I’ve reviewed some Nank (formerly known as Naenka) wireless headphone products here before, most recently the Runner Diver 2 which is a bone conduction headphone you can take swimming.
Unlike Nank’s other offerings, the Nank OE Mix is not a bone conduction headphone. It’s Nank’s first true wireless sound (TWS) open ear wireless headphones with separate earbuds for each ear and tiny speakers positioned just above the ear canal.
Watch my vlog review below, or scroll down for a text version.
Here are the specifics from the Nank website:
- Open Ear Experience for Sports: The Nank OE Mix Open Ear Headphones offer comfort and safety with a breathable open fit, making them perfect for both video calls and listening to music. They feature built-in noise-canceling for clear conversations in any environment.
- Impressive Stereo Sound: With 16.2mm vibrating diaphragm speaker drivers, three times larger than typical wireless earbuds, the Nank OE Mix delivers rich, balanced audio with clear tones, deep bass, and an immersive soundstage.
- Latest Bluetooth 5.4 Connectivity: Equipped with Bluetooth 5.4, the Nank OE Mix ensures a fast, reliable connection with minimal latency, providing seamless audio and video synchronization.
- Easy Control: Manage audio playback and calls with built-in touchpads and enjoy AI noise cancellation that reduces ambient noise by up to 80%. These headphones offer wide compatibility and easy one-step pairing.
- Long Battery Life and Low-Latency Gaming: Enjoy up to 36 hours of battery life for extended music and calls without frequent recharging. The 60ms low-latency gaming mode provides a competitive edge for gamers.
In the OE Mix box you have the charging case, the earbuds themselves (one for the left ear and one for the right), a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, and a printed user manual.
(I hate having to download or browse for a user manual, so plus points for having everything in the box!)
You can use both earbuds, or just one at a time. They turn on automatically when you pull them out of the charging case, but you can switch them off through long-pressing the touch area on the earbud. Pairing was pretty easy and quick on my smartphone as well as my smartwatch.
On the ear, the Nank OE Mix is C-shaped and hooks over the ear and under the ear lobe. I did have some ear fatigue when wearing this the first time because subconsciously I was trying to keep them from falling off by tensing the muscles behind the ears. But soon my body learned that these headphones are much more secure than in-ear headphones that can fly off when you turn your head at the right angle and velocity.
Once done listening or when you’re ready to charge them again, magnets in the charging case help you position the earbuds properly so they align with the charging pins and don’t fall out.
What I found is I needed to turn the OE Mix headphones off manually because for some reason mine don’t “sleep”; once they reach full charge, they turn on again even when inside the case.
With regard to sound quality, I’m not an audiophile and deep bass doesn’t really impress me especially when I’m listening on small earbuds (vibrating bass makes my ears itchy). However, I loved the clarity of sound from the OE Mix and the fact that the open-ear design has an immersive effect; it makes me feel like the music surrounds me.
For noise cancellation, I found that people on the other end of my calls couldn’t hear the ambient sound I was in (don’t ask me why I took a work Zoom call inside a Zara store…). However, if you’re in a really noisy environment you’ll find it difficult to hear what the OE Mix speakers are pumping out. But if you’re running on the road, situational awareness is great because you can hear what’s happening around you.
The Nank OE Mix headphones don’t have onboard music storage, so you’ll need to stream music from your smartphone or smartwatch. They are IPX5 water-resistant, so this means you can sweat heavily wearing them or run when it’s raining. (Just don’t take them swimming!)
During this training season leading up to the Sydney Marathon, I’ve used the Nank OE Mix for nearly all of my training runs except for my long runs, because I’m training to run the marathon without music. But when I’m trying to get through a monotonous easy run or a hard interval run, listening to music with my OE Mix motivates me.
The Nank OE Mix normally retails for USD $69.99, but discounts on the Nank website can range from 15% to 20% off. As of this writing, they are at $55.99. Shipping is free worldwide, and you can get express shipping if you’re in the USA or UK. Buy the Nank OE Mix here.
