We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-17 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a feature-packed open-ear pair with AI translation, the longest total battery life here and a clip-on fit that never touches your ear canal, choose Monster Open AC601; if you need a lighter, silicone-hooked sport earbud with a bigger charging-case reserve and a simpler everyday experience, choose RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones.
• Monster Open AC601 — biggest strength: a 13mm PVK composite dynamic driver, Bluetooth 5.4, IPX5 water resistance and 32 hours of total playtime, plus AI translation built in.
• Monster Open AC601 — biggest trade-off: it's the heavier, more tech-dense option, and Monster itself notes that ENC calling can hit compatibility snags on some less common phone models.
• RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: 40 hours of total playtime with only 7.5g per earbud, soft liquid silicone and ergonomic ear hooks that stay put through hard movement.
• RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: Bluetooth 5.3 instead of 5.4, IP54 instead of IPX5, and 8 hours per charge on the buds themselves.
• Who each pick is for: Monster Open AC601 suits commuters, travelers and anyone who wants translation and touch control in one pair; RICHJOY suits runners, gym-goers and long-session listeners who prioritise featherweight comfort.
The Monster Open AC601 is the more ambitious product of the two. Monster builds it around a 13mm PVK composite sound film driver — a dynamic driver with a genuinely large diaphragm for this category — and pairs it with Bluetooth 5.4. In practice, that combination is what you want if you care about audio-visual sync: Bluetooth 5.4's faster transmission and lower latency matter most when you're gaming, watching video or on a call, where a half-second lag is instantly noticeable.
The second headline feature is Environmental Noise Cancellation for calls, marketed as "Crystal Clear Call." Monster is refreshingly honest in its own notes that some less common phone models may experience compatibility issues, which tells you the ENC pipeline leans on the phone side of the connection. If you're on a mainstream iPhone or Android device, you're in the intended use case. If you're on something unusual, this is the one caveat worth weighing.
Then there's the feature nobody else in this comparison offers: AI translation with extensive language support. Monster lists it as a core additional feature alongside travel, sport, work and music use. If you travel internationally or work across languages, that's a real functional difference, not a marketing garnish.
Buy it if you want translation, the newest Bluetooth version, a higher IP rating and the biggest driver here. Skip it if you want the absolute lightest thing on your ears, or you're on an obscure phone model and call clarity is your number one priority.
RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones: Who It's For
RICHJOY takes the opposite approach: strip the concept back to comfort, stability and stamina. Each earbud weighs just 7.5g and sits outside the ear canal, held by ergonomic ear hooks and wrapped in soft liquid silicone. The enclosure material is silicone, the colour is beige, and the whole point is a breathable fit you can forget about. RICHJOY explicitly positions the open-ear layout as reducing in-ear pressure for long listening sessions — and with a 7.5g-per-bud figure, that claim has a physical basis.
Battery is where RICHJOY pulls ahead on paper. The buds run up to 8 hours on their own, extending to 40 hours with the portable charging case. That's a bigger total reserve than the Monster's 32 hours, and the 8-hour single-charge figure is the number that actually matters on a long hike, a full workday or a flight where you don't want to keep docking the buds.
Call handling uses intelligent AI processing that separates speech from wind and street noise in real time, applying enhancement for both sides of the conversation. It's a different implementation from Monster's ENC, but the goal is the same: usable calls outdoors. The 16-ohm impedance and 20Hz–20,000Hz frequency range describe a standard full-band dynamic driver tuned for deep low-end and clear treble — a sport-oriented sound rather than an audiophile one.
Connectivity is Bluetooth 5.3, which supports fast pairing, a stable link and low-latency audio. It's one generation behind the Monster, and for most streaming, calls and music you won't feel the gap. Durability is IP54, which resists sweat and moisture — fine for the gym and rain sprinkles, but a step below the Monster's IPX5. RICHJOY also includes a 1-year manufacturer warranty and publishes a clear reset procedure and pairing name ("O300"), which is a small but genuinely useful sign of a product designed for real owners.
Buy it if you want the lightest, most breathable fit, the longest total battery reserve, and a straightforward sport earbud with a published warranty. Skip it if you need translation, the latest Bluetooth generation, or the highest water-resistance rating in this matchup.
• Best for battery life (total) → RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones at 40 hours with the case versus the Monster's 32 hours.
• Best for per-charge stamina → RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones at up to 8 hours per charge; Monster lists 32 hours total but doesn't break out a single-charge figure.
• Best for audio hardware → Monster Open AC601, with its 13mm PVK composite driver against the RICHJOY's standard dynamic driver.
• Best for lowest latency and newest connectivity → Monster Open AC601 with Bluetooth 5.4 versus the RICHJOY's 5.3.
• Best for sweat and rain → Monster Open AC601 with IPX5 versus the RICHJOY's IP54.
• Best for all-day comfort and light weight → RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones at 7.5g per earbud in soft liquid silicone.
• Best for travel and language barriers → Monster Open AC601, the only one of the two with AI translation and extensive language support.
• Best for peace of mind on support → RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones, which carries a stated 1-year manufacturer warranty.
• Best for mainstream phone users who take a lot of calls → either, though Monster flags possible ENC compatibility issues on less common phone models, so that's worth checking against your handset.
In my opinion, the Monster Open AC601 is the one I'd buy. Translation, Bluetooth 5.4, a 13mm composite driver and IPX5 add up to a more capable product for travel, work and mixed use, and those are the things I'd actually notice day to day. I'd only switch to the RICHJOY Open Ear Headphones if comfort and battery were my top two priorities — 7.5g per bud and 40 hours total are genuinely compelling for runners and gym regulars, and the 1-year warranty is a nice safety net. Pick the Monster for features; pick the RICHJOY for featherweight endurance.
FAQ
I don't publish prices because they change constantly. Use the "Check latest price on Amazon" button on this page to see the current figure for each before you decide.
RICHJOY states they do, citing flexible ear hooks and an ergonomic open-ear design that holds firm for workouts, running and daily activity. The 7.5g-per-bud weight and silicone construction support that claim on paper.
No. IPX5 protects against rain and sweat, not submersion. Monster describes it for workouts, commutes and listening sessions — not pool use. The RICHJOY's IP54 is similarly sweat-and-moisture resistant, and also not for swimming.
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