How We Research
Updated: 2026-09-26 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want the most immersive, feature-packed sound for tough workouts, choose SoundPEATS Q40; if you need to keep your ears open to traffic and your surroundings, choose Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones.
• SoundPEATS Q40 — biggest strength: a genuine audio toolkit, with LDAC Hi-Res playback, an 11mm dual-magnet driver, 360° spatial sound and a Dynamic EQ that reshapes the sound for whatever you're doing.
• SoundPEATS Q40 — biggest trade-off: it's an in-ear neckband, so it seals your ear canal and blocks the outside world — the opposite of what open-ear fans want.
• Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest strength: an open-ear bone conduction frame at just 28g, so you hear your music and the world around you at the same time.
• Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones — biggest trade-off: modest 13-hour playback (8 hours average), IPX5 rather than full waterproofing, and no noise control at all.
• Pick the SoundPEATS Q40 if you train indoors, want rich bass and don't mind sealing off your surroundings. Pick the Rhyfell if you run, ride or hike near traffic and want your ears free.
The Q40 HD is, first and foremost, a sound-first sports headphone. The spec sheet leads with Hi-Res Audio certification and LDAC, a codec that carries roughly three times the data of standard Bluetooth — the practical upshot being more detail in the quiet parts and tighter separation between instruments. Add an 11mm dual-magnet driver with a PU+LCP composite diaphragm, and you get a tuning that leans hard into bass punch while keeping highs crisp. For a gym playlist or an interval session, that's exactly the character you want.
Then there's the smart layer. The Dynamic EQ in the SOUNDPEATS app adjusts the profile on the fly — more bass for running, clearer vocals for podcasts, brighter treble for classical. There's also 360° spatial audio for concert videos and live recordings. Whether you'll actually use all of it is another question, but it's a lot of tuning flexibility for a neckband.
Durability is where it stands out for sport. IP67 means it's protected against sweat, heavy dust and even brief full immersion — a much tougher rating than most workout earbuds carry. Battery is rated at 20 hours total, and a 10-minute quick charge buys up to 5 hours, which is the kind of thing that saves you when you grab them on the way out the door. The flexible neckband, adjustable cable clip and multiple ear-tip and wing sizes are all aimed at one goal: staying put during running or HIIT. Bluetooth 6.0 and a 20-metre range round it out, and it plays nicely with Android, iOS, iPad, iPod, Windows and Mac devices.
Who should buy it: runners, gym-goers, cyclists and commuters who prioritise sound quality, bass and weatherproofing, and who are happy with an in-ear fit. Who should skip it: anyone who needs to hear cars, other people or ambient noise while training — the in-ear seal and sound-isolation design work against that, and there's no transparency mode on the sheet.
The Rhyfell X27 is built around a completely different idea: don't put anything in your ears at all. The open-ear bone conduction frame sits outside the ear canal and transmits sound through bone, so your ears stay completely open to your surroundings. For a road runner, a cyclist sharing lanes with cars, or anyone on a busy trail, that awareness isn't a nice extra — it's the whole point.
At 28g it's genuinely light, and the frame is made from skin-friendly materials with an ABS enclosure, so it's designed for long stretches without pressure building up. The secure-fit design is intended to hold steady through running, cycling, gym work and hiking rather than bouncing around. Controls are simple push buttons, which is easier to operate mid-run than a touch panel, and Bluetooth 6.0 keeps the wireless connection current.
The trade-offs are real and worth being honest about. Battery life is rated at up to 13 hours at 80% volume, with an average of 8 hours, and a full recharge takes about 2 hours over USB-C. Water resistance is IPX5 — fine for sweat and light moisture, but it is not immersion-proof the way the Q40's IP67 is. There's also no noise control of any kind, which is consistent with the open-ear philosophy: you're not meant to block anything out. And because it's bone conduction, you should expect less bass weight than a sealed in-ear design.
Who should buy it: outdoor runners, cyclists, hikers and commuters who want situational awareness, plus anyone who finds in-ear tips uncomfortable over long sessions. Who should skip it: swimmers, heavy sweaters who train in downpours, and listeners who want deep, rumbling bass.
• Best for sound quality and detail → SoundPEATS Q40. LDAC, Hi-Res Audio and an 11mm dual-magnet driver are a different league from a bone conduction driver.
• Best for bass → SoundPEATS Q40. The PU+LCP composite diaphragm is explicitly tuned for powerful low end.
• Best for staying aware of traffic and surroundings → Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones. Open-ear is the entire design premise.
• Best for long battery life → SoundPEATS Q40. 20 hours rated total, plus a 10-minute charge for up to 5 hours.
• Best for sweat and rain resistance → SoundPEATS Q40. IP67 covers dust, sweat and even immersion; the Rhyfell's IPX5 handles sweat and light moisture only.
• Best for all-day comfort and low weight → Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones. 28g and an open frame mean nothing pressing into your ear canal.
• Best for indoor training and noisy gyms → SoundPEATS Q40. Sound isolation keeps the treadmill drone out; the Rhyfell lets all of it in.
• Best for cyclists and road runners → Rhyfell Bone Conduction Headphones. The open-ear design is the safer choice when you're sharing space with vehicles.
• Best for customising your sound → SoundPEATS Q40. The app's Dynamic EQ and 360° spatial audio give you far more control.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the SoundPEATS Q40 for indoor training, gym work and commuting, because the combination of LDAC audio, an 11mm driver, IP67 protection and a 10-minute quick charge covers more of my everyday listening than anything else here. That said, I'd genuinely recommend the Rhyfell to anyone whose workouts happen on roads or trails — the open-ear design is the reason to buy it, and no amount of audio fidelity replaces hearing a car behind you. In my opinion, the choice comes down to one question: do you want your ears sealed or open? Answer that and the decision makes itself. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both sit in the budget-to-mid range and the value gap shifts over time.
FAQ
how to use sports headphones
how to wear running headphones
On the Q40, loop the neckband behind your neck, run the adjustable cable clip to take up slack, and seat the ear tips so they seal without pressure. On the Rhyfell, hook the frame over your ears and check that it doesn't shift when you turn your head — at 28g it should sit lightly and stay put through a run.
how to pair jlab sport headphones
I can't give you model-specific steps for JLab here, but the general process matches both headphones on this page: power them on, put them in pairing mode, open your phone's Bluetooth settings, select the device and confirm. The Q40 also supports dual pairing, so you can keep a phone and a laptop connected at once.
how to charge impact sport headphones
Both of these charge over USB-C. The Q40 is rated to give up to 5 hours of playback from just a 10-minute top-up, while the Rhyfell takes about 2 hours for a full charge and delivers up to 13 hours at 80% volume. Use the supplied cable and a standard USB power source, and keep the charging port dry before plugging in after a sweaty session.
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