Yogis, runners, swimmers, gather together! Shokz just released two new sets of headphones and you need to check them out. Because? Well, I attended the launch event and the Shokz OpenFit Air are my favorite open-back headphones so far.
So let's start with them, although if you want to learn more about the new OpenSwim Pro bone conduction headphones (which now support Bluetooth 5.4 and MP3 Capability) scroll down.
The OpenFit Air are true wireless open-ear headphones that are, unsurprisingly, based on the Shokz OpenFit released in August 2023. However, the fit has now been greatly improved – Shokz has worked hard to perfect and remove excess volume of its ergonomic design. ear hook, cavity design and teardrop cross section, and for me it is time very well spent.
The bottom (the part that touches your ear) of the earbud is now covered in a silky-smooth silicone finish. When used correctly, you may think you are wearing them. incorrectlyas the 18 x 11mm composite dynamic driver doesn't feel particularly close to the ear, and that's the point.
At the London, UK launch event, I took them out of their pocket touch case, slid them over my shells and nothing tugged; nothing irritated or felt in any way out of place. In fact, I barely noticed his presence.
You might expect the downside to all this lightness, including a flexible 0.75mm nickel-titanium memory alloy construction, to be safety. Maybe they would be flimsy or easy to remove as soon as I started moving? Not at all, and I know this because I attended a private yoga class using them. Now, even though I say it myself, I'm a bit flexible.
The instructor tested me for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I could hear both his instructions and the New Order album I'd chosen to stream, and I never had to touch my ear to readjust the OpenFit Air even once.
The new millennial pink color (in addition to the more traditional black and white finishes) is also a hit, as it makes it harder for me to detect that I'm wearing headphones in class, something that can make instructors wary, and we should . Keep this in mind (after all, we need to listen to your instructions).
The OpenFit Air headphones do not emit sound via bone conduction, as the Shokz OpenRun Pro do; Shokz uses their proprietary DirectPitch technology with the OpenBass low-frequency enhancement algorithm here, and for me, it's some of the best audio I've heard from a design of this type. The early trade-off, when it comes to designs that don't completely cover or encroach on the ear canal, tends to be bass weight and impact.
This isn't a full review of the Shokz OpenFit Air, you understand, but I felt the sound presentation was remarkably immersive for the few hours I used them, especially since voices around me were still clear.
Battery life is rated at six hours (or a total of 28 hours with the case), and an IP54 rating means they'll survive even the sweatiest spin classes. Four microphones mean that handling calls should be a breeze. Plus, you get four EQ presets in the handy app (Standard, Vocal, Bass Boost, or Treble Boost), multipoint pairing, and the option to modify what the on-ear controls do. For me, double-tapping the left button to pause music, the right to skip tracks, and long-pressing either to control the volume is an all-day pleasure.
Prices? of course. The Shokz OpenFit Air are available from today (June 5) in black, white and my pink set, priced at £119 (which is around $150 or AU$229).
OpenSwim Pro – now with Bluetooth 5.4
The second set of newly launched sports headphones from Shokz is called OpenSwim Pro (thus replacing the Shokz OpenSwim 2022), and this is more traditional territory for Shokz: if headphones that transmit sound not through the eardrums but as they increase the vibrations. because of the cheekbones it can be considered “traditional”. These are IP68 waterproof bone conduction headphones that sit comfortably around the back of your head. To clarify, that IP68 rating means they can be submerged in up to two meters of water for up to two hours, which would be a great swim for anyone.
Again, there's a nickel-titanium alloy frame covered in a soft silicone material, but this time it features Shokz's PremiumPitch 2.0+ technology that handles audio dropouts and, in a first for Shokz, supports Bluetooth 5.4 streaming. . and MP3 storage and playback (32 GB, equivalent to about 8,000 songs). Switching from MP3 playback to Bluetooth streaming can be done with the press of a button, either on the headphones or in the Shokz app.
The OpenSwim Pro has two equalizer profiles (standard or vocal) plus four built-in microphones with echo cancellation, multipoint for two devices simultaneously and nine hours of endurance.
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro is available now, priced at £169 (around $215 or AU$325).
How do they sound? That's yet to come, because I can only wear one outfit at a time, but watch this space. Are they set to become some of the best bone conduction headphones (or even some of the best waterproof headphones) we've had the pleasure of taking a dip in? Time will tell.
