Shokz Open Run Pro REVIEW! and COMPARISONS

I've been using bone conduction headsets just about every day for the past five years. So when Shokz -- formerly Aftershokz -- announced a new model with "9th generation bone conduction technology," I had to see what's new. In this review of the Open Run Pro, I compare the Open Run Pro with a handful of other Shokz models, including the Open Comm, Open Move, and standard Open Run. And we'll see how they compare to another brand for good measure.
Hear the bonephone microphone blind test here: forms.gle/hsCYVLdZgUUkhCof9?_...
See the Shokz Open Run Pro on Amazon: amzn.to/3jVcIiM
Open Run (standard): amzn.to/3vtIsRv
Open Comm: amzn.to/3rCnHC9
Open Move: amzn.to/3JVTioJ
Can also find the Ikko IGT01 on Amazon: amzn.to/3JVTioJ
FYI: I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
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Disclosure: This video is NOT sponsored, but Shokz did send these headsets to me free for review. Check them out at bit.ly/3HaN6IJ
Disclosure: Ikko also sent me their headset free for review. Check them out at www.ikkoaudio.com/
Music by Birocratic. Check him out on Soundcloud: / birocratic
#Shokz #BoneConduction #SuperReview

[@SuperReview]

Audience Q&A is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYbZmZl_r5x3iJY

[@antoinep9733]

I bought the Aftershocks Air after watching your review some years ago, so good, I use them almost every day. They are my lunchtime, chill-time, podcast machines, but my favourite use-case is listening to music or podcasts on bike rides. While hopeless in heavy traffic, for cruising around the burbs, through the park or along the beach they are perfect. I can hear approaching traffic or friends yelling greetings, receive phone calls and talk safely hands free, and with one finger touch get Siri to find another band to listen to if I tire of my playlist. They are really comfortable, even wearing a helmet and sunglasses.

[@SuperReview]

Thanks for the first hand report 🤙

[@fsurocks23]

Thanks for the review. All other reviews tend to focus on these as they relate to running, which I get, but my primary use is going to be for video calls and WebEx classes which can last 8 hours. So, my primary concerns are 1. All day comfort and 2. Microphone quality. Yours is one of the few reviews that has approached the Shokz with this as the primary usage. Ended up getting the Pros (mainly because it was the only one in stock at the Best Buy that I went to). So far, I’m very pleased. They are so much more comfortable than any in-ear and cooler than over ear headphones. So far today, I’ve worn them for 4 hours with 0 fatigue. Microphone quality is better than expected.

[@radomane]

Glad that Shox is doing well as a company. A bit disappointed that the sound hasn’t improved over the years, but considering how good the Aeropex already was there probably not much room. I love my Aeropex and I still don’t need to upgrade, although I’ve been eyeing the communicator for a while.

[@BrianMaynardLetsDoThisThing]

Thanks for the review

[@gordonpearce9919]

Thanks for the great review Mark. I have 3 pairs of Move's for phone and 2 PCs. I love the USB-C charge and the fact that they come in different colours and have different patterned stickers included. So, I can instantly know which set is for its paired PC / phone. I'd love to try one of the more expensive pairs, but history tells me I always misplace proprietary cables...Damn you Sony WM;-)

[@carlospiovezan9693]

Great video. Thank you.

[@silverssonyoutube8438]

I use these everyday at work . I been using the aeropex all day everyday since those came out. I bought the open pro and i dunno I'm pissed off its only got 2 EQ settings, volume doesn't get loud enough on bass setting, I had to get an equaliser app to boost the volume .

[@cheekbones2]

Thanks Mark. My head and ears came to the same conclusions about the Shokz lineup.. IMO the best deal is actually a G7 that's sold on E-bay.

[@SuperReview]

FWIW the G7 team sent me a sample unit and I did not like it. Felt cheap, sound quality not up to Shokz or Haylou, and one side was louder than the other.

[@cheekbones2]

I personally don't get along well with the Shokz sound, nor the Haylou and most others. I've preferred many budget priced headsets. As usual, trial and error is the only way to find the right headset for your own head. @@SuperReview

[@wadem4995]

A great review. I'd be curious to know how the shokz would compare to the new Phillips bone conduction headset. Personally i wish I had got the openrun instead of the the openrun pro as the openrun does the smaller size which won't catch my clothes or pillow and is more sensibly priced.

[@SuperReview]

Interesting that Philips has a new one, didn't know about that. No shoulder button 😅

[@Dreamscape_xo]

Are you going to do a review on the Sony Linkbuds? I feel like their "open back" earbuds would be a great replacement to the bone conduction tech.

[@SuperReview]

Not planning to. The openness will probably be good for transparency but you still have something in your ears. OG AirPods do that well.

[@aceofspades6667]

Obviously the primary usage for these are for runners or people in other athletics/training sessions where people don't get along with TWS iems. podcasts, audio, calls, hearing surroundings are all important so absolute sound quality is not #1 priority. You also want something that is secure on your head and not shifting with many different movement types. You want it comfortable so that we sweet it doens't feel like it's sticking to you.

[@miscellaneous_scapes8406]

That is 💯 correct

[@S0liD4CE]

Please give other brands a try - such as Sanag. They seem to be the most popular in the chinese market. Funnily enough Sanag offers "true bone conduction" and "upgraded air conduction" models..so the latter would technically just be normal headphones lol. But the idea for the air conduction models is to compromise a little bit of sound leakage for better sound. it would be great to know how budget you can go for reasonable quality. I do agree fit should come first with these and the shokz look the most sleek

[@zantesh]

First of all great comparison, only one question, which out of the Openrun pro and the Openrun is thicker, by that I mean which is thicker where the driver is? I want to use them while riding my motorbike and I need the thinnest possibly bone conduction headset so that the helmet doesn't press it into my head. Any help on this topic would be massively helpful.

[@SuperReview]

Close enough I can't tell.

[@Tkarma77]

Thanks for review. Do these work ok with pc? Teams?

[@SuperReview]

I don't use Teams, but they work great with Zoom and Google Meet.

[@ghansen981]

I have had a AFTERSHOKZ AEROPEX for many years 10--20? I cannot work with it because it is confusing and doesn't have the buttons that mine doesn't have. I am guessing that I need a new one. I just want one to wear on a walk. Does the newest model work with hearing aids?

[@cecilnewson8876]

I also need a good set of headphones for conferencing, but I also have 30% hearing loss. Having a headset that bypasses the ears is a major positive for me, but I also am interested in having just one device for headset usage and as a hearing aid. There are a number of apps that make the openrun pro a hearing aid, but most of them use the microphone on the phone rather than the headset, so there's a lag between the speaker and my receipt of the sound. Shokz suggests trying the app Petralex which I haven't tried yet. I was wondering if you would ever cover the option of doubling as a hearing aid in your review.

[@SuperReview]

Not sure how I would evaluate it as a hearing aid personally, but very interested to hear how it works for you. That latency sounds frustrating.

[@themorrigan01]

I had the original one from when they’re named Aftershokz and it last me almost 5 years, with an incredible battery life. Definitely buying new ones again

[@joeleon5617]

I love them for music and listening to a movie

[@RyougiVector]

Proud Aeropex owner here. Showered with my pair without worry for the year or so I've owned it. Heck yeah I do a similar charging setup with my pair, and I think I one-hand the separation of the magnetic charging connector and port. also Aeropex is way more memorable a name than Open Run

[@SuperReview]

Now aeropex are what one gets after 6 months of intense personal training.

[@RyougiVector]

@@SuperReview Baywatch time?

[@SuperReview]

😎

[@john808welk]

I know this has nothing to do with the video, but I am trying to figure out what cable you use on your blessing 2? Just got the dusk and I don't love the stock cable.

[@SuperReview]

Cable from an SSR.

[@denislemieux7294]

About 10-12 weeks ago. Final Audio released their UX3000 wireless headphones. Some are saying audiophile sound- better than Bose and Sony products. Can you do a review? Thanks.

[@SuperReview]

Interesting, surprised I haven't heard about them. I'm interested to hear them, but probably won't have a review sorry.

[@TheTommyOhh]

Did you try the voice improvement mode on the pros? I suspect the open comm is defaulted to that mode but I don't have them to try.

[@SuperReview]

Voice improvement mode?

[@TheTommyOhh]

@@SuperReview Sorry, voice enhancement mode. Apparently an EQ setting. One review mentioned holding two buttons down could activate it. I think it was volume up and down for a few seconds.

[@SuperReview]

I think I tried it on the Pros but forget. On my Aeropex, the alternate EQ reduces bass and increases high frequencies. Probably similar on this.

[@TheTommyOhh]

@@SuperReview Huh. I never tried it on my Aeroplex. I didn't realize it was a feature.

[@SuperReview]

@@TheTommyOhh Yeah it's not prominently documented, but it's there.

[@andreasfromswitzerland4096]

Thank you for your video. I have bilateral "Osia 2" implants from Cochlear because I am deaf without my implants. This kind of headphones allow me to experience music and speech with bass, I know, but my implants have zero bass 🤣 also I can connect to all devices. I bought the haylou purfree. I am hoping shokz are maybe louder in Form of volume. Can you tell me please, what shokz has the most volume in your experience compared. I honestly await your answer and thank you for your help. All the best from Switzerland Andreas

[@SuperReview]

Hard to say absolutely -- but I do perceive Shokz to be louder than the PurFree depending on conditions, I think because they produce more of the lower frequency response while the PurFree favors high frequency, when environmental noise gets louder the Shokz are easier to hear.

[@andreasfromswitzerland4096]

@@SuperReview thank you very much, will be ordered 🤣

[@crd7876]

Got Aeroplex for 85 based on everyone’s reviews, yours being particularly insightful, thanks

[@DroidLocks6971]

I love my Aeropex Which Last 14 Hours On A Single Charge Which Is AweSomeNess PerSoNiFied - The Openrun Pros Do Actually Sound Better To Me With Better Bass As Well - Your Thoughts ?

[@SuperReview]

Sounds about the same to me.

[@DroidLocks6971]

@@SuperReview Thank You

[@tanakorntongbai4355]

Thank yoy verymuch. I'm hesitating between Ikko ITG-01 and Shokz Openrun.

[@SuperReview]

The comparison is not even close IMO. Shokz way better.

[@tanakorntongbai4355]

Yesterday I bought Shokz Openrun. I Like it very much, convenient, light, and easy to use Thanks again for the advice.

[@mikerinner2556]

I've noticed that the my Shokz OpenRun microphone doesn't work well when I'm lying down or resting my head on my fist. I suspect that's because the microphone also uses bone conduction. Does the OpenComm solve this problem?

[@SuperReview]

I haven't tried that specifically.

[@boricuamh48]

Great video, i have the digital head phone. Love it but the language change. Can you help me to put it back on English? Thanks

[@SuperReview]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/raLQiIKKaZZkas0

[@BradDunshee]

Caveat emptor on these. I've had two of the OpenSwim versions (GREAT for swimming), but on the first one, it got to "full" in memory, even though I didn't have any visible files in there, so figured it was a glitch. Bought a second pair. Same thing happened. I reached out to support there, and they gave me factory reset instructions, but for a Bluetooth separate model. I wrote back, saying it wouldn't work, and this was last week. After several emails back to them, they completely ghosted. Super, super disappointing. Off to find a competitor...

[@SuperReview]

Oof. I saw that Creative has a similar headset w/ built-in memory now, not sure how waterproof it is.

[@user-eb5ri3nf9d]

Hi i have the aeropex worth upgrade to openrun pro?

[@SuperReview]

Did you watch the video?

[@user-eb5ri3nf9d]

@@SuperReview no

[@SuperReview]

[whispers] I can tell.

[@johnnyh92107]

Aren't those just the open runs? I don't see the mesh for the bass

[@SuperReview]

It's Open Run Pro.

[@CRAIGNV]

CAN THEY BE USED TO LISTEN TO A SMART TV? I'M WEARING WIRED HEADPHONES NOW TO LISTEN TO A TV

[@SuperReview]

If your TV has Bluetooth, probably.

[@DroidLocks6971]

OpenRunPro Are The Best Sounding I'm listening Via My Aeropex which give 14 continuous hours on a single charge

[@amrietj1275]

built in Internal music storage?

[@SuperReview]

Not in this model. Their Open Swim model does.

[@ordoabchao4202]

I almost bought them today but noticed last minute that they use a proprietary charging port. Deal breaker. I have no interest carrying an extra charging cable in the car, to work, on holiday etc.. Why not use USB type C charging for everything?!

[@TheTommyOhh]

I have the Aftershokz Aeroplex, now Shokz Openrun, and I use them at work without having to charge through the day. Unlike other companies, I think they underestimate the battery life. Granted my use is turning them on and off all day. By all day I mean from waking up to bed, never having to recharge them. I recently broke mine buy sitting directly on the loop part while the band was stationary. Now I'm trying to decide if I should go pro or not. My Sonys are hurting my ears right now and not even been 3 hours.

[@BrianRPaterson]

It's probably a water resistance issue. A USB-C port is a big hole in the frame. The magnetic port is completely sealed, with two tiny brass pins peaking through. I think that may remain waterproof for longer. As a cyclist, water - i.e. rain and sweat resistance - are my biggest concerns. I've had quite a few sports buds from respected brands die due to sweat getting in. My Aeropex have been great for over a year. Re proprietary cables: Spares from Aliexpress cost about US$10 each, and you can get them in different lengths. I've got three of them - one for my desk, one for the bedside table, and one on my bike in case I need more juice. On balance, I prefer the magnet to regular USB-C. As far as sound is concerned, I mostly listen to audiobooks or podcasts, so either model is fine for me. Cheers 🍻

[@Coldlegend214]

So the opencomm set went from 160 bucks to 200 bucks in 6 months?!

[@SuperReview]

It's $160 on Amazon right now.

[@Coldlegend214]

@@SuperReview I bought it for 200 a few days ago but I think it’s because of the dongle that’s crazy that it’s 40 bucks more

[@Bruceneuman]

Are these a no go for eyeglass wearers?

[@SuperReview]

I wear them with sunglasses all the time, my wife wears them with eyeglasses, no problem.

[@JohnClarkW]

@@SuperReview thanks for the info. In middle age, I had to cave and start wearing glasses.

[@RyougiVector]

Yeah sunglasses and bonephones are no problem. I can throw a mask into the mix as well without too much trouble, but expect to get tangled up a bit if you put the mask over your glasses/bonephones.

[@tinalewis6782]

I wear my eyeglasses except to shower or sleep. I haven’t had any issues with wearing my OpenRuns with any of my eyeglass frames. You might want to try putting your eyeglasses on first and compare the fit to putting on the bone conduction headphones first to see which way you prefer. I wear my OpenRuns to jump rope and they don’t budge but are so comfortable I forget they’re on.

[@beliveinurself]

I have tonnes of headphones and IEMs, yet always, always have my Airpods on me. They, by far, see the most use of all my equipment. Exact same reasoning as why you always have your Shokz. Airpods Gen 3 are just stupid convenient for iPhone users. And have the added benefit of not interfering with glasses.

[@marlonjasonancheta9787]

Hi! Have you tried to wear the Open Run Pro during taking a bath? Not sure if IP55 rating can handle shower at the bathroom. My aeropex can do because if has ip67 rating. A bit disappointed with open run pro. For me Aeropex is better sound quality, Stronger bass and louder than Open Run Pro. Also, the battery life of Aeropex is better then open run pro. I think Aeropex is about 8hrs and open run pro only last for 7hr. 10hrs is just a marketing. Open Run Pro fast charging are great. Full at 43mins still on red light, but no more voltage are flowing base on my watt meter. 53mins if you want to see blue light from 0-100%

[@SuperReview]

I have not worn Open Run Pro in a shower, but I have with Aeropex.

[@YorkLai]

Very incisive commentary, especially with the microphone comparison

[@daleymo4772]

Poor durability! I've had the older model for less than 2 years and I'm on my 3rd, that's right, 3rd warranty repair! I take care of these and the buttons fail, the charging fails and the transducer has come loose so it sounds like a bee in your ear. I do like them, when they work but they are very cheaply made for what they cost.

[@SuperReview]

Interesting. FWIW, I have no issues with my 3-year-old Aeropex.

[@maxmax6180]

I received my own yesterday, so I should charge them today for the first time, and surprise. Charging doesn't work at all. I'm really disappointed 😞. Hope that nexone will work properly

[@SilverShadow2LWB]

Thank you for trying to objectify a very subjective comparison.