One critical feature makes these wireless earbuds worthy of your attention

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google.

Usually, when I review earbuds and headphones, it’s all about music and the sound they produce. I typically even shrug off battery life as secondary (especially when a pair produces brilliant sound).

Every once in a great while, however, I receive a pair of earbuds or headphones that don’t quite live up to my standards for audio. When that happens, I at least attempt to find something of value in the device.

Also: This $99 pair of earbuds made me forget about the expensive ones – how they win

Such was the case when I received the OpenRock Link 20 open-air earbuds–>. After unpacking them and connecting them to my Pixel 9 Pro, I fired up my favorite playlist and tapped play.

I was immediately disappointed. The sound was tinny, flat, lacked bass, had zero agility in the low end, and the highs were pretty much non-existent.

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

My experience

The “gimmick” with the Link 20 earbuds is a detachable, flexible mic boom, which is just under three inches long and is held in place by two magnets.

At first blush, I didn’t bother with it, but once I realized music sounded less than average, I decided to look at the Link 20 earbuds from a different angle: phone calls.

Also: The best wireless earbuds: Expert tested and reviewed

So, I put them to the test. I called someone who knows what I do for a living and informed them that they were part of my test. I asked them how I sounded and their answer was simple: tinny but very clear. We spoke for a few minutes, and then I switched from the Link 20 earbuds to my Denon PerL Pro earbuds (which are the best earbuds I’ve ever tested – by a long shot).   

<!–>

I honestly assumed the person on the other end of the call would say something to the tune of, “That’s much better.” Instead, they informed me that the first pair of earbuds sounded clearer. Honestly, I was surprised. I was certain the Denon earbuds would produce superior sound to the Link 20 earbuds. After all, the sound from PearL Pro earbuds is worlds apart from the Link 20 earbuds.

And even though the Link 20 earbuds sounded tinny to the listener, they found that I was much clearer and easier to understand. 

Now, given that the OpenRock Link 20 earbuds sell for $149, I would have thought their sound would at least compare to most mid-range earbuds, but that was not the case. Even after installing the OpenRock app, I found no way to improve the sound.

Also: One of my favorite open-ear headphones just hit an all-time low price

According to the app, the OpenRock Link 20 has different modes, and it took me a moment to figure that out. If you look at the gesture section, you’ll see that a triple-tap of the left earbud button is supposed to cycle between modes. 

At first, I couldn’t get it to work, but then I thought, “Maybe if I remove the mic boom?” As soon as I did that, I could then switch between Music, Beast, and Custom modes. It took me a bit of work, but I was able to at least get the earbuds to sound in line with lower mid-range devices. I found Music Mode to be the best option, but Spatial Sound mode enabled gave it a sort of flanger effect, which was not good. 

I tried to use the Custom mode, which allowed me to adjust the 7-band EQ, but no matter what I did with the EQ, I couldn’t get the sound I wanted. Because of that, I went back to basic Music Mode and accepted the idea that the Link 20 earbuds leaned far too heavily into the midrange (which gives it the tinny sound).

Now, why would I not have written these off immediately? Midrange is where the human voice lives. It’s why any time you see EQ adjusted for things like podcasts, you’ll notice the mids are elevated. Because of that, anything with voice sounds very clear on the Link 20 earbuds.

That leads me to the other bonus with these earbuds: podcasts. They sound fantastic on the Link 20, with vocals that can be heard to perfection. At the same time, YouTube videos sound equally as good. I listened to John Oliver’s latest and was so happy to hear his voice without compromise. 

The earbuds still lack bass, so there isn’t as much resonance as I prefer, but I’ll happily exchange bass for clarity when listening to podcasts and video. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you need a pair of earbuds for phone calls or podcasts, the OpenRock Link 20 earbuds<!–> are a great option. If, on the other hand, music is your priority, the Link 20 earbuds will disappoint.

For over a year, I’ve grabbed my higher-end earbuds for phone calls, but now I’ll gladly default to the likes of the Link 20 earbuds any time I need to place or receive a call.

Also: These discounted earbuds deliver audio so high quality, you’ll forget they’re mid-range

OpenRock Link 20 tech specs

• Detachable magnetic boom mic
• Weight: 0.3 oz per earbud
• Audio Drivers: 15 x 10 mm custom dynamic drivers
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
• Microphone: 5-mic with AI ENC noise cancellation
• AAC and SBC codec support 
• Connectivity Bluetooth: 6.0 with a range: 50 ft indoors, 99 ft outdoors
• Pairing: Dual-device pairing
• Waterproofing: IPX7 waterproof – Boom Mic: IP55 dust and water resistance 
• 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: Quick charge feature provides 1 hour of playback with a 5-minute charge