Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: good enough to wear all day

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro

8

Design

8.5/10

Features

8.0/10

Sound quality

7.5/10

Value for money

8.0/10

Pros

• Comfortable open-ear fit
• Impressive battery life with case
• Decent sound quality for the design
• Sound-leakage reduction
• Recording function

Cons

• Not ideal in very noisy environments
• Bass lacks punch
• Touch controls can be hit-or-miss

Xiaomi

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: One minute review

The OpenWear Stereo Pro aren’t trying to be everything. They’re not aiming to shut out the world or replace your go-to headphones for immersive listening. But they do carve out their own niche, and they do it well.

For everyday use where comfort, awareness and convenience matter more than heavy bass or full isolation, these work. You can wear them all day, hear your surroundings and still enjoy decent audio quality without annoying everyone around you. Add to that the strong battery life, the clean design and that comfortable over-ear fit, and you’ve got a pair of earbuds that feel genuinely practical.

They’re not perfect. The sound flattens out at higher volumes, and you’ll notice the limitations if you’re used to sealed in-ear buds. The recording feature feels more like a side project than a must-have. And while the gesture controls are fine most of the time, they’re not always spot-on.

Still, for what they are, open-ear all-day earbuds that stay comfortable and sound good enough, the Stereo Pro are easy to recommend. If you’re after something that won’t block out the world or shove into your ears, this is one of the better options out there.

You can check them out on Xiaomi’s website. They typically retail at £139.99 (around $180). You can also find them on Amazon (check price).

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Look and feel

These came out in September and I’ve been playing around with them ever since. They’ve got an open-ear design that perches just above the ear canal, so nothing actually goes in. Which, let’s be honest, is a relief. No blocked-up ears, no weird pressure, and you’re way less likely to wreck your hearing by blasting music too loud.

I also like the fact that I can still hear what’s going on around me when wearing them. The buds use directional audio to beam the sound into your ears without needing a full seal. So you get your tunes, but you can still hear that cyclist sneaking up behind you or the kettle boiling.

The buds hook over the ear with a flexible memory titanium wire. Feels a bit like they’re giving your ears a hug, but in a non-clingy way. They stay put for walks and casual jogs, though if you start bouncing around like a maniac, they might shift a bit. The look is clean and shiny, with a hint of futuristic sci-fi accessory. You can grab them in Graphite Black, Titan Gray or Sand Gold. As can be seen from the images, I have the shiny gray option.

Now normally with open-ear buds, I brace myself for sound leaking out like someone playing music on speakerphone in public. But that’s not the case here, which is one of the selling points. There’s a 10mm driver doing some clever work to keep the audio mostly to yourself. I’ve worn them around other people and haven’t had any “can you not?” glares, so I’ll count that as a win.

They’re really light, under 10 grams each, and the soft silicone coating makes them comfortable to wear for hours. I actually prefer them over in-ear buds when I’m lying in bed. I usually throw on a podcast late at night, and these don’t dig in or leave my ears sore after a while.

The Pro version uses a three-point support system to spread out the pressure. I’ve had earbuds that felt fine at first but turned into little torture devices after an hour. These don’t do that. And just to clear it up, these aren’t bone-conduction headphones. They don’t press on your temples or buzz your skull. It’s a different feel entirely.

The charging case is also nice. Small, smooth, oval-shaped, and feels like it belongs with something more expensive. Inside there’s a soft lining and strong magnets that suck the buds into place with a satisfying snap. It did take me a few tries to figure out the correct alignment. Kind of like trying to plug in a USB the wrong way, flipping it, then realising you had it right the first time. But once you’ve got it down, the buds stay put and the case doesn’t open by accident.

The real magic here is how easy they are to forget you’re even wearing them. The buds don’t need fiddling, they don’t block out the world, and they just… work. The only thing is, if you’re in a noisy spot, you’ll hear everything going on around you. So maybe don’t wear them next to a construction site unless jackhammers are your thing.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Battery life

Xiaomi says you’ll get around 8.5 hours of listening time from the earbuds on a single charge, which I found sounds about right. With the charging case, total battery life stretches to about 45 hours. That’s a step up from the standard OpenWear Stereo which tops out at 7.5 hours for the buds and 38.5 hours with the case.

These numbers sound impressive, but they depend a lot on how you use the earbuds. If you’re sticking to low volume and basic audio codecs, then you’ll probably get close to Xiaomi’s claims. But once you start streaming higher quality audio, or crank up the volume to compete with traffic or wind, the battery drains faster. It’s not unusual to see a drop of a couple of hours when you’re using more demanding settings.

Another thing to consider is how often you’ll be putting the buds back in the case for a quick top-up. The case has a 700mAh battery, which is enough to recharge the buds several times over. That makes a big difference if you’re wearing them throughout the day.

Battery life should hold up well in the first year or so, but over time you can expect the total runtime to shrink. That’s just the nature of lithium batteries. Still, for open-ear earbuds, the 8.5 and 45 hour numbers put the Pro version near the top of the pack.

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Technical specs

Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro review: Functionality

How to use

Getting started is simple. First, remove the earbuds from the case, peal of the protective film, and pop them back in to make sure they’re fully activated. The first time you open the lid, they should automatically enter pairing mode. Just go into your phone’s Bluetooth settings and select the OpenWear Stereo Pro from the list. The connection should take a few seconds, and you’re good to go.

To turn them off, put the buds back into the charging case and close the lid. They power down automatically. Open the case again, and they reconnect to the last paired device as long as Bluetooth is on and you’re in range. Simple enough.

You can connect to two devices at once, but that feature might need to be enabled first. If you want to pair with a second phone or laptop, keep the earbuds inside the case, then press and hold the button on the case until the light starts blinking. That puts them back into pairing mode without forgetting the first connection.

Controls are handled through touch gestures. Double-tap to play or pause music, answer calls, or skip tracks depending on how it’s set up.

I suggest you install the Xiaomi Earbuds app. That gives you controls over what the gestures do, and it also handles firmware updates and features like find-my-earbuds. You can also use it to enable features like adaptive volume and dimensional audio or check the battery levels of each bud and the case.

Touch response can sometimes be hit-or-miss if you tap too far off the sweet spot or if your fingers are cold or dry, so it helps to be a bit deliberate with your taps.

If you ever need to reset everything, hold the button on the charging case for about ten seconds while both earbuds are inside. You’ll see the lights flash a few times, and they’ll go back to factory settings.

Once you’re set up, it’s all pretty seamless. They connect quickly, and switching between devices isn’t a hassle if you’ve already used the app to enable that feature. Most people won’t need a manual, but it’s worth getting familiar with the app early on so you don’t miss out on the extra settings.

A recording mode

An interesting feature that comes with these buds is a recording mode. It’s there if you need it, though I wouldn’t call it essential. You can trigger it with a gesture, and it records audio either from the buds or a small mic built into the case.

I set it up so holding the right bud starts and stops the recording. Once you’re done, the app shows a list of saved clips. From there, you can transfer them to your phone and play them back.

The quality is decent enough for quick notes or reminders, but that’s about as far as I’d go. It’s not something I’ve used a lot, but I can see how some people might find it handy.

Sound quality & noise cancellation

Sound quality on the Xiaomi OpenWear Stereo Pro is better than you’d expect from an open-ear design. It doesn’t reach proper headphone levels, but it holds its own against most other open earbuds I’ve used.

There’s a multi-driver setup inside. You get an 18x13mm dynamic driver for the bass, dual balanced armatures for mids and highs, and a piezoelectric tweeter to bring out a bit of sparkle. The tuning comes from the Harman and AudioEFX team. You also get that 10mm sound leak reducer, which helps keep the audio focused where it should be.

They support high-resolution codecs like LDAC and LHDC, so if your phone supports those, audio stays full and detailed. There’s also a head-tracking feature that adds a bit of spatial effect when you move your head. It’s there if you want it, though I didn’t find it made a huge difference day to day.

Since these are open earbuds, outside noise gets in. You’re not getting isolation. So good sound here means keeping the mids and highs clean, giving vocals space, and avoiding distortion rather than delivering deep bass. From what I’ve heard, vocals and instruments sound clear with decent separation. The bass is fine for this type of design, but it won’t hit like a sealed in-ear pair. And if you push the volume too high, the lows start to lose their punch.

You can check them out on Xiaomi’s website. They typically retail at £139.99 (around $180). You can also find them on Amazon (check price).

Buy if

• You’re after something that doesn’t go in your ears. These sit just above the ear canal and avoid the pressure and discomfort that comes with in-ear buds.
• You want to hear your surroundings. The open design and directional audio mean you won’t miss the doorbell or traffic while listening to music or podcasts.
• You need decent battery life. The 8.5 hours from the buds and 45 with the case hold up well, even with regular use.
• You value comfort over isolation. These are good for wearing all day without needing constant adjustment.

Don’t buy if

• You want deep bass and full immersion. These won’t match the punch or isolation of sealed in-ear headphones.
• You often listen in noisy environments. Since these don’t block outside sound, they can struggle in loud settings like public transport or busy streets.
• You need reliable touch controls. They work most of the time, but can be finicky if your taps are slightly off.

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