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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
• RR SPORTS IP68 — biggest strength: a genuinely rugged, fully sealed open-ear design rated IP68, with 32GB of built-in storage so it works with no phone at all.
• RR SPORTS IP68 — biggest trade-off: Bluetooth is not meant to run while you're underwater, so swimming means switching to MP3 mode and managing your files ahead of time.
• XBONFIRE 5 — biggest strength: a 5" 1080×1920 touchscreen that mirrors your phone's rear camera and lets you tap to focus, zoom and record from up to 100ft away.
• XBONFIRE 5 — biggest trade-off: it's a camera monitor, not audio gear — the headphone jack is for monitoring, so don't buy it expecting listening-first hardware.
• Who RR SPORTS IP68 is for: swimmers, runners and cyclists who want sound and situational awareness in one sealed unit.
• Who XBONFIRE 5 is for: solo vloggers, selfie shooters and live streamers who want to see their own framing on a slim magnetic screen.
The RR SPORTS IP68 is built around one idea: keep your ears open and keep the hardware sealed. It uses bone conduction, which sends sound through vibration rather than pushing a driver into your ear canal. That means you can hear traffic, a training partner or a poolside whistle while music plays. For outdoor athletes, that's the whole point — you stay aware instead of blocking the world out, and the design also avoids stuffing a speaker against your eardrum for hours at a stretch.
What separates it from typical open-ear headphones is the waterproofing. IP68 here means it survives submersion in up to two meters of water, and the seals plus a nano-hydrophobic coating are meant to keep sweat, rain and pool water out of the internals. The frame is made from soft silicone, so it's built for long wear, and the fit is described as secure enough for intense activity and compatible with swim caps and goggles. Battery life runs up to 7 hours in Bluetooth, with a 10-meter range and Bluetooth 6.0 for a more stable connection around interference.
Then there's the 32GB of onboard memory. That's the feature that makes swimming realistic, because you can load thousands of songs and listen with no phone nearby — the magnetic charging cable doubles as the file-transfer route from your computer. It handles MP3, WMA, WAV and FLAC. The one rule to remember: use MP3 mode in the water, since Bluetooth won't work while submerged.
So who should buy it? Swimmers first, then runners, cyclists and anyone who trains outdoors and wants music without sealing off their ears. It also suits people who hate carrying a phone on a workout. Who should skip it? If you mainly want a screen or a camera tool, this isn't that. And if you want deep, isolating bass with total noise blockage, open-ear bone conduction is the wrong category by design.
The XBONFIRE 5 solves a completely different problem: you can't see yourself when you're shooting with your phone's rear camera. This is a 5" touchscreen that wirelessly mirrors your rear camera feed so you can frame yourself in real time — no app required, connection in seconds. It's aimed at selfies, vlogs, live streaming and anyone filming solo on a tripod.
The touch control is the interesting part. It supports reverse touch, so you can tap to focus, pinch to zoom, adjust exposure and start or stop recording from the screen itself rather than reaching around your phone. On iPhone you pair over Bluetooth and enable Zoom under Accessibility; on Android touch works after pairing. Compatibility covers iPhone 11 through 17 and most Android phones, with stated exceptions for Google Pixel, AQUOS sense 9 and Sony Xperia 1 II — worth checking before you buy.
The panel is 5" at 1080×1920 full HD, and it handles 1080P wireless recording with live preview. For stable 4K on iPhone, the maker points to the Blackmagic Camera app; most Android phones handle it more simply. Power comes from a 2600mAh battery rated for 5–6.5 hours of continuous use, and the wireless range reaches up to 100ft, which is what makes remote shooting and group photos practical.
Physically it's a CNC aluminum alloy body, 0.37" thin and 0.33 lb — slimmer and lighter than most 4" selfie screens, with the metal helping heat dissipation and durability. It mounts via a strong N25 MagSafe-compatible magnet for iPhone 12–17, and magnetic rings are included for older iPhones and Android devices. On-screen settings cover full-screen view, mirror or flip, rotation, brightness and color temperature.
Buy it if you shoot yourself often, run a tripod or gimbal, or stream to TikTok and YouTube and want to check framing without walking back to your phone. Skip it if you want headphones — the headphone jack here is for audio monitoring, not for listening on your commute.
• Best for swimming → RR SPORTS IP68. IP68 sealing to 2 meters plus MP3 mode is the only way this comparison works in water.
• Best for hands-free shooting → XBONFIRE 5. A mirrored rear-camera view on a 5" screen beats guessing at your framing.
• Best for phone-free workouts → RR SPORTS IP68. 32GB of built-in storage means no handset required at all.
• Best for solo content creation → XBONFIRE 5. Reverse touch control and 100ft range let you direct your own shoot.
• Best for outdoor safety → RR SPORTS IP68. Open-ear bone conduction keeps you aware of traffic and surroundings.
• Best for travel weight → XBONFIRE 5. At 0.33 lb and 0.37" thin, it disappears into a bag next to a phone.
• Best for long sessions → RR SPORTS IP68. Up to 7 hours of Bluetooth playback edges past the XBONFIRE 5's 5–6.5 hours.
• Best for iPhone 12–17 users → XBONFIRE 5. The N25 magnetic mount snaps straight on, no rig needed.
In my opinion, most people searching this comparison should buy the RR SPORTS IP68. It does one job completely — sealed, open-ear audio that survives water and works without a phone — and the 32GB of storage is what turns it from a nice idea into something you'd actually use at the pool. The XBONFIRE 5 is the better pick only if your real need is seeing yourself while you film; it's a creator tool, not a listening device, and buying it for audio would be a mismatch. Decide which of those two problems is actually yours, then buy accordingly.
FAQ
how to open back headphones work
Open back (open-ear) headphones leave the ear canal unobstructed and project sound toward the ear rather than sealing it in. On the RR SPORTS IP68 this is done with bone conduction, so audio reaches you through vibration while ambient sound stays audible.
It's a design where the housing is deliberately open, letting air move and sound escape instead of being trapped against the ear. The result is a more natural, spacious presentation and better awareness of your surroundings — the same principle the IP68 uses for outdoor sport.
what are the best open back headphones
There's no single answer, because "best" depends on the job. For swimming and wet outdoor training, I'd point to the RR SPORTS IP68 for its IP68 rating, 32GB of onboard storage and up to 7 hours of playback; for filming, the XBONFIRE 5 isn't audio gear at all and shouldn't be judged as such.
are open back headphones better
They're better for awareness and comfort during long wear, and worse for isolation and deep bass — that's the honest trade. If you need to hear traffic, a coach or a lane mate, open-ear is the smarter choice; if you want to block the world out, it isn't.
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