The energy of non-in-ear headphones cannot be ignored anymore.

In previous years, the competition in the true wireless earbuds market was particularly fierce. Since OPPO W51 kicked off the "intense competition" in the noise-canceling true wireless earbuds market with its excellent cost-performance ratio, various brands have continuously challenged the new price limits in this market. This is obviously a good thing for consumers.

However, in 2023, the competition in the noise-canceling true wireless market seems to have "cooled down": Firstly, the market gradually saturated last year, and major brands have launched their own noise-canceling earbuds, giving consumers a wide range of choices. Secondly, the marginal effect of technological innovation has weakened. Although new noise-canceling technologies and features continue to emerge, most consumers cannot clearly feel these subtle improvements. Finally, the market is facing a price war, with the prices of noise-canceling earbuds continuously declining and profit margins narrowing, making competition between brands more intense and lacking significant differentiation advantages.

But from the consumer's perspective, there is another reason for the "disfavor" of noise-canceling true wireless earbuds—non-in-ear earbuds.

The emergence of non-in-ear earbuds

I know that the term "non-in-ear earbuds" may be unfamiliar to many, as the market prefers to call them "open headphones." But in reality, "non-in-ear earbuds" are just one category of open headphones.

Image source: tonepublications

In 1968, Sennheiser launched a headphone called HD414. From today's perspective, this "overly simple and crude" headphone essentially consists of two sound-emitting units inserted into two yellow dishwashing sponges. But from the perspective of headphone evolution, HD 414 is a milestone—it changed the "large and heavy" earcup design of the headphone industry at that time. More importantly, it was the first open headphone. The open design allows sound to freely enter and exit, providing a more natural and broader sound field, greatly enhancing wearing comfort and reducing the sense of oppression when using headphones for extended periods.

For a long time, when headphone users referred to "open headphones," they meant this type of open over-ear headphone. It was only in recent years that non-in-ear true wireless earbuds gradually entered the public's field of vision.

At XEA-20 in 2018, Sony realized the technical concept of open true wireless earbuds using a hard sound guide tube solution. In February 2022, Sony released LinkBuds—an open true wireless earbud with a hole in the middle of the earbud. Although these earbuds have a transparent sound experience brought by the open design, the structure of the earbuds still brings a sense of oppression to the ear. In 2023, Shokz AfterShokz released OpenFit Comfort Loop, introducing the design concept of "non-in-ear earbuds" (non-in-ear true wireless).

Image source: Shokz AfterShokz

Compared to traditional open true wireless earbuds, non-in-ear true wireless earbuds do not rely on traditional earbud structures for fixation but instead use ear hooks or ear clips. This design greatly improves the wearing comfort of the earbuds while cleverly catering to the consumption trend at that time:

Around 2020, the open true wireless earbud market experienced significant growth. According to data from market research company Statista, global shipments of true wireless earbuds were 78 million units in 2019, growing to 135 million units in 2020, representing a growth rate of 73.7%.

Specifically for open true wireless earbuds, according to IDC data, global shipments of open true wireless earbuds were approximately 29 million units in 2019, increasing to 52 million units in 2020, representing a growth rate of nearly 80%. This growth indicates that open-design earbuds have gained widespread recognition and acceptance in the market.

In addition, according to a report by iResearch, sales of open true wireless earbuds in the Chinese market accounted for a considerable share in 2020, especially among people engaged in sports and outdoor activities. The report pointed out that more than 40% of headphone users in China in 2020 expressed a desire for more comfortable headphone wearing, and 36% hoped to be able to hear external sounds while using headphones, which highly aligns with the design concept of non-in-ear earbuds. IDC data shows that in 2023, the domestic sales of Shokz AfterShokz open earbuds exceeded 1.36 million units, ranking first in the open earbud market.

Looking at the global market, according to Canalys data, global shipments of true wireless earbuds in 2020 were 135 million units, with the market share of open true wireless earbuds continuously increasing. GfK data also supports this trend, with global sales of non-in-ear true wireless earbuds reaching US$1.8 billion in 2020, representing a year-on-year growth of 30%.

Comfort is precisely the secret to the global popularity of non-in-ear true wireless earbuds.

New forms bring new opportunities

According to Qualcomm's "Audio Product Usage Status Survey Report 2023," earbud wearing comfort has surpassed price, battery life, and sound quality as the primary consideration when purchasing earbuds.

Taking the new OpenFit Air released at AfterShokz's spring launch event in 2024 as an example, as the "lightweight version" of AfterShokz's flagship OpenFit, the OpenFit Air earbud body adopts a double-angled design, making it more fitting to the user's ear and more stable to wear. In addition, AfterShokz designed a 2mm small groove on the ear hook, allowing the ear hook to be fixed behind the ear like an airbag without bringing additional oppression. Despite using a combination of stainless steel, titanium alloy, and silicone, the OpenFit Air earbuds still weigh only 8.7g, making them "light as a feather."

Image source: AfterShokz

In terms of sound quality, AfterShokz OpenFit Air utilizes DirectPitch™ technology, which enhances sound quality through phase cancellation principles. Compared to traditional in-ear designs, OpenFit Air allows users to enjoy high-quality audio without completely sealing the ear canal, making it more comfortable to wear and reducing the sense of oppression in the ear canal.

Outstanding product performance has also brought AfterShokz remarkable sales results: In 2023, Shokz AfterShokz achieved record sales in the global open and sports earbud markets. According to an independent research report by Frost & Sullivan, AfterShokz was rated as the global best-selling non-in-ear and sports earbud brand.

In addition to addressing the issue of wearing comfort, non-in-ear earbuds have also solved the problem of poor sound quality in traditional open earbuds to a certain extent: Except for a few products using ear clip structures, most non-in-ear earbuds adopt an ear hook design. And ear hook-style non-in-ear earbuds address users' pain points of poor sound quality in open earbuds by accommodating larger sound-emitting units:

Image source: Leikeji

One of the main disadvantages of traditional open earbuds is that the size of their sound-emitting units is limited by the ear canal, resulting in insufficient sound quality, especially in the low-frequency range. However, the ear hook design circumvents this limitation. By moving the sound-emitting unit to the ear hook part, manufacturers can use larger drivers, which not only improves sound quality but also enhances bass effects. Larger sound-emitting units can also process audio signals more effectively, reducing distortion, and providing a clearer and more delicate audio experience.

However, this design also has its own shortcomings. Most non-in-ear earbud brands are entering this field for the first time, and they struggle with the issue of sound leakage. This makes sound leakage the next key point of competition between non-in-ear earbud brands—whoever can solve the issue of sound leakage will become the "leader" among non-in-ear earbud brands.

Open headphones deserve a more open future

From a product perspective, the future open headphone market will present several major trends. Firstly, technological progress will further enhance sound quality and comfort: With the continuous development of audio technology, headphone manufacturers will adopt more advanced drivers and audio processing techniques, coupled with the application of new lightweight materials and design improvements, making headphones more suitable for long-term wearing and reducing fatigue.

Secondly, intelligence and multifunctionality will become new directions for the development of open headphones. For example, adaptive sound adjustment functions can automatically optimize sound quality based on the user's hearing status and environment. Meanwhile, relying on their characteristic of being fatigue-free after long-term wearing, open headphones can also provide a more convenient voice AI interaction experience, allowing users to enjoy convenient smart services in sports, work, and daily life.

The application of open headphones in fields such as gaming and professional audio production will also continue to expand. In the gaming field, open headphones can provide a broad sound field and precise positioning sound effects, enabling players to better immerse themselves in the game world and improve their gaming experience and competitiveness. In professional audio production, the high-fidelity sound quality and natural sound field of open headphones help audio engineers accurately capture and process every audio detail, improving the quality of their works.

In addition, open headphones may also play an important role in the medical field. For example, using open headphones for hearing protection and assisted hearing training can provide better quality of life for people with hearing impairment. The application of such headphones in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and other places will bring new possibilities to the healthcare industry.

Image source: AfterShokz

Overall, the future open headphone market will develop towards technological progress, intelligence, and multifunctionality, continuing to meet users' diverse needs in different scenarios. With continuous technological progress and changes in market demand, open headphones will play an increasingly important role in various fields, becoming an "indispensable part" of people's daily lives. The widespread application and continuous innovation of open headphones will also bring better user experiences and more choices to consumers.

Source: Leikeji