Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 (vs OpenRun Pro) Review | A Game Changer for Bone Conduction!

[@megamanxz1]

I tried out the OpenRun Pro 2 at BestBuy. They are impressive and eliminate the annoying thumping vibration that the original OpenRun Pro has with bass. But, if you already own the originals, the treble and mid-range sound quality didn't seem different at all. Also, the OpenRun Pro 2 is slightly bulkier. If you got over the thumping vibration, it's not worth upgrading unless you can get a good trade-in deal. For first time buyers, I strongly recommend the OpenRun Pro 2.

[@thisnameistaken]

Agreed. I did the exact same thing. Identical sound, but the 2nd gen has no vibration which I think makes them a lot more compelling. I also tried the openfit and openair and found they also sounded the same as each other and the openruns, but the openair actually rested in my ear comfortably whereas the openfit wouldn't sit in my left ear properly. (probably a me problem) I was actually really annoyed with all of this because I just wanted a good deal on a comfortable pair of open ear buds, but both the cheaper ones had deal breakers, the openair was barely discounted, and the openrun pro 2 was way too fvcking expensive. Like how fvcking hard is it to just get good open ear buds for a decent price.

[@johnschmitt571]

Bone conduction is essential for most anyone with hearing aids. Bone conduction allows me to hear "normally" even with significant hearing loss in certain bands of frequency. I am in need 0f replacing my 1st (or 2d) generation Shokz - the OpenRun Pro 2 seems to be the large leap up that justifies having a BT headset with working on/off and volume controls. rather than my "old" set that now requires a toothpick or similar probe to operate the micro-buttons since the cover material that served as the buttons fell off long ago. Gen. 2 Shokz set Still have the best sound of my BT headsets. Thanks for your review.

[@insidetechltd]

Thanks for watching!

[@rapssss]

A game changer indeed. I've listen to music exclusively from them for several hours after unboxing. I had no need to pick one of my other closed headphones or even airpods pro. I'm really amazed by how good they sound.

[@insidetechltd]

💯

[@BikeAndThings]

I love the band around it just for the reason you said. While running, I can take them off and have them go around my neck, or after I stop running I might not be at my car, and hanging out, I can have them rest on my neck. Not having to put them in my pocket is great. I can easily slide them off to talk to someone and then slide them back on.

[@insidetechltd]

It's a seemingly small thing but so many people enjoy this use case - neckband headphones aren't dead yet!

[@markryder1719]

Horses for Courses. They dont offer a fully immersive sound experience but thats not the intension for headphones designed to also allow you to be aware of your surroundings. The sound quality of these is best in class for bone conduction. Great for active people building up a sweat or any situation where awareness of whats going on around you is important.

[@robertarobertson238]

I love my Shoko Open Run Pro! I like that the pro 2 now has a choice of a smaller neck band - it is the only thing I found uncomfortable in the original model.

[@insidetechltd]

Glad you like them!

[@leslie7922]

one issue is the charging port rubber cover. Mine after a few charges doens't SEAL so my headphones are no longer sweat proof.

[@louisdvn]

Very thorough and detailed review, thank you.

[@insidetechltd]

Thanks for watching!

[@andersmjakobsen]

When cycling +20 kph the openrun pro 2 also outperforms the openfit - I ended up buying both as the openfit are terrible for cycling, as the wind noise drowns out the sound, but still great for hikes or any other activity outdoors.

[@insidetechltd]

That fits with my experience too 👍🏼

[@r0m0x]

I can only see one use case for this model: being on an quiet environment like an office and be able to talk with your coworkers without any barrier and enjoy good quality music. If you are an noisy environments where you want to have full awareness and still be able to make phone calls or just hear podcasts then buy a cheaper version. In the last scenario, you will never appreciate any kind of "good sound" due to the noise of the surroundings, then the cheapest noise conducting solution that is able to make good calls would work equally.

[@LantonSL]

I just got the pro 2 not long ago, and I do like them a lot, the stability and comfort are what I like them the most 😊 I cannot stand those earbuds myself 😅

[@Fozzee.1970]

I find the volume high enough although ive raised the EQ which makes them louder too.

[@insidetechltd]

Nice 👍🏼

[@bitkahuna]

the biggest issue i have with this review, is with the title, because unlike the bone conduction only open run pro, these are much less bone conduction than air conduction. if you pull the buds away from the sides of your head you can still hear them easily, unlike the original open run pros. i also disagree that they're just as comfortable... they felt bulkier, heavier, and less comfortable. and i also disagree there's more bass.

[@NBSTL68]

Isnt, "open air driver" the actual definition of an actual speaker, haha. I can have my pro unit.Turned up all the way and someone across the table cannot hear it. Is that still the same with the pro 2? Being right next to someone and not having them hear.My music is one of the main reasons.I bought them. I wish they would have made a combined Bluetooth and mp.Three player version like they did with the new open air swim model. There are many many times I want to wear my headphones without having my giant phone with me to listen to music. I would just buy the new swim Combo model but they've left that version at the old 8th gen instead of upgrading it to 10th gen for some reason.

[@insidetechltd]

I can't tell if someone across could still hear you, there are so many factors that would play into it. As I said they leak slightly more but it's still mostly private and isolated to yourself

[@Rickandmorty_com]

Does the pro2 fit into the case of the pro1? I prefer the pro1's smaller case.

[@insidetechltd]

No it doesn't

[@MrMediterrano]

I just put it on for the first time. It is, for my taste, by far not loud enough. I am sure it is healthier for the ear on the long-term but it is just not loud enough to give me the extra push while doing sports. I am considering sending it back.

[@insidetechltd]

I would send it back - if you're already not happy with them I doubt that's going to change. You've got to get something you're fully satisfied with!

[@MrMediterrano]

@@insidetechltdIs OpenFit Air much louder? How is the bass?

[@insidetechltd]

I doubt they'd be loud enough actually. The difference isn't that much at all. The bass is actually a bit better with the OpenRun Pro 2 because of the different speaker technology

[@ConnectCreativeDesign]

I'm looking to purchase these. May I ask - did you review the 'standard' or 'mini' fit version in your video?

[@insidetechltd]

I had the standard size - i've got a medium-large sized head i'd say

[@imigrantpunk]

How do these compare to Bose Open Ultra?

[@getinnotimetoexplain]

amazing review :)

[@insidetechltd]

Thank you very much!

[@AniketBhosale1900]

Thanks for the review.

[@insidetechltd]

Thanks for watching it!

[@WitchLuw]

is it good on pc

[@FelixHunziker]

I’ve watched your Open Fit Air and Open Run Pro 2 reviews (thank you, very well done) but am unclear on a couple points: 1) which of these two products offers the best spatial awareness? I would think the Open Run 2 Pro would be better since nothing is covering your ear but would appreciate the confirmation and perhaps some idea of magnitude of the difference. 2) I believe your Open Run Pro 2 review said there’s less sound leakage than the Open Fit Air. I’m wondering how that’s possible when the latter is directly over the ear and the former is completely outside it. Limiting what my coworkers might overhear from my headphones in an office environment is an important decision point for me. Otherwise, thanks again for the excellent reviews. I wish all KZbin reviews were as concise, informative, and comprehensive.

[@insidetechltd]

Firstly, thanks a lot! 1) Honestly, no difference in spatial awareness. You could say technically it's OpenRun Pro 2 since, as you said, there's nothing over the ear at all. But the OpenFit Air really don't block anything noticeable from your ears anyway. You should consider both to be a fully 'open' design - no noticeable difference at all 2) There are technologies built into the OpenRun Pro 2 that limit sound leakage - it's worth reading about them on Shokz' website if you want to know more. Don't forget that some of the sound is transmitted through bone conduction as well, so that leaks less than open air. Also the speakers aren't constructed in the same way, so leakage isn't governed by their position alone. There's not much in it and of course it depends on what you're listening to and the volume you do so at. But I still think OpenRun Pro 2 leak slightly less from my experience testing side by side Hope that helps!

[@h1a8]

Can you compare these to the Openrock X in sound quality?

[@raenicholson5544]

Cannot get these these to pair with my Apple Watch series 9. Any help would be appreciated

[@insidetechltd]

Have you been able to pair other bluetooth devices with no problem? Just checking you're familiar with the pairing process to Apple Watch and you've got a specific issue with the OpenRun Pro 2

[@raenicholson5544]

@ thkx for the reply! Strangely the Pro 2s paired with my Apple Watch as soon as I installed IOS 18.2. Go figure.

[@anditoldsunsetaboutyou]

Im considering these because my airpods keep threatening to fall out on the gym treadmill n that annoys me lots. Im tempted to get the pro2 because of the usb-c but i really lobe pro beige color. My worry is that my gym plays radio over their speakers; with a bone conduction headphones will that affect sound coming off my phone music choice or youtube vidoes

[@insidetechltd]

The gym music might drown out an open design like this. Why not consider in-ear designs but that hook over your ears? They'd passively block out gym noise but also wouldn't fall out

[@affieuk]

I have some airpod pros. My use case is a bit weird, in ear headphones annoy me after use for 30-60 mins and I end up taking them out, clearing my outer ear and them putting them back in. I'm looking at these for all day usage, work, meetings (mic is important), media (youtube, tv shows). Not for music in general. Would these work or should I look at something else, maybe over ear? Edit, I like the idea of my ears being open / free, how much that actually plays a role I don't know.

[@insidetechltd]

I would say to look at both these and also the open ear design like Shokz OpenFit and others. I have a video on some of the best out there you might be interested in 👉🏼kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpa3pKJpZrWEqdk Have a think about whether or not you want the neckband and fit around your head, or the over-ear hook design instead. That's a big factor. Shokz also do OpenComm headphones which prioritise work settings over music e.g. they have a long boom arm for the mic to enhance work calls - might be worth a look!

[@Vaxxnor]

With the new design, is there an issue with getting highs/mids when wearing ear plugs while working? Ie, did they move the work of producing those frequencies shot towards your ear vs entirely through induction

[@insidetechltd]

The mids and highs are still produced by the bone conduction unit, it's the bass that's moved to the air conduction unit. So you might be ok. I would expect that wearing earplugs and blocking the sound is still going to distort and muffle your sound experience regardless though

[@JohnHayes-x3t]

@@insidetechltd This is what a lot of us are trying to find and no one is saying. The Pro 1s and previous versions all sounded substantially louder and clearer with earplugs in as no sounds had to travel into your ear canal. It is what we would do for plane rides and such. Also these are popular with construction workers and mechanics, who need to wear hearing protection all day. We're worried that now it will sound bad with earplugs, since you'll lose the lower half of the registry. If it is just bass lost, that's no big deal, but if it sounds murky or poor, that's a problem for many. Could you try them again with ear plugs please? (specifically for podcasts)

[@rodneywhite4494]

It is definitely harder for me to hear the new pro2 with ear plugs compared to the aftershokz aeropex.

[@insidetechltd]

Ok so i've just done some testing with ear plugs in and can confirm the original OpenRun Pro sound louder (for the reason you suggested). They are definitely much more muffled and harsher to listen to though. It was quite unpleasant compared to the OpenRun Pro 2. You'd think the clarity might be higher with the older gen when wearing earplugs, but it still isn't. If volume is the only concern...maybe the Gen 1 are better. But I can't recommend it. Podcasts were far clearer and easier to hear with the Gen 2, plus you don't have that annoying vibration that you get with the Gen 1. And if you're listening loud with ear plugs in...that problem is only going to be worse. So my recommendation is definitely still the Gen 2, even with ear plugs. If they still aren't loud enough, I wouldn't recommend the Gen 1 instead - I would perhaps keep looking elsewhere! Hope that helps

[@JohnHayes-x3t]

​@@insidetechltd Thank you so much for testing! This is not a concern for me since I will have my Pro 1s for those use cases, but that is a serious problem for people looking for one daily headset. The Pro 1s effectively cover all day and night for me (I literally sleep in them), but have mediocre audio quality. The Pro 2s sound like they fix the audio concerns for non-audiophiles, but we then lose many listening opportunities without the ability to utilize hearing protection while listening (mechanics, lawn work, construction, air travel, etc.)

[@hippywildchildracing]

Do these support phone capability. Ty

[@junhaoxu.]

If I was to use this for music while on the treadmill in the gym, do you reckon music will be drowned out by my surroundings? I heard that this was a issue with the first one and not sure if the new technology will help minimise this issue.

[@insidetechltd]

It honestly depends on how loud your gym environment is. There's often loud music playing along with machine noise so i'd personally for a closed design in that environment. These would still be better than the original OpenRun Pro though because of the improved bass, your music would be slightly less drowned out

[@ds77777]

You likely don't need those for gym. They are most useful in the scenarios where you need to have audio awareness regarding dangerous changes in the environment (best for riding a bicycle - absolutely shine during rides, running outside and hearing approaching cars - but since running is slower, there is more time to react, and you are more mobile such headphones are a bit overkill and other plugs can do the job as well).

[@junhaoxu.]

@@ds77777 Fair enough, my ears are a bit small and I don't use those gel tipped buds and the open fit style like airpods I've tried tend to fall out. Not a big fan of wearing the over the head earphones too since I don't want to swear in them hence I think I will go with these type of ear buds or the ones with the hooks but no wire in the back. If you have any recommendations, let me know :)

[@ds77777]

I understand your situation. Also need to add that since those are designed for audio awareness you will hear all noises in the gym and there is no noise cancelation. The only method is to use ear plugs with these headphones but this way you will lose bass since it comes from the outside and not bone conducted. So makes no sense. Another trouble is if you need to lay on benches. The rim will be an obstacle. I'd say since the price is quite high to look for true wireless plugs of specifically smaller size. Since sound in bone conducted headphones is not perfect even cheaper plug alternatives can be better.

[@junhaoxu.]

@@ds77777 all very valid points. Thanks so much for your replies :) Going to embark on a difficult journey in finding my ideal earbuds!

[@govarthanahari5266]

Hello bro, I have a doubt that while using this boneconduction headset,do we feel like hearing from any other place like dynamic hearing of sound from cheekbone side or normally it feels like usual headphones?

[@insidetechltd]

With this model, it feels pretty much like any usual open ear earphones or earbuds. I wouldn't say quite like headphones because your ears are still open to your surroundings, so they feel different there. But the sound still sounds like it's coming to your ears and not so much through your cheeks or side of the head like some other bone conduction headphones

[@Lokazana]

Low base?

[@onuralpciftci4208]

Great review thanks but for someone who is going to be use it just for the podcast and comfort is going to be the most important element which one would you recommend? Open Air airbud style or OpenRun bone conduction style? thanks!

[@insidetechltd]

I'd probably go for open air myself, but only because I find them more comfortable. No clamping at your temples, no neckband to get in the way, just a gentle on-ear comfort. You wouldn't likely need any of the bass for podcasts, so that would be my suggestion!

[@parthkalaria]

Appreciate your reviews as always.🔥

[@insidetechltd]

Thank you 👊🏼

[@DroidLocks6971]

.... sadly the material the openrun pro 2 are made of break my skin out .... why they don't make the Pro 2 out of same material as pro makes zero sense ....

[@Razerkid99_]

Bass isn’t the best because is impossible being they don’t go in your ear. Deff most comfortable headphones and sound is good and battery is about 20 hrs. I’ve had them 18 months. Mic isn’t the best wind is a big issue. Thats the regular not the pro.

[@Blu3_777]

Great review. 🔥🔥🔥 Keep The content coming. Question how does this compare to the jbl soundgear in terms of sub-bass?

[@insidetechltd]

Thank you! Slightly less of that sub-bass you get with JBL (that's their speciality really). So less of that boomy style bass and it's more tight and punchy

[@Blu3_777]

@@insidetechltd okay I definitely understand thanks for these awesome reviews

[@lvluhamad]

can you do a review of (baseus bowie h1i wireless) headset please?

[@insidetechltd]

I'll add them to my long, long review list 😅

[@nyx474]

This version is the best sound quality

[@bryandean4513]

Thank you for this review. I had the original "aftershokz" and after 2 or 3 years lost them. I thought I could go on with my other headphones and earbuds but I honestly miss them very badly for hiking and biking and even listening to music in the car while still being able to speak to everyone who doesn't want to hear my music playing. I was wondering if I should upgrade to the OpenPro2 and your review really helped me make up my mind. I thought about the openfit but after your review I'll go with the OpenPro2

[@insidetechltd]

Glad I could help! That's what i'm here for

[@GabrielPurziani]

But the OpenRun PROs were 100% waterproof, these are not.... let alone swim with them... 🤷‍♂ in this area, they made a step backward.

[@insidetechltd]

No...they aren't. They're IP55 rated, so not full waterproofing. It's the same as the OpenRun Pro 2

[@bitkahuna]

obviously paid promotion. i thought these sounded terrible. i returned them.

[@nicholasbutler2365]

Youre full of it

[@bitkahuna]

@@nicholasbutler2365 why thank you. 😂

[@mkphilly]

I love em

[@Rickandmorty_com]

What do you suggest over pro2? I need something similar open design

[@Bloodywelder]

I use them while working on power plants ( so I can enjoy audiobooks while having hearing protection in and being able to hear for safety)

[@cooliofv]

Usb-c in this Case is sucks. Big step backward

[@insidetechltd]

How come?

[@ffopa]

Completely disagree

[@JohnHayes-x3t]

@@insidetechltd Not Op, but I agree with them. The early models actually had micro-USB, and they wisely scrapped that with (I think) the Aeropex. They did so for two reasons: 1. Waterproofing - The proprietary magsafe charger allowed Aeropex to enjoy an IP 67 rating. Many of us regularly showered and even swam in them. You simply had to then let the microphone dry out. OpenRun Pro2 is only IP55 Water Resistant rated. 2. The real reason we are worried - the damn flap. To achieve even a worrisome IP55 rating, they needed to plug that port with a silicon cap. That cap eventually stretches and attracts then migrates sand and dirt into the port. By year 2 of daily use, those flaps eventually fall off completely or have stretched enough to no longer stay in, so you have a little flap flapping around. You can't feel it, but everyone says, "Hey, your little flappy flap is hanging out!" Maybe they've redesigned the perfect flap that will be perfect for years, but I'll eat my hat if they have. We both know they pulled that crappy old flap off the shelf for "Effortless USB-C Charging!!!" marketing purposes. It isn't a deal breaker for me, but I'm not wild about it. They designed and used the proprietary chargers because they were better, not to make money off of them like Apple et al. The proprietary charges were only $7.

[@distantyahoo]

the silicone cover doesn't seal well and is pretty annoying, honestly. neither the 1st or 2nd gen pros get as loud as the standard openrun.