Shokz OpenFit provides an open sound without bone conduction

The team at Shokz has made a name for itself in the bone conduction headphone market over the past several years and they decided to shake things up a bit this time around. Today, the company announced its latest headphones, and while it’s still an open-ear design, it’s not a bone conduction. the Shokz OpenFit The Bluetooth earbuds ($179.95) are called Air Conduction, a twist on the brand’s bone conduction brethren. Like many of the open ear buds before them, they are placed just outside your ear with an over-the-ear hook to keep them in place. As a lifestyle headset, it works well, keeps your hearing open (somewhat), stays in place when you’re moving and is easy to wear for long periods of time.

OpenFit appears to bridge the gap between ear bud sound quality and bone conduction situational awareness. They definitely deliver better sound (including bass) than bone conduction models and still let you hear some of what’s going on around you. Granted, they’re not quite a replacement for ear buds, but that wasn’t really the point. All that said, I’ve found that they can be hit or miss with dance music, since they have a problem with handling hard hits some low frequency sounds.

Externally, these earphones start out on the same page as most earphones of a similar design. It comes with a charging case, which fits over your ear with the dolphin arc hooks and won’t be seen on passersby unintentionally. They’re matte black (or beige), made with a soft silicone exterior and feel very lightweight. It is not strange to tell you could I forgot you were wearing it. They’re definitely lighter and more comfortable than the single-unit bone conduction models that Shokz sells, and it’s nice not to have a strap around the back.

Like many earbuds, Shokz has built-in touch controls including double-tap and long-press interactions. They respond well to your touches and taps, plus you can customize the functionality in the iOS or Android apps, though the latter won’t be ready at launch. You can use one bud if you want and keep the other one inside the charging case without issue, though you’ll be limited to the touch control setting for this option.

While Shokz’s previous offerings were primarily fitness-oriented (with the exception of the OpenComm series), OpenFit was promoted as more of a lifestyle product. It’s something you can wear as you go about your day without relying on digital transparency modes to hear the world. The earbuds themselves are IP54 rated so you’re good to go if you are Do It works, but the charging case doesn’t. You’ll want to try to remember to wipe it down before storing it to keep everything in good working order.

OpenFit and its ear hook seem to do a good job of keeping them in place, too. If you’re running around, lifting weights, stretching, or doing physical activities, I won’t have to worry about them falling off. It may seem like they could, since they don’t get locked into your ear, but so far I’ve found them to stay in place.

In terms of specs, the Shokz OpenFit earbuds have Bluetooth 5.2, have a frequency response of 50Hz-16kHz, support AAC and SBC codecs, and there are custom 18 x 11mm dynamic drivers inside the output. The headphones’ battery life is rated at up to 7 hours of listening on a charge, with the box stating to extend that up to 28 hours of playback. As with previous Shokz headphones, you can get an hour’s worth of juice with just a 5-minute charge. This is great if you notice a low charge before you go out for a run with just OpenFit and a smartwatch or phone.

One of the recurring problems with bone conduction headphones is the lack of bass. Shokz has come a long way towards solving the issue with its latest OpeRun Pro headphones. The OpenFit isn’t bone conduction, so it was easier for the company to offer a pumped-up low profile.

If you’re a Shokz fan, you’ll likely enjoy them, especially for casual everyday use at smaller sizes. They work well for music and spoken word, and unlike bone conduction models, you’ll have better luck hearing your music if you’re in a busier environment. Although, keep in mind that these are still open-ear models, so your listening experience isn’t completely isolated.

I have worn it while going to the store and running other errands. If you keep playing the music at a normal or low volume, you can enjoy the tunes while listening and talking to the cashiers and other people around you. while you Can Receive phone calls with a double tap, and choose to let go with a long press when interacting as a courtesy.

You can Even riding your bike while wearing them and still hear what’s going on around you if you’re careful with the volume. Bone conduction headphones (Shokz OpenRun Pro to be specific) are a much more improved headset for situational awareness, and leave both ears visibly open just in case. local laws It has limitations.

If you’re the kind of person who enjoys playing your tunes, there are a few caveats. The overall listening experience delivers rich bass, along with good mids and highs for this form factor. But if you tend to listen to dance music or hip-hop, you may notice trouble handling some of the very low-frequency drums. On some songs, which often have strong beats with low frequencies, you may notice a crunchy edge to those beats. If you get a chance to test it out first, I’d come up with something like this to check your experience.

Listen to “Dave Brubeck Quartet”Three to get readyIt was clear and pleasant, with a natural voice and smooth bass lines. UMC’sSome of Sepak’s bad ideas“Sounds good overall with a slight crunch in a certain bass segment that’s a bit too low. Listen to the bass for both DITC”thick (environmentally friendly version)“And 4/4 Techno by Ryan Elliott”Fermi II“They both featured a slightly kick drum crunch. Radiohead”CalculateIt was a pleasant listen throughout. It’s clearly musically dependent and only seems noticeable on some of the strong, low frequencies.

The app that Shokz released for the OpenRun Pro in 2022 will now also work with OpenFit earphones and is relatively essential, since there are touch controls you’ll want to customize. An iOS version will be available at launch, with an Android version arriving at a later date. Using the app, you can choose from EQ presets or create your own, customize touch controls, control playback and view battery levels for each earbud as well as the charging case.

Two types of touch controls are available, double tap and press and hold. You can choose from one of the preset collections, which seem to cover enough options to satisfy most people. It’s a combination of play/pause, previous/next, voice assistant and finally volume control (which is only available for press-and-hold interaction).

The standard EQ setting seems to be the most popular choice for most listeners. Vocal boosting and treble are similar, while bass boosting only increases the spread of low frequencies but not necessarily their power. Obviously, you can use the custom option to find your sweet spot.

Overall, these sound good for the form factor and Shokz fans who enjoy an open-ear experience might appreciate moving away from bone conduction for a change. For everyday, casual use, the fit and sound experience are much improved, while still offering a degree of situational awareness. The issue with some low frequencies and kick drum is my only issue with an otherwise solid listening experience.

Shokz OpenFit earbuds are available starting today at the company websiteBeside Amazon For $179.95 in black and beige.