How We Research
Updated: 2026-09-27 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want officially licensed team-colored earbuds with a snug in-ear seal and physical on-bud buttons, choose SOAR NFL True; if you need an open-ear design that lets you hear traffic on a run, with a sliding-cover case and adaptive noise reduction, choose Monster Open Ear AC510.
• SOAR NFL True — biggest strength: Officially licensed NFL styling in team colors, plus a true in-ear fit with dynamic drivers and a full 20Hz–20,000Hz range for solid stereo sound. Touch controls plus earbud buttons let you take calls and pause music without touching your phone.
• SOAR NFL True — biggest trade-off: No noise control at all, and battery life is rated around 10 hours with a 10-hour charge time, so heavy users will be reaching for the case often.
• Monster Open Ear AC510 — biggest strength: Open-ear comfort with Bluetooth 6.0, IPX6 waterproofing, adaptive noise cancellation, and a total of 30 hours of playback including the charging case.
• Monster Open Ear AC510 — biggest trade-off: Open-ear designs naturally leak more ambient sound in, and there's no wired fallback since it has no headphone jack — it's wireless-only.
• Who SOAR NFL True is for: Fans who want their team colors on their ears and prefer the sealed feel of a traditional in-ear bud.
• Who Monster Open Ear AC510 is for: Runners, cyclists, and gym-goers who want to stay aware of their surroundings while training.
The SOAR NFL True is built around two ideas: team pride and a classic in-ear fit. It's officially licensed NFL merchandise, so the earbuds and the charging case both come in team colors. If you're the kind of person who wears a jersey on game day and wants your audio gear to match, that's the whole point of this product — and honestly, few sports earbuds lean this hard into fandom.
On the tech side, it's a straightforward, no-nonsense true wireless setup. Bluetooth 5.0 connects to phones and tablets, the dynamic drivers cover a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, and the built-in microphone handles handsfree calls. Controls live right on the earbud — touch controls plus physical buttons, so you can answer, end, play, and pause without digging out your phone. The charging case is included, a micro USB cable comes in the box, and there's a 1-year limited warranty.
Where it fits best is everyday listening: commuting, desk work, casual workouts, watching a game. The in-ear seal is the key here. Because the rounded tips sit inside your ear canal, you get that passive isolation that open designs can't offer — background noise gets muffled simply because your ear is plugged. The trade-off is that you're cut off from the world around you, which is exactly what you don't want on a busy road.
Battery is the honest weak point. Around 10 hours of music and talk time, and roughly 10 hours to charge. That's fine for a day of commuting and a workout, but if you're the type who forgets to charge, you'll feel it.
Who should skip it? Anyone who prioritizes situational awareness, wants modern USB-C charging, or needs serious sweat protection. The data sheet lists no noise control and no water-resistance rating, so if you're a heavy sweater or you run outdoors in the rain, look elsewhere. Also skip it if you don't care about the NFL angle — the team-color styling is the main reason to pick this over a generic pair.
The Monster Open Ear AC510 takes the opposite approach. Instead of plugging your ears, it hooks over them — open-ear placement means the driver sits outside your ear canal and fires sound inward. That single design choice changes everything about how you use it.
For sports, that's the selling point. You hear your music and the world at the same time. On a run, a bike ride, or a busy gym floor, you can still catch a car, a warning shout, or a training partner. The 360° biomimetic fit uses liquid skin-friendly silicone and ear pressure sensing that automatically adjusts when you move, which is aimed squarely at keeping the buds stable during shaking and preventing dropouts. If you've ever had a bud pop out mid-sprint, that's the problem this is solving.
The spec sheet is modern across the board. Bluetooth 6.0 for a fast, stable connection. A 13mm broadband PU titanium dynamic driver covering 20Hz–20,000Hz. AI intelligent noise reduction that blends active noise reduction, voice recognition, and adaptive filtering — your call audio gets cleaned up even though your ears stay open. Touch controls handle calls, tracks, and volume. IPX6 waterproofing means sweat and rain aren't a problem. And the total battery life runs to 30 hours including the charging case, with a 2-hour charge time.
Who should skip it? If you want maximum passive isolation — say, for loud commutes or noisy open-plan offices — open-ear is the wrong tool. And there's no headphone jack, so it's Bluetooth-only.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for outdoor running and cycling → Monster Open Ear AC510. Open-ear design keeps you aware of traffic and surroundings; IPX6 handles sweat and rain.
• Best for passive noise isolation → SOAR NFL True. The sealed in-ear fit blocks out ambient sound naturally, with no noise-control tech needed.
• Best for battery life → Monster Open Ear AC510. Up to 30 hours total with the case versus roughly 10 hours on the SOAR.
• Best for team pride and fandom → SOAR NFL True. Officially licensed NFL earbuds in team colors — a genuine differentiator.
• Best for charging convenience → Monster Open Ear AC510. A 2-hour charge time and Type-C charging beat the SOAR's 10-hour charge cycle and micro USB.
• Best for gym stability and fit security → Monster Open Ear AC510. Ear pressure sensing and liquid silicone materials are designed to prevent dropout during movement.
• Best for hands-free calls → Both, with a caveat. SOAR has a built-in mic and on-bud buttons; Monster adds AI noise reduction that cleans up voice pickup.
• Best for anyone who dislikes things in their ear canal → Monster Open Ear AC510. That's the whole premise of the open-ear form factor.
For sports use specifically, I'd buy the Monster Open Ear AC510. Open-ear awareness, IPX6 waterproofing, 30 hours of total playback, Bluetooth 6.0, and a 2-hour charge add up to a package that's clearly designed around movement — and the AI noise reduction covers the call-quality gap you'd otherwise expect from an open design.
I'd only steer you to the SOAR NFL True if team colors and a sealed in-ear fit matter more to you than battery life and sweat resistance. In my opinion, the Monster is the more capable sports earbud; the SOAR is the more personal one.
FAQ
how to wear sports earbuds
how to connect bose sports earbuds
Bose earbuds pair by putting them in pairing mode and selecting them from your phone's Bluetooth list — but neither product on this page is a Bose model, so that process doesn't apply here. For the SOAR NFL True, enable Bluetooth 5.0 pairing and connect from your device. For the Monster AC510, do the same over Bluetooth 6.0.
how to reset bose sports earbuds
Reset steps are brand-specific and neither SOAR nor Monster is Bose, so Bose reset instructions won't transfer. If your SOAR or Monster buds act up, the standard fix is to clear the paired device from your phone's Bluetooth list, power the earbuds off and back on, then re-pair. The SOAR carries a 1-year limited warranty if a reset doesn't resolve it.
how to pair bose sports earbuds
Again, this applies to Bose hardware, not to the SOAR NFL True or Monster AC510. To pair either of these, power them on, open your phone's Bluetooth settings, and select the earbud from the available devices list. The SOAR uses Bluetooth 5.0 with roughly a 9-meter range; the Monster uses Bluetooth 6.0.
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