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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a wired, over-ear headphone with a built-in mic, a folding frame and a wide 10 Hz–24 kHz frequency range, choose Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP; if you need a wireless, open-ear design that keeps your ears unblocked and runs up to 20 hours per charge, choose WAINING Open-Ear Headphones.
• Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP — biggest strength: a wired 3.5 mm connection with an integrated microphone, a folding swivel design and a wide 10 Hz–24 kHz frequency range. Biggest trade-off: it's a closed around-ear fit, so it sits over your ears and blocks more of the outside world — and there's no battery, because there's no Bluetooth.
• WAINING Open-Ear Headphones — biggest strength: an open-ear fit that lets ambient sound pass through, plus up to 20 hours of playback on a 2-hour charge. Biggest trade-off: it's wireless-only with no jack, and there's no active noise control, so it won't isolate you from a noisy room.
• Pick the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP if you want a plug-and-play wired headset for calls and music and you don't mind a traditional over-ear fit.
• Pick the WAINING Open-Ear Headphones if you want to stay aware of traffic, announcements and people around you while you listen, and you'd rather not deal with a cable.
The MDRZX310AP is the traditional answer to "headphones." It's a wired, over-ear model with 1.18 in neodymium dynamic drivers, a 24 ohm impedance rating and a frequency range that runs from 10 Hz all the way up to 24,000 Hz. In plain terms, that spec sheet points to a headphone built to reproduce a broad, balanced spread of sound — low bass through to the airy top end — rather than a narrow, mid-focused tuning.
What makes it genuinely practical is the combination of a 3.5 mm jack, an integrated microphone and a multi-function control button. That means one pair of headphones handles music and phone calls, and the plug is a 4-conductor, gold-plated L-shaped connector on a Y-type cord about 3.94 ft long. The Y-cord design is a small but real quality-of-life detail: it helps reduce tangling compared with a single-sided cable, and the L-shaped plug is friendlier to pocketed phones and angled jacks.
The build is aimed squarely at portability. The earcups swivel and fold, so the whole thing stows compactly, and the lightweight adjustable headband with pressure-relieving earpads is designed so longer listening sessions don't turn into an endurance test. It's an around-ear, plastic-bodied design in white, weighing 7.2 oz, and it's rated for adults. It also carries a 1-year warranty.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants a dependable wired headset for commuting, desk work, calls and everyday listening — especially if you're plugging into a laptop, an older phone, a tablet or anything else with a headphone jack. The wired connection means no charging, no pairing, no latency, ever.
Who should skip it: if you want to hear traffic or a coworker calling your name while music plays, this isn't that product. The around-ear, sound-isolating fit is designed to block some of the outside world, not let it in. And if you've moved to a phone with no headphone jack, you'd need an adapter — the data sheet only lists a 3.5 mm wired connection.
The WAINING pair takes the opposite approach. Its headline feature is the open-ear design: the earcups rest around your ear rather than sealing over it, so ambient sound passes through while you're listening to music, a podcast or a call. That single design choice changes everything about when and where you'd wear them. On a daily walk, a commute or a study session, you stay aware of nearby traffic, announcements and the people around you — that's the whole point.
The other half of the pitch is comfort. Soft, breathable ear cushions and an adjustable, lightweight headband are paired with an open structure that avoids the stuffiness you get from a traditional sealed headset. If you've ever taken off a closed pair after two hours and felt that hot, clamped feeling, the open design is the fix. The brand positions it for school, work and long trips, and that tracks with the specs.
On the audio and calling side, it uses dynamic drivers tuned for crisp, balanced sound with clear vocals and treble, plus a built-in microphone for hands-free calls. It's Bluetooth, so there's no jack at all, and the controls are physical buttons rather than touch. Battery is where it earns its keep: a 2-hour charge delivers up to 20 hours of continuous playback, which comfortably covers a full day from morning to night without hunting for a charger.
It's a black, circle-shaped open-ear model with a matte finish and silver accents, foldable for stashing in a backpack or purse, and it's aimed at adults — the brand pitches it toward teens and casual users as a gift for back-to-school or holidays. It comes with a 180-day warranty.
Who should buy it: commuters, students, walkers, cyclists, office workers and anyone who needs to stay plugged into their surroundings while listening. Also a strong pick if you hate cables or have a phone with no headphone jack.
Who should skip it: if you want to shut the world out, this is the wrong tool. The data sheet lists no noise control, and by design an open ear leaks sound in — a loud train or a busy open-plan office will compete with your audio. There's also no wired fallback, so if the battery is empty, you're not listening.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → WAINING Open-Ear Headphones. The open-ear fit passes ambient sound through by design.
• Best for blocking out the room → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. Its around-ear, sound-isolating fit seals more of the outside world away.
• Best for battery life → WAINING Open-Ear Headphones. Up to 20 hours of playback on a 2-hour charge, versus no battery at all on the wired Sony.
• Best for never charging, ever → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. A 3.5 mm wired connection means power comes from your device.
• Best for wide, full-range sound on paper → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. Its 10 Hz–24 kHz frequency range and 24 ohm impedance cover a broad spread.
• Best for cable-free calls and portability → WAINING Open-Ear Headphones. Bluetooth, button controls and a foldable frame.
• Best for plugging into a laptop or older device → Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. No pairing, no latency, works with anything that has a headphone jack.
• Best for all-day comfort without ear fatigue → WAINING Open-Ear Headphones. Breathable cushions and an open structure avoid the stuffiness of sealed cups.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to one question: do you want your ears open or closed? If you want to hear the world while you listen — walking, commuting, studying, taking calls on the move — I'd buy the WAINING Open-Ear Headphones. The open-ear design, 20-hour battery and Bluetooth freedom fit that life better than anything wired can.
But if you want a dependable wired headset that just works with a laptop or any 3.5 mm device, never needs charging and covers a wide frequency range, I'd buy the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP. It's the simpler, more traditional tool — and sometimes that's exactly what you need. Check the current price on Amazon for either before you commit.
FAQ
how do non ear headphones work
how to wear in ear headphones
That's the opposite style from both of these. In-ear models push a tip into your ear canal for a sealed, isolating fit. Neither product here is in-ear: the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP is an around-ear, over-head design, and the WAINING is an open-ear design that sits around the ear without blocking it.
what are non in ear headphones called
They're usually called open-ear or over-ear headphones, depending on the fit. Open-ear leaves the ear canal unblocked so ambient sound passes through (like the WAINING pair), while over-ear rests around the outside of the ear (like the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP). Both avoid inserting anything into your ear canal.
what are the best open ear headphones
There's no single answer, because "best" depends on your priorities. If you want an open-ear fit with up to 20 hours of playback, a 2-hour charge and Bluetooth, the WAINING Open-Ear Headphones are a strong fit. If you'd rather have a wired over-ear set with a wide 10 Hz–24 kHz range and an integrated mic, the Sony-Dropship MDRZX310AP is the better match.
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