Great at what they do -- provide decent sound while allowing you to hear your environment while exercising.
Shookz has today taken the wraps off their new OpenRun Pro 2 open ear headphones, complete with all new DualPitch technology to deliver improved sound quality.
The new DualPitch technology combines their tenth-generation bone conduction technology with an air conduction driver with the former providing the mids and highs of the sound and the latter the bass.
The sound quality in the OpenRun Pro 2 is vastly improved on the sound quality I was able to extract from the first generation OpenRun Pro headphones. The bass is much better and the overall sound is crisper and clearer. Now don’t expect audiophile-quality music but it is a lot improved on the last iteration.
The main function for these headphones is the ability to hear your surroundings while exercising outside. It does this well. Although the music is louder than last time you can still hear your surroundings easily. While running I was able to hear cars, my own dogs, other dogs and of course people near me, all while listening to music or podcasts.
Now, use these in a loud environment, such as your gym and the music will be drowned out by all the environmental noises such as the gym music, weights dropping, talking etc. They are not designed to be used in this ‘safe’ environment but instead when there is a time when you need to take extra caution to remain safe.
Just using them around the house was great too. I was easily able to hear my wife talking to me, so it was a win for her too. The music quality is nowhere near perfect but for times you need to hear those around you they are great.
With an IP55 rating the OpenRun Pro 2 will survive some water splashes while the multipoint connectivity allows you to connect to two devices at once. This year the OpenRun Pro 2 headphones do not have a proprietary charging port but instead have included the universal USB-C charging port- a big improvement.
You will get close to 12 hours of playback from a single charge — I did — and if it runs out when you need it, plug it in for just five minutes for another 2.5 hours of music playback.
Weighing just 30 grams, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are extremely comfortable and you can barely even feel them on you. The neck band now comes in two sizes, with the larger one easily big enough for my neck. the only thing you feel is a slight clamping force of the bone conduction section of the headphones in front of your ears.
I was able to wear them for hours at a time without any discomfort at all so no matter how long your workout is you’ll be all good.
Who buys these?
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are for those who exercise outside. The ability to be able to listen to your media (music, podcast, audiobook etc) while exercising but at the same time being able to hear everything that is happening around you is not just handy but safer.
Don’t get these if you want the best quality sound possible but get these if you want to be able to hear decent music while also hearing anything that may be dangerous around you. The sound quality is a massive improvement over the OpenRun Pro so even if you have the first gen you should consider upgrading to these.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, is available in Black and Orange (Standard and Mini size) and will be on pre-sale for $319 from 28 August 2024 at Shokz.com.au. They will be available for purchase at Amazon, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and 99 Bikes, from 5 September 2024.
