Oladance Ows Sports Analysis: A Critical Look at the Audio Quality of Open-Ear Headphones

Key Takeaways

• Oladance OWS Sports headphones offer exceptional fit and ambient noise awareness but lack sound quality.
• Available in various colors, the lightweight headphones have a magnetic charging point and provide up to 15 hours of battery life.
• The Oladance app offers customization options, but the open-ear sound quality still needs improvement.

The Oladance OWS Sports headphones offer the exceptional fit and ambient noise awareness I expected from an open-ear product, but I was none too pleased with the sound quality. I understand the limitations of buds that hang outside your ears (as opposed to within them), but I did want better from the Sports.

Oladance OWS Sports

6/ 10

Unlike in-ear or bone-conduction headphones, OWS Sports comfortably cradles your ears. Its patented design ensures a superior fit, allowing you to enjoy extended use without compromising comfort.

Pros

• Comfortable fit
• Next to no jostling when exercising
• Great battery life
• Good app

Cons

• Inconsistent audio quality
• Voices sound far away on phone calls
• Some ANC headphones are just as pricey

$180 at Amazon $180 at Oladance

How We Test and Review Products

Price and Availability

The Oladance OWS Sports headphones retail for $179.99, and can be purchased through Amazon, Zoro, AliExpress, and directly from Oladance. They’re available in silver, gray, yellow, and pink.

Specifications

Battery Life

Up to 15 hours

Wireless?

Yes

Microphones

Dual noise isolation

Brand

Oladance

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.1

IP rating

IPX8

Charging type

USB to magnetic contacts

Driver size

10mm

Supported codecs

aptX HD

Expand

Design, Fit, and Controls

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Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

The OWS (Open Wearble Stereo) is a pleasant amalgamation of open-ear audio products like the Oladance OWS 1 , and bone-conduction headsets like the Shokz OpenRun Pro . A flexible silicone stability band wraps around the back of your neck, with both sides terminating in 10mm drivers that hang in front of your ear canals. The name of the game is lightweight, and I found the OWS Sports to fit just as good (if not better than) the OWS 1 buds I tested before.

The left earbud houses the Sports’ main action button, which can do several things depending on how many times you tap it or how long you press and hold it for. The right bud is where you’ll find the volume and power buttons. I’m so conditioned to the force stem gestures that my AirPods demand, it was actually a welcome break to get to use buttons. I’ll admit that it took me a minute to recall what bud had which controls, but all of the button actions worked correctly.

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

When it comes time to charge the Sports, you’ll need to use the proprietary USB cable that comes with them, as the headset is equipped with a magnetic charging point instead of a USB port. Oladance claims that, on a full charge, you should get around 15 hours of battery life from the Sports. I never needed to recharge the earbuds when testing, and they only dropped from 91% to 81% battery after an hour-long phone call at a high volume.

Not My Preferred Daily Headset

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

Do I think the OWS Sports did a decent job at delivering the best sound they could, both for indoor and outdoor settings? Yes. Do I still wish the OWS Sports sounded better? Yes.

I have a love-hate relationship with fitness-centric headphones and earbuds : On the one hand, I totally dig the intrusion-free fit and passive noise isolation these types of products provide. On the other hand, I think open-ear sound quality still has a long way to go, and unfortunately, the OWS Sports weren’t much of an exception.

First and foremost, the default settings were a bit too flat for my liking. I don’t like an overwhelming amount of bass in my ears, but (in my opinion) athletic buds should have a solid layer of low-end. To achieve this, I needed to head into the Oladance app to make a few EQ adjustments. You’ll also have the option of switching to Surging Bass and Pure Voice presets, though I recommend sticking with the Custom option. One minor bummer: There’s no way to switch between audio presets with the OWS Sports touch controls.

Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

I ran multiple music genres through the OWS Sports. I was actually quite impressed by the treble articulation the buds managed to pull off. Vocals, guitar, and synth sounded particularly nice in tracks on “Harridan ” and “Of the New Day ” from Porcupine Tree’s Closure/Continuation Live. But when listening to songs like “Pneuma ” by Tool, mid-lows and bass were all but missing. What was more frustrating is the EQ wasn’t consistent; there would be times when extra bass would jarringly surface, and just as quickly disappear.

Layered pop and singer-songwriter tracks fared better. Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed ” begins with left-right phased synth, which playfully bounces between both buds. Frank’s vocals landed nicely, but when I listened carefully, I could hear compression at the top end. This treble capping occurred with other pop and songwriter tracks I tested too.

I also noticed a fair amount of distortion when listening to any type of music at louder volumes.

At the end of the day, a lot of these qualms aren’t deal-breaking audio complaints, but I was still able to find more cons than pros.

Call Quality Is a Win But Just Barely

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Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek

The OWS Sports are designed to ward off wind noise and reduce other unwanted sounds, which is about as good as it gets for most open-ear headsets right now.

During an hour-long test call, I walked in and out of my apartment while chatting. The person I was talking to said they were able to make out what I was saying, but that I sounded far away from the receiver. I actually thought the same thing about the caller’s voice, which didn’t change when inside or outside.

It was a breezy day during that test call, so as far as I could tell, the OWS Sports did a nice job of canceling out the gusts.

A Solid Companion App

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The Oladance app isn’t an OWS Sports requirement, but I recommend downloading it for the few extra features and customizations it provides.

I liked that the main dashboard screen gives a quick readout of the Sports’ current battery life, with quick jump-to options for EQ presets, button customization, and device settings. One interesting thing is that the OWS Sports can only decode aptX HD when Bluetooth multipoint (which Oladance calls Dual Device Connection) is turned off.

I also appreciate the inclusion of a digital user guide, as well as the option to reach out to customer service.

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Should You Buy the Oladance OWS Sports?

If you’re looking for a pair of open-ear headphones with a long listening time and fit well, you’ll probably love the Oladance OWS Sports . But if you’re distracted by inconsistent sound quality (like me), I’d suggest a pair of regular wireless buds instead.

Oladance OWS Sports

6/ 10

Unlike in-ear or bone-conduction headphones, OWS Sports comfortably cradles your ears. Its patented design ensures a superior fit, allowing you to enjoy extended use without compromising comfort.

$180 at Amazon $180 at Oladance