Review: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

Back when headphone brand Shokz was known as Aftershokz, and it first started to send audio vibrations down our cheekbones, brands like Bose and Huawei weren't really making workout headphones. Now they've caught up, but despite plenty of competition, Shokz remains the dominant force in running headphones. The OpenRun Pro 2 are the company's most advanced open-ear headphones ever, and they really do make the miles pass quicker.

After a dip into the world of air conduction audio with the OpenFit series (5/10, WIRED Review), Shokz has combined air and bone conduction technologies in one pair of headphones. Bone conduction uses transducers to transmit sound vibrations up the cheekbones rather than through the ears. It allows you to listen to music without blocking traffic noise, which is essential for road running. Air conduction drivers work like normal headphone speakers but are very directional, so you can fire sound into your ears without having to cram buds deep in your ear canal.

Technically, though, this isn’t the first time both bone and air conduction headphones have been used together. The excellent OpenRun Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) featured a single air conduction unit that worked with its bone conduction wizardry to help generate a balanced sound profile. With the OpenRun Pro 2, they've added a second air conduction unit to create a bigger, hopefully better sound.

A Smarter, Faster Charge

With the OpenRun Pro 2, Shokz didn't do a radical redesign. The company stuck to the classic neckband, just with boosted sound quality and better battery life. The headphones are still IP55-rated (you can sweat in them and rinse under the tap, just not swim in them) which, surprisingly, doesn’t match the IP68 rating of the cheaper, and waterproof, OpenRun. This is due to the extra vented areas needed for the air conduction. It's a trade-off between extreme durability and improved sound quality.

I’m happy to see that Shokz sticks to physical controls, because as any runner knows, trying to swipe and tap on surfaces while you’re in full stride is hard. Adjusting volume or pausing audio from an exterior button is just easier.

The most desirable change between the OpenRun Pro and OpenRun Pro 2, however, lies behind the volume rocker. Shokz has finally ditched its proprietary charging port and replaced it with a USB-C one. It's a small difference, but it takes all the hassle out of charging and having to remember to pack the original silly little charging cable.

The change has also given charge times a boost, with a 5-minute power-up giving you 2.5 hours, an increase of one hour. A bigger battery also takes the overall battery from 10 hours to 12 hours, though listening volume has a big say on whether you hit that number. During my test, it worked out as around a 10-percent drop for an hour’s worth of running.

The extra air conduction unit has also added to the weight of the OpenRun Pro 2, which is now 1.06 ounces (30.3-grams), instead of 1.02 ounces (29-grams) with the Pro model. It’s not the kind of extra heft that most people will notice, however, and they're still more than comfortable for long runs.

Big Beats

If you've never listened to a pair of bone conduction or open-ear headphones, it's important to temper your audio expectations. The very nature of being open means that it's not going to sound as good as a similarly-priced pair of closed or in-ear earbuds, they're not going to sound as good.

Progress is being made though, and the OpenRun Pro 2 sounds a world apart from the very first set of AfterShokz headphones I tested years ago. You’ve got power, depth, bass, and a reduction in bone conduction “tickle.” New for the Pro 2 is an app that lets you adjust the sound profile and tweak EQs, if you enjoy that sort of customization.

Rather ambitiously, Shokz promises these sports headphones can deliver clear highs and natural mids and that the new dual air conduction unit design manages to produces pure vocal sound. The air conduction certainly delivers the bass, while the bone conduction handles the rest. In the battle to compete with traffic, wind and the gym stereo, there’s some winners and losers here. The bass is a big improvement, with a noticeable uptick in warmth and punch.

Annoyingly, however, while more power means bigger bass for your buck, the clarity isn’t on a par with the older OpenRun. Similarly, in a sound-off with the uniquely designed Bose Ultra Open, the lack of clarity is exposed too. When I eased off the high tempo drum-and bass-heavy playlists to listen to a podcast, the backward step in clarity remained noticeable. This doesn’t make the OpenRun Pro 2 a bad headphone, they simply offer a shift to a sound that many runners will greatly enjoy, and one that's a little closer to typical bass-heavy workout headphones.

Winner by a Nose

You always have to make compromises with open-ear headphones, but with the OpenRun Pro 2, the compromises are actually relatively insignificant. If you're looking for running headphones with more bass and power, but you still want to be aware of your surroundings, these are the best available.

Other options worth considering include the Suunto Sonic ($149), which offer a very balanced sound profile from a nicely weighted and comfortable neckband design. The premium-priced Bose Ultra Open give better, more detailed sound, but a dubious fit if you're running fast. The Sivga SO2 ($70) produce a really likable, open-ear sound and secure fit.

It's not the huge leap in quality I'd hoped for, but Shokz has done just enough for me to recommend the OpenRun Pro 2. That being said, you shouldn’t rule out the OpenRun Pro, which gives you pretty much the same design with solid audio quality and battery performance. You just have to remember where you put that fiddly, archaic, proprietary charging cable.