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SBone conduction headphones are a runner’s best friend, allowing you to be completely aware of the outside world while listening to motivating music. But this technology simply can’t generate decent bass, a problem that open-back headphone company Shokz believes it has solved with its latest model, the OpenRun Pro 2.
The successor to the popular OpenRun Pro and OpenSwim lines, the OpenRun Pro 2 costs £169 (€199/$175/A$299) and looks like most of its competitors, with bone conduction capsules held in place in front of the ear by two clips and a band that runs behind the head.
What makes these headphones unique is that the capsules also contain open-air speakers that direct the music to your ears on the outside. They work in conjunction with the bone conduction The speakers, which vibrate the cheekbones to send sound directly to the inner ear, handle the low tones, while the rest reaches the listener via bone conduction.
They can’t produce skull-rattling bass like big over-ear headphones, but the OpenRun Pro 2 sound fuller and rounder than their predecessors and don’t create the same intense vibrations in your cheek when played at high volumes. Instruments, drums, and vocals have more depth, which is especially good for podcasts and dance tracks. There’s an equalizer available in the Shokz smartphone app to tweak the sound of the headphones, along with other updates and tweaks.
But open-air speakers also mask more background noise, reducing the awareness of cars, bikes and other runners to a greater extent than traditional bone conduction headphones. They’re still far superior to earbuds and other headphones, but the difference was noticeable at medium volume levels while running.
People nearby can hear your music to a slightly greater degree than with regular bone conduction headphones, but only when the volume is turned up to 50%. They’re less obtrusive than cheap earbuds, and certainly not loud enough to be a problem when you’re out for a run.
Budget
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Water resistance: IP55 (splash resistant)
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC)
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Battery life: 12 hours
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Dimensions: 30.9 x 21.7 x 24.3 mm
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Weight: 30.3 g
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Drivers: Air and bone conduction
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Charging: USB-C
Bluetooth upgrade and comfortable fit.
Another big improvement over previous Shokz is Bluetooth 5.3 support with multipoint, meaning two devices can be connected to them simultaneously. This is particularly useful if you connect them to a running watch and a phone at the same time, so you can listen to music and lap guidance from the watch, but also take calls without having to stop.
The headphones fit very well, with a nice balance between the front and back of the ear. The band that goes around the back of the head has a good amount of give and keeps enough pressure on the side of the head, without being too tight. There is also a mini version available for those who need a tighter fit.
The volume buttons are located on the body of the headphones, behind the right ear, while the multifunction button to control playback is on the outside of the earcup, in front of the left ear. The microphone for calls is located on the right earcup and works pretty well, although my callers said it sounded a bit distant and quiet.
The battery lasts 12 hours between charges and fully charges via a USB-C port in about an hour. The earbuds are splash-resistant to survive even the sweatiest of runs, but they’re not safe if submerged in water.
Sustainability
Shokz claims that the batteries in the earbuds and case will maintain at least 80% of their original capacity for 800 full charge cycles. Shokz does not offer exchange, recycling or repair services and the battery cannot be replaced. The earbuds do not contain any recycled materials and the company does not publish environmental impact reports.
Price
The OpenRun Pro 2 costs £169 (€199/$175/A$299).
For comparison, the Shokz OpenRun costs £130, the Suunto Wing costs £145, the Creative Outlier Free Pro+ costs £80 and the Bose Ultra Open headphones cost £250.
Verdict
The OpenRun Pro 2 solves the problem of the lack of bass of bone conduction headphones by complementing them with open speakers to handle low tones.
They don’t produce skull-shaking bass, but they sound as full as standard headphones, which is a step up in quality from what we’ve seen so far. But the trade-off is slightly worse situational awareness when cranked up to medium volume levels. For me, that’s not a drawback, but if you want your running music to sound good at full volume, it may not be worth it to buy bone conduction headphones.
The additional multipoint Bluetooth for connecting to two devices at the same time is helpful, as is the 12-hour battery life and charging via a standard USB-C cable, not a proprietary port.
The Shokz aren’t cheap and aren’t suitable for general use as headphones. But their biggest problem is that they can’t be repaired and the battery can’t be replaced, making them disposable and losing them a star.
Advantages: Much fuller sound than bone conduction, open-air perception, splash resistance, solid battery life, standard USB-C charging, multipoint Bluetooth, ideal for running.
Cons: Slightly less conscientious than bone conduction alone, expensive, does not support high quality Bluetooth audio formats, cannot be repaired, battery cannot be replaced.
