Shokz OpenRun Pro has long been at the top of our list of the finest bone conduction headphones, and the OpenRun Pro is the company’s best-sounding headphones to date. The addition of additional bass transducers to the pads that transmit vibrations to your auditory nerve is the key difference between this new set of headphones as well as the Shokz OpenRun (formerly dubbed the Aeropex). When you press play, you’ll hear the difference right away, proving that choosing bone conduction over in-ear headphones doesn’t have to mean sacrificing sound quality. It’s especially striking if you like strong music, as the sound quality is significantly superior to that of other bone conduction headphones.
What will you see here?
Price and availability
The Shokz OpenRun Pro is $50 more expensive than the Shokz OpenRun. Yet it’s still on par with the top headphones. The OpenRun Pro is priced similarly to the Apple AirPods 3. Shokz OpenRun Pro is currently available for presale, however, no release date has been set. The OpenRun Pro headphones are only available in black for now, but other colors will be available later this year.
Design and comfort
Shokz OpenRun Pro has a design that is extremely similar to ordinary OpenRuns. The new “Shokz” logo replaces the “After” on the OpenRun Pro. Vibration drivers are integrated into the ends of the over-ear hooks, which are connected by a tiny yoke. The band is made to snake behind your head, almost to your neck. For me, it means putting Shokz OpenRun Pro in the back hair or below a ponytail. The OpenRun Pro is only approximately an ounce in weight.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones are sweat-proof to IP55. Making them suitable for most types of exercises, even if you get caught in the rain. Although swimming is not covered by the rating. Shokz OpenSwim (previously AfterShokz Xtrainerz) offers a fully waterproof alternative.
Controls and voice assistants
The Shokz OpenRun Pro has the same physical buttons as the normal OpenRun for control. The left driver housing has a single multifunction button facing out. While the volume rocker (which also serves as the power button) is on the bottom of the rectangular part behind the right ear hook. The rocker on the OpenRun Pro is now almost twice as big as the one on the OpenRun. Which solves a major gripe about the OpenRun’s usability.
A single press on the MF button will stop or play the music. While a double tap will skip to the next track. Holding the MF button-down calls a voice assistant. Either Google Assistant or Siri, depending on your attached smartphone to answer questions or provide extra controls. Siri answered a text. Some more advanced headphones can notify you of notifications via your voice command.
Sound quality of Shokz OpenRun Pro
Most wireless headphones don’t sound as well as wireless bone-conduction headphones. When music isn’t transmitted directly into your ears. It loses some of its clarity compared to even the best inexpensive earbuds. The Shokz OpenRun Pro, however, comes the closest to offering the all-encompassing sound of any bone conduction headphones.
Throughout Van Halen’s “Jump,” Shokz OpenRun Pro shined with electronic synth lines, keeping accuracy and elegance. “We Found Love” by Rihanna sounded sultry while remaining energetic. The clever lines of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s “Can’t Hold Us” held their own against a soaring piano melody. However, the vocals aren’t as strong.
Let’s speak about bass now. Shokz claims that the OpenRun Pro has two more bass boosters than the normal OpenRun headphones, so stronger thus, In fact, the improvement is pretty slight. Deeper levels were only noticeable in real bass-heavy tunes like Frank Ocean’s “Pyramids”. The OpenRun Pro couldn’t match the song’s intricacies while listening through over-ear headphones.
Performance
The sound quality of the Shokz OpenRun Pro is outstanding. The new bass transducer makes a significant difference, and the total effect is significantly superior to anything heard from bone conduction headphones. While jogging, you will really love listening to rock and metal music, and the OpenRun Pro is the first model that does the heavy music justice. It’s not quite up to pace with a set of high-end traditional headphones yet, but the gap is narrowing.
The disadvantage of the more bass is that you can feel it as a more apparent buzz against your face that pulses with each beat, rather than simply hearing it. At high levels, all bone conduction headphones exhibit this effect to some extent, but it’s most obvious with the OpenRun Pro.
Call quality: Shokz OpenRun Pro
The basic OpenRun Pro headphones will issue call quality. A strong echo and taking up much too much ambient noise. Shokz responded by upgrading it to include a dual noise-canceling microphone.
Battery life: Shokz OpenRun Pro
Another significant difference between the OpenRun Pro and the OpenRun is the battery life. The OpenRun Pro has a 10-hour battery life rather than the standard 8-hour battery life, giving you extra listening time between charges. The battery may last up to 10 days. After a week of use and a couple of hour-long workouts, the OpenRun Pro.
Conclusion
Different models of earphones serve different reasons, and the Shokz OpenRun Pro‘s function is significant enough for me to include the headphones in audio gear rotation. the OpenRun Pro’s improved call quality and battery life make it a stronger advocate for bone conduction technology. Bone conduction is becoming a viable alternative to headphones that blast audio straight into your ears, whether for ear health or spatial awareness. It’s bone conduction or bust in instances where hearing what’s going on around me is critical.
