We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a do-everything over-ear headset for TV, travel, home and office — with a wired fallback, a memory-card slot and a big 40mm driver — choose Sorandy Headphones Over Ear; if you need a lightweight, vintage-looking non in ear headphone for sports and outdoor listening that still lets you hear traffic and conversation, choose LICAEVEY Retro 6.0.
• Sorandy Headphones Over Ear — biggest strength: dual-mode playback. Bluetooth 5.3 wireless plus a 3.5mm line-in, and it even reads music straight off a memory card up to 32GB. That's three ways to listen when one fails.
• Sorandy Headphones Over Ear — biggest trade-off: it's built around long sessions. It's a full-size over-ear cup design in lightweight ABS, so it's less about looking slim on a run and more about camping in one spot and staying there.
• LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 — biggest strength: ambient awareness with a genuinely comfortable metal headband. You hear your surroundings while music plays — the whole point of open, non in ear listening outdoors.
• LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 — biggest trade-off: shorter rated play time (20 hours) and a narrower 80Hz–20KHz frequency response, so it's tuned for casual listening rather than deep bass extension.
• Who each is for: Sorandy for the person parked in front of a TV, on a plane or at a desk who wants one headset to cover every source. LICAEVEY for the walker, cyclist or gym-goer who wants audio without blocking out the world.
The Sorandy's headline spec is its 40mm speaker paired with a 20Hz–20KHz frequency range. That's the full audible band on paper, and a 40mm driver is the size class you associate with actual bass presence rather than a thin, tinny output. If you're watching a film on a tablet or listening to bass-heavy music at home, that combination is exactly what you want on the spec sheet.
What makes it genuinely versatile is the connectivity. Bluetooth 5.3 gives you a stable link within a 10-meter range and lower latency than older versions, with A2DP, AVRCP and HSP support — which covers music streaming, remote control of playback and headset/voice use. If the battery runs down, you fall back to the 3.5mm line control interface. And if you'd rather not use a phone at all, you can load music onto a memory card up to 32GB and play directly from the headset. Three totally separate ways to get audio in. The 200mAh lithium-ion battery is there to keep it running without constant recharging.
LICAEVEY Retro 6.0: Who It's For
The LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 is built around one idea: you should still be able to hear the world while your music plays. That's the ambient awareness feature, and it's what makes it a proper non in ear headphone rather than a sealed can. For outdoor sports, cycling, walking or running near traffic, that's not a nice-to-have — it's the reason to buy it.
The fit story is unusually detailed for this class. A curved metal headband spreads weight without clamping pressure, the ear cushions are soft enough to wear without fatigue, and the ear cups adjust through 6 degrees so they align to your ear angles automatically. The headband also extends to fit different head shapes while keeping the weight balanced. Total weight is around 182g, which is light for something with a metal band, and it ships with a spare pair of sponge ear cushions.
The mechanical rotating volume knob is the personality piece — it clicks as you turn it, mixing a nostalgic tactile feel with modern wireless operation. Specs-wise you get a 200mAh lithium-ion battery rated for 20 hours of play time, an 80Hz–20KHz frequency response, a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 80dB, distortion at or below 5.0%, 10mW speaker output and a 10-meter range on the 2.402–2.480GHz band. It can also hold two device connections at once, which is handy if you're switching between a phone and a laptop.
Who should buy it: outdoor exercisers, commuters who walk or cycle, and anyone who finds sealed headphones isolating or uncomfortable for long wear. Who should skip it: bass chasers and home-theater listeners. The 80Hz low end won't dig as deep as the Sorandy's 20Hz, and the open, awareness-first tuning isn't designed for blocking out a noisy room.
• Best for battery life → LICAEVEY Retro 6.0. It's the only one of the two with a stated play time: 20 hours.
• Best for audio source flexibility → Sorandy Headphones Over Ear. Bluetooth, 3.5mm wired and memory card up to 32GB — three inputs versus one.
• Best for bass and full-range sound → Sorandy Headphones Over Ear. A 40mm driver and a 20Hz low end beat an 80Hz floor on paper.
• Best for outdoor safety → LICAEVEY Retro 6.0. Its ambient awareness is the entire design premise.
• Best for long-wear comfort → LICAEVEY Retro 6.0. Lightweight metal headband, 6-degree cup adjustment and a 182g build are all comfort-first choices.
• Best for watching TV, films and travel → Sorandy Headphones Over Ear. Lower-latency Bluetooth 5.3, A2DP/AVRCP support and a wired fallback suit screens and planes.
• Best for gifting to a parent → Sorandy Headphones Over Ear. Multiple input options and a simple, no-fuss fit make it the easier hand-off.
• Best for multi-device switching → LICAEVEY Retro 6.0. It connects to two devices at once.
In my opinion, most people should buy the Sorandy Headphones Over Ear. The 40mm driver and 20Hz–20KHz range give it the fuller sound, and having Bluetooth, a 3.5mm cable and a 32GB memory-card slot means it keeps working no matter what you're plugging into or how low the battery gets.
I'd only steer you to the LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 if you're specifically an outdoor athlete. The ambient awareness, 182g metal-band build and 6-degree cup adjustment are genuinely better for running and cycling, and the mechanical volume knob is a nice touch. But if you want one headset for the couch, the plane and the desk, the Sorandy covers more ground.
how do non ear headphones work
Non in ear headphones sit outside the ear canal rather than inside it, so sound reaches your ear while outside noise still gets in. The LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 is built exactly this way — it uses ambient awareness so you hear your surroundings while music plays. That's the opposite of a sealed, isolating design.
how to wear in ear headphones
This is worth clarifying, because "in ear" gets used loosely in product listings. Truly in-ear models sit inside the canal with a tip or cushion, while over-ear models rest against the outside of the ear on a headband. Both the Sorandy and the LICAEVEY are headband-style headphones you place over your ears, not canal-inserted buds — and the LICAEVEY adds 6-degree ear cup adjustment plus an extendable headband so it lines up with your ears.
what are non in ear headphones called
They're usually called over-ear or on-ear headphones, or open-ear when the design deliberately lets ambient sound in. The Sorandy Headphones Over Ear is the over-ear type with full-size cushions; the LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 is an open, awareness-first headband design. Both avoid going inside the ear canal.
what are the best open ear headphones
That depends on what you need them for. In my opinion, if you want open, awareness-first listening for sports and outdoor activity, the LICAEVEY Retro 6.0 is the stronger pick of these two — it's built around hearing your surroundings, weighs about 182g and runs a 20-hour play time. If you'd rather have full-range sound with a 40mm driver and multiple ways to connect, the Sorandy is the better fit. Only the two models here are compared, so judge against your own priorities.
One last thing: I haven't quoted any figures for cost here because those change constantly. If cost is part of your decision, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page before you commit.
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.
See also: Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2 vs CXK Open Ear Headphones, MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones vs co2CREA Beats Studio Pro/Studio3/Solo4/So, headphones usb c, 1Mii B06+ vs Stiive 5.3