ZDNET’s Key Takeaways:
The OpenRock Link 20 earbuds can currently be purchased directly from the official manufacturer’s website for a retail price of $149. These earbuds particularly excel in providing crisp, articulate audio during phone calls and in reproducing spoken-word content such as podcasts or YouTube commentary. However, they tend to fall short when it comes to delivering an engaging musical experience, offering sound that feels noticeably tinny, shallow, and lacking in depth or warmth.

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When I review earbuds or headphones, I normally concentrate on their ability to reproduce music accurately. Tonal balance, clarity, and soundstage tend to dominate my evaluation, while elements such as battery longevity or convenience features usually take a back seat—especially when a pair manages to produce exceptional sonic quality. Yet, on rare occasions, a set of earbuds enters my testing rotation that does not quite meet my high expectations for musical performance, prompting me to search for other aspects in which the device might excel.

Such an experience occurred when I received the OpenRock Link 20 open-air earbuds. After unboxing them, pairing them seamlessly with my Pixel 9 Pro, and cueing up one of my favorite playlists, I immediately sensed disappointment. The sound signature was overly metallic and flat, severely lacking the low-end richness that lends music vitality, while the upper frequencies seemed to disappear altogether. In short, there was no dynamism—no sense of agility or presence that draws listeners into a track. However, I soon began to suspect that these earbuds might serve an entirely different and perhaps more practical purpose—one not rooted in musical fidelity but in vocal clarity.

The Link 20 earbuds introduce a distinctive feature: a detachable and flexible boom microphone, approximately three inches in length, which attaches magnetically to either earbud. Initially, I ignored this apparent gimmick, focusing instead on sound quality. But after realizing the musical performance was mediocre, I decided to shift my perspective and evaluate the earbuds as a communication tool.

To test call quality, I phoned someone well acquainted with my work and explained that they were part of an experiment. Their feedback was telling: they described the audio from my end as slightly tinny but impressively clear and easy to understand. After chatting briefly, I switched over to my Denon PerL Pro earbuds—my benchmark for premium sound quality—and expected an immediate improvement from the listener’s perspective. To my surprise, my contact reported that despite the tinny tone, the OpenRock Link 20’s microphone delivered noticeably cleaner and more intelligible speech than the Denons. This revelation underscored the Link 20’s real strength: vocal reproduction and speech intelligibility.

Considering their retail price of $149, I initially anticipated that the sound performance of the Link 20 would align at least with mid-tier competitors. However, despite installing the accompanying OpenRock app and experimenting with every available setting, I found no reliable way to significantly enhance the audio character. The app revealed multiple sound modes accessible through a triple-tap gesture on the left earbud—options including Music, Beast, and Custom modes. I eventually discovered that detaching the boom microphone allowed this feature to work properly. After cycling through the modes, I concluded that Music Mode provided the most tolerable sonic balance, though activating Spatial Sound introduced an unpleasant flanger-like effect that compromised the listening experience.

Attempting to refine the audio further, I explored the customizable equalizer, which offered adjustments across seven frequency bands. Despite my efforts, none of the EQ tweaks could transform the sound into something more engaging. Ultimately, I reverted to the default Music Mode, recognizing that the earbuds’ sound profile leaned excessively toward the midrange, producing the persistent tinny quality I had noticed from the beginning.

Why, then, did I persist with them instead of dismissing them outright? The answer lies in the spectral range of human speech, which predominantly occupies the midrange frequencies. In other words, what makes these earbuds subpar for music rendering is precisely what makes them excellent for voice-focused tasks. Whenever you tune an equalizer for podcasts or conference calls, midrange emphasis ensures that speech comes through clearly and unambiguously. Consequently, the Link 20’s tuning enhances podcasts, interviews, and spoken media in a remarkably effective manner.

I tested this with various audio content—listening to a podcast as well as a popular late-night commentary segment—and found voices reproduced with striking clarity. Every tonal nuance and inflection was articulated without distortion or muddiness. Although the earbuds still lack any real bass resonance, which means that music and cinematic audio lose some of their emotional impact, I am more than willing to trade low-end thump for verbal precision when consuming talk-based content.

ZDNET’s Buying Advice:
For users whose daily audio habits revolve around phone calls, virtual meetings, and podcast listening, the OpenRock Link 20 earbuds deliver a compelling combination of clarity, comfort, and functional design. Conversely, if high-fidelity music playback or immersive soundscapes are your priorities, these earbuds will inevitably fall short. After relying almost exclusively on my higher-end earbuds for professional calls over the past year, I now find myself willingly defaulting to the Link 20 whenever communication clarity takes center stage.

Technical Specifications:
• Detachable magnetic boom microphone
• Weight: 0.3 oz per earbud
• Audio Drivers: 15 x 10 mm custom dynamic drivers
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
• Microphone: 5-mic array with AI-enhanced environmental noise cancellation
• Codec Support: AAC and SBC
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.0, with an effective range of approximately 50 feet indoors and up to 99 feet outdoors
• Pairing Capability: Dual-device pairing supported
• Waterproofing: IPX7-rated earbuds and IP55-rated boom mic for dust and water resistance
• Battery Life: Up to 13 hours of continuous music playback (52 hours total with charging case), or up to 9 hours of talk time (36 hours total with case)
• Charging Features: Quick-charge function yields approximately one hour of playback after a mere five-minute charge

In conclusion, the OpenRock Link 20 may not satisfy audiophiles in pursuit of rich bass and sophisticated musical detail, but it carves out a distinctive niche for itself in an oversaturated market. By prioritizing vocal intelligibility and functional adaptability—especially with its detachable boom mic—it becomes an invaluable tool for professionals and podcast enthusiasts who demand clarity above all else.

Sourse: https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-i-strongly-recommend-these-earbuds-even-though-their-audio-is-subpar/