The Shokz form factor is immediately recognisable. With the hot new launch of the tenth generation of bone conduction technology, the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, little seems to have change on the surface but under the skin are significant improvements.
DRN was lucky enough to be provided with a review unit before the official launch. The embargo has since been lifted which is why you are reading about it now.
First Impressions
The OpenRun Pro 2 (I am just going to refer to it was the ORP2 going forward) came in a pretty solid case. The outside is like a firm rubber that is not particularly grippy but non-slip. The same material covers most of the ORP2 itself.
It’s matte black and the Shokz logo adorns the front. Squeezing the case there is very little give, perfect for protecting your investment.
Yes, dear readers, the ORP2 is recharged with a USB-C cable rather than a proprietary magnetic charge connector. As a fellow journo sardonically said at the press briefing, “EU regulations”.
At a casual glance, the ORP2 is not too different from the OG version. The controls stays in the same place on the right arm. Where the magnetic charger used to be, is now a USB-C port covered with a rubber boot for IP rating.
The shape of the play button on the left module has changed. There is no front facing speakers on these, and the shape of the inward firing speakers looks a bit like a game controller. It is both shorter and wider than the OG.
The front tips have some magnets hidden inside them so they will stick together naturally instead of crossing over when not stuck on your noggin.
Under the hood, Shokz has introduce DualPitch technology. Shokz describes it as “a perfect duet between a bone conduction and air conduction speaker”. The idea is that the mids and highs are handled by bone conduction, and bass is transmitted by air conduction. Why? Because loud volumes or heavy bass via bone conduction for most people have a very annoying buzzing or vibration against your head.
If you imagine the haptic feedback you get from your finger on a smartphone, but then have it amplified and up against your cheekbones, constantly whilst you are exercising, you get the idea.
Shokz has also added two speakers to the ORP2 compared to the OG, but with weight saving measures, it weighs just one gram over the previous model.
The ORP2 also comes in two sizes – the standard one which is what I have, or a mini which is 0.83″ shorter around the band.
In Use
Given that the product launch was under strict embargo, as a reviewer I was given a beta version of the Shokz app (v4.6.2) so that I can start using the ORP2.
For those who’s never use Shokz or bone conduction headsets before, they work on delivering audio through your cheekbones. The science behind it is that the inner ear is stimulated through the air spaces behind the cheek bones. So as part of the wearing, there is always contact with your cheek bones. This point is important later.
I am not much of a runner, never have been. I don’t mind walking, but running is saved for bolting for the bus. I threw the ORP2 like an exercise imposter, after all, I am here to conduct a review of a brand new headset.
The first thing I notice is that, contrary to popular myth about me, I absolutely do not have a big head. The standard size ORP2 is too big for me, the band is noticeably hanging away from the back of my skull. I can fit my entire hand between my head and the band.
The second thing is that despite being a glasses wearer, the ORP2 sits just fine along side with them. They don’t interfere with each other, or get in the way. The ORP2 just sits alongside the arms of my glasses.
Given the quite short timeframe to get this review out with the product launch, I went through a pretty intensive long spells of listening to anything and everything. Thank you Spotify, thank you Podcast Addict, there is plenty of material to keep me going through work, writing up for DRN, munching through my meals.
The last point is an interesting one to raise. I would absolutely not try to have in-ear buds on whilst I eat because they will fall out and end up in my food. No that’s not my paranoia talking, in ear buds aren’t the best fit for my ears and they will always move around when I chew or talk.
Let’s hit the important points first, how is the audio quality?
I expected a flatter sound compared to a traditional headset and it was about as expected. Shokz has done some work with audio quality but such is the nature of bone conduction technology that we do not get all-encompassing immersive audio quality.
This is offset by the DirectPitch delivery of bass. Listening to Rainism by Rain, the ORP2 does an admirable job laying down the bass. It does not thump through your body and it is not meant to. The good news is that I cranked it all the way up to full volume and there is none of annoying vibration against your cheekbones that is apparent in the OG version.
Cycling through the 2000s mix on my Spotify list, the sound quality is actually pretty great overall. They do not compare against traditional headsets and are not meant to, it is like trying to compare apples to durian and they are totally different beasts. Alicia Key’s No One sounded a bit one dimensional and mute, but NSync’s Bye Bye Bye (thanks Deadpool and Wolverine) is coming across pretty boppy. J-Hope’s On the Street comes through cleanly with excellent sound separation.
I have also spent quite a bit of time listening to podcasts. If you haven’t heard the story of Aimen Dean, go have a listen to “The Spy Who”. Fascinating story and truly a brave man.
The audio rendition through the ORP2 did not flag any difference compared to my earbuds. In a quieter environment, the conversation can feel quite personal.
As for actual conversations, Shokz claims that AI noise reduction algorithm filters out 96.5% of background noise when you are on a call. I did try this out in a noisier environment which worked fairly well for the receiver. but on the other hand I found it difficult to hear the conversation. Outside noise was coming through the ear canal and drowning out what the bone conduction was giving me.
Battery Life
The ORP2 has an impressive 12 hours battery life on a single charge.
I pressed Shokz on the data here and the numbers is tested in a temperature-controlled environment of 25±2 °C, playing WAV-encoded audio at 75% volume and all other features set to default.
Shokz also provides a rating of 2.5 hours of listening on a 5 minutes quick charge. Under the same temperature-controlled environment of 25±2 °C, it was tested for SBC mode audio at 75% volume for 150 minutes.
Obviously your mileage will vary out in the wild, but these are still some pretty impressive figures that will go the distance unless you’re going for ultramarathons.
Other Thoughts
As with any open ear design, there is some audio leakage when in use. Unlike the pure open-ear designs, the bone conduction design of the Shokz limits some of the leakage.
Testing at varying volume levels including at maximum, my partner could only see muffled sounds. I would venture to say that this would mainly be the DirectPitch part where it relies on air conduction.
A key benefit of the open ear / bone conduction design is that it does not block out ambience noises. This allows the user to maintain situation awareness when you are out and about, be it foot traffic, vehicles going by or just general personal safety.
At maximum volume, the ORP2 is closer to mid volume on a traditional ear buds or headset. And You don’t need to take them off when you are taking a breather and having a chat with your exercise partner, or ordering a coffee at the end of the session.
The magnetic tips will ensure the Shokz will stay around your neck when you are done.
Shokz stated that the upgraded headband comes with 16% less clamping force on the skull. My intensive usage did not result in any headaches which I am prone to if there is too much pressure on my head. I do feel the contact between the bone conduction mechanism and my cheekbone and for me, that feeling never seem to go away. It’s not particularly bad, it’s more like an awareness that I am wearing something rather than it being so natural that I forget their existence.
The ORP2 came out of the box at about 70%charge. It was simple enough to plug it in for a bit to top it up. The little LED will turn blue when it is done.
The ORP2 are IP55 rated, which means they are sweat and water-resistant, but Shokz does not recommend full immersion in liquid. The headphones are not completely closed off to dust either, but it is protected to the level where not enough dust is capable of entering the headphones to compromise the functionality of the unit.
Gripes
I’m putting this here only because it’s where I would normally put issues that isn’t covered elsewhere.
Just flagging it that the Shokz app could not find the ORP2 to commence the pairing process. The version of the app I am using is v4.6.2 and is a beta release, the current version in the Google Play store is v4.10 released 21 August 2024. An updated public version of the Shokz app will be made available on 28 August 2024 which is when pre-order opens.
For me it was easy enough to get around the issue by telling my phone to pair with the ORP2 in it’s native Bluetooth screen. There was no issues with the app finding the ORP2 after that.
Conclusions
Shokz has clearly not rested on their laurels and continue to listen to feedback and innovated on their technology. The new OpenRun Pro 2 addresses a common pain point which is the uncomfortable tactile vibration at high volume or heavy bass.
During my testing I have ran the gamut of music genres and in particular threw bass heavy tracks at it, playing at high volumes and do everything I could to make it a challenge, but the OpenRun Pro 2 did not falter.
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is now available for pre-order for AUD $319 at Shokz.com.au. They come in Black, and very DRN brand centric Orange (nice one Shokz!), and each is available in standard or mini (21mm shorter). There is a size guide available here to help you figure out which is the best fit for you and orders placed on the Shokz wensite has a 30 days return and exchange window.
From 5 September 2024, they will be available for purchase at Amazon, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and 99 Bikes.
DRN would like to thank Shokz for providing the review unit ahead of the launch, and in particular to Coco for making the time to catch up with me recently in Melbourne.
Specifications
- Part number: SHOKZ S820 (Standard), SHOZ S821 (Mini)
- Speaker type: Air conduction speaker, Bone conduction speaker
- Frequency response: 20Hz – 20 kHz
- Speaker sensitivity: Air conduction speaker – 96dB±2.5dB, Bone conduction speaker – 101.3dB±3dB
- Microphone sensitivity: -38 dB ±1dB
- Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.3
- Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP
- Materials headphone : Full Titanium, Silicone, plastic, nickel-titanium alloy
- Charging voltage: 5V±5%
- Frequency band: 2400-2483.5MHz
- Battery: Li-Polymer battery
- Continuous play: Up to 12 hours of listening time with a single charge
- Standby time: Up to 10 days
- Charging time: 60 minutes;
- Quick charge: A 5-minute charge gives 2.5 hour of battery life (music)
- Weight: Standard – 30.3±0.5g, Min – 30±0.3g
- Sweat resistance headphone : IP55
- Battery capacity: 150mAh/0.581Wh
- Audio codecs supported: SBC
- Wireless range: 10n (33ft)
