Nwm One Open-Ear Headphones ZDNET's key takeaways The NWM One open-ear headphones retail for $300 and provide immersive yet aware listening.
The headphones rest lightly and comfortably, making them ideal for both exercise and office use.
The battery life leaves something to be desired. View now at Amazon
Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
I go through phases with earbuds and headphones. One minute, I'm craving immersive sound and absolutely zero distractions pulling me away from my music. Next, I'm overstimulated and require either silence or the calmest ambience delivered at arm's length away from my precious ears.
Because of this, I've taken to open earbuds nicely. Pairs like Nothing's Ear Open or Bose's Ultra Open deliver rich sound with a healthy distance. When I tested these earbuds out, I had no trouble going on long walks with them in, as I tuned into my environment while listening to my music.
Also: I wore 5 different headphones across 8 flights - here's how each pair won (and lost)
I wore them to the grocery store, something I'd never do with a pair of noise-canceling earbuds, given how busy my Brooklyn Trader Joe's is and how unaware I become of my surroundings with earbuds in my ears.
So when I found out that Nwm was selling open headphones, called Nwm One, I jumped at the chance to try them out. How on Earth would these work, I thought to myself. A few weeks of working and exercising with the headphones bring me answers to that very question. Are they the next big thing in audio, and should you buy a pair of open headphones for yourself? I get into all of that below.
The Nvm open-ear headphones resemble normal headphones, except that their centers have been cut out. The ear pads in a standard headphone are replaced with shiny coned speakers in these.
... continue reading