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If you want open-ear awareness, a tougher IP67 rating and phone-free MP3 playback, choose Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear; if you need longer battery life, a lighter 40 g neckband design and a more familiar in-ear fit, choose Sony WI-C100. That's the whole decision in two lines. Everything below is the reasoning behind it, spec by spec.
• Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear — biggest strength: open-ear air conduction keeps your ear canals free so you hear traffic and surroundings, backed by an IP67 rating that shrugs off sweat, rain and dust.
• Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear — biggest trade-off: open-ear designs deliberately don't isolate noise, and at 27 g with a wrap-around hook the fit is a different feel from a traditional earbud.
• Sony WI-C100 — biggest strength: up to 25 hours of playback with DSEE processing and an IPX4 splash/sweat rating in a simple neckband you basically forget you're wearing.
• Sony WI-C100 — biggest trade-off: in-ear tips block your surroundings, and IPX4 is splash-proof, not immersion-proof.
• Who each pick is for: runners, cyclists and commuters who want awareness and weather resistance → Langsdom. Long days, calls and casual listening where battery life matters most → Sony.
The AirWave Max is built around one idea: keep your ears open. The air conduction design sits outside your ear canal rather than sealing it, so music plays while traffic, footsteps and conversation still come through. For anyone running on roads, cycling near cars, or commuting through busy streets, that awareness isn't a gimmick — it's the reason to pick this model over an in-ear pair. The IP67 rating is the other headline. That covers sweat, rain and dust, which is exactly the abuse a daily outdoor workout throws at a headset.
The second layer is convenience. At 27 g with skin-friendly silicone and a wrap-around ergonomic shape, the fit is designed to stay put through high-impact movement without pressing into your ear canal. Battery life runs up to 17 hours at 50% volume, and a full charge takes about an hour. The Langsdom app lets you check battery, adjust EQ between enhanced bass and clear vocals, and use AI-assisted features. There's also a genuinely unusual extra: built-in storage for phone-free MP3 mode, so you can load music onto the headphones and run or hike without carrying your phone at all. Bluetooth 6, a 10-meter range, button controls and dual-device connectivity round it out.
Who should skip it? If your priority is noise isolation on a plane, a train or in a loud office, this is the wrong tool. Open-ear headphones are designed for safety and awareness, not blocking the world out. Langsdom itself frames the sound as potentially quieter with lighter bass than in-ear models — that's physics, not a defect. In very noisy environments, call quality via the dual-mic ENC setup also won't match a sealed in-ear or over-ear headset. If you want to disappear into your music, look elsewhere.
The WI-C100 is the opposite philosophy: seal the ear, keep it simple, and last as long as possible. Up to 25 hours of battery life is the standout number here, and it's the kind of figure that means charging once or twice a week for most people rather than every couple of days. DSEE processing restores high-frequency detail lost during compression, which matters if you stream from services that squeeze your files. The Sony | Headphones Connect app lets you fine-tune the sound, and hands-free calling is part of the package with the built-in microphone.
The build is a neckband-style in-ear design using silicone, rubber and flexible plastic, weighing 40 g. Sony rates it IPX4 — splash-proof and sweat-proof. That's fine for gym sessions, light rain and sweaty commutes, but it isn't built for immersion or heavy downpours. An important practical note straight from the spec sheet: if the earbud tips don't match your ear canal size or the headset isn't seated properly, sound quality and call performance suffer. Swapping to tips that fit more snugly is part of getting the most out of these.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs to stay aware of their surroundings while running or cycling. In-ear tips physically block outside sound, and there's no transparency mode mentioned here. If you train on open roads or want to hear a car coming, this isn't the model for you. It's also worth flagging that this listing is a two-pack, so you're buying two units — handy for a household, worth knowing if you only wanted one.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for outdoor awareness → Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear. Open-ear air conduction keeps your ear canals free so you hear what's around you.
• Best for rain and heavy sweat → Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear. IP67 covers sweat, rain and dust; Sony's IPX4 is splash- and sweat-proof only.
• Best for running and cycling → Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear. The 27 g wrap-around fit and open design are aimed squarely at high-impact outdoor movement.
• Best for noise isolation → Sony WI-C100. Sealed in-ear tips block the outside world; the Langsdom is designed not to.
• Best for phone-free workouts → Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear. Built-in storage lets you load music directly and leave your phone behind.
• Best for long listening days and casual calls → Sony WI-C100. The 25-hour battery, DSEE processing and mic make it a comfortable all-day companion.
• Best for sound tuning flexibility → Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear, in my view, because its app offers EQ adjustment plus AI-assisted features rather than the Sony's tuning alone.
In my opinion, the Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear is the more interesting buy — and the one I'd pick if I ran or cycled outdoors. The IP67 rating, the open-ear safety design and the phone-free MP3 mode give it a specific job it does well, and that combination is hard to find elsewhere. I'd only hand the nod to the Sony WI-C100 if battery life is your single most important spec, since up to 25 hours is a real advantage, or if you simply prefer the feel of traditional in-ear buds and don't need to hear your surroundings. Two very different tools. Pick the one that matches where you'll actually wear them.
can i wear waterproof headphones in the shower
It depends on the rating. The Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear carries IP67, which covers sweat, rain and dust, while the Sony WI-C100 is rated IPX4 — splash-proof and sweat-proof. IPX4 is not designed for direct, sustained water exposure like a shower stream.
are headphones waterproof
Not all of them. Water resistance is graded, and the two models here sit at different levels: IP67 on the Langsdom AirWave Max Open-Ear and IPX4 on the Sony WI-C100. IP67 is the tougher of the two for weather and sweat; IPX4 handles splashes only.
It has dual-mic ENC for clearer calls, so everyday calling is covered. But open-ear headphones prioritize environmental awareness, so in very noisy places call quality won't match a sealed in-ear or over-ear headset.
Yes — this listing is sold as a pack of two, and the stated specs apply per pack. That's convenient if you want a spare or you're splitting the cost with someone, but worth knowing if you only needed one.
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