We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-04 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a proper wired open back monitor for laptop listening, mixing and long studio sessions, choose Superlux HD681; if you need a pocketable wired IEM with a detachable cable and a maze-tuned open-back rear cavity for music on the move, choose NICEHCK Tears 10mm. Both are wired, both lean audiophile, and they solve completely different problems.
• Superlux HD681 — biggest strength: 50mm neodymium drivers with a 10–30,000 Hz range in a lightweight semi-open back monitor design, bundled with a spare set of ear pads.
• Superlux HD681 — biggest trade-off: It is a full-size, corded headphone with a 2.5 m single-sided cable. That is a desk cable, not a walking-around cable.
• NICEHCK Tears 10mm — biggest strength: A 10mm dual-magnet, dual-cavity dynamic driver with a 20Ω / 127dB sensitivity rating, an acoustic maze open-back rear cavity, and a detachable 0.78mm 2-pin cable.
• NICEHCK Tears 10mm — biggest trade-off: No microphone, in-ear fit, and the DSP and Android EQ app only exist on the Type-C version. The 3.5mm model is a plain analog plug.
• Buy the Superlux HD681 if your setup lives on a desk: laptop, interface, long sessions, glasses, pad swaps.
• Buy the NICEHCK Tears 10mm if you want the open-back monitor idea shrunk down to something you can carry, with a cable you can replace.
The HD681 is the honest answer to the question "what do I plug into my laptop for real monitoring?" It is a semi-open back over-ear design built around Ø50mm neodymium drivers covering 10–30,000 Hz. That is a genuinely wide window for a wired monitor, and the semi-open back is the reason it exists: open-back designs let air move behind the driver, which in my reading of the spec sheet is exactly why Superlux bothered with this chassis instead of sealing it up. The practical payoff is a less closed-in, less boxy presentation than a fully sealed headphone, which matters when you are tracking, editing or just listening for hours.
The bundle is the interesting part. You get the HD681 AIR headphones plus a spare set of replacement pads compatible with both HD681 and HD688, and you get two pad flavors: air-cushion pads that add a bit of vibration and cut bass leakage, and classic leatherette pads with a more traditional tonal profile. So you are not buying one sound, you are buying two, and you can drift between them as your taste changes. The 2.5 m single-sided cable with a gold-plated stereo mini plug and a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter confirms the intent: this is meant to reach from your head to an interface or amp sitting behind a laptop, with the option of a bigger plug when you need it.
Who should buy it: anyone who wants an on ear headphones for laptop setup that doubles as a cheap-entry studio monitor, especially people who wear glasses. The lightweight build and soft pads are called out specifically for glasses wearers and long sessions, which is the kind of detail that usually gets ignored at this end of the market.
NICEHCK Tears 10mm: Who It's For
The Tears 10mm takes the open-back monitor concept and miniaturizes it. Inside each shell is a 10mm PET diaphragm dual-magnet unit in a dual-cavity arrangement, rated at 20Ω and 127dB sensitivity — high enough that NICEHCK states it is easy to drive from portable devices. That is the real story of this IEM: you do not need a desktop amp to get it moving. A phone, a laptop headphone jack, a dongle, whatever you have.
Then there is the acoustic maze. NICEHCK describes a multi-layer acoustic maze rear cavity that eliminates resonance and harmonic distortion, which is the in-ear version of an open-back design — you are venting and shaping the rear air volume rather than sealing the driver into a tiny box. The claimed result is smooth high-frequency extension and a natural, relaxed tuning rather than a hyped one. I can't verify the tuning by ear, but the design description is coherent: rear-cavity maze plus a dual-cavity driver is a legitimate way to chase a cleaner midrange and a wider sense of space than a plain sealed IEM.
The cable is the other headline. A standard 0.78mm 2-pin connector means you can swap in aftermarket cables later, and the stock cable uses 6N silver internal wire to reduce signal loss. For a wired IEM, a detachable cable is the difference between a two-year product and a five-year one — the cable is always the first thing to fail, and here you just replace it.
One caveat worth flagging clearly: the Type-C version carries a 32bit/384kHz DAC chip and an Android EQ app with 8-band EQ, presets and a game audio mode. The 3.5mm versions do not have DSP or the app. If you want the app features, you need the Type-C variant. The 3.5mm model is analog only.
Fit is standard in-ear territory: lightweight ABS ergonomic housings, ear tips, a storage pouch, a cable organizer and a manual in the box. There is no microphone on this model, and no active noise cancellation — the noise control field is literally "None," which is worth knowing before you buy.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for portability → NICEHCK Tears 10mm. In-ear, lightweight ABS shells, pouch and cable organizer included, and it runs off anything.
• Best for comfort over long sessions with glasses → Superlux HD681. The lightweight frame and soft pads are the whole point of the design.
• Best for cable longevity and upgrades → NICEHCK Tears 10mm. Detachable 0.78mm 2-pin connector versus the HD681's fixed single-sided cable.
• Best for driving straight from a phone or laptop jack → NICEHCK Tears 10mm. 20Ω and 127dB sensitivity is an easy load for portable gear.
• Best for swapping your sound signature without buying new gear → Superlux HD681. Two pad types, plus a spare set in the box.
• Best for app-based EQ and gaming features → NICEHCK Tears 10mm, Type-C version only. 8-band EQ, presets and game audio enhancement live there.
• Best for calls and voice chat → neither, honestly. The Tears 10mm has no mic and the HD681 has no mic either. If you need a mic, look at a dedicated bluetooth headset for laptop instead.
For the way most people actually work — laptop on a desk, headphones on for hours, mixing or just listening — I would buy the Superlux HD681. In my opinion the combination of 50mm drivers, a 10–30,000 Hz range, a semi-open back and two sets of pads gives you more to work with, and the spare pads mean the product ages better than its cable. It is the pick if your laptop is your listening station.
I would only go the other way for a specific reason: you want the open-back experience in your pocket, you value a replaceable cable, or you want the Type-C DSP and Android EQ app. If that is you, the NICEHCK Tears 10mm is the smarter buy — just remember it has no mic and no noise cancellation, and the app features do not come on the 3.5mm version. Whichever you land on, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both exist at price points that shift.
how to open back headphones work
An open-back design vents the air behind the driver instead of sealing it in a closed cup. That lets pressure escape and reduces the resonance that builds up in a sealed chamber, which typically gives a wider, less boxed-in presentation. The Superlux HD681 does this semi-open in an over-ear frame; the NICEHCK Tears 10mm does it with an acoustic maze rear cavity inside an in-ear shell.
what is open back studio headphones
It is a headphone built for monitoring where the rear of the driver is deliberately vented, which is why most studio monitors are open or semi-open rather than fully sealed. The Superlux HD681 sits in that category with its semi-open back and 10–30,000 Hz range. The trade-off is that open designs leak sound both ways, so they are not ideal in noisy shared spaces.
what are the best open back headphones
There is no single answer, because it depends on whether you want over-ear or in-ear. If you want a full-size wired monitor for a laptop desk setup, I would point to the Superlux HD681 on the strength of its 50mm drivers, semi-open back and dual pad options. If you want an in-ear take with a detachable 0.78mm 2-pin cable and an acoustic maze rear cavity, the NICEHCK Tears 10mm is my pick.
are open back headphones better
Better for some jobs, worse for others. They tend to sound more spacious and less congested, which suits monitoring and critical listening — both products here lean on that idea. But they leak sound, they isolate poorly, and the NICEHCK Tears 10mm lists noise control as none. If you need isolation on a commute, an open design is the wrong tool.
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