How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a familiar, in-ear true wireless pair with active noise cancellation and a brand name you already trust for calls and commutes, choose Panasonic True; if you need open-ear clip-on earbuds that leave your ear canal free, add a built-in MP3 player and a smart touchscreen case, choose LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds. I'm framing this whole comparison around one buyer in particular — teachers — because a teacher's day puts very specific demands on a pair of headphones: long hours, constant switching between music and voice, and the need to stay aware of a room full of people.
• Panasonic True — biggest strength: a true in-ear fit with active noise cancellation, a 6mm dynamic driver and a MEMS microphone in a labyrinth structure for clear voice pickup, plus a touch-sensor antenna designed to hold a stable left-right connection in crowded places.
• Panasonic True — biggest trade-off: the in-ear seal blocks your surroundings, so you get isolation instead of awareness, and the earbuds are tiny 4g units you have to seat properly to get that seal.
• LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds — biggest strength: a clip-on open-ear design that never enters the ear canal, Bluetooth 5.4, IPX5 waterproofing and a charging case with a full-color touchscreen plus a built-in 4GB MP3 mode.
• LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds — biggest trade-off: open-ear sound leaks your environment in by design, the case is a chunky 62g with a 5 × 3 × 6.7 cm footprint, and the feature set is busier than a plain pair of earbuds.
• Pick Panasonic True if you want noise cancellation, a compact in-ear fit and a well-known audio brand for calls and focused listening.
• Pick LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds if you want to hear your classroom, run without your phone, and get a longer total battery window from a bigger case.
The Panasonic True (model RZ-S300W) is a true wireless in-ear pair built around three ideas: stable connection, clear voice, and comfort. Each earbud weighs just 4 grams, and the design uses a touch-sensor antenna with independent left-right signaling — Panasonic's answer to the classic problem of earbuds dropping out in crowded areas like a busy hallway, a train platform or a packed staff room. If you've ever had a pair stutter the moment a room fills up, that's the exact scenario this design targets.
Battery is where the spec sheet gets interesting. Panasonic quotes roughly 7.5 hours of playback per charge, with the carrying case extending total listening — the case itself is rated around 20 hours of additional playback, and a full charge of the earphones takes about 4 hours. There's also a quick-charge behavior worth knowing: a short 15-minute top-up gets you around 90 minutes of playback. IPX4 water resistance covers sweat and splashes.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants a compact, lightweight in-ear pair with noise cancellation, dependable call quality and a brand with a long audio history — commuters, office workers, and teachers who record or take a lot of calls. Who should skip it: if you need to hear your surroundings at all times, or you want a pair that never touches your ear canal, this is the wrong category of product for you.
LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds: Who It's For
The LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds (model S18) take the opposite approach. These are clip-on open-ear buds: they sit outside the ear canal entirely, held by a flexible silicone clip that's described as skin-friendly and pressure-free, with an adjustable design intended to fit smaller ears snugly. Nothing goes inside your ear. For a teacher, that single design choice changes everything — you can play background audio between classes and still hear a student call your name, a fire alarm, or a colleague at your door.
The charging case is the headline feature. It carries a 600mAh battery for up to 36 hours of total playback, while each earbud runs about 6 hours per charge and refills fully in roughly 1.5 hours. On top of that, the case has a full-color intelligent LED touchscreen — you can control playback, skip tracks and adjust volume right on the case, and it also hosts a set of extra interfaces like an alarm clock, a camera shutter trigger, a headphone-finder and lock-screen wallpaper options. It's a genuinely unusual amount of functionality to find in a case.
Who should buy it: teachers and coaches who move around a room or a track, runners and gym-goers who want situational awareness, and anyone who wants music without carrying a phone. Who should skip it: if you want maximum isolation and active noise cancellation, an open-ear clip-on physically cannot deliver that.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for noise cancellation → Panasonic True. It's the only one of the two with active noise cancellation.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds. The open-ear clip-on design never blocks your ear canal.
• Best for total battery window → LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds. Up to 36 hours with the case versus Panasonic's roughly 20 hours of case playback.
• Best for a quick top-up → Panasonic True. About 15 minutes of charging returns roughly 90 minutes of listening; LOBKIN needs about 1.5 hours for a full charge.
• Best for phone-free listening → LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds. The built-in 4GB MP3 mode needs no phone and no network.
• Best for water and sweat exposure → LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds. IPX5 is a step up from IPX4.
• Best for a compact, pocketable carry → Panasonic True. The 4g earbuds and small case disappear in a pocket; the LOBKIN case is 5 × 3 × 6.7 cm and 62g.
• Best for a straightforward, familiar experience → Panasonic True. If you'd rather not manage a touchscreen case, the Panasonic is the simpler everyday pick.
If I were buying for myself as a teacher, I'd go with the LOBKIN Open Ear Earbuds. The reason is practical, not technical: my day is spent moving between a desk, a whiteboard and a room full of people, and being able to hear what's happening around me while audio plays is worth more to me than isolation. The 36-hour case, IPX5 rating and phone-free MP3 mode seal it. That said, if your priority is silencing a noisy commute, taking clear calls in wind, or you simply prefer the feel of a proper in-ear seal, I'd point you to the Panasonic True instead — it's the more focused listening tool of the two. Whichever way you lean, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable this comparison deliberately leaves out.
FAQ
Yes, on paper they're the better fit for training. IPX5 waterproofing resists rain, sweat and dust, the clip-on design stays put without sealing your ear canal, and the open-ear build keeps you aware of traffic or other people around you.
They include active noise cancellation, and the in-ear design with four earpiece sizes (XS, S, M, L) lets you get a proper seal, which does a lot of the work. The MEMS microphone with its labyrinth structure also helps keep your voice clear on calls in windy spots.
Yes — that's one of their standout features. They carry 4GB of built-in storage, which LOBKIN says holds more than a thousand songs for standalone MP3 playback, so you can leave your phone behind entirely.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: iClever HS14 vs Matast Earbuds Sports: Stereo Headphones, OJW Open Ear Headphones vs BUGANI Open Ear Earbuds: Open Ear, LORELEI Q60 vs Owliwise Kids Headphones: Wireless Travel, Samsung Galaxy Buds Live vs Xmenha True comparison