Bose’s new “open” sport buds are due to launch on January 20

Last year, Bose launched some new sets of truly wireless headsets – the QuietComfort headphones and Sports earphones – both have a noise isolation design where the tips of the ears nest inside your ears, sealing a reasonable amount of ambient sound (QuietComfort headphones also have active noise cancellation). On Tuesday the company launched its new Sport Open Earbuds, which features, as the name implies, an open design with no tip, which means it is over your ear.

They are available for pre-order now for $ 200 and are due for delivery on January 21st. Initially, they will only be available in the US, so no international pricing is available, but $ 200 is about £ 150 or AU $ 260.

Bose says headphones are the first to use OpenAudio technology – not bone conduction – the same technology that Bose uses for its $ 250 Sunglasses Frames. The frames sound surprisingly good, although not as good as noise-isolating headphones or full-size headphones. “This unique approach produces a clearer and more consistent sound, without the feeling of vibration for which bone conduction is known,” says the company.

Because of its open design, I suspect that Sport Open headphones may be missing a little in the bass department. Like frames, they will appeal to runners and motorcyclists who want nothing to cover their ears for safety reasons. They are also likely to attract people who just don’t like the feeling of having an ear tip stuck in their ear.

O Bose Weather Frames employ 22 mm drivers, while Sport Open Earbuds have 16 mm drivers. You will likely get some sound leak at higher volumes, which means that people will be able to hear your music if they are close to you. That said, with Frames, when you keep your sound at more moderate volume levels, sound leakage is minimal.

The headphones are splash-resistant IPX4 and battery life is estimated at up to eight hours at 50% volume. They come with a charging dock and a protective case, but they don’t seem to be charging in the case, which doesn’t seem to have a battery inside. This is unusual, but allows the case to be lighter and more compact.

There are two microphones in the right earphone for making calls. Bose says the advanced microphone system is “designed to focus only on your voice and reduce the sound of wind and other noise around you”. Frames are actually very good for making calls, so I hope they work well as headsets too.

As soon as I get a review sample, I’ll post a full review of the Sport Open headphones and tell you how they sound and fit.