2024 was a fantastic year in the world of headphones and audio equipment. While the NWM One didn’t make any of our best 2024 lists, they have easily become one of my favorite headphones since I tested them out in September 2024. I am a huge fan of open-ear headphones for their versatility of use, but in the long run, I always tend to put them down after a bit when I get let down by the overall sound quality not keeping up, but that is where the NWM One differs.
Whether I was going for a walk, listening to music around the house, or even taking long flights, these headphones became my go-to choice. Over the last five months, I have been able to really explore what makes these headphones special and whether they are worth the investment for the long run, rather than just for the gimmick.
New here? Check out the original review of the NWM One Headphones to see what we thought about them on day one!
Design & Comfort
At first glance, these headphones probably look like the most annoying open-back headphones for people around you, but thanks to some clever design, they allow you to have your ears completely open to your surroundings while not letting any noise out of the headphones. Even though these headphones have been out for a while now, the market is still pretty small, and the weird looks I mentioned in the original review still happen reasonably often, but after five months of pretty consistent wearing, I have gotten used to it.
Despite the weird looks, these headphones are still some of the most comfortable headphones I have used. I recently made a couple of long-haul flights to Europe, and even though they don’t do anything for noise suppression, I was able to wear these headphones for an eight-hour flight uninterrupted with no sweaty ears or listening fatigue. I cannot imagine wearing ANC headphones for that long without feeling like I just came out of a cave.
Since the first review, I have noticed that if you have longer hair, the rubber earcups can catch on your hair when you put on or take off these headphones. But besides that, which happened a few times after living with these headphones as daily drivers for the last five months, I have no critiques on the comfort or design.
Connectivity and Battery Life
Since these headphones are first and foremost daily drivers, Bluetooth is the main connection option, and even over these last five months, I have had no issues with this being rock solid across various devices. The connection remains strong even when you are further away from your device. Sometimes, I did find myself almost leaving for a walk without my phone because the headphones stayed connected until I had already gone out my front door.
While the latency is excellent for listening to music, watching content, and even video chats, I would not recommend these as a go-to choice for gaming. You might find the latency lacking a bit of speed compared to a wired pair of headphones or a dedicated gaming headset.
With a battery life of around 20 hours, I could easily get through most of a week without needing a recharge, although there were some weeks when I was using these fairly heavily that I wished they had a bit more battery life. However, I can’t complain too much. The USB-C charging port made it easy to plug into any charger I had with me, and they were ready to go and use again within an hour or so of charging.
Sound Quality
As I said in the beginning, the sound quality is really what kept these headphones around for me. Using relatively massive 35mm drivers, these headphones can deliver much more powerful and detailed sound than other open-ear headphones. Open-ear headphones are getting much better, but most of the competition, like Shokz OpenRun and Sony LinkBuds Open, still doesn’t hold a candle to the NWM One.
While some of the magical qualities I mentioned in my initial review have worn off with time, there are still times when I go for a walk with these headphones on, and the noise around me and the music I am listening to combine perfectly to make me feel like I am in a soundtrack. While open-ear headphones are not everyone’s cup of tea, these headphones allow you to get an entirely different experience than ANC headphones ever could.
Would I Recommend the NWM One Again?
I recognize these headphones are quite a premium product and can be pretty niche, but out of all the headphones I tested last year, these are the headphones I always ask people to try if they want to experience something they have never had before. If you are looking for headphones that don’t separate you from the world, but still allow you to enjoy your music fully, it is hard to go wrong with the NWM One.
nwm One
Unmute the world and embrace life’s vibrant sounds alongside your favorite music. Enjoy a new era of experiencing both music and the world around you. The nwm One takes open-ear headphones to a whole new level with incredible sound quality and a design that lets you stay fully aware of your surroundings but not let anyone around you hear what you are listening to.
- Battery Life
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Approx. 20 hours
- Wireless?
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Bluetooth 5.3
- Microphones
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MEMS (omnidirectional) x2
- Frequency Response
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40 Hz – 20,000 Hz
- Weight
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185 grams
- Noise Cancellation
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No
- Charging type
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USB-C
- Supported codecs
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SBC / AAC / LC3 / CVSD / mSBC
More
Whether you are going for a run or have kids you need to keep an ear open for, there is an excellent open-ear headphones option for everyone.