While their popularity is certainly growing, I hadn’t tried open earphones until we reviewed the Shokz OpenFit headphones last year, and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Certain situations do call for these nowadays.
Be it cycling, working out, or simply being out in public and wanting to keep an ear on things, the open-ear design could, and probably should, have boomed in popularity ages ago. That being said, it’s admittedly taken a while for this alternative to resonate with users, primarily regarding audio quality.
While I don’t think that issue has been completely solved, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 bone conduction headphones might just be the closest we’ve seen to nailing that balance between the perks of the design, and decent-quality audio.
Design
From a design perspective, the OpenRun Pro 2 headphones are incredibly similar to their older sibling. Coming in at 31 grams, the first OpenRun Pro is only 1 gram lighter than the OpenRun Pro 2, which makes the latter all the more impressive, given the extra hardware they’ve managed to cram in for the increased audio quality. Even then, this is still incredibly comfortable to wear, and the Ni-Ti Memory Alloy band that joins the headphones around the back of the head remains largely unnoticed which is fantastic.
Like the first OpenRun Pro, the OpenRun Pro 2 comes in two sizes, the standard and the mini. We reviewed the standard option here and found that it fits on the larger side. I found I still had plenty of room even with my larger head, but didn’t really feel like the band was loose or flimsy in any way. That being said, those with smaller heads might want to consider the mini alternative.
The OpenRun Pro 2 headphones come in two primary colours, black and orange, with a third white, yellow and orange Kipchoge Co-Branded Edition, named after Shokz ambassador and long-distance runner, Eliud Kipchoge. All three options are nice, and while you can’t go wrong with black, I loved the orange option, when paired with the metallic finish around the ears and speakers.
While things are anything but radically different, they are still incredibly comfortable to wear and with an IP55 sweat-resistant rating, are incredibly sturdy around the ears for most workouts and activities.
Performance & Battery
So how do bone-conduction headphones even work? Well, they essentially vibrate to transmit sound through your cheekbones, head and jaw. There have always been a few catches to this design and technology, in getting things to work as intended.
Firstly, the headphones themselves generally cause a small vibration in the bones to get the job done, which can sometimes be felt. Secondly, the bass is rarely felt as it’s unfortunately harder to transmit, leaving audio quality feeling relatively hollow and tinny.
It’s not the case this time around, and for a couple of great reasons. The OpenRun Pro 2 headphones utilise dual-driver technology powered by Shokz DualPitch, with a secondary driver that shoots out audio over and around the ear canal to carry with it a larger sense of bass and louder volume levels.
While the bass isn’t necessarily the deepest, it’s certainly there, and can even be enhanced via the Shokz companion app. I will certainly commend the bass levels though, as they’re the best that I’ve heard in open-ear headphones so far, and way ahead of the original OpenRun Pro headphones.
They’re also keeping vibrations to a minimum, and I can’t imagine many users complaining of uncomfortable listening sessions over longer periods, where vibrations might become an issue. Cranking the bass up on these made no difference to the vibrations and I would recommend this option as one of the most comfortable headphones for that achievement alone.
But make no mistake. For now, the open-ear design means that these aren’t belting out amazingly loud levels of audio, even if I feel that would defeat the purpose of these headphones in the first place. And while the bass is technically there, it’s worth weighing up what you’re using your headphones for, as even a basic pair of AirPods will give you a much better soundstage, on top of saving you a few bucks.
The microphone quality is also pretty damn good, there’s just no other way to put it. Even in slightly windier environments around the suburbs, I rarely received any complaints that things were a little too chaotic or that I couldn’t be heard clearly. Shokz has labelled these as noise-cancelling microphones, and I’m inclined to agree.
Shokz claims you’ll get around 12 hours of listening, but I found I got a little less than that, at around 8 hours, as I was listening to my content at a louder volume. But for what it’s worth, the OpenRun Pro 2 headphones come with USB-C charging, which is a huge bonus.
Overall, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones might not win awards for overall quality, but given the balance they’re trying to provide between providing a sense of awareness with decent audio quality, they’re doing it as well as we’ve seen thus far.
Software & Accessories
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones can be paired up with the Shokz companion app, available on both iOS and Android. Once paired, you’ll be able to keep the headphones updated with the latest software and firmware updates while being able to choose from one of four preset EQ settings, or even customise your own.
Fitted with the latest Bluetooth 5.3, you can even turn on multipoint pairing as well, should you want to bounce between multiple Bluetooth devices. There’s not much else to the app, but I can respect the addition of being able to customise your audio settings, as, without the adjustable EQ settings, you don’t get a true sense of the bass capability.
Finally, the OpenRun Pro 2 even comes with its nifty travel case and USB-C to USB-A charging cable, which tucks nicely behind the headphones. For this premium price, it’s also a nice touch, and I love how the headphones fold gently inside for a snug fit.
Verdict & Value
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 bone-conduction headphones might still suffer from the tropes of the open-ear design, but at this point, I do believe Shokz has done everything it can to improve and strengthen the overall experience.
While the bass lacks at times, it’s still the best I’ve heard in an open-ear design, so it’s worth weighing up how you wish to use your headphones. While the 12-hour battery life does drain a little quickly at louder volumes, I love the addition of USB-C charging to offset this with faster charging speeds.
Overall, they’re super comfortable, durable and lightweight, and paired with some decent audio quality, thanks to the dual-driver design. Should the premium price tag suit, I think most people already looking in this space will have finally found what they’re looking for.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Comfortable and durable; Great microphone quality; Audio sounds incredibly clear
Lowlights: The audio isn’t incredibly loud; Bass can feel a little absent at times; Battery life drops when listening on louder levels
Manufacturer: Shokz
Price: $319
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by Shokz and is currently available via the Shokz official website and at select retailers.
