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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, foldable on-ear headphone that's built for shared listening and long-term wear in classrooms, clinics or guided-tour setups, choose Williams AV Sound HED 021; if you need a rugged hard shell that protects a pair of small folding headphones and their cables when you travel, choose XANAD Hard Case.
• Williams AV Sound HED 021 — biggest strength: a genuinely foldable, adult-size on-ear headphone with a mono 32 Ω design aimed at mild, low-gain hearing-loss listening.
• Williams AV Sound HED 021 — biggest trade-off: it ships as a sanitary-cover accessory pack rather than a plug-and-play consumer headphone, and the replacement earpads (HED 023 / HED 023-100) are a separate purchase.
• XANAD Hard Case — biggest strength: triple-layer hard shell protection against bumps, scratches and splashes, with a mesh pocket for cables and a fit list that covers a lot of small folding headphones.
• XANAD Hard Case — biggest trade-off: it's a case, not a headphone — it protects your gear but makes no sound at all.
• Who each pick is for: Williams AV Sound HED 021 for institutions and individuals who need a foldable on-ear listener headphone; XANAD Hard Case for anyone who already owns small folding headphones and wants to stop them getting crushed in a bag.
The HED 021 is a deluxe folding headphone in adult size, and the fold is the whole point. It collapses down for storage in a drawer, a kit box or a rack of equipment — the kind of handling that happens constantly in a school, a hearing-assistance counter or a house of worship where headsets get handed out and packed away over and over. The stated footprint of roughly 6-7/8" x 5-5/8" x 7/8" and a weight of 0.12 lbs tell you this is a light piece of hardware, and light matters when someone is wearing it for an entire assembly or a two-hour guided session.
Electrically, this is a 32 Ω mono headphone rated for mild and low-gain hearing loss. That's a specific job description. It isn't a stereo music headphone and it isn't aimed at immersive listening — it's aimed at intelligibility, at getting speech and program audio into someone's ears clearly when their hearing needs a bit of help. The impedance figure also tells you it's designed to be driven by the personal receivers and assistive-listening hardware that Williams AV builds, which is exactly the ecosystem this headphone belongs to.
XANAD Hard Case: Who It's For
This is a purpose-built hard case for small folding headphones, and the compatibility list is unusually long for a generic shell. Bose QuietComfort 15, 25, 35 (Series I and II), QC45, QC Ultra and QuietComfort SE are all named, along with SoundLink and SoundTrue around-ear models. It also lists Soundcore H30i on-ears, plus a spread of Sony and JBL models — WH-CH510, WH-CH520, JBL Tune 500/520BT/670NC/720BT/770NC and several Live series sets. The stated maximum compatible device size is 6.2 inches, which is the number that actually decides whether your headphones fit.
The construction is where it earns its keep. The shell is ethylene vinyl acetate — a tough, slightly flexible plastic that absorbs knocks better than a rigid brittle case would — and it's described as triple protection against bumps, scratches and splashes, with a waterproof rating. Outer black with a blue interior is a practical choice: dark outside hides scuffs, bright inside makes it easy to see what's in there. External dimensions are 8.4 x 6.7 x 2.4 inches and it weighs 217.7 g, or about 0.48 lbs.
The mesh pocket is the detail I'd point a buyer toward. Cables, a charger, an adapter — they all live in the lid instead of tangling around the headphones. If you've ever pulled a pair of folding headphones out of a backpack to find the cable wrapped around one earcup and the headband slightly twisted, you know why that matters.
Who should skip it? Anyone who hasn't checked their headphone's folded footprint against that 6.2-inch figure. This is tailored to small foldable headphones, and full-size non-folding models simply won't go in. It's also obviously not for anyone shopping for sound — there's no audio here, just protection.
• Best for assistive or shared listening → Williams AV Sound HED 021. The 32 Ω mono design and mild/low-gain hearing-loss rating are built for speech intelligibility, not music.
• Best for protecting small folding headphones → XANAD Hard Case. Hard shell, waterproof rating, EVA construction.
• Best for storage and portability of the headphones themselves → Williams AV Sound HED 021. It folds flat to roughly 6-7/8" x 5-5/8" x 7/8" and weighs 0.12 lbs.
• Best for keeping cables and chargers organized → XANAD Hard Case. The mesh pocket is the deciding feature here.
• Best for institutions with hygiene routines → Williams AV Sound HED 021. The 100-pack of replacement sanitary covers is part of the package, and HED 023 pads are available as spares.
• Best for travel in a crowded bag → XANAD Hard Case. Splash resistance and a hard shell beat a bare folded headphone every time.
• Best for a single plug-in-and-listen user → Williams AV Sound HED 021, provided the mono, assistive-focused design matches what you're plugging into.
• Best for wide headphone compatibility → XANAD Hard Case. Bose, Sony, JBL and Soundcore models are all named, up to 6.2 inches.
If I had to pick one, I'd pick based on the job rather than the product. For anyone setting up or maintaining an assistive-listening or shared-listening program, I'd buy the Williams AV Sound HED 021 — it's the only one of the two that actually makes sound, and its folding design, adult sizing and 32 Ω mono spec line up exactly with that use. For anyone who already owns a pair of small folding headphones and keeps finding them scuffed or crushed, I'd buy the XANAD Hard Case without hesitation; the EVA shell, splash resistance and mesh pocket are exactly what a travel case should offer. They solve opposite problems, so in my opinion the honest answer is that most people only need one — and you already know which problem you have.
FAQ
are on ear headphones good
what are the best open ear headphones
"Open ear" and "on-ear" get used loosely, so check the spec sheet rather than the label. The Williams AV Sound HED 021 is an on-ear, adult-size folding headphone with a 32 Ω mono design rated for mild and low-gain hearing loss. If your priority is clear speech through a personal receiver rather than immersive music, that design is the one to look at.
which are the best over the ear headphones
Around-ear (over-ear) models are the ones that fully surround the ear, and the XANAD Hard Case names plenty of them — Bose QuietComfort 15, 25, 35 Series I and II, QC45, QC Ultra and QuietComfort SE among them. What makes a set "best" for you depends on fit, noise handling and how you'll use it. The case itself supports models up to 6.2 inches when folded.
what are the best over the ear headphones to buy
That depends on your use, but a practical first question is whether they fold — the XANAD Hard Case is tailored to small foldable headphones and lists Sony WH-CH510/WH-CH520, JBL Tune and Live series, and Soundcore H30i alongside the Bose models. If your headphones fold, a hard EVA shell with a cable pocket is a sensible add-on. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
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