The Oladance OWS Sports open-ear headphones have a pair of 23x10mm drivers that provide a crisp, clear, high-quality sound – with an impressive bass – while still allowing you to hear your surroundings. Throw in a great battery life, low weight and a first-ratebuild quality and you've got a pair of phones with very few down sides.
The OWS Sports is the latest model in Oladance's range of open-ear headphones. The design features a single band that goes around the back of your neck, linking the headphones at either end. Unlike most earphones, these aren't isolating, and they're not a bone-conducting design either – instead they have a pair of bass-boosting 23x10mm drivers that direct sound into your ears. A driver is essentially miniature speaker that 'drives' the air, creating pressure waves that result in your ear canal receiving sound. Got that?
But regardless of the science, the result is a pair of headphones that gives you a crisp, clear listening experience for your music or podcasts, while not isolating you from your surroundings.
Build
The construction quality of the OWS Sports is excellent. Oladance uses a soft-touch, premium silicone that feels comfortable agains your skin, and with a reasonably snug fit that sits closeto your head. There's no unpleasant pressure to keep them in place and there are physical buttons controls that work in the rain – its exceptional IPX8 rating means it can survive submersion in water – and with gloved hands. But that high quality and resistance to the elements is reflected in the high price.
The box includes a good quality hardshell carry case that you can throw in your bag and a proprietary charging cable that connects magnetically to the phones for an easy charge. And the package as a whole does make you feel like your money is being well spent.
With quite large 23x10mm drivers and a Qualcomm chip, Oladance is placing a big emphasis on the sound quality of these headphones.
In use
I've found the Oladance Sports excellent. Pairing them was a breeze and to turn them on you justhold the volume-up button on the right ear. I would recommend downloading the Oladance app, as this allows you to update firmware easily and to change things like the multi-function button use. I also found that the Bluetooth worked consistently well during testing, suffering no dropouts.
The play/pause button is on the left ear – a double tap lets you skip songs, a triple tap plays previous songs.
When putting these on with a helmet, I found it much better to put my helmet on first and then put the phones on over the top of the helmet straps, which reduces the chance of the straps getting tangled.
Sound quality
Getting the volume right can be an issue with bone-conduction headphones – but that was never the case with these. You can actually have these quite loud, which is very handy when you're riding.Except when there was a lot of wind and I was listening to something quiet, I was always able to hear my music.
And one of the real highlights of these when listening to music is the sound quality – it's really very good, head and shoulders above that of any bone-conductionheadphones I've used. The sound quality is crisp and clean, the bass is impressive. Oladance says 'its patented Virtual Bass 2nd algorithm enhances the low-frequency sound for a fuller and deeper bass', and I really think it does.
This was really noticeable when I compared them against the sort of cheaper open-ear headphones you can find on eBay. Swapping between the two the differences are immediately and strikingly obvious, with the sound quality of the Oladance Sports significantly better than that offered by cheapo phones.
They don't have the thumping bass you'll find on isolated headphones, but that's to be expected when your ears are also open to the outside world – but the bass that is present is impressive, and provides a very nice listening experience.
It is worth mentioning that the open-ear design does mean people around you can hear sound escaping from your phones, usually the drum beat or the more high-pitched parts of songs, which could well be annoying to other people if you're using them in a train, for example.
While the band around the back of your head is out of the way most of the time, I did run into issues when I tried to zip a high-necked jacket all the way up, or pull a neck warmer over my ears, when the band can get in the way.
The soft-touch silicone proved comfortable even after wearing the phones for hours, and I didn't suffer even a hint of skin irritation. They're snug and comfortable over your ears, and stayed in place well.
And one final positive: the battery life is excellent. I managed 15 hours of use after a single charge, so unless you're an endurance rider you're extremelunlikely to run out of battery life during normal day-to-day use.
Value
At £189.99, these are very much at the upper end of things when it comes to headphones – but if you're after phones that offer an excellent sound quality while still allowing you to hear the outside world, and without the 'muddy' sound you can get from bone-conductionphones, the Oladance OWS Sports are a great option.
You can pick up a super-cheap pair of open-ear headphones on eBay for as little as £8.99, but from my experience these are poor with a pretty shocking sound quality.
Pay a bit more and theTozoOpenRealAir Conduction Sport phones, another open-ear design, come in at £49.99. AndEmily was pretty impressed when she tested them late last year.
Stretch your budget to £160 and you could get theShokzOpenRunPro bone-conduction phones. Steve enjoyed using them and was impressed with their sound quality, but they're not as good when you're riding at high speed, and the bass can't match the Oladance Sports' open-ear design.
Conclusion
If you value sound quality and enjoy listening to all the sections of songs, from bass to the high sections – while still being able to hear ambient noise – the Oladance OWS Sports are a very good option, and one I'd have no qualms recommending.
Verdict
Very well made, excellent sound quality, comfortable and an excellent battery life – but expensive
road.cc test report
Make and model: Oladance OWS Sports headphone
Size tested: n/a
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Oladance says: "Immerse yourself in a rich and immersive audio experience with powerful bass, 360° sound, and minimized high-frequency distortion.
Experience unparalleled comfort and an optimal fit with our innovative patented design, ensuring extended enjoyment without compromising on comfort.
Engineered to withstand the rigors of intense workouts, our headphones are sweatproof and waterproof, providing you with peace of mind in any weather condition."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Two 10*23mm drivers
Qualcomm chip
15 hours battery life
IPX8 Water Resistant
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
High-quality materials and excellent buttons deliver a premium-quality feel.
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Exactly what you want from open-ear headphones – delivering excellent sound quality while still letting you hear the outside world.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
The very high IPX8 rating means it can survive submersion in water, which should make it fine for even the wettest weather.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
At 26g they're even lighter than the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones. And let's face it, every two grams count!
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
8/10
Generally, I've found these to be very comfortable, although they can catch if you wear a high collar, which can be become frustrating.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Headphone prices are a challenge, because what's a reasonable price for one person will be far too expensive for another – but the quality and sound from these really make you feel like you're getting the most for your money, and are up there with the most premium headphone brands.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
The Oladance OWS Sports performed very well, becoming my go-to choice when out for rides, thanks to their great sound, easy-to-use controls and good comfort. I enjoy the quality sound they produce without totally isolatingfrom your environment.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The very good sound quality – while being able to hear what's going on around me.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I found it annoying when I wore a high collar, when the back of the neck band can catch on the collar.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
There are options that come in at a similar price, such as offerings from Shokz, as well as both cheaper and dearer options – but the high quality of the Oladance OWS phones justifies the high price.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes – absolutely
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes – if they care about sound quality
Use this box to explain your overall score
The Oladance OWS Sport headphones have been excellent, the sound quality is great and they're very comfortable. They're notcheap option, but they have the credentials to back up that price. You might have issues if you use them with a high collar but that – and the price – are about the only issues.
Overall rating: 8/10
About the tester
Age: 23
I usually ride: Storck Aerfast My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 yearsI ride: Every dayI would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,