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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-02 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP — biggest strength: a conventional wired over-ear build with an integrated microphone, folding swivel earcups and a wide 10 Hz–24 kHz frequency response, so it works with almost any 3.5 mm device.
• Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP — biggest trade-off: it is wired only, so there is no Bluetooth, no battery and a 3.94 ft Y-type cord tethering you to the source.
• Xmenha Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: bone conduction through the cheekbone with an open-ear hook design, IPX5 water resistance and a claimed 15 hours of talk time / 10 hours of listening on a 2-hour charge.
• Xmenha Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: sound travels through bone rather than a driver over your ear, and the Bluetooth 4 connection plus open design means you give up the sealed, immersive feel of a traditional headphone.
• Who Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP is for: anyone who wants a simple, dependable wired headphone for calls and music at a computer or on transit.
• Who Xmenha Open Ear Headphones is for: runners, cyclists and outdoor workers who want ambient awareness and no cable, and who don't mind bone-conduction sound.
This is a classic wired over-ear headphone in white, built around 1.18 in (30 mm) neodymium dynamic drivers and a 24-ohm impedance. In plain terms, that combination is easy to drive — a phone, laptop, tablet or desktop jack can push it without any amp. The stated frequency range runs from 10 Hz to 24,000 Hz, which is a broad spread on paper and suggests the design is aiming at a full, balanced presentation rather than a narrow, thin one.
The practical story here is convenience without charging. There's no battery to top up, no pairing, no app. You plug the gold-plated L-shaped 3.5 mm plug into whatever you have, and it works. The Y-type cord is designed to cut down on tangling, and the swivel, folding earcups collapse for tossing into a bag. Sony also fits pressure-relieving earpads on an adjustable headband, which matters if you wear headphones for long stretches at a desk. An integrated microphone and a multi-function control button mean you can take calls and control playback without touching your phone.
Who should buy it: students, office workers, remote workers on video calls, and anyone who wants one headphone that just plugs in and works across a laptop, a phone and a console controller. The over-ear, around-ear fit also suits people who dislike anything sitting inside their ear canal.
Who should skip it: if you want to move around freely, this isn't it — a 3.94 ft cord anchors you to your device. And if you need to hear traffic or your surroundings while exercising, a sealed over-ear design is the wrong tool. The noise control here is sound isolation, not active cancellation, so it muffles rather than erases background noise.
The Xmenha is a different category of product entirely. It's a single wireless earpiece that uses bone conduction: audio is transmitted through your cheekbone to the inner ear instead of being fired into your ear canal. The earpiece rests on the bone and leaves your ears completely open, which is the whole point — you hear your music and the world at the same time.
That open-ear logic is what makes it interesting for outdoor use. The listing frames it around jogging, cycling and hiking, and it's easy to see why: with nothing blocking your ears, you keep ambient awareness of cars, bikes and other people. It pairs a soft rubber ear hook that can be adjusted for different ear shapes, so it stays put during movement. It's rated IPX5 waterproof, which covers sweat and rain but not swimming or submersion. Charging takes about 2 hours, and the claimed endurance is up to 10 hours of listening or 15 hours of talking, with up to 240 hours of standby. Bluetooth range is quoted at 15 meters, and the connection is Bluetooth 4.
Call handling is a stated focus: there's a built-in microphone, a real-voice reminder function that reports headset status to you, and multi-function buttons for play/pause, answer/reject, and summoning Siri or another voice assistant. The frequency range is listed as 20 Hz–20,000 Hz, which is the standard audible band.
Who should buy it: runners, cyclists, hikers, gym-goers, delivery riders and anyone who works outdoors or in a warehouse and needs to stay aware while listening. The description also points to people with hearing loss or tinnitus who find in-ear plugs uncomfortable. If you can't stand anything inside your ear, this design sidesteps that entirely.
Who should skip it: if you want rich, isolating sound for focused listening, a bone-conduction open design won't deliver the same sealed, bass-heavy experience as an over-ear headphone. And with one earpiece, this is a mono, single-ear product — it's a headset for awareness and calls, not a stereo music-first pair.
• Best for ambient awareness while exercising → Xmenha Open Ear Headphones. The open bone-conduction design leaves both ears free, which is the entire reason it exists.
• Best for plug-and-play reliability → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. No battery, no pairing, no charging — it works the moment you plug it in.
• Best for stereo music listening → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. Dual 30 mm dynamic drivers over the ears versus a single bone-conduction earpiece.
• Best for sweaty or rainy workouts → Xmenha Open Ear Headphones. IPX5 waterproofing is made for sweat and rain; the Sony's plastic over-ear build isn't rated for either.
• Best for video calls at a desk → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. An integrated mic plus a comfortable around-ear fit that stays put for long sessions.
• Best for wire-free movement → Xmenha Open Ear Headphones. Bluetooth with a quoted 15-meter range versus the Sony's 3.94 ft cord.
• Best for travel and packing → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. The folding swivel earcups collapse flat for a bag; the Xmenha is a fixed hook shape.
• Best if you hate things inside your ear → both, in different ways. The Sony sits over the ear; the Xmenha rests on the cheekbone. Either way, nothing goes into the canal.
If I had to pick one, I'd take the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP for general-purpose listening. In my opinion, the wired, over-ear, dual-driver format is the more versatile everyday tool — it works with nearly any device, needs no charging, and gives you proper stereo sound for music, calls and video. The Xmenha is the better answer only if your priority is outdoor safety and cable-free movement; its open bone-conduction design is genuinely clever for running and riding, but it's a specialty product, not a do-everything headphone. Buy the Sony for the desk and the commute, and the Xmenha for the trail. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both sit in very different brackets.
how do non ear headphones work
Non-ear designs — like the Xmenha's bone conduction — send sound vibrations through your cheekbone to the inner ear instead of pushing air into the ear canal. That's why your ears stay open and you can still hear your surroundings. Traditional over-ear models like the Sony instead fire sound from drivers positioned over the ear.
how to wear in ear headphones
The Xmenha isn't an in-ear plug, so there's nothing to insert — you hook the soft rubber loop over your ear and rest the transducer against your cheekbone, adjusting the hook to fit. The Sony sits the other way: the headband goes over your head and the earcups rest around your ears.
what are non in ear headphones called
They're usually called open-ear or bone-conduction headphones. The Xmenha fits that description precisely — it transmits audio through the cheekbone and leaves the ear canal unobstructed. Over-ear headphones like the Sony are a separate category: they cover the ear rather than sitting inside or beside it.
what are the best open ear headphones
I can't crown a universal winner, but in my opinion the right open-ear pick depends on your use case. If you want bone conduction with IPX5 water resistance and a quoted 10 hours of listening for workouts, the Xmenha Open Ear Headphones is a sensible fit. If you'd rather have full stereo sound and don't mind a cable, the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP is the more versatile choice.
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