Shokz is a most reliable attractive companies I’m in charge of, this says a lot. On the first iteration, it generated ear lead bone, which directs sound waves through your skull, which is extremely annoying, we said we don’t want to wear headphones at all. Then there’s the OpenRun Pro of 2022 (8/10, Recommend wired) has somehow become one of my favorite pairs workout headphones. They’re light, safe, and sound surprisingly great, and let me keep an eye on traffic or kids while listening to podcasts while biking or working in the garden.
So I’m extremely curious about the company’s latest product. During a briefing, a Shokz spokesperson noted that customers want headphones that are comfortable, wear all day, don’t loop around the neck, and don’t need to be wedged, snuggled or heat-molded securely into the tube. your ear. Therefore, OpenFit is an open-ear headset based on “air conduction” technology. They are small speakers that emit sound just above your ear canal.
Are the headphones working perfectly? Are not. But is this some attractive headphones I’ve tried? Yes, and in a crowded market, that’s a lot.
Hanging on
Photo: Shokz
The OpenFit buds come in a compact, palm-sized box with a power indicator and USB-C charging port. Each bud is covered with a soft silicone layer and has a thin ear hook, with a small weight at the bottom to keep it in place. Each bud weighs 8.3 grams, about 3 grams more than my Beats Fit Pro (9/10, Recommend wired). I didn’t notice that much of a difference in weight.
The headphones come with instructions on how to slide the buds into place, but I still had to confirm with Shokz directly. It just doesn’t seem like this should work. You slide the headset back and tuck the body of the device behind the earlobe. (It’s that little knob that sticks out and shields your ear canal, and yes, I have to look up what it’s called.)
It works, but it doesn’t feel safe, especially if you’re not sitting still at your desk. It wasn’t until I tried OpenFit that I realized that my ears are actually coat hangers on my head. I pushed my long hair back; I wear sunglasses every time I go out and put them on my head. With almost every movement, I knocked OpenFits out and had to find them in my hair or on the floor.
I also accidentally pressed the buttons a lot. The nodes themselves are not reliable; sometimes they are sensitive enough that adjusting my hair can stop a song. Other times, I might insist on hitting “skip” multiple times at traffic lights to no avail.
I tried wearing them in one of my favorite ways to use OpenRun Pro, listen to music while riding my bike to pick up the kids from school. But the combination of hair, sunglasses, and bike helmet is too much for OpenFits. I paralyzed the whole ride for fear that I would accidentally touch the testers and crush them under the wheels of my bike, so when I got to my kids’ school I put them back in my bag to go. go home.
Wave motion
Photo: Shokz
I admire the arrogance of a company that claims to have invented air conduction technology. Most sound waves are carried through the air—air is the medium between you and your speakers—but making a speaker this small, which sounds as good as this, is designed to use Using it close to your ear like this is a real feat.
