Since 5 years ago, I discovered the first AfterShokz Trekz Titanium and I started running wearing bone conduction headphones my way of listening to music doing sports has changed drastically, indeed I would say that I started listening to music doing sports exactly at that time. Before discovering the Trekz, in fact, I had never been able to run with a pair of headphones that plugged my ears and therefore completely isolated me from everything around me.
The fact that I can listen to music while still feeling the frequency of breathing and the noises that come from the street and the surrounding environment turned out to be a real turning point for me. The new OpenRun Pro by Shokz, previously AfterShokz, are the latest expression of bone conduction technology and, if possible, still improve the performance of the latest OpenRun and Aeropex, which I wore until 10 days ago and which still remain excellent. Read on below and I’ll tell you how they go and how they evolved.
DESIGN AND MATERIALS
Opened the package of the new OpenRun Pro we immediately find the hard case, inside which we have our headphones and the cable for charging, as always with a proprietary magnetic connector. In addition to these by moving the cardboard divider we can recover the classic manual with the instructions for the first start and the cardboard with the useful information for the warranty.
The team that wins does not change and Shokz, with the new OpenRun Pro, does not stray far from this philosophy. It therefore remains the same OpenFit design that has characterized all the company’s solutions for years; a scheme that provides two small transmitters that integrate the motor for vibration and rest just in front of the Trago (the protrusion that protects the ear canal), joined together by a titanium headband that thicken at the lugs that rest on the ears to make room for electronics and controls.
Precisely in correspondence with this thickening of the headband, on the right side, we find the keys for adjusting the volume, turning on and activating Bluetooth and, together with these, the magnetic connector for charging. On the left transmitter, on the other hand, we have a third multifunction button that depending on the frequency and duration of the press allows you to start and pause playback, move on to the next or previous song, call up the voice assistant of the smartphone and answer a phone call. In addition to the transmitters, in fact, there is also a microphone system that allows us to receive and make calls.
Also on the right side we also find a small status LED that depending on the frequency of flashing and color allows us to obtain different information on the connection with your playback device and on the battery charge.
As mentioned above the design has not changed much compared to the previous OpenRun. The two transmitters are a little smaller and in general the shapes have been further harmonized. A difference that is certainly more marked if we look at the Aropex but that still does not drastically change the feeling once worn. Even with 3 grams more weight than the previous model, 29 against 26, the OpenRun Pro remain very light and very comfortable to wear, almost not felt. The most interesting feature, however, is given by the fact that despite being so light and comfortable they are at the same time always firm in their position even during physical activity.
I also tried other bone conduction headphones, often much cheaper, but I’ll be honest: none of these gave me the same feeling in terms of comfort and above all stability. Precisely for these characteristics it is a pair of headphones designed for use during physical activity but which also lend themselves very well to be worn for a long time in many other situations.
And finally we must not forget about the impermeability and resistance to dust infiltration. Being, precisely, designed to be worn during physical activity, they offer IP55 certification that does not allow immersion but still guarantees resistance to sweat and rain drops, enough for the most common uses.
