Homegrown lifestyle technology brand, Noise, has been prolific for a while with a broad portfolio of affordable headphones, smartwatches, and mobile accessories. Its new sub-brand, ALT, is an attempt at creating a category that doesn’t yet exist in India at any meaningful scale: everyday, lifestyle‑oriented open‑ear audio.
ALT is Noise’s attempt to build audio for the way people actually live now—hybrid work, constant calls, shared spaces, and the desire for comfort over isolation, considering one is always “plugged in”. Noise’s intention is to make open‑ear audio feel normal, not niche.
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been using the two launch devices Buds Open and Clip, to get a clearer sense of what open‑ear audio can be in 2026, and where Noise’s first attempt lands, and where it falters.
The rise of open‑ear audio
Open‑ear audio has existed for years, but mostly at the margins. Runners and cyclists embraced bone‑conduction headsets because they needed situational awareness. Now, even for everyone else, audio is no longer a discrete activity. It bleeds into work, commuting, chores, and conversations. People want to hear the doorbell while working from home, colleagues calling out in the office, or a child asking a question. I want to stay reachable without wearing a headset that seals me off from the world—the opposite of what active noise cancellation offers. Plus, it helps avoid the fatigue of silicone tips.
Noise’s hardware is built using “open‑air acoustic architecture”—small drivers that sit outside the ear and beam sound directionally—instead of pure bone conduction. This implementation directs audio toward the ear canal, while reducing leakage. It feels more like wearing tiny personal speakers than earbuds. This approach avoids the thinness and tickle of bone conduction and produces a fuller sound, though with predictable compromises in bass and isolation. Of course, the point of open‑ear audio isn’t immersion anyway, but coexistence.
ALT Buds Open
The ALT Buds Open use a liquid silicone ear hook with a flexible memory‑wire core, looping around the ear in a way that feels secure without being tight. The weight distribution is excellent; there are no pressure points, and the buds don’t shift even during brisk walks.
Noise has packed in Hi‑Res Audio, LHDC, and Dynamic EQ. This is an unusually ambitious spec sheet for an open‑ear product at this price. Translated for non‑audiophiles, the hardware and codecs here are designed to deliver cleaner sound and smarter tuning than you’d expect from an open‑ear design.
But specs matter less than experience.
Open‑ear audio will never deliver the sealed‑off punch of in‑ear buds, but the Buds Open do better than expected. The midrange is clean and the treble has enough sparkle without becoming sharp. Bass is more of a gentle thump than a physical rumble.
Because the drivers sit outside the ear, the audio feels airy and spatial, almost like listening to a small desktop speaker at close range. For podcasts, calls, and acoustic music, this is genuinely pleasant. Dual device pairing works reliably, making it easy to switch between a laptop and phone.
Plus, Noise has included AI-based noise reduction and “anti‑wind technology,” which helps during outdoor calls. Voices mostly come through clearly during calls, though background noise isn’t eliminated as in ANC earbuds. Because nothing enters the ear canal, there’s no pressure, no heat buildup, and no fatigue. You can wear them for hours without noticing them—something that premium in‑ear buds struggle with.
ALT Clip
The ALT Clip is the more unconventional product. Instead of an ear hook, it uses a clip‑on design that attaches to the outer ear. It’s lighter, smaller, and more discreet than the Buds Open.
The Clip uses dual magnetic drivers and supports Hi‑Res Audio with LHDC. The tuning seems to be slightly brighter than the Buds Open, with more emphasis on clarity. Bass is modest, but the Clip is surprisingly competent for its size. It’s not meant for immersive listening; it’s meant for ambient audio—music while working, calls while walking, or listening to navigation prompts without blocking out the world. The Clip also features environmental noise cancellation (ENC) and AI‑powered noise reduction. Call quality is good indoors and acceptable outdoors.
The clip mechanism is secure but may not suit everyone. People with smaller ears may find it slightly loose, while those with larger ears may feel mild pressure after long sessions. It’s less universally comfortable than the Buds Open, but more discreet.
The ALT ecosystem
Noise launched ALT alongside a smartwatch and framed it as a new category of “open wearables”. This ecosystem framing is interesting because it suggests Noise sees open‑ear audio as a long‑term bet rather than a one‑off experiment.
ALT succeeds most clearly in comfort and everyday usability. Both devices deliver on the promise of audio that coexists with your surroundings. They’re ideal for people who dislike silicone tips or feel fatigued by in‑ear buds. They’re also priced aggressively, offering premium features like Hi‑Res Audio, LHDC, and quad‑mic calling that are rare in this category.
Of course, Noise is not alone in exploring this space. Shokz remains the most recognisable name in open‑ear audio, though its bone‑conduction approach is more sports‑oriented. Sony’s LinkBuds attempted a lifestyle open‑ring design, but has never reached mass adoption. Other Indian brands like boAt too have experimented with open‑ear variants but haven’t pursued the category seriously.
ALT’s advantage is price and positioning. At ₹4,499, both Buds Open and Clip are a thoughtful experiment for a different kind of listening—ambient, comfortable, and socially aware. Open‑ear audio is still a niche, and it will take consistent refinement—better leakage control, improved bass response, more ergonomic designs—to turn it into a mainstream category.
Abhishek Baxi is a New Delhi-based tech writer.