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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-29 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• L LTGEM Case — biggest strength: A hard EVA shell with waterproof protection and a 360-degree zipper, built to keep wired on-ear headphones and small accessories safe in a bag. Biggest trade-off: It is not a headphone. Buy it expecting sound and you'll be disappointed.
• JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear — biggest strength: A real wired on-ear headphone with a 3.5 mm jack, dynamic drivers, a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz range, cushioned ear cups and a foldable, lightweight build. Biggest trade-off: It offers no noise control and no protective hard case of its own.
• Who L LTGEM Case is for: Anyone who already owns Sony MDR-ZX110, ZX110AP or ZX310AP wired on-ear headphones and wants to carry them without crushing them.
• Who JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear is for: Anyone who wants an affordable-looking retro pair of on-ear headphones for casual wired listening on a phone, tablet or portable player.
• The honest summary: One protects headphones; the other is a headphone. They can even work together.
This is a case, and it's worth being blunt about that. The L LTGEM Case is a molded hard shell made from ethylene vinyl acetate — EVA, the same foamy-but-firm material used in a lot of protective travel cases. It measures 7 x 5.2 x 1.8 inches and weighs 4.38 ounces, so it's sized around a folded pair of on-ear headphones rather than something bulky. It's listed as waterproof, which matters more than people think: a hard case that shrugs off rain is the difference between a working pair of headphones and a soggy one when it's rattling around at the bottom of a backpack.
The design details are the kind that only matter once you've used a cheap case. There's a steady hand strap, so you're not juggling a slippery shell on a train platform. Inside, a mesh pocket holds the small stuff — a cable, an adapter, maybe a spare pair of ear tips if you're carrying something else alongside. The zipper runs a full 360 degrees, which means the lid opens wide instead of forcing you to fish headphones out of a tight opening. That single detail is why I'd steer most people toward a full-zip shell over a snap-top one.
Who should buy it: owners of Sony MDR-ZX110, MDR-ZX110AP or MDR-ZX310AP wired on-ear headphones who commute, travel, or just toss gear into a bag and want it to survive. It's aimed at adults, sold as a single unit, and the black-and-grey solid finish keeps it looking neutral rather than toy-like.
Who should skip it: anyone who doesn't already own a compatible pair of Sony ZX-series headphones. And obviously — anyone shopping for sound. This listing will not play music. If you land here searching for headphones, this is not your product.
This one is the actual headphone. The JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear is a wired on-ear model with a 3.5 mm jack, a dynamic driver, and a stated frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz — the standard full-range window you'd expect from a general-purpose pair, covering the lows of a kick drum up through the highs of cymbals. Connectivity is wired only, so there's no pairing, no charging, and no battery to think about. Plug it in and it works.
The design leans hard into its name. It's orange, styled as retro, with a fabric-and-foam enclosure and cushioned ear cups. The headband is adjustable, and the whole thing is built to fold, which is the feature I'd actually care about day to day — a foldable on-ear headphone disappears into a bag in a way a rigid one doesn't. Weight is listed at 0.03 kg, so it's genuinely light. There's a media control and a touch-based remote, which is unusual at this end of the market and worth noting if you like adjusting playback without reaching for your phone.
Where it's honest about its limits: noise control is listed as none. That means no active noise cancellation and no meaningful isolation claim — you'll hear the room, and the room will hear a little of you. That's normal for on-ear headphones at this level, and it's fine for a desk, a kitchen, a quiet commute, or walking. It's less ideal if you're trying to block out a plane cabin.
Who should buy it: casual listeners who want a light, wired, foldable on-ear pair with a bit of retro personality for a phone, tablet or portable music player. The standard connector works with most devices, so compatibility anxiety is low.
Who should skip it: anyone who needs wireless freedom, active noise cancellation, or serious isolation. And anyone who wants a hard case included — there isn't one in the box.
• You want actual sound → JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear. It's the only one of the two that plays audio.
• You want to protect Sony ZX-series on-ear headphones → L LTGEM Case. That's exactly what its compatibility list names.
• You want water resistance → L LTGEM Case. It's rated waterproof; the headphones make no such claim.
• You want foldable portability in a headphone → JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear. The foldable design and light build are the point.
• You want wired simplicity with no charging → either. Both are wired-first products; the headphones use a 3.5 mm jack.
• You want a retro look → JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear. Orange, fabric-and-foam, retro-styled. The case is black and grey.
• You want accessory storage → L LTGEM Case. The inner mesh pocket and hand strap are built for carrying extras.
• You want noise cancellation → neither. The headphones list noise control as none, and the case is, well, a case.
In my opinion, most people searching this comparison want headphones, and for them the JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear is the right buy — it's a real, wired, foldable on-ear headphone with cushioned cups, a standard 3.5 mm jack and a distinctive retro look. I'd only send you to the L LTGEM Case if you already own Sony MDR-ZX110, ZX110AP or ZX310AP headphones and want to stop wrecking them in your bag. Honestly, if you own those Sonys, buying both is a perfectly sensible move — one plays, one protects. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one thing specs can't tell you.
what are the best open ear headphones
"Open ear" and "on ear" are different things, and neither product here is an open-ear design. If you specifically want open-ear headphones, keep looking. If what you actually want is an on-ear headphone, the JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear is the only headphone in this comparison, with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz dynamic driver and a 3.5 mm wired connection.
are on ear headphones good
They can be. On-ear headphones like the JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear rest on the ear rather than around it, which tends to make them lighter and more packable — this one folds and weighs 0.03 kg. The trade-off is isolation: noise control is listed as none, so they won't block out much background sound.
are open ear headphones good
That's a separate category from both products here. The L LTGEM Case is a hard EVA carry case, not a headphone at all, and the JJLFresheners is a closed on-ear wired model. If open-ear is a hard requirement, neither listing fits, and you should search that category specifically.
are on ear headphones comfortable
Comfort is personal, but the JJLFresheners Orange Retro Over-Ear is built with cushioned ear cups, an ergonomic fit and an adjustable headband, and it's very light at 0.03 kg — all features aimed at extended listening. The L LTGEM Case isn't worn at all; it's a 4.38-ounce protective shell for storing headphones.
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