Summary
You have probably heard aboutopen-back headphonesandopen-ear headphones, but you haven’t seen, let alone heard, anything like these new headphones from NTT Sonority. The nwm ONE blends a traditional over-ear headphone form factor with an open-ear design, resulting in an incredibly cool-looking pair of headphones.
After years and years of premium headphones featuring ANC and shutting users off the outside world, there has been quite the push lately for open-back, which allows users to become aware of their surroundings, and the nwm ONE seems to be the solution many people are looking for. Instead of using noise-cancelling technology to cut out the outside sounds around you, the nwm ONE uses this technology to cancel out sound leakage so people around you cannot hear your music. This has been the most significant issue many people have with open-ear headphones, so if the nwm ONE can solve it, these headphones would truly allow for the best of both worlds.
nwm ONE Key Features
Most open-ear headphones target the fitness and commuter crowds, who need to stay aware of their surroundings and hear crucial sounds. However, with more options becoming available, we can probably see these headphones making their way into more hands, especially for parents who need to keep an ear out for their children throughout the day, and nwm ONE seems like a perfect candidate to start making this transition.
The main 35mm driver may not deliver the gut-punching bass that some may be looking for in apair of wireless headphones, but it more than makes up for it with support for Sony 360 Reality Audio, which allows for immersive spatial audio from compatible apps. When you combine that with the high-quality Bluetooth LC3 codec, if you use Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, or other supported Sony 360 audio apps, you can get a pretty fantastic audio experience with these headphones.
The real magic of the noise suppression comes from the 12mm tweeter that uses phase cancelling to create a wave that significantly reduces the amount your music or podcast leaks out of these headphones. These are not the first headphones to use a second driver or a smaller tweeter for noise cancelation, but they are typically used in the case of ANC, not to suppress noise leakage. It’s hard to say if this phase-cancelling technique will eliminate sound leakage altogether, but it will be a game changer compared to bone conduction and other open-ear headphones.
With all this impressive new tech, it’s unsurprising that the battery life is a bit under the norm compared to other over-head headphones. It provides 20 hours of playback on a single charge and 1.5 hours to charge it to 100% from entirely dead. These are not bad numbers by any means, but if a second iteration comes around, this is probably the first aspect NTT Sonority will focus on.
nwm ONE Pricing and Availability
The nwm ONE is only available in Japan for 39,600 Yen or about $250. Unfortunately, NTT Sonority has not yet mentioned or announced plans for a wider release. So, for North American readers, unless you are willing to figure out a multiple-stop shipping scheme to get your hands on these, the best options for open-ear headphones will be theShokz Open FitandBose Ultra Open Earbuds.
FAQ
Q: Are open-ear headphones good?
While open-ear headphones produce as much raw power as traditional headphones, they are great options for exercise, commuting, and multi-tasking while listening to music and staying aware of your surroundings.
Q: Are open-ear headphones better than bone-conduction headphones?
Since open-ear headphones do not have to go through your bones to transmit sound, they can comparatively deliver a much richer and full sound. Bone conduction headphones still have advantages, especially for athletes needing extra water and dust resistance that other headphones can’t provide.
