This is my first review of the HOLME headphones, an open earhook earphones – HOLME Ultra. How does it differ from the Shokz OpenFit 2, FIIL GS Lite, Beyerdynamic Verio 200, and FiiO JadeAudio JW1? Which one is better?
HOLME Ultra specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC/AAC codec
- 8 hours playback of single charge
- Charging case can charge earbuds fully 3 times
- IPX6 waterproof rating (rain and sweat resistant)
- Multipoint connection & Sound leakage mode
- $79 – Check latest price on AliExpress
Below this HOLME Ultra review, you will find comparison of the HOLME Ultra vs Shokz OpenFit 2, FIIL GS Lite, Beyerdynamic Verio 200 and FiiO JadeAudio JW1.
Appearance Design – Comfort Fit – Battery Life
The charging case features a flat and compact design (only 2.5cm thick), making it highly portable. Its surface has a matte texture, and not easy to get fingerprints. The opening part is equipped with an LED light strip that indicates battery status through color changes.
HOLME Ultra adopts an earhook design that doesn’t enter the ear canal, preventing ear discomfort from prolonged wear. The earhook is wrapped in liquid silicone, offering a soft touch while maintaining sufficient support.
This design ensures stability while delivering excellent wearing comfort. Whether shaking your head or jumping, the earphones stay securely in place. With an ultra-lightweight 8g build, even after six hours of continuous wear, there’s no pressure on the ears.
HOLME Ultra features an innovative contact-type charging design, significantly expanding the charging port’s contact area for a more stable connection. Additionally, the earbuds boast an IPX6 waterproof rating, making them resistant to rain, sweat, and even washable.
The charging case has a 400mAh battery capacity, while each earbud holds 50mAh. A single charge lasts up to 8 hours, and the case provides three full recharges (32 hours total). The case charges via a USB-C cable and does not support wireless charging.
Connection – App Support – Controls
The earphones are equipped with a Bluetooth 5.4 chip and support SBC and AAC codecs. For the initial pairing, simply select “HOLME Ultra” from your phone’s bluetooth device list to establish a quick connection. Subsequent uses only require opening the lid – the earphones will automatically reconnect to the last paired device.
The earphones maintain a stable connection with your phone within a 10-meter range, with no dropouts or audio interruptions. Plus, HOLME Ultra supports multipoint connection, meaning you can connect it to two devices at the same time.
The earphone feature touch controls, and the control area is within the circular area outside the earphone. They support single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap, and long-press gestures. Below is the default control scheme:
- Single-tap L/R earbud: volume down/volume up
- Double-tap L or R earbud: play/pause music
- Long press L/R earbud for 2s: previous/next track
- Single-tap L or R earbud: answer/hang up call
- Long press L/R earbud for 2s: reject call
- Triple-tap L or R earbud: activate leakage mode
Unfortunately, the HOLME Ultra does not support app.
Phone Calls – Gaming Mode
HOLME Ultra is equipped with 4-MIC ENC call noise cancellation technology, making them suitable for phone calls and video meetings. Even on noisy streets, both parties can hear each other clearly during calls. While wind noise may slightly reduce volume, but the sound is still clear.
The HOLME Ultra does not have a dedicated low-latency gaming mode. According to HOLME’s official specifications, the earphones have an audio latency of 60ms. There will be a slight latency when playing shooting games, but it won’t significantly impact the gaming experience.
HOLME Ultra plays videos without issues on both Android and iPhone. There’s lipsync performance in video apps like TikTok, YouTube and Apple TV.
Sound Description – Sound Leakage
The HOLME Ultra features a built-in 16.2mm dynamic driver combined with proprietary HD directional sound transmission technology, delivering sound performance that exceeds expectations.
When listening to “Hotel California,” the introductory guitar tones come through with clarity and brightness, the drum beats extend powerfully without muddiness, and the crowd cheers create a surprisingly immersive sense of space.
Although the bass quantity is not as good as in-ear earbuds, the overall balance is excellent. In noisy environments, you’ll need to adjust the volume to around 70% for optimal sound quality. The female vocal is pure and bright, the highs without burrs and good sound layering.
HOLME Ultra is equipped with a dedicated sound leakage mode. Simply triple-tap the earphones to activate intelligent pickup of leaked sound signals, which are then canceled out using anti-phase sound wave technology. When enabled, the sound can only be heard at extremely close proximity (50% volume).
HOLME Ultra vs. Shokz OpenFit 2
The Shokz OpenFit 2 delivers above-average battery life with a single charge lasting up to 11 hours – 3 hours longer than HOLME Ultra, and 16 hours longer in total.
HOLME Ultra’s advantages lie in its more affordable price, sound leakage mode, and superior IPX6 waterproof rating (compared to Shokz’s IPX5). However, Shokz supports app customization while HOLME doesn’t. Both models feature multipoint connectivity capability.
HOLME Ultra vs. FIIL GS Lite
The FIIL GS Lite offers an impressive 10 hours of playback on a single charge and 45 hours of total battery life – both outperforming the HOLME Ultra. However, HOLME boasts a higher waterproof rating (IPX6) compared to FIIL’s IPX5.
FIIL GS Lite features both a gaming mode and app support, neither of which are available on HOLME. The HOLME Ultra only surpasses FIIL in waterproof rating (IPX6). Both models support multipoint connectivity.
HOLME Ultra vs. Beyerdynamic Verio 200
The Beyerdynamic Verio 200 additionally supports the aptX Adaptive codec, while HOLME Ultra is limited to SBC and AAC. Both models offer the same single-charge battery life, though the Beyerdynamic provides 3 hours more total playtime than HOLME.
HOLME Ultra comes at a $100 lower price than the Beyerdynamic. However, Beyerdynamic offers app support. On the other hand, HOLME features multipoint connectivity and boasts a two-level higher waterproof rating than Beyerdynamic.
HOLME Ultra vs. FiiO JadeAudio JW1
Compared to HOLME Ultra, the only advantage of JadeAudio JW1 is the price – $29, $50 less than HOLME.
JadeAudio JW1 has a single battery life of only 6 hours and a total battery life of 18 hours – both less than HOLME Ultra. Plus, JW1 does not support multipoint connection and sound leakage mode.
Conclusion:
The HOLME Ultra excels in comfort fit, sound quality, sound leakage, waterproof rating (IPX6), and battery life. Perhaps its only drawback is the price – currently retailing at $79 and exclusively available on AliExpress.
