wired headphone simply can't do what the EUQQ does.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds. 8 hours per charge, 80 hours total with the case, plus a 5-minute quick charge for about an hour of use.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds. The open-ear design leaves your ears unblocked, which matters on streets and in transit.
• Best for noisy environments → EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds. Four-mic AI noise cancellation and active noise cancellation on a touch-controlled earbud.
• Best for workouts and bad weather → EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds. IPX7 waterproofing covers heavy rain, sweat and splashes.
• Best for zero setup and zero charging → SECFOU Retro. Wired, no battery, no pairing, no app.
• Best for retro style, photos and costumes → SECFOU Retro. The vintage black look is the whole appeal.
• Best for the lightest possible carry → SECFOU Retro. At 27.22 g it's barely noticeable in a bag.
• Best for recording and vocal clarity on a budget-minded wired setup → SECFOU Retro. The wired design is tuned toward vocal and instrument definition.
In my opinion, the EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds are the more useful purchase for most people reading this comparison. They solve a problem nothing else here can solve — real-time two-way translation across 188 languages — and they back it with genuinely practical hardware: 8 hours per charge, an 80-hour case, IPX7 protection and a lightweight open-ear fit. I'd recommend the SECFOU Retro only if your priority is style, simplicity and a wired connection you never have to charge. Check the current price on Amazon for both before deciding, since value depends on what the numbers look like on the day.
They do something completely different. The EUQQ translates 188 languages in real time and runs up to 8 hours per charge with an 80-hour case. A wired headphone like the SECFOU Retro can't translate at all — it's for listening and looks.
No. They're wired, with no battery and no app requirement, so there's nothing to charge and no setup. The trade-off is that they can't do wireless listening, noise cancellation or translation.
For international travel I'd pick the EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds: open-ear awareness, IPX7 waterproofing, 80 hours of total battery and translation on the spot. The SECFOU Retro travels well because it's tiny and light, but it's a listening and style accessory, not a travel tool.
The EUQQ AI Translation Earbuds, clearly. They combine active noise cancellation with a four-mic AI system designed to filter background noise in airports, cafés and crowds. The SECFOU Retro lists no noise-cancellation feature at all.
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See also: GGSTOPWATER Open Ear Headphones vs EUQQ AI Language Translation, iClever BTH20 vs Paekole AI Translation Earbuds, Dytole Headset vs Gaosen 200: Wireless Headphones for Laptop