Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

In the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, the bone conduction transducer is very compact and is used mainly for high frequency reproduction. Compared to previous models, the vibrations should be less annoying. However, this technology has its weaknesses in the bass range, which is why an 18mm x 11mm dynamic air conduction driver has been added. Unfortunately, Shokz only uses SBC audio codecs.

Focus on sport

First and foremost, these are open-ear headphones for outdoor sports. The construction is water and sweat resistant to IP55 and has a water-repellent coating. According to Shokz, another focus is on comfort. In fact, the OpenRun Pro 2 is as light as a feather, but at the same time it is quite robust and looks good, if you like technical design. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is available in black, orange and a limited edition, predominantly white special edition designed with Kenyan long distance runner, multiple Olympic champion and world record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

In practice

I have been using the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 on a daily basis for several weeks. It is actually very comfortable to wear. The silicone coating and flexible headband allow it to sit comfortably and securely over the ears without creating a feeling of pressure, even after hours of wearing. On the contrary, I sometimes forgot I was wearing headphones at all. This makes them a good choice for longer virtual conferences and phone calls.

The headband itself is not adjustable, but hangs down at the back of the head. This seems unusual, as the size of your head and the force of gravity result in a certain positioning that is not necessarily ideal. Nevertheless, Shokz offers the headphones in two sizes: mini and standard.

In terms of battery life, the OpenRun Pro 2 should give you up to twelve hours of music enjoyment, with the addition of a quick charge function via the waterproof USB-C interface. In my case, the battery life was perfectly adequate for long walks/runs with continuous phone calls or music playback. However, the maximum runtime is unlikely to be reached as the OpenRun Pro 2 is likely to be used at high volume on a regular basis.
As for operation: Pairing is quick and the Bluetooth connection remains stable and can be used across several rooms. On the underside of the right bracket, there are plus and minus switches to adjust the volume. The device can also be switched on and off from here. On the outside of the left bracket is a mechanical multi-function button. This is used to control music playback, skip tracks, handle phone calls and call up a voice assistant on your smartphone. This is done with one to three clicks and a long press. In practice, this works well with a little practice and is partly supported by beeps and voice prompts in several languages. The Shokz app for Android and iOS is free and allows you to update the unit, pair it with two transmitters (multipoint) and adjust the sound to your taste using the equaliser. The equaliser allows you to choose between four predefined modes and two user-defined modes.

Sound quality

Compared to the older bone conduction models, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is supposed to offer better sound quality. And indeed, the basic tuning is surprisingly successful. Within the open-air class, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 places itself at the front of the pack by delivering an amazingly coherent frequency mix and spatiality. Despite the additional dynamic drivers in the bass range, the headphones are rather slim and don’t offer the highest resolution in the treble range either. You generally have to turn up the volume on your smartphone quite a bit to get a sense of pressure.

Nevertheless, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 should not be compared to conventional headphones. These are sports headphones for mobile use, where constant awareness and communication with the environment is paramount – a tangible safety advantage for runners, cyclists and skaters. On the other hand, you have to live with the fact that the open design has a detrimental effect on sound quality, unless you are sitting quietly in an armchair at home, which is not the intention of the headphones. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 provide background noise rather than music you can get lost in. Especially on noisy streets, the headphones lack both listening pleasure and intelligibility during phone calls. The latter is thanks to a wind-resistant microphone with an AI algorithm to filter out ambient noise. The sound quality during phone calls was described as variable by my interlocutors.

Pairing is quick and the Bluetooth connection remains stable and usable across several rooms. On the underside of the right bracket, there are plus and minus switches for adjusting the volume. You can also turn the unit on and off from here. On the outside of the left bracket is a mechanical multi-function button. You can use it to play music, skip tracks, make and receive phone calls, and call a voice assistant on a smartphone. This requires between one and three clicks and a long press. This works well with a little practice, and is partly supported by beeps and announcements in several languages. The Shokz app for Android and iOS allows you to update the unit, pair it with two transmitters (multipoint) and adjust the sound to your taste using the equaliser. The equaliser allows you to choose between four predefined modes and two user-defined modes.
 

Conclusion

The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is a specialist for mobile use and sports activities. Comfort, safety and the ability to communicate take precedence over sound quality. With the hybrid DualPitch driver mix, the manufacturer has achieved a thoroughly appealing sound balance. However, the fact that the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are in contact with the outside world is a legitimate selling point, and they do their job quite well, setting themselves apart from traditional headphones…