What are Open-ear earphones, how do they work, what are the benifits & what do I need to know explained.

Oct 29, 2025

By Wayne Farran

What are Open-ear earphones, how do they work, what are the benifits & what do I need to know explained.

What are Open-ear earphones, how do they work and what should I know?

First and foremost, on this page we will talk about the design, function and benefits of open-ear earphones, explained in a simple way.

So, you want to listen to the latest episode of your favourite podcast or enjoy music on your next run, or walk for that matter and still be able to take in noise from your surroundings, then an Open-ear design is the best and safest choice by far.

The above said, if you're one of many people around the world that don’t like the traditional fit and/or feel of a typical ear-bud that would sit in the ear-canal, then an Open-ear design may tick all of your boxes!!

But what are open-ear earphones and how are they different from in-ears?

What are Open-ear earphones?
Open-ear earphones allow you to enjoy your music while still being alert to the sounds in your environment. Unlike closed-back earphones, which surround the ears completely, or in-ears, which sit right at the entrance to the auditory canal, open-ear earphones sit outside the auditory canal.

As a result, ambient noise, such as traffic or conversations close by, is still audible while you listen to your favourite tunes or latest podcast episode.

How do Open-ear earphones work?
With open-ear earphones, sound is transported via small speakers that are positioned directly in front of the auditory canal. As a result, the auditory canal remains uninhibited, so ambient noise can still pass through to the ear.

Audio transmission in open-ear models can take place in two different ways: via bone conduction or through air transmission.

Bone conduction:
When transmitted in this way, sound signals, in the form of vibrations, travel directly to the skull bones and are then channelled into the inner ear where we’re able to perceive them as sound.

Air transmission:
The more common method of sound transmission is through air, where sound waves reach the ear and cause the eardrum to vibrate. These vibrations are then converted into electrical signals, allowing us to perceive sound.

Our open-ear models, AMIRON ZERO and AMIRON 200, use air transmission. This method ensures that high frequencies are delivered more clearly than with bone conduction, where such frequencies tend to be dampened.

For example, our open true wireless earphone AMIRON 200 features a rectangular driver (18 mm × 11 mm). The sound is tuned to deliver premium audio quality directly to the ear. Thanks to a special venting system, strong bass reproduction is achieved despite the compact design. Due to the open construction, the maximum volume level is naturally limited.

Open true wireless black earphones
Advantages of the Open-ear design.

Safety:
One of the main advantages of open-ear headphones is that you can still hear ambient noise when listening to your music. This makes any outdoor activity taking place near traffic much safer.

Hygiene:
Unlike in-ears, open-ear headphones don’t sit directly in the auditory canal. Thus, a higher level of hygiene can be maintained.

Wearing comfort:
Due to their position on the ear, as opposed to directly in the auditory canal, with open-ear headphones, that pressure feeling in the auditory canal becomes a thing of the past. Their design encourages a better circulation of air around the ears. They’re also so light that you almost forget you’re wearing headphones! If it weren’t for the music, you wouldn’t notice them.

An overview of our new open-ear earphone models:

AMIRON 200

Open-Ear True Wireless Earphones