It was monsoon season, and I used to be at 13,000 ft and climbing greater. With a little bit of a late begin, I used to be involved about thunder and lightning, however I didn’t need to sacrifice the increase I acquired from jamming some Hozier and Odesza whereas tackling a steep climb.
Fortunately, I had my Shokz OpenRun Professionals with me, the proper stability between listening to music and having the ability to hear my environment. Each time I heard what seemed like thunder, I’d pause my music and hear. Luckily, a lot of the booming sounds I heard that day ended up being airplanes, however I used to be grateful to have some bone conduction headphones with me so I may keep a bit safer within the alpine.
Energetic outdoor of us want headphones that supply some consciousness of the encompassing surroundings, and the OpenRun Professional bone conduction headphones are the ticket. The mannequin I examined just lately is new to the Shokz line, boasting high-quality audio and an enduringly comfy ear wrap.
I took my OpenRun Professionals into mountain alpine zones above 4,000 m, dense pine forests, and the jungle of city cityscapes alike, and there’s no surroundings during which they don’t shine as a top-notch audio choice.
Briefly: The Shokz OpenRun Professional Headphones ($179) are an ultralight, maximum-comfort, open-ear bone conduction headphone design that provides an extended battery life and high quality sound whereas permitting you to stay related to the world round you. If you happen to’re in search of one of the best in bone conduction headphones, these very effectively could also be it.
The Shokz OpenRun Professionals are about one of the best bone conduction headphones we’ve used up to now, however they aren’t the one ones price contemplating. Take a look at GearJunkie’s Finest Bone Conduction Headphones Purchaser’s Information for extra.
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Class-leading battery life -
Fast charging provides 1.5 hours of play time in 5 minutes -
High-notch bone conduction sound high quality -
Intuitive button setup -
Excellent for all types of train
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Costly -
Not absolutely waterproof
Shokz OpenRun Professional: Evaluate
The Shokz OpenRun Professionals are the premium bundle in relation to bone conduction headphones. Bone conduction works through vibrations which can be transmitted on to the interior ear, largely bypassing the center and outer ear (aka the identical method mammals use to listen to underwater), permitting your ear canals to stay open and attuned to your environment.
The OpenRun Professionals are top-of-the-line on this enviornment, which means the vibrations truly convert to high-quality audio as an alternative of feeling like a vibration towards your face, as some lower-quality fashions are apt to do at greater volumes.
This fashion of design means elevated security and consciousness, permitting for an expertise the place you are feeling extra related to your environment. Mixed with its consolation, battery life, and high quality building, the Shokz OpenRun Professionals actually have quite a bit to supply.
Trade-Main Battery Life
For such a light-weight bundle, the Shokz OpenRun Professionals kill it within the battery division, matching the marginally heavier Suunto Wing. Ten hours of run time goes a great distance when mixed with a fast cost function that gives an additional 1.5 hours of audio with a easy 5-minute cost.
Probably the most spectacular property, which I didn’t anticipate, is its skill to preserve battery life when on standby mode. A number of occasions, I by accident left my OpenRun Professionals on for twenty-four+ hours after an enormous tour within the mountains and would come again to search out them at the very same battery proportion as I had left them the day earlier than. Speak about a lifesaver when making an attempt to seize gear final minute on the best way out the door for a run.
Snug Match & Really feel
Rising up, I may by no means discover a comfy pair of exercise-specific headphones that didn’t trigger some stage of discomfort after an hour. In-ear headphones felt too massive for my ear canals, Apple EarPods would constantly fall out, and over-the-ear headphones would shortly trigger an excessive amount of sweat.
The Shokz OpenRun Professionals are a saving grace for those who cope with any of the above, and so they set the usual for consolation throughout motion. I took my OpenRun Professionals out on some massive 10-plus-hour days within the alpine this summer season and was stunned to search out myself sporting them from begin to end.
The softer silicone building mixed with its ultralight weight of 29 g means it sits splendidly on the pores and skin — a lot in order that I’d overlook I had them on when not taking part in any tunes. The most recent iteration is 20% smaller than earlier fashions and suits my cranium completely as a 6’0” human, making certain there was no bounce or friction with out squeezing too tight.
Audiophile-Impressing Audio
As a former audiophile, nothing goes to beat the sound high quality of some open-air over-the-ear headphones with a preamp. A setup that, when mixed with a lossless audio file, would make you are feeling such as you have been sitting within the studio with the musicians themselves, bringing to life the idea of a 3D “soundstage.”
However so far as sound high quality goes amongst bone conduction headphones, look no additional than the OpenRun Professionals — they’re top-notch. I examined quite a few audio tracks with a spread of frequencies and located that in relation to the vocal and acoustic vary on the mid to greater finish of the spectrum, the OpenRun Professionals did splendidly and sounded clear.
Folks, rock, jazz, nation, soul, steel, audiobooks, and podcasts alike have been a extremely pleasurable expertise. The one factor missing are the decrease frequencies and tracks with frequent deep bass notes, however this isn’t a shock.
Fortunately, the standard remains to be enough to take pleasure in playlists with a wide range of genres, but when you end up solely listening to deep bass-heavy music, you may need to look exterior of the bone conduction market.
Final however not least are cellphone calls, of which I discovered that each incoming and outgoing audio was excellent. A lot in order that I discovered myself trying to find my OpenRun Professionals each single time I wanted to take a name.
Shokz App
The Shokz App is easy, permitting you to modify between Normal and Vocal EQ modes, in addition to the flexibility to activate MultiPoint Pairing for those who’re anticipating an incoming cellphone name whereas your OpenRun Professionals are paired to a laptop computer. That is additionally helpful for those who misplaced your consumer guide, however the app isn’t obligatory for headphone operation.
Room for Enchancment
The one true room for enchancment with the OpenRun Professionals is upgrading the dust- and water-resistance ranking. At IP55, they’re solely sweatproof and never absolutely dust-tight, which means they wouldn’t do effectively with prolonged intervals of rain or any stage of water immersion.
If you happen to’re in search of one thing a bit extra superior from Shokz on this division, the OpenRuns (non-Professional) are IP67, and the OpenSwim Professionals are IP68.
Shokz OpenRun Professional: Conclusion
Whereas the worth tag is steep, the funding within the Shokz OpenRun Professional Headphones is price it. In the event that they’ve by no means tried them, all out of doors fans will discover the industry-leading bone conduction expertise revolutionary.
Listening to birds chirping whereas listening to folks music on a path with wildflowers in full bloom is heavenly. The power to select up on potential rattlesnake and thunder sounds lets you be a bit extra relaxed.
The battery life mixed with all-day consolation permits everybody to be extra related to their environment, whether or not they’re exploring town, hitting the gymnasium, or tooling round the home.
Swimmers would do finest to search out an IPX8-rated headphone for full water immersion, and audiophiles trying to jam bass-heavy music constantly may do higher with an in-ear fashion bud. In any other case, the Shokz OpenRun Professionals ought to be the headphones of alternative for a lot of the world.