Why do I highly recommend these earbuds, even though their sound is below average

Key Takeaways for ZDNET

• The OpenRock Link 20 earbuds can be purchased from the official website for $149
• These earbuds are great for taking calls and listening to podcasts
• The Link 20 earbuds sound too small and flat for music.

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Usually, when I review earbuds and headphones, it’s all about the music and the sound they produce. I usually dismiss battery life as secondary (especially when the pair produces great sound).

However, every now and then I receive a pair of earbuds or headphones that are not up to my audio standards. When that happens, I at least try to find something of value in the device.

also: This $99 pair of earbuds made me forget about expensive headphones — and how they win

This was the case when I received it OpenRock Linux 20 Outdoor Earphones. After unpacking it and plugging it into my Pixel 9 Pro, I turned on my favorite playlist and clicked play.

I was immediately disappointed. The sound was small, flat, lacked bass, had no agility in the low end, and the highs were largely nonexistent.

But then, I realized that these earbuds might serve a better purpose. He “hears” how things went.

My experience

“Gimmick” with link 20 Earphones It is a flexible, detachable microphone arm, less than three inches long and held in place by two magnets.

At first, I wasn’t bothered by it, but once I realized the music sounded below average, I decided to look at the Link 20 earbuds from a different angle: phone calls.

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So, I put them to the test. I called someone who knows what I do for a living and told him it was part of my test. I asked them what my voice sounded like and their answer was simple: small but very clear. We talked for a few minutes, then I switched from the Link 20 earbuds to my own earbuds Denon pearl pro headphones (And they’re the best earbuds I’ve ever tested — by a long shot.)

I honestly assumed that the person on the other end of the call would say something to the tone of “this is much better.” Instead, they informed me that the first pair of earbuds sounded much clearer. Honestly, I was surprised. I was sure that the Denon earbuds would produce better sound than the Link 20 earbuds. After all, the sound from the PearlL Pro earbuds is very different from the Link 20 earbuds.

Although the Link 20 earbuds seemed small to the listener, they found mine to be clearer and easier to understand.

Now, since the OpenRock Link 20 earbuds retail for $149, you’d think their sound would at least compare to most mid-range earbuds, but that wasn’t the case. Even after installing the OpenRock app, I couldn’t find a way to improve the sound.

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Depending on the app, the OpenRock Link 20 has different modes, and it took me a while to figure them out. If you look at the gestures section, you’ll see that a triple tap on the left earbud button is supposed to switch between modes.

At first, I couldn’t get it to work, but then I thought, “Maybe if I remove the microphone arm?” Once I do that, I can then switch between Music, Monster, and Custom modes. It took some work, but I was able to at least make the earbuds sound compatible with lower-midrange devices. I found the Music mode to be the best option, but enabling Spatial Audio mode gave it a sort of flanger effect, which wasn’t good.

I tried using Custom mode, which allowed me to adjust the 7-band equalizer, but no matter what I did with the equalizer, I couldn’t get the sound I wanted. For this reason, I went back to the basic music mode and accepted that the Link 20 earbuds leaned too heavily into the midrange (giving them a tinny sound).

Now, why didn’t I cross this off right away? The midrange is where the human voice lives. That’s why any time you see EQ adjusted for things like podcasts, you’ll notice that the midrange is high. For this reason, anything loud sounds crystal clear on the Link 20 earbuds.

Which brings me to the other bonus with these earbuds: audio streaming. They sound great on the Link 20, with vocals that can be heard perfectly. Meanwhile, YouTube videos look just as good. I listened to John Oliver’s latest songs and was very happy to hear his voice without any compromises.

The earbuds still lack bass, so there’s not as much resonance as I’d prefer, but I’d happily trade bass for clarity when listening to podcasts and video.

ZDNET Buying Advice

If you need a pair of earbuds for phone calls or podcasting, the OpenRock Link 20 earbuds She is a great choice. On the other hand, if music is your priority, the Link 20 earbuds will disappoint.

For over a year, I’ve been using high-end earbuds for phone calls, but now I’ll happily choose the likes of the Link 20 earbuds anytime I need to make or take a call.

also: These discount earbuds deliver such high-quality sound, you’ll forget they’re midrange

OpenRock Link 20 technical specifications

• Detachable magnetic boom microphone
• Weight: 0.3 oz per earbud
• Audio Drivers: Custom 15 x 10mm dynamic drivers
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
• Microphone: 5 microphones with AI ENC noise cancellation
• Support AAC and SBC codecs
• Bluetooth Connectivity: 6.0 Range: 50 feet indoor, 99 feet outdoor
• Pairing: Dual device pairing
• Waterproofing: IPX7 waterproof – Boom microphone: IP55 dust and waterproof
• Battery music playback: Up to 13 hours per charge (52 hours with case)
• Talk time: Up to 9 hours per charge (36 hours with case)
• Charging: Fast charging feature provides 1 hour of playback with a 5-minute charge