Convincing: SoundPEATS GoFree 2 and Runfree Lite2 open ear headphones

I thought I had a pretty good overview of different types and models of headphones – but I hadn’t heard of open ear headphones before. How did I even come across them?

Of course, I have Bluetooth over-ear headphones from Bose, earbuds from Sony and wired studio headphones and IEMs. However, I was looking for Bluetooth headphones that wouldn’t cut me off from the outside world, were robust and not as easy to lose as earbuds often are. The main uses for these were going to be cycling, working in the garden or workshop and video calls.

Bone-sound headphones vs. open-ear

Firstly, I looked at bone-sound headphones from Shoks. These rest on the jawbone in front of the ears and therefore transmit sound indirectly into the ear. In principle, these are just small speakers that transmit some of their vibrations to the bone. Nevertheless, the sound of the Shoks is mainly picked up via the normal auditory canal, as the speakers simply play in front of the ear, audible to the surroundings.

However, the Shoks headphones didn’t convince me in terms of sound or volume (the bass range is extremely under-represented), which was the knock-out verdict considering the price. Judgement. The only advantage of the Shoks models is that they are completely waterproof and can also be used while swimming.

Rather by chance, I came across the open-ear headphones from SoundPEATS. These only rest lightly on the ears, but leave the ear canal practically completely free. The SoundPEATS Runfree Lite2 are very reminiscent of the Shoks models and are just as comfortable and secure to wear. In general, the open-ear headphones are extremely comfortable to wear, so much so that you sometimes completely forget about them. No pressure in the ears, no sweating and no getting lost.

Open-ear headphones also consist of small loudspeakers (in the case of the SoundPEATS models presented here with 16.2 mm drivers), but these direct the sound directly into the ear canal.

You forget that you are wearing headphones.

With the SoundPEATS open-ear headphones, you can continue to hear everything around you without restriction and still listen to music or podcasts. The sound is surprisingly good, even though the bass range cannot match that of in-ears due to their function. However, the sound is more than sufficient for listening to music on the side and even perfect for podcasts, videos and, above all, video conferencing. In terms of sound, the affordable SoundPEATS open-ear models are far superior to the Shoks bone-sound headphones. This also applies to the built-in microphones when making phone calls or video conferences.

At higher volumes, you can also hear music etc. as an outsider, but this can only be annoying at very high volumes and in quiet environments. In my experience, you perceive the sound of open-ear headphones more like loudspeakers, as you have no shielding from your surroundings. So you can watch a YouTube video on your smartphone while sitting on the couch with your partner watching her favourite TV series.

I now wear the SoundPEATS open-ear headphones all day on work days, as they are not restrictive in any way and I can take or start a video call with them at any time. Without exception, the sound quality of the built-in microphones was confirmed as excellent by the people I spoke to. It is very practical that both models are capable of multipoint connection. This means you can listen to a podcast on your smartphone and still be connected to the company laptop for video calls.

Open-ear headphones are also an excellent choice for leisure activities. Whether you’re gardening, jogging or cycling: Open-ear headphones fit snugly, are comparatively robust and do not shield you from your surroundings, so you can move around safely even in traffic.

SoundPEATS Runfree Lite2

The Runfree Lite2 from SoundPEATS look most similar to the bone-sound models from Shoks. With their headband design, they are very stable and secure on the head without pinching or rubbing. The neckband itself does not rest on the head. The tightness is specified as IPX4. This means they can withstand light rain and sweat.

The Runfree Lite2 are charged via a USB-C socket, which is protected by a rubber cover. Three small buttons can be used to control the volume, switch on/off, answer calls, switch tracks or switch to gaming mode, which reduces latency (delay) during transmission. The buttons are a little small and it takes some practice to distinguish between them. The SoundPEATS Runfree Lite2 supports SBC, AAC and LDAC and Bluetooth 5.3 as transmission standards.

The battery life is specified as up to 15 hours. I haven’t utilised this yet. However, the headphones can easily last a whole working day.

As already described, I was amazed by the sound of the SoundPEATS Runfree Lite2. They sound open, balanced and very pleasant. Personal sound preferences can be customised with the very neat PeatsAudio app (Android and iOS). In addition to some fixed presets, there is also an equaliser with 10 bands and “Adaptive GI”, a mode that uses test tones to analyse personal hearing ability and make the appropriate settings, which worked amazingly reliably for me. The range of the headphones is excellent. I can walk from the basement to the ground floor here in the house and the connection remains stable through several walls and over 10 metres away from the connected device.

There is currently a 20% discount on the Runfree Lite2 at Amazon, so these open-ear headphones cost just over £30.

SoundPEATS GoFree 2

In contrast to the Runfree Lite2, the SoundPEATS GoFree 2 are individual earbuds for each ear. They hang over the ear with a comfortable headband. However, they feel just as secure as the version with the headband. I haven’t lost them yet, even when moving my head a lot, bending over, shaking etc.

In contrast to the Runfree Lite2, the GoFree 2 are also protected against water jets in accordance with IPX5. This means that even heavy rain should not harm them.

Visually, the GoFree 2 are very successful and look classy. They come with a small, oval charging case. The battery life is specified as 9 hours and, together with the charging case, you get up to 35 hours of runtime (according to the manufacturer).

In terms of sound, the GoFree 2 are slightly better than the cheaper Runfree, which is particularly noticeable in the bass range. There is also a slight advantage with the microphones.

Like the Runfree Lite2, the GoFree 2 can handle multipoint connection, Bluetooth 5.3, a low-latency game mode, LDAC and high-res audio, and the app also offers the same sound adjustment options etc.

In contrast to the Runfree, the GoFree 2 is controlled via sensor buttons on the headphones, which works very reliably and intuitively. Customised button assignments can also be set in the app.

The SoundPEATS GoFree 2 currently cost €65.99. Here, too, there is currently a 20% discount voucher, so you can get these headphones for just €52.79.

Conclusion

The SoundPEATS open-ear headphones are an excellent alternative to earbuds and the better alternative to bone-sound headphones. The sound is balanced and the wearing comfort is excellent. At the same time, they sit securely during intense activity and do not isolate you from your surroundings, which is particularly important when using them in road traffic.

Those who are often in video conferences will be pleased that their ears don’t sweat and they practically don’t feel the headphones. Thanks to multipoint support, you can be connected to two devices at the same time.

For the price, the SoundPEATS open-ear models are practically a “no-brainer” and ideally complement existing Eeabuds and Overear headphones.

More info: SoundPEATS website

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