Shokz OpenRun Pro Review – By far the best bone conduction headphones

I was impressed with the Shokz OpenRun when I reviewed them at the start of the year. Now, during MWC 2022, the Shokz OpenRun Pro has launched in the UK.

These new headphones up the audio quality but cost a bit more and are not quite as waterproof.

Specification

• Battery life: 10 Hours
• Charge time: 1 Hour
• Charger: Magnetic Induction Cable
• Compatible codecs: SBC
• Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
• Microphone: Dual Noise-Canceling Mic
• Microphone sensitivity: -38dB ± 3dB
• Multipoint pairing
• Sensitivity: 105 ± 3dB
• Full-Wraparound Titanium band and frame
• Bluetooth 5.1
• IP55  Water-resistance  (Water-resistant)
• Weight: 29 g

OpenRun Pro vs OpenRun

From the official spec sheet on the Shokz website, the differences are:

• OpenRun Pro uses 9th Generation Bone Conduction Technology vs 8th
• Pro weighs 29g vs 26g
• Pro is only IP55 (Water-Resistant) vs IP67 (Waterproof)
• Pro come sin one size rather than two
• Priced at $180/£159.95 vs $130/£129.95

Basically, these sound better, but as a result, they are slightly less water-resistant

Design & Fit

These have visible speaker grilles with a grill pointing directly into your ear and one on the other side pointing directly away. I suspect the driver is faced into your ear, so you are getting a bit more than just bone conduction. The outwards facing grill should allow the driver to vent, which will likely help with bass reflex.

While this grilled design will improve the overall audio quality, it is most likely the reason why these only have an IP55 rating rather than IP67, which the standard OpenRun achieves.  With these being specifically targeted towards athletes, it is quite an important thing to consider.  From my own experience, in all the years I have reviewed TWS earbuds, I have yet to have any IP rated earbuds fail due to water ingress regardless of the level of IP rating. I am the sweatiest person I know by far and regularly run marathons and live in the north of England, so my earbuds get exposed to a lot of sweat and rain.

As far as comfort and fit go, these are excellent. They are ultra-lightweight and sit comfortably in the correct spot without adjustments. I have recently been getting frustrated at in-ear TWS headphones falling out during weightlifting, but due to the design of these, you will never have them fall off during any exercise.

Sound Quality – How is the bass & what do they feel like?

These are easily the best alternative to in-ear headphones I have used.

Bone conduction headphones have a tendency to have a relatively unpleasant feel to them due to the vibrations they create. This is especially true at higher volumes and when the bass kicks in.

With my Pixel 6 volume dialled up to about 70% there is no vibration or head feel for any music that is predominantly mids and highs. When bass kicks in, there is only the slightest of vibration.

The bass itself is good, but it will never be as good as in-ear options. There is a slight amount of distortion at higher volumes or with the lowest of lows. Bass heads probably won’t want this as a daily headphone but

Mids and highs are superb. In particular, vocals are perfectly clear, and I’d say the overall performance is on par with in-ear options

Price and Alternative Options

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	SHOKZ OpenRun Bone Conduction Sports headphones, IP67...	20,961 Reviews	£129.95	Buy on Amazon
	SHOKZ OpenMove Wireless Headphones, [England Athletics...	No ratings yet	£79.95	Buy on Amazon

The Shokz OpenRun Pro are priced at £159.95, and the standard OpenRun are £129.99. If audio quality is important to you, I’d say the £30 is worth it, but they are both superb bone conduction headphones.

I have only just come across the Philips Audio TAA6606BK bone conduction headphones, which have an RRP of £130 and are currently available for a bit over £100, which I think might be the first time I have seen a big brand try and compete with Shokz with bone conduction headphones.

Apart from the Philips headphones, Shokz have no worthwhile competition for bone conduction headphones, the only viable alternatives are from Shokz themselves.

The old AfterShockz branded models are still widely available on Amazon. If you are on a budget, you have either the Trekz or OpenMove. I was fond of the OpenMove because they were affordable, but the sound quality of these is on a different level.

Overall

The Shokz OpenRun were superb, and it is no surprise that these are better.

For me, the sound quality is good enough that I could happily use these instead of in-ear options for many scenarios. While they will never be quite as good as in-ear options, For any form of fitness, these are outstanding, you have all the benefits of environmental awareness and the security of a wrap-around design, but you are not sacrificing the audio quality too much.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2024-09-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API