Shokz OpenFit Review

Summer Mini-Review
Rather than go on and on about a piece of gear, we’ve prepared these mini-reviews to quickly illustrate what we like or dislike about a piece of gear that you might be in the market for. These are quick-read-format reviews that won’t take more than a couple of minutes to read so that you can quickly get up to speed on the good, the bad and the ugly of gear we’ve tested.

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Since 2011 Shokz has been designing bone-conduction headphones and we have featured quite a few of them including the Shokz Openrun Pro, Shokz OpenRun Pro Mini, Shokz OpenSwim and Aftershokz Aeropex. For Spring 2023 Shokz has gone in a new direction and has just launched their new OpenFit headphones which use DirectPitch Technology to provide a true Open-Ear listening experience with rich sound and deep bass. Unlike Shokz's other Open-Ear headphones which use bone conduction to transmit sound the new OpenFit Headphones use what they call 'Air Conduction' so there is no in-ear earbud to block out ambient sounds. The OpenFit design uses a speaker that sits in the opening of your ear so they are much more comfortable to wear (even all day) and you can still hear noises around you which makes them ideally suited for biking and running.



Shokz OpenFit headphones use DirectPitch technology which utilizes the principle of phase cancellation and by designing vents in the shell of the earbuds sound leakage is minimized so that only you hear what you are playing through the headphones. This makes the OpenFit suitable for daily wear in a variety of lifestyle scenarios where you need to remain connected to your surroundings at all times especially when there are possible dangers around you such as cars or wildlife. This open-ear design provides the safety you need and the authentic and natural sound quality you want.

The Shokz OpenFit Headphones are rated IP54 Water resistant and provide 7 hours of playback on a single charge with 28 hours of total charge from the case. There is also a phone app that lets you choose between four EQ sound modes such as standard, vocal, bass boost and treble boost as well as set button functionality, device pairing and also upgrade the device firmware.

Features:

• All day comfort
• Powerful bass experience
• Maintain situational awareness and connection
• Light and balanced design
• Made for a secure fit with their unique Dolphin Arc Ear Hook
• Phone App with audio and touchpad customization
• AI Call Noise Cancellation technology
• Built-in Touch Pad Controls
• IP54 Water resistant

Verdict:
While Shokz’s Bone Conduction technology is really cool and ideal for running, swimming and cycling they are large and the earbuds are connected to one another so they can be cumbersome. This is the main reason I prefer their new OpenFit Bluetooth Headphones, they are small and secure with impressive sound. I run and cycle a lot and I won’t use traditional earbuds as I need to be able to hear the cars on the road and the bears in the woods. While traditional earbuds do have Active Noise Cancellation which you can turn off they still don’t transmit enough of the ambient sound around you. Most also have a  ‘Hear Through’ setting that you can use to amplify ambient sounds, however, this doesn’t work well when cycling as it just amplifies the wind noise. I also find that while running traditional earbuds that go into your ear canal produce an annoying reverberating sound in your head every time your foot strikes the ground. Both of these issues are resolved with Shokz OpenFit and the situational awareness is amazing as is the sound quality. With the Shokz OpenFit Headphones it feels like you are surrounded by the sound while still being able to hear the environment around you. The sound is similar to traditional earbuds, however, the bass is not quite as deep since the 'Air Conduction' technology as Shokz calls it is essentially small speakers placed at the entrance of your ears. Because the OpenFit Headphones do not go into your ears though it also means that there is no fatigue even after wearing them all day. If you are looking for headphones that provide situational awareness with an open ear design in a nice compact size then the Shokz OpenFit is for you.

Pros:

• Ideal for running/cycling.
• Can hear ambient noise like cars and wildlife.
• More comfortable to wear.
• Great sound and bass.
• Universal fit.
• Volume control.

Cons:

• No auto shut off when you remove them from your ears.
• No single tap functions.
• No wireless charging case.
• Not ideal in noise environments as there is no noise cancellation feature.

Specs:
Price: $229.99CAN / $179.95US
Colours: Black, Beige
Weight: 16.6g / 0.6oz (per pair)
Battery life: 7 hours on a single full charge, 28 hours from the case with a 5-minute charge providing 1 hour of battery life.
Drivers: 18x11mm customized dynamic driver

Rating: 9/10
Innovation:   2/2
Function:     1.5/2
Fit/Sound:    2/2
Features:     1.5/2