One of the most comfortable earbuds I've tested is also surprisingly affordable

I’m not a big fan of the open-ear headphone form factor. I never feel as though such headphones are secure enough to stay on my ears. Furthermore, because I sweat so much when I’m running, the open-ear headphone design doesn’t allow enough air to get into my ears to keep them dry.

Also: I gave these $79 headphones a second chance, and they surprised me in the best way

That said, I received a pair of open-ear headphones from Soundpeats I could see myself using for things like phone calls and general listening. In fact, I’ve found myself grabbing these headphones for phone calls almost every time now. After accidentally hanging up on too many calls while trying to insert earbuds, I’ve discovered the ease of using the open-ear design.

It doesn’t hurt that the Soundpeats Gofree2 open-ear headphones sound excellent during phone calls. What about music? Let’s view the specs first.

View at Amazon

The specs

• 16.2 mm dynamic driver
• Dual mics
• Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the following profiles — A2DP1.3, AVRCP1.6, HFP 1.7, SPP 1.2, and GATT
• Chipset — WQ7034MX
• Supported codecs — LDAC, SBC, and AAC
• Battery — two times 60mAh in the earbuds and 450mAh in the charging case
• Total playtime (including charging case) — 35 hours
• Charging time — earbuds 1.5 hours, case 2 hours
• Single earbud weight — 9g
• Control type — touch
• Waterproof rating — IPX5

My experience

Every time I receive a pair of open-ear headphones, I roll my eyes, thinking, “Here we go again.” I figure the headphones will sound better than my bone-conducting ones, but I won’t be able to use them, even though Smokey Robinson never sang “Sweat gets in my ears.”

While the Gofree2 did not prove me wrong about the sweat issue, which means I can’t legitimately use these headphones for runs, that doesn’t apply to everyone. I know plenty of runners who never seem to suffer from sweat collecting in the ears bad enough to cause temporary hearing loss (yeah, it’s that bad).

Here’s the thing. I really appreciate the open-ear design and how it bests bone-conducting headphones in terms of sound. One of my big issues with my bone-conducting headphones is that when I’m running in an area with lots of traffic or other loud ambient noise, music can be hard to hear. The open-ear design solves that problem without blocking those important ambient sounds (like approaching cars and the like). For anyone who exercises outdoors, being able to hear surrounding noise is something that should not be taken lightly.

The Gofree2 does a great job of producing sound that’s loud enough to compete with traffic without blocking out the sound you need to hear to stay safe.

Also: My cheap fix that made Google’s Pixel Buds Pro sound better than ever

As far as the actual sound is concerned, I certainly wouldn’t place it among the best headphones I’ve tested, but also not the worst. The Gofree2 produces fairly impressive and accurate bass (minus the punch associated with traditional earbuds or headphones) and decent highs. My only complaint is that the mids can be a bit too exaggerated. The bonus side effect of those mids is that they make phone calls sound very clear.

I ran the headphones through some of my usual testing tunes, and here are the results:

• Rush’s “Analog Kid” had an accurate bass but a fairly cramped soundstage.
• Descartes A Kant’s “After Destruction” handles the heavy distortion and clean vocals very well. These headphones are well-suited for the quirky wall of sound produced by the band.
• The Tubes’ “Talk To Ya Later” — The 80s sound great through these headphones, but the music was mastered so well during that period that it can sound good through a tin can. Roger Steen’s guitar work really shines.
• Spirit Box’s “The Rule of Nines” — this song can take a pair of headphones through the mill because of the juxtaposition of Courtney LaPlante’s screaming and clean vocals. The Gofree2s handled it well, but given the punched-up mids, metal isn’t the best genre for these headphones.
• Conspirare’s “The Road Home” — This song is a punch to the heart for me. It’s gorgeous and Conspirare performs it to perfection. The Gofree2 headphones showed no signs of distortion when the voices rose to a climax (which some headphones and earbuds can’t handle).
• Yuja Wang’s Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 — It doesn’t get any better than Yuja Wang on the piano, and the Gofree2 make it a treat to hear her play with such passion. The EQ curve of these headphones is great for classical music.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The Soundpeat Gofree2 headphones are a great choice for those on a budget looking for quality sound and impressive comfort. The one thing to keep in mind is how you would use these headphones.

If metal is your genre of choice, look elsewhere. If you love classical music (and who doesn’t?), 80s, pop, podcasts, or need a pair of headphones for phone calls, then these little gems are a great option that won’t break the bank.