How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want the more aggressive noise cancellation for meetings and calls, choose ZYHKON Earbuds; if you need transparency mode so you can hear the room while you work, choose Thunelec Earbuds. Both are Bluetooth 5.4 in-ear models with touchscreen charging cases, 48-hour total playtime and 14.2mm dynamic drivers, so the real split comes down to how each one handles the world around you — and for anyone sitting in back-to-back meetings all day, that split matters more than any spec sheet number.
• ZYHKON's biggest strength: Hybrid ANC rated to block up to 38dB of ambient noise, plus ENC that filters 90% of background chatter on calls — a meeting-first tuning.
• ZYHKON's biggest trade-off: No transparency mode listed anywhere in its feature set, so you're sealed off from your surroundings unless you pull an earbud out.
• Thunelec's biggest strength: A dedicated transparency mode that pipes your surroundings in without pausing audio, on top of 45dB ANC and IPX7 water resistance.
• Thunelec's biggest trade-off: Volume isn't adjustable directly on the earbuds — you change it on the charging case screen or your connected device.
• Who ZYHKON is for: Anyone who wants the quietest possible bubble for long workdays, calls and travel.
• Who Thunelec is for: Commuters, hybrid workers and gym-goers who need to stay aware of what's happening around them.
The ZYHKON Z9Pro is built around blocking things out. Its headline feature is hybrid active noise cancellation rated at up to 38dB, paired with ENC that the spec sheet says filters 90% of background chatter during phone calls. If your day is a wall of video meetings and you're sharing space with other people, that combination is the whole point — the person on the other end hears less of your room, and you hear less of theirs.
The touchscreen case is the second thing that stands out. You can adjust volume, skip tracks, answer calls, set alarms and even locate the earbuds from the case itself, which is genuinely useful when your phone is propped up on a stand in front of you during a call. Five EQ modes — Standard, Rock, Jazz, Pop and Classic — are switchable from the case too, so you can move from a podcast voice preset to something bassier without touching an app.
Battery is straightforward: 6 to 8 hours per charge, 48 hours total with the case, and a 1.5-hour charge time. The 14.2mm drivers cover a 20Hz–20kHz range, and the build is ABS with silicone tips in blue. ZYHKON backs it with a 24-month warranty.
Who should skip it? If you work in an open office and need to hear a colleague call your name, or you walk and cycle in traffic, the lack of a transparency mode is a real limitation. You'd be taking an earbud out every time someone speaks to you, which gets old fast.
The Thunelec U9 makes a different bet: it wants to cancel noise and let it back in on demand. Its transparency mode lets you hear your surroundings clearly while you're on a call or walking, without stopping your audio — that's the feature that separates it from the ZYHKON set, and it's the one I'd weigh heaviest if you split your time between a desk and the street.
Its ANC is rated up to 45dB, with ENC handling vocal clarity on calls. The fit story is more developed here: three sizes of silicone ear tips (S/M/L) for a snug, non-slip seal, and IPX7 nano-waterproofing against sweat, rain and splashes. For a rechargeable headset that lives in a gym bag as often as a laptop bag, that rating is meaningful in a way most earbud claims aren't.
The full-color touchscreen case adds 7-language switching, wallpaper customization, brightness adjustment, a headphone search and a timer. Bluetooth 5.4 is claimed at 98% connection stability, with wide compatibility across iOS, Android, tablets, laptops and smart TVs. Battery mirrors the ZYHKON: 6–8 hours per charge, 48 hours total, 1.5-hour charge. Drivers are 14.2mm bio-carbon fiber dynamic coils with bass down to 50Hz, and there are five EQ modes (Standard, Classic, Jazz, Rock, Pop).
The honest catch: the earbuds themselves don't do direct volume control. You adjust it on the case screen or your device. That's a small but daily friction point. Thunelec covers it with a 30-day refund window and a 2-year warranty.
• Best for transparency mode → Thunelec Earbuds. It's the only one of the two with the feature, and it's the reason to pick it.
• Best for maximum noise blocking → ZYHKON Earbuds. 38dB ANC plus 90% chatter filtering on calls is a meeting-room-first design.
• Best for a noisy open office → ZYHKON Earbuds, unless you need to stay aware of coworkers, in which case Thunelec wins.
• Best for commuting and walking in traffic → Thunelec Earbuds. Transparency mode plus IPX7 is the safer, more weather-proof combination.
• Best for gym and sweaty workouts → Thunelec Earbuds. IPX7 water resistance and three ear-tip sizes beat a plain ABS-and-silicone build here.
• Best for controlling everything from the case → a tie. Both have touchscreen cases; Thunelec's screen does more (languages, wallpapers, timer), ZYHKON's includes volume.
• Best for people who hate app-switching mid-call → ZYHKON Earbuds. On-case volume is a quiet advantage when you're on a call and can't reach your phone.
• Best for long-haul travel and all-day desk work → either. Identical 6–8 hour single-charge life and 48-hour totals.
In my opinion, the Thunelec Earbuds are the better buy for most people, and transparency mode is why. Being able to hear a delivery at the door, a coworker, or traffic without stopping your audio is a feature you'll use every single day, and the 45dB ANC, IPX7 rating and three tip sizes round out a genuinely more flexible package. I'd pick ZYHKON Earbuds instead if you work in a truly loud environment and want every last decibel gone, and you don't mind losing awareness to get it. For meetings specifically, both handle calls well — Thunelec just gives you the option to come up for air.
FAQ
which airpods have transparency mode
how to turn airpods to transparency mode
On Apple earbuds that's done through the control center or the stem controls, depending on the model. On the Thunelec U9, you switch modes via the touchscreen charging case or the earbud touch controls — there's no phone app required for the basic toggle.
do all airpods have transparency mode
No — and the same is true in this comparison. Transparency mode isn't universal across wireless earbuds, which is exactly why it's worth checking before you buy. The Thunelec U9 has it; the ZYHKON Z9Pro focuses on ANC and ENC instead.
how to turn on transparency mode airpods
For Apple earbuds it's a press-and-hold or a control-center toggle. For the Thunelec U9, tap through the modes on the charging case screen or on the earbud itself until transparency is active — the full-color display shows you which mode you're in. If you're weighing these two on price, check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one spec I can't compare here.
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