How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want reference-grade sound with the strongest active noise cancelling and a genuinely premium listening experience, choose Technics Hi-Fi True; if you need all-day open-ear comfort, a boom mic for calls and a battery that outlasts a full workday, choose NUROUM OpenEar Pro.
These two earbuds look like competitors on a spec sheet, but they solve completely different problems. One is a sealed, hi-res music machine. The other is an open-ear headset built around calls and comfort. Here's how I'd split them.
• Technics Hi-Fi True — biggest strength: 10mm free-edge dynamic drivers, LDAC hi-res wireless audio, and active noise cancelling for immersive, reference-quality listening. Biggest trade-off: sealed in-ear fit means you're cut off from your surroundings, and it leans on 8 MEMS mics and an app for its best call performance.
• NUROUM OpenEar Pro — biggest strength: open-ear design with soft silicone earhooks and a silicone neckband, a boom mic with one-button mute, and up to 15 hours of battery. Biggest trade-off: open-ear sound leaks by design and its bass, while boosted by a DSP algorithm, won't match a sealed in-ear driver.
• Technics Hi-Fi True is for you if music fidelity, noise cancelling and multitasking across three devices matter most.
• NUROUM OpenEar Pro is for you if you live on calls, hate things jammed in your ear canals, and want to stay aware of your surroundings.
The Technics Hi-Fi True (EAH-AZ80-K) is first and foremost an audio product. Its 10mm free-edge dynamic driver and acoustic structure are built around hi-res playback, and it supports LDAC over Bluetooth — a codec Technics describes as roughly three times faster than conventional ones. For someone who wants depth and texture in their music, that's the headline. Add active noise cancelling and you get a pair of earbuds meant for blocking out a plane cabin, a gym or a noisy office.
The second thing this pair does well is multitasking. Three-point multipoint lets it stay connected to a computer and mobile devices at once, and once paired it auto-switches when new media starts or a call comes in. With 8 high-sensitivity MEMS mics and JustMyVoice technology, calls are handled with noise reduction aimed at transmitting your voice clearly rather than the room around you. A Qi-compatible wireless charging case keeps your desk and nightstand tidy — a small thing that matters if you hate cable clutter.
Buy it if you want the best sound quality and noise cancelling of the two and you're fine with a sealed in-ear fit. Skip it if you need to hear traffic, coworkers or your surroundings, or if you want a single charge to cover a very long shift without the case.
NUROUM OpenEar Pro: Who It's For
The NUROUM OpenEar Pro (OW20B) goes the opposite direction: it's a headset first. The design sits delicately in front of each ear with soft silicone earhooks and a silicone neckband that wraps around your head, which is exactly the setup people reach for when in-ear buds cause fatigue or feel intrusive. Because nothing seals your ear canal, you stay connected to your environment — useful when running, cycling, or working somewhere you need to hear what's going on.
Calling is clearly the priority. It pairs a boom mic you can swing near your mouth (or store behind) with ENC noise reduction and a HiFi 4 DSP processor, which NUROUM says reduces up to 99.9% of ambient noise so your voice stands out. There's a mute button right at the end of the mic boom, plus a multifunction button and volume controls on the headset itself — so you can mute, answer, adjust volume and skip tracks without touching your phone. If you spend hours on Zoom, Teams or phone calls, that physical mute button alone is a meaningful quality-of-life feature.
Battery is the other big draw: up to 15 hours on a charge with 2-hour quick charging over USB-C. Bluetooth 5.3 handles the connection with up to 10 meters of range and multipoint switching between two devices — handy if you move between a PC and a phone. Note the honest caveat from NUROUM: even with the DSP bass enhancement, the sound isn't as rich as a typical in-ear headphone. The open-ear structure is designed to keep audio private without disturbing people nearby, but it isn't built to compete with a sealed driver.
Buy it if comfort, call clarity and long battery life are your priorities, or you want to stay aware of your surroundings. Skip it if you mainly want deep, immersive music and strong active noise cancelling.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for sound quality → Technics Hi-Fi True. 10mm dynamic driver, LDAC hi-res support and a sealed in-ear fit give it the clear edge for music.
• Best for all-day comfort → NUROUM OpenEar Pro. Open-ear silicone earhooks and a neckband avoid ear-canal fatigue entirely.
• Best for calls and meetings → NUROUM OpenEar Pro. Boom mic, one-button mute and ENC with a DSP chip are purpose-built for voice.
• Best for battery life → NUROUM OpenEar Pro. Up to 15 hours versus 7 hours per charge on the Technics.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → NUROUM OpenEar Pro. Open-ear design lets ambient sound in by design.
• Best for multitasking across devices → Technics Hi-Fi True. Three-point multipoint beats the NUROUM's two-device switching.
• Best for a tidy, cable-free setup → Technics Hi-Fi True. The Qi-compatible wireless charging case is a nice convenience the NUROUM lacks.
In my opinion, the right pick comes down to what you actually do all day. If music is the point and you want the most immersive, detailed listening with real noise cancelling, I'd buy the Technics Hi-Fi True — its driver, LDAC support and three-point multipoint make it the stronger audio product. But if your day is calls, meetings and long hours, and you want your ears to feel fine at hour ten, I'd buy the NUROUM OpenEar Pro — the boom mic, physical mute button and 15-hour battery are exactly what that life needs. Two very different jobs, two very different earbuds.
For blocking out the world around you, the Technics Hi-Fi True. It uses active noise cancelling as a core feature. The NUROUM OpenEar Pro uses ENC, which is aimed at reducing background noise on your voice during calls rather than silencing your environment.
The Technics Hi-Fi True gives 7 hours per charge, or 24 hours total with the case (noise cancelling on). The NUROUM OpenEar Pro offers up to 15 hours on a single charge with 2-hour quick charging.
Yes, both handle music and calls. The Technics leans toward music with hi-res audio and LDAC, while the NUROUM leans toward voice with a boom mic, one-button mute and a DSP-based ENC system.
The NUROUM OpenEar Pro, in my opinion, because its open-ear silicone earhooks and neckband avoid inserting anything into your ear canal. The Technics uses a concha-fit foam seal, which is stable but more intrusive over long stretches.
If price matters to you, check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page — I don't quote figures here, and the two sit in different value brackets depending on which feature set you actually need.
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.