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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-08 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• Monster Open Ear AC322 — biggest strength: a true open-ear hook design that leaves your ear canal completely open, so you stay aware of what is happening around you, with an adjustable ear angle and a 36-hour battery figure that covers marathon sessions without a charging case.
• Monster Open Ear AC322 — biggest trade-off: no charging case in the box, no noise control at all, and an open design that lets outside sound in — which is the point, but it also means no isolation when you want it.
• PEFUPEW Earbuds — biggest strength: a 14.2mm dynamic driver, four ENC microphones, IP7 waterproofing and a total 48-hour playback figure with a USB-C charging case that carries its own LED display.
• PEFUPEW Earbuds — biggest trade-off: the fit is a hooked over-ear bud rather than an open design, so you get more isolation but less awareness of your surroundings, and the listed weight is noticeably heavier than the Monster set.
• Who each pick is for: Monster Open Ear AC322 for the player or walker who wants open ears, all-day comfort and one long charge; PEFUPEW Earbuds for the gym, run and commute crowd who want bass, call clarity and a case in the bag.
The AC322 is built around one idea: keep the ear canal open. It is an open-ear headset with a plastic-and-silicone hook that sits over the ear rather than inside it, and the ear angle is adjustable so you can dial in the fit for your own ear shape. That is the feature that matters most here. If you play a Switch in handheld mode on the couch and still want to hear someone call your name, or you walk and game with one ear on traffic, this is exactly the behaviour you want. Monster calls the tuning Pure Monster Sound, with a dynamic driver covering a 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz range — a full-range spec on paper, and open-ear sets typically trade deep sub-bass for a wider, airier presentation, which suits dialogue, ambient soundtracks and voice chat more than thumping low end.
The other headline is endurance. The listed battery average life is 36 hours, and there is no charging case in the box — the headset itself is the whole package, charged on its own. For a Switch player that means one charge can plausibly stretch across a lot of sessions. Bluetooth 5.4 covers the connection, which is the current generation of the standard and is described as fast and stable with ultra-low latency, and that latency point is worth noting for gaming where audio lag is annoying. IPX5 means it shrugs off sweat and light rain, so a workout or a drizzly walk is fine, though it is not a dunk-it-in-water rating.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants isolation. Noise control is listed as None, so there is no ANC and no passive seal — in a loud room, on a plane, or on a noisy train, you will hear everything. There is also no charging case, so you charge the headset itself. And if you want a firm, sealed bass feel, an open hook is the wrong tool.
PEFUPEW takes the opposite approach. These are hooked earbuds — over-ear placement, hook shape, in a light blue colourway with a matching blue case — and the design is clearly aimed at movement. Soft, flexible ear hooks hold the bud in place, and the spec sheet lists three sizes of silicone earplugs (S, M, L) in the box, so you can actually size the seal to your ear instead of hoping one tip fits. The driver is a 14.2mm dynamic unit with 32 ohm impedance, paired with a three-layer composite diaphragm that PEFUPEW says boosts bass and reduces distortion. In plain terms: this is the warmer, fuller-sounding of the two on paper, and the one I would expect to deliver punchier low end.
Calls are a genuine focus. Four ENC microphones are listed, with the claim that they cut around 80% of background noise, which is the kind of thing that matters if you take voice chat while a fan, a treadmill or a busy room is running. Battery is the other big number: 48 hours total, with up to 8 hours per earbud at 50% volume and a case that provides four to five extra charges. Charging is USB-C at 1.5 hours, and the case has a dual LED display so you can see where you stand. IP7 waterproofing is a step above the Monster set for sweat and rain.
The trade-offs are real, though. This is not an open-ear design — it seals and isolates, so you lose the awareness that makes the AC322 appealing. Noise control is passive only, meaning it comes from the seal, not from active cancellation. Bluetooth range is listed at 15 metres with a 40 ms latency figure, which is good but is a specific number rather than a promise of zero lag. And the item weight is 58 g including the case, which is heavier to pocket than a bare hook headset.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for open-ear awareness → Monster Open Ear AC322. Nothing in the PEFUPEW design keeps your ears open; the Monster set is built for exactly that.
• Best for battery endurance → Monster Open Ear AC322 on the raw headset figure (36 hours), though PEFUPEW Earbuds win on total system runtime (48 hours) once you count the case's four to five extra charges.
• Best for bass and sealed sound → PEFUPEW Earbuds. A 14.2mm driver with a three-layer diaphragm and a proper ear tip seal is the more likely pick for low end.
• Best for calls in noisy places → PEFUPEW Earbuds. Four ENC microphones versus no noise control listed on the Monster set.
• Best for sweat, rain and hard workouts → PEFUPEW Earbuds on the IP7 rating, though the Monster's IPX5 still covers sweat and light rain.
• Best for long, light wear and around-the-house gaming → Monster Open Ear AC322. Ultra-light build, adjustable ear angle, nothing pressing into your canal for hours.
• Best for clip-on style buyers → PEFUPEW Earbuds if you specifically want a hooked, over-ear bud rather than an open hook, and the reverse if you want the open fit.
If I were buying one of these for Switch play and everyday use, I would take the PEFUPEW Earbuds. In my opinion the combination of a 14.2mm driver, four ENC mics, IP7 waterproofing and a charging case with 48 hours of total playback is simply more product for more situations — gym, commute, voice chat and handheld gaming. That said, if your priority is keeping your ears open and aware, or you hate charging cases and want one long 36-hour charge on the headset alone, I would pick the Monster Open Ear AC322 instead, and I would not second-guess it. Buy for the fit you will actually wear.
It depends on what you want from the fit. Both use Bluetooth 5.4, and the Monster set is listed with ultra-low latency while the PEFUPEW set lists a 40 ms delay. The Monster's open design keeps you aware of your surroundings; the PEFUPEW's sealed fit gives you more bass and isolation.
They have passive noise cancellation and sound isolation through the ear tip seal, plus four ENC microphones for call clarity. There is no active noise cancellation listed. The Monster Open Ear AC322 lists no noise control at all, by design.
Read carefully: Monster lists 36 hours on the headset itself with no case. PEFUPEW lists 48 hours total, made up of up to 8 hours per earbud plus four to five case recharges. For a single uninterrupted stretch the Monster figure is the simpler one; for total time away from a wall outlet, the PEFUPEW case wins.
Yes — they carry an IP7 waterproof rating, which is the higher of the two here. The Monster Open Ear AC322 is IPX5, which handles sweat and light rain but is not rated for submersion. For heavy sweat or wet-weather runs, PEFUPEW is the safer pick.
I do not quote prices here, since they change often. Use the "Check latest price on Amazon" button on this page for the Monster Open Ear AC322 and the PEFUPEW Earbuds, and compare the live figures yourself before deciding.
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