Open-Ear Audio Is Having a Large Second Proper Now

If there’s one factor that CES 2026 illustrated to audiophiles, it’s that open-ear audio is the factor proper now. The class isn’t new—massive names within the audio area like Bose and Nothing have been promoting open wi-fi earbuds for some time now—however the choices are about to get overwhelming, and it’s not simply earbuds getting in on the pattern.

One factor that jumped out to me was a few entrants from Asus; particularly, its new ROG Cetra Open Wireless Earbuds. These wi-fi gaming earbuds be a part of a rising variety of gaming-centric buds from corporations like Razer and SteelSeries, however add an open-ear twist. The better part is that they don’t shed the issues that make gaming wi-fi earbuds good for gaming; they nonetheless have a low-latency, 2.4GHz dongle and bodily buttons for once you wish to use the wi-fi earbuds with out screwing round with contact controls. To my information, they’re among the many solely open-ear choices with regards to gaming-specific wi-fi earbuds.

Asus’ open-ear emphasis didn’t cease there, both. The firm additionally unveiled a pair of open-ear headphones (a headset, actually), the ROG Kithara, that mix hi-fi audio with the perks of wired audio—zero latency and no audio compression, to call a pair. All of that is available in an open-ear type issue that makes use of a MEMS microphone, which may assist increase sound readability. In quick, open-ear audio is coming to avid gamers in a giant manner.

And it wasn’t simply gaming. Companies like Soundcore and Shokz are pushing the entire class of open-ear audio ahead by tackling arguably the most important draw back of open-style wi-fi earbuds—I’m speaking about energetic noise cancellation (ANC), or lack thereof. For those that aren’t baptized within the waters of open-ear audio, let me backtrack for a second.

As nice as open wi-fi earbuds might be, there’s one factor that they (previously, at the very least) can’t do, and that’s ANC. That’s as a result of noise cancellation sometimes requires creating a good seal within the ear canal via a silicone ear tip. Soundcore’s answer with the AeroFit 2 Pro is a “dual-form” pair of wi-fi earbuds that may be worn outdoors the ear like a typical pair of open wi-fi earbuds or readjusted to a “semi-in-ear” place to perform extra like conventional ANC wi-fi earbuds with ear ideas. I haven’t had an opportunity to attempt the AeroFit 2 Pro myself, however the answer is an fascinating and distinctive one.

Shokz, however, stated screw it and simply gave its new open-ear wi-fi earbuds noise cancellation, or as the corporate calls it, “noise reduction.” I bought to attempt the OpenMatch Pro with noise discount myself on the present flooring at CES 2026, and I used to be fairly impressed. Despite the truth that the OpenMatch Pro sit on the surface of the ear like different open-ear wi-fi earbuds, as quickly as noise discount was activated, it quieted my environment considerably. If you had been on the lookout for a best-of-both-worlds pair of wi-fi earbuds, the OpenMatch Pro is perhaps it.

While these had been the explicitly labeled open-ear merchandise, they had been removed from the one examples at CES 2026, as a result of boy, had been there fairly just a few pairs of sensible glasses, too. While sensible glasses may garner lots of consideration for in-lens shows, there are simply as many pairs that don’t have a display screen, which makes them much more like a pair of wi-fi earbuds than you’d initially suppose.

Take Rokid’s Ai Glasses Style, for instance, that are the corporate’s screenless rebuttal to Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses. Like Shokz’s OpenMatch Pro, I additionally bought an opportunity to attempt Rokid’s latest Ai glasses at CES 2026, and was truly in a position to hear them on the present flooring, which is saying one thing given the quantity of environmental noise. If sensible glasses are going to be 2026’s subsequent massive factor, then so is open-ear audio by proxy.

To recap, that’s lots of open-ear audio, which, if I’m being trustworthy, is good. I like open-ear designs; they’re snug, they’re handy, they’re safer once you’re exercising, they usually make private audio just a bit bit extra thrilling. And the excellent news is, you received’t should take my phrase for it—when you’re taken with open-ear audio, there’s in all probability a pair of headphones or earbuds made for you. In that regard, I’ll name CES 2026 a hit, AI slop be damned.