If you haven’t been following the world of personal audio closely, you might not have noticed the hot new trend of open earbuds. If you’ve been curious about the benefits and use cases, now is the perfect time to try them out, thanks to an increasing discount on the Acefast AceFit Air. The release of the Pro model means these are marked all the way down to just over $21 on Amazon, a steal of a deal.
For such an inexpensive pair of earbuds, particularly when they stay outside your actual ears, they have a clean and detailed sound, which Acefast says is thanks to a “three-magnet ultra linear speaker.” They won’t have quite the same level of punch and vigor as something like the Soundcore Aeroclip, but at one-fifth the price, it’s hard to complain.
They’re also impressively sleek and compact for how much sound they pack in. Acefast uses a special titanium wire that’s both extremely light and quite sturdy, with the company claiming its rated for up to 10,000 bends. While it might take a little work to get the fit dialed in at first, our reviewer Ryan Waniata said he had no problems keeping them attached while engaging in a variety of outdoor activities.
One of the areas you’re compromising on is feature set, given the ultra-budget price point, but you’ll still get basics like an in-app EQ and multipoint pairing. They’re IP54 dust- and water-resistant, which should be fine if you get caught out in some light rain, but like most earbuds, you can’t go swimming with them on. They’ll last about six hours in a single charge and up to 25 total with the case, which should be enough for all but the longest hikes.
At just over $20 for the Acefit Air, I plan on picking up a pair for occasional bike rides, but there’s a whole world of open earbuds to explore as the category grows. Make sure to check out our guide to the best and most capable pairs, as always, with hands-on testing out on the trails or just working around the yard.
