Shokz OpenRun Pro 2
MSRP $179.00
“What I suggest when I suggest earphones for runners and bicyclists.”
Pros
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Enhanced audio
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Enhanced battery life
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User friendly controls
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USB-C charging
Cons
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May battle with glasses
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Not for audiophiles
I’m a huge fan of not transforming the wheel. If an item is genuinely great, it’ll see iterative updates, enhancing on what’s there rather of confessing that something wasn’t. (Or, even worse, altering things even if it can.)
That explains the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 practically completely. These do not re-invent anything, truly. They’re still specific niche earphones, constructed with a designated usage in mind– particularly, workout and other active types. And they provide an option for those who simply do not like earbuds or over-the-ear earphones.
That’s not to state there’s absolutely nothing various about the OpenRun Pro 2. They enhance on what came previously in some great– and fascinating– methods.
About this evaluation
I’ve been utilizing the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2– an evaluation system sent out from Shokz– for about 2 weeks ahead of their public launch. I utilized them primarily with an iPhone 15 Pro however likewise with a Samsung Galaxy S21. (The phone utilized does not actually matter much with an item like this.)
The OpenRun Pro 2 were on firmware R_05_20240517, and we didn’t get an upgrade while utilizing them.
What are these things?
Some context. If you’ve ever been to the health club or otherwise seen somebody with a weird-looking set of earphones that look more like a sunglasses strap than what you ‘d think about to be earphones, this is what we’re discussing. The Shokz line began life as a bone-conduction venture, and under the AfterShokz brand name. They’re direct descendants of the Aeropex, which generally ended up being the very first version of OpenRun. They’re likewise cousins of the OpenFit and OpenFit Air line, which ditch the wire linking the 2 earpieces and push air by means of small speaker rather of utilizing bone conduction.
Because sense, the term “earphones” does not rather work. They’re not earphones in the sense that they sit atop your ear or into your ear like earbuds. They sit simply outdoors your ear, and rather of utilizing vibrations to move air to produce noise, the vibrations go through your skull. (It perhaps sounds a little bit more metal than it is.)
Why, you ask? To leave your earhole open for other noises, since there are lots of circumstances in which you require to be able to hear what’s going on around you, and workout is among those times. You can listen to music or a podcast or whatever however still hear traffic around you. It’s a security thing. There’s no sound cancellation here. Simply the home entertainment of whatever it is you’re listening to,