We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-19 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want to add Bluetooth to a TV, stereo or other non-Bluetooth audio source and share the sound with two listeners at once, choose SOOMFON 5.3; if you need wireless open-ear earbuds you actually wear on your ears for running, workouts and all-day listening, choose Yistao Open Ear Headphones.
These two products share the "Bluetooth 5.3" label and almost nothing else. One is a small box that sits on your shelf and beams audio out. The other is a pair of hooks that sit on your ears and receive it. Buying the wrong one is an easy mistake to make, so let's separate them properly.
• SOOMFON 5.3 — biggest strength: It turns non-Bluetooth gear (TV, PC, MP3 player, home stereo) into a wireless source and can feed two Bluetooth headphones or speakers at the same time, with Optical, AUX and RCA inputs and a 10–30 m working range.
• SOOMFON 5.3 — biggest trade-off: It's a transmitter/receiver/3-in-1 adapter, not a headphone. No microphone, needs DC/USB-C power, and its volume knob isn't independent for two connected devices.
• Yistao Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: Genuine wearable audio — 0.26 oz per earbud, 15 mm oval drivers, IPX6 water resistance and up to 35 hours of playtime with the case.
• Yistao Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: No noise cancellation and no wired option — it's pure wireless, open-ear listening with a 10 m Bluetooth range.
• Who each pick is for: SOOMFON 5.3 → anyone with a TV or stereo that has no Bluetooth and a partner or family member who wants to listen along. Yistao → runners, gym-goers and commuters who want their ears kept open to traffic and conversation.
The SOOMFON 5.3 is a problem-solver, not a listening device. Its job is to take audio from a source that has no Bluetooth — a TV, a PC, an MP3 player, a home stereo — and broadcast it wirelessly to headphones or speakers. Around the house, that's the classic scenario it's built for: one person watching a late-night movie, another person doing dishes in the next room, both hearing the same thing with nothing blaring out of the TV speakers.
The dual-connection feature is the headline here. Two Bluetooth headsets or speakers can pair at once, and after the first pairing the SOOMFON reconnects automatically the next time you switch on. That makes it genuinely practical for couples or for one person using two speakers in different rooms. The range claim is generous — up to 10–30 m in open space, tightening to 10–20 m with obstacles — which is more than enough to walk to the kitchen and back without the audio dropping out.
On the practical side: a 1.8-inch LCD shows you what's happening, there are physical volume buttons (handy for earbuds like AirPods that don't have their own controls), and the box measures about 3.31" x 0.43" x 1.3" in a blue ABS shell weighing 72 g. It's a DC-powered device, so it lives plugged in. The package includes a 3.5 mm AUX-to-RCA cable, a 3.5 mm audio cable, an optical cable and a USB-C power cable — enough to get connected out of the box, with a 24-month warranty behind it.
Buy it if you have a non-Bluetooth TV, stereo or PC and want wireless audio to one or two listeners. Skip it if you're shopping for earbuds — this isn't one — or if you need a microphone, want to use it with musical instruments or karaoke, or plan to pair it with Alexa/Echo devices or hearing aids. It also won't work with devices that demand a PIN code to pair. And note the fine print: volume is shared, not independent, between two connected devices.
The Yistao Open Ear Headphones are the opposite kind of product: something you wear. The design is an ear hook with a titanium alloy frame and soft silicone cushions, memory-flexing to your ear shape. At 0.26 oz per earbud, they're built to disappear on your head over a long day — which matters a lot with open-ear designs, because a hook that presses wrong gets uncomfortable fast.
Sound comes from 15 mm oval acoustic units covering 20 Hz–20,000 Hz, with 16 ohm impedance and 110 dB sensitivity — easy specs for a phone to drive. Yistao's AreoDirect technology is aimed at reducing sound leakage, and AreoBoost is tuned toward vocals. That combination points to a tuning that favors podcasts, calls and pop over bass-heavy tracks; open-ear designs physically can't seal in low-end the way in-ear buds do, and this one doesn't pretend otherwise.
For sport, the spec sheet is honest about intent: IPX6 water resistance with a hydrophobic coating on the mic and speaker grilles plus a double-layer nanocoating. That covers sweat and light rain. It is not a swim rating, and there's no noise cancellation at all — which is arguably the point of open-ear: you keep your awareness of traffic, gym noise and people talking to you.
Battery life is the standout. Up to 10 hours on a single charge, up to 35 hours with the charging case, and the case itself holds roughly 80 hours of reserve. A full charge takes about 2 hours for the buds and about 2.48 hours for the case. The case is compact — 3.54" x 2.68" x 0.91", 59 g — and the whole kit is beige with touch controls and Bluetooth 5.3, rated for a 10 m range, backed by a 1-year warranty.
Buy it if you run, lift, cycle or work long shifts and want your ears open. Skip it if you want active noise cancellation, deep bass isolation, or a wired fallback — there's no jack here.
• Best for adding Bluetooth to a TV or stereo → SOOMFON 5.3. That's literally its function; the Yistao can't do it.
• Best for two people listening to one source → SOOMFON 5.3. Dual connection to two headsets or speakers, with automatic reconnection.
• Best for battery life → Yistao Open Ear Headphones. 10 hours per charge and up to 35 hours with the case.
• Best for workouts and sweat → Yistao Open Ear Headphones. IPX6 plus hydrophobic coatings; the SOOMFON isn't wearable at all.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → Yistao Open Ear Headphones. Open-ear, no noise cancellation, nothing blocking the ear canal.
• Best for long-distance, room-to-room audio → SOOMFON 5.3. Up to 10–30 m depending on obstacles versus the Yistao's 10 m.
• Best for versatility across old gear → SOOMFON 5.3. Optical, 3.5 mm AUX and RCA inputs cover TVs, PCs, MP3 players and stereos.
• Best for all-day comfort on the move → Yistao Open Ear Headphones. 0.26 oz per earbud on a memory-flex titanium hook.
In my opinion, these aren't competitors — they're two halves of the same setup, and the right answer depends entirely on which half you're missing. If your problem is "my TV has no Bluetooth," I'd buy the SOOMFON 5.3 without hesitating: dual headphone output, three input types, a real LCD and volume buttons make it the more capable fix for that specific job. If your problem is "I need earbuds that don't fall out and don't block my ears," I'd buy the Yistao Open Ear Headphones — 35 hours of playtime, IPX6 and a 0.26 oz hook are a sensible package for sport. If you're honestly torn, buy the SOOMFON first; it solves a problem nothing else in your house can.
No. It's a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver adapter. You connect your TV, PC or stereo to it, and it sends audio to Bluetooth headphones or speakers you already own. It has no speakers and no microphone of its own.
Yes, in theory that's a natural pairing — the SOOMFON transmits and the Yistao receives. Just confirm the Yistao pairs as a standard Bluetooth audio device and that your TV's optical output is set to PCM, which SOOMFON specifically requires for optical connections.
Ask what's missing from your setup. No wireless audio on your TV or stereo → SOOMFON. No comfortable, sweat-proof earbuds for movement → Yistao. Since neither is a substitute for the other, check the current price on Amazon for whichever problem you actually have and decide from there.
Different metrics, honestly. Yistao is rated up to 10 hours per charge and 35 hours with the case, while SOOMFON is powered continuously from a DC/USB-C supply and rated for 10–30 m of transmission distance. One is about time away from a charger; the other is about how far the signal reaches.
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.