- Shokz just released all-new OpenFit Pro open earbuds at CES, Las Vegas
- Dolby Atmos-ready head-tracked spatial audio and ‘noise reduction’
- Initially, I like the sound – even for a pricey £219 (approx. $295, AU$440)
Fans of sports-specific open earbuds and bone conduction headphones will likely be well-versed in Shokz products. But the just-unveiled OpenFit Pro are the first ever Shokz earbuds to feature a “synchronized dual-diaphragm driver and noise reduction”. And by ‘noise reduction’, you should absolutely think ‘active noise cancellation, but for an open-ear design’.
Shokz is quick to point towards its unique SuperBoost algorithm for “dynamic and distortion-free sound”, plus a new “aerospace-grade aluminium PMI dome cap” on the driver housing alongside the premium silicone I’ve come to expect from the brand.
And I can tell you that this ‘nub’ on the earpiece is a good thing from a design perspective, as well as sonically, since it slips happily under my cimba concha (one of the inner folds of my outer ear, above the concha proper) to aid with security.
Shokz OpenFit Pro are also ready for your Dolby Atmos content with head tracking technology on the menu, and during my initial testing, I have found it responsive and agile as I move my head around the source device.
Want to customize the levels of the actual frequencies you’re hearing in the mix? OpenFit Pro have five EQ presets plus two customizable EQ profiles in the Shokz App.
Shokz OpenFit Pro: key features and pricing, plus my initial thoughts
Shokz admits that achieving noise reduction in an open-ear design was “a challenge”. OpenFit Pro are the first headphones from Shokz to feature open-ear noise reduction, (it’s very rare in even the best open earbuds – the Honor Earbuds Open are the first model I’ve heard to feature it, and they do it very well indeed) using a triple-mic system with the Shokz ear-adaptive algorithm.
Through the Shokz app, users will be able to manually adjust the noise reduction levels to match their environment, whether they need deeper focus or prefer to stay aware of what’s happening around them. I did not get early access to the app for iOS ahead of their launch (today, January 6), but I’ve been listening to them for four days, and I have to say, I can’t wait to tweak the noise reduction levels further, to see what they can really do.
From my initial listening, the sound was punchier than expected and dynamically nuanced, with great detail levels and a low end that often made me forget they were open earbuds – and that’s not something I say lightly.
And here’s another thing I’ve never seen before: support accessories in the box. Slip these little o-rings over the hook, and there’s an extra level of security, especially for sports use or for those with smaller ears (read: me).
Battery life? Of course: up to 12 hours on a single charge and up to 50 hours with the surprisingly slim and small charging case. Don’t get too excited, though. With noise reduction on, the claim is a more standard 6 hours on a single charge, and a total of 24 hours with the charging case. Oh, and you’ll get up to 4 hours with just 10-minutes of quick charging. This last part of the claim I can vouch for – it’s good.
Elsewhere, you’ve got multi-point pairing, IP55 for water- and dust-resistance, plus Bluetooth 6.1. And although their 12.3 grams per earbud sounds relatively weighty, having worn them for four days now, I have found them extremely comfortable.
On this occasion, I also have a glamorous assistant (read: fiancé) who tried the Shokz OpenFit Pro out for me while playing tennis and cycling in the evening, owing to the fact that I’ve injured my shoulder while dancing. He dislikes in-ear designs but wanted to try listening to music while training, so was happy to help me out. An added bonus with these types of designs is that you can share them happily without constantly cleaning and swapping out ear tips, since no part of them enters your ear canal.
‘Your ears are your mirrors when you cycle’
His early appraisal? “They’re great for cycling; I could still hear traffic – because your ears are your mirrors when you cycle – but my music came through loud and clear, which was a welcome change from the pitch-black monotony of Tuesday evenings on the road to tennis.
“While at the tennis center, they were great for dynamic and static stretches plus shuttle runs. I also wore my baseball cap with them and a helmet while cycling, and they never got in the way. I’ve played tennis competitively for 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve hit a ball with any aural distraction, and Queens of the Stone Age definitely helped me warm up on court.
“The fact that I could still hear the sound of the ball coming from the other end of the court while warming up (what type of shot it was, how hard it was hit, how much spin was put into the shot) was also imperative. Without the little stabilizers, the right one occasionally felt insecure in tougher rallies, but the stabilizer went a long way to fixing this.”
I will continue to test them for the next few weeks and to finalize a full review (he’s not having my job), but initially, both of us think there’s a lot to like – although at £219 (or around $295 or AU$440) they’re not cheap when you consider that the current top spot in our buying guide is occupied by another Shokz product, the Shokz OpenFit 2+ with an MSRP of $179.95 / £169 / AU$350.
That current class-leader was $100 / £100 cheaper than Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at launch and is only $20 / £10 more expensive than Shokz’s regular OpenFit 2, so despite knowing where the extra $120 / £50 has gone with the OpenFit Pro (noise reduction for the first time; Dolby Atmos optimization with head-tracking; an extra mic per bud; a lot of work in the design department) it’ll be interesting to see where the sound-per-pound value lies. Watch this space…
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