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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want to upgrade the headphones you already own and hear your music the way it was actually recorded, choose MAKTAR Spectra X2; if you need earbuds that stay put during a run while keeping your ears open to traffic, choose PPBP Open Ear Headphones. These two products barely compete for the same job — one is a wired converter that makes good headphones sound great, the other is a complete wireless listening system built around staying aware of your surroundings. Here's how I'd decide between them.
• MAKTAR Spectra X2 — biggest strength: an ESS Sabre 9118 DAC decoding up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256, plus an amplifier that drives headphones up to 150 ohms.
• MAKTAR Spectra X2 — biggest trade-off: it has no battery and no wireless radio at all. It only works plugged into a USB-C device, and it does nothing unless you already own decent wired headphones.
• PPBP Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: a genuinely self-contained wireless package — Bluetooth 6.1, 40 hours of total playtime, IPX6 waterproofing, and an open-ear hook design for sport.
• PPBP Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: open-ear sound is a deliberate compromise. You hear your surroundings, which also means outside noise gets into your music.
• Who each pick is for: the Spectra X2 is for someone chasing better sound quality from wired headphones on a phone or laptop. The PPBP is for runners, cyclists and commuters who want wireless earbuds that never seal off their ears.
The Spectra X2 is a USB-C portable DAC and headphone amp, and that description tells you almost everything. It is a small inline converter — the item measures 0.44 x 0.44 x 3.5 inches, so thinner than a pen, and weighs 0.529 ounces. In practice that means it dangles from the port of your phone or laptop and disappears into a pocket. A carrying pouch is included, which fits the travel-oriented pitch of the product.
What it does best is the part that actually matters: it takes over digital-to-analog conversion from your phone or laptop and hands the job to an ESS Sabre 9118 chip that decodes files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256. The built-in amplifier then drives headphones up to 150 ohms impedance. If you own a pair of higher-impedance wired headphones that sound flat or underpowered straight out of a phone jack — or out of a USB-C dongle — this is the scenario the Spectra X2 was built for. MAKTAR also layers in its own XtraSOUND processing, which the spec sheet frames as a way to surface detail you might not have noticed before.
Buy it if you already have a good pair of wired headphones and a USB-C source, and you want to hear what they can really do. Skip it if you want wireless freedom, you mostly listen on earbuds you're happy with already, or you're shopping for sport — this isn't that kind of product.
PPBP Open Ear Headphones: Who It's For
The PPBP pair is the complete opposite kind of purchase: a full wireless system. Each earbud weighs a claimed 6 grams, and the over-ear hook design avoids putting anything inside your ear canal at all. That's the entire point of open-ear audio, and PPBP leans into it hard — the spec sheet describes a pressure-free fit built for 10+ hours of continuous wear, with the earhook shape holding everything in place.
The audio hardware is more ambitious than the price-point stereotype suggests. PPBP describes a quad-speaker arrangement with dual drivers per earbud, 15mm large-diaphragm dynamic drivers, and a dedicated headphone amplifier chip. That's a lot of driver area aimed at delivering bass and clear calls without sealing your ears. Connectivity runs on Bluetooth 6.1, and battery life is quoted at up to 10 hours per charge with 30 more from the case — 40 hours total. The case charges wirelessly, and the bundle includes two earbuds, the charging case, a cable and a manual.
For sport, the relevant numbers are the IPX6 waterproof rating, which covers sweat, heavy rain and splashes, and the ergonomic hooks that are designed to stay put through high-intensity training. Just as important is what the open design does for safety: you keep hearing traffic, ambient noise and people talking to you. The smart touch controls handle music, volume and calls from a single button per side.
Buy it if you run, cycle, commute or work out, and you want music without blocking out the world — or you simply hate the feeling of earbuds jammed in your ear canals. Skip it if you want maximum isolation or serious critical listening, because open-ear design fundamentally can't deliver either. The color is black, and it's a single-item package.
• Best for sound quality with wired headphones → MAKTAR Spectra X2. The ESS Sabre 9118 and 150-ohm amp are doing real work your phone can't.
• Best for running, cycling and gym work → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. IPX6, earhooks and situational awareness are exactly what sport demands.
• Best for battery life and untethered listening → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. Up to 40 hours total versus zero — the Spectra X2 has no battery because it needs none.
• Best for travel and portability → MAKTAR Spectra X2. At 15 grams and thinner than a pen, it slides into any pocket, and it never needs charging.
• Best for staying aware of traffic and conversation → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. The open design is the feature, not a flaw.
• Best for plug-and-play across devices → MAKTAR Spectra X2. USB-C in, music out — no pairing, no apps, no drivers.
• Best for comfort over long sessions → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. 6-gram earbuds with no ear-canal contact are built for all-day wear.
• Best if you own high-impedance headphones gathering dust → MAKTAR Spectra X2. It's the cheapest way to find out what you've been missing — check the current price on Amazon.
If I had to pick one, I'd take the MAKTAR Spectra X2 — but only because of who I am as a listener. I already own wired headphones that deserve better than a phone's built-in output, and the Spectra X2 fixes that permanently for the cost of a dongle, with no battery to babysit and no pairing ritual. It's the single biggest sound-quality jump you can make with the gear you already have.
That said, I'd recommend the PPBP Open Ear Headphones without hesitation to anyone whose listening happens on the move. If your music lives in your ears during runs, rides and commutes, a wired DAC is the wrong tool entirely — you need the 40 hours, the IPX6 shell and the open ear that keeps you safe. Buy the Spectra X2 to hear better. Buy the PPBP to move better.
Probably not. The Spectra X2 shines when it's driving headphones up to 150 ohms that your phone struggles with. With basic low-impedance earbuds you'll notice less of a difference, so the upgrade value depends on what you plug into it.
No — they're a Bluetooth product, so you need a Bluetooth-capable source like a phone, tablet or laptop. There's no wired audio input and no onboard storage, so the 40 hours of playtime only matters once you're paired.
The PPBP is the more natural fit. It has a microphone, smart touch call controls and a non-in-ear design that lets you talk naturally while wearing them. The Spectra X2 is a DAC and amp — it's about playback quality, not calls.
Neither does. The Spectra X2 is true plug-and-play over USB-C with no drivers or apps, and the PPBP pairs over standard Bluetooth 6.1 with touch controls on the earbuds themselves. Check the current price on Amazon for both before you commit.
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