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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want all-day in-ear comfort with foam tips and a pocketable charging case, choose JVC Marshmallow True; if you need an open-ear headset built for calls, meetings and driving, choose LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones.
• JVC Marshmallow True — biggest strength: Memory foam earpieces plus a compact charging case rated for up to 28 hours of total listening, with three sound modes and IPX4 splash resistance.
• JVC Marshmallow True — biggest trade-off: It's a sealed in-ear design, so it isolates you from your surroundings — the opposite of what you want if you need to hear traffic, coworkers or a passenger.
• LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: An open-ear design with a 240° rotating boom microphone, dual DSP noise reduction and multipoint pairing for two devices at once.
• LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: Battery life is rated at up to 10 hours on a charge, and the open fit deliberately lets ambient sound in, so it won't give you a sealed, immersive listen.
• Pick JVC if music, podcasts, workouts and long commutes are your priority.
• Pick LOBKIN if your day is mostly calls, video meetings, driving and staying aware of what's around you.
The JVC Marshmallow True is a true wireless in-ear pair, and the whole design revolves around one idea: making an earbud you can forget you're wearing. The memory foam earpieces are the headline here. Instead of a hard silicone tip pressing against your ear canal, the foam compresses and then expands to mold to your ear shape. JVC also includes multiple earpiece sizes, so you're not stuck with whatever fit comes in the box. If you've ever pulled earbuds out after an hour because your ears started to ache, that's the exact problem this design is aimed at.
The spec sheet tells a coherent story beyond comfort. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the connection, with auto-pairing and a rated range of about 33 feet, which is plenty for moving between your desk, kitchen and couch without dropping the signal. Battery life is rated at up to 28 hours in total with the charging case, and the case itself is compact enough to live in a jacket pocket. Three sound modes — Normal, Clear and Bass — let you tilt the tuning toward podcasts and vocals or toward low-end punch, and the description mentions low latency for gaming and video, which matters if lip-sync drift drives you crazy.
Then there's IPX4. That's a splash-and-sweat rating, not a swim rating. It means these are fine for a sweaty gym session, a run in light drizzle, or getting caught in the rain walking to your car. It does not mean you should dunk them.
Who should skip it: if you need to keep one ear on traffic while cycling, or you take calls all day and want a boom mic that sits near your mouth, this isn't the tool. The in-ear fit and the voice-control setup are built for personal listening, not for all-day conference calls.
LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones: Who It's For
The LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones, model X13, are a different category of product entirely. They sit on the outside of your ear rather than inside it, resting against the ear without plugging the canal. LOBKIN's own framing is that this avoids the pressure and discomfort of long wear, and that the open design lets you hear your own voice and your surroundings at the same time. For anyone who spends the day on calls, that's a genuinely useful property — you don't get that plugged-up, muffled feeling when you speak.
The call-side hardware is where this headset earns its keep. There's a 240° rotating boom microphone, which means you can swing the mic toward your mouth and adjust it continuously rather than hoping a fixed mic picks you up. Dual DSP noise reduction is aimed at cutting background noise in loud environments, and the noise cancellation here is microphone-side — it's about making your voice clearer to the person on the other end, not about silencing the world for you. That's an important distinction, and LOBKIN states it plainly.
Multipoint pairing is the other feature worth calling out. The headset supports Bluetooth 5.3 and can stay connected to two devices at once — your laptop and your phone, for example — so a call can come in on your phone while you're working on your computer. Weighing in at 29 grams with a beige ABS finish, it's built to disappear on your head. Charging is over USB-C and takes about 1.5 hours for a full charge, with continuous battery life rated at up to 10 hours, or beyond 15 hours if you keep the volume around 20%. A multifunction button handles playback, answering and hanging up, so you can operate it one-handed.
Who should buy it: remote workers, people who live in video meetings, truck drivers, anyone who takes calls on the move, and anyone who wants to stay aware of their environment while listening.
Who should skip it: if you want deep, isolated sound for music, or you're chasing maximum total battery with a charging case, the open design and 10-hour rating won't match the JVC pair's strengths.
• Best for all-day comfort in the ear → JVC Marshmallow True. Memory foam tips and multiple earpiece sizes are the whole point of the design.
• Best for calls and meetings → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. The 240° rotating boom mic and dual DSP noise reduction are purpose-built for voice.
• Best for total battery headroom → JVC Marshmallow True. Up to 28 hours with the case versus up to 10 hours on a charge for the LOBKIN.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. The open design keeps ambient sound in by design.
• Best for workouts and sweaty sessions → JVC Marshmallow True. The IPX4 rating covers sweat and splashes; the LOBKIN sheet makes no water-resistance claim.
• Best for juggling two devices → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. Multipoint pairing connects to two devices simultaneously.
• Best for tuning your music → JVC Marshmallow True. Normal, Clear and Bass modes plus a 20 Hz–20 kHz dynamic driver.
• Best for driving and telework → LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones. One-hand button control and a mic that rotates to your mouth.
In my opinion, these two don't really compete — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends on what your day looks like. If I spent my hours on calls, in meetings or behind the wheel, I'd buy the LOBKIN Open Ear Headphones: the rotating boom mic, multipoint pairing and open fit are exactly what that life needs, and the 10-hour rating covers a normal workday. If I wanted earbuds for music, podcasts, commuting and the gym, I'd buy the JVC Marshmallow True without hesitating — the foam tips, 28-hour total battery and IPX4 rating are a better fit for personal listening. If you want both jobs done well, they're different enough that owning each isn't redundant. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one thing that can tip a close call.
FAQ
No — and LOBKIN is clear about this. The noise cancellation is on the microphone side, using dual DSP to reduce background noise so callers hear you better. It does not block sound from reaching your ears, which is the whole point of the open design.
The JVC Marshmallow True is rated up to 28 hours total with its charging case. The LOBKIN is rated up to 10 hours of continuous use, stretching past 15 hours at around 20% volume. For total time away from a charger, the JVC wins; for a single workday on one charge, both are adequate.
The JVC Marshmallow True carries an IPX4 rating, so sweat and splashes are covered. The LOBKIN data sheet doesn't list a water-resistance rating, so I'd keep it dry and treat it as an indoor and in-car headset.
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