Shokz OpenRun Pro Good vibrations
Shokz OpenRun Pro Good vibrations
I’ve made the Shokz OpenRun Pro my trusty podcasting companion while out on the run at this point, and it’s tough to see myself wearing anything else. I’m a big fan of the true-crime genre, especially during fall, but it usually means my podcasts aren’t for everyone. Your average dog walker or mom with a stroller doesn’t need to hear the soothing tones of Keith Morrison recounting the most recent episodes of Dateline, after all.
The vibes — vibrations, rather — are excellent, just like the environmental awareness. Shokz’s open-ear design means I can still hear everything going on around me, from the ding of a bicycle bell to a little kid yelling hello and waving furiously. It’s a nice social twist, as previously, I would have blown by just about anyone and anything with little more than a wave.
Not every dog walker or mom with a stroller wants to hear the sweet sounds of a Dateline podcast streaming from my phone's loudspeaker.
Sure, I could use a traditional pair of headphones to improve isolation, but safety concerns hold me back, as mentioned above. There’s only so much running I can do on a flat, straight rail trail before I look for turns and hills. Eventually, I have to trade the crushed gravel of the trail for some thin shoulders lined with cows and crops. That means swapping the risk of flying cyclists for cars and trucks enjoying the few restrictions of country roads. I’ve tried balancing safety with noise-cancelling, but I found myself skipping music altogether at that point.
Unlike other models, the OpenRun Pro come with a dedicated Shokz companion app. There’s not a ton you can do with it, though it does offer a choice between two basic EQs — standard and vocal. They’re pretty self-explanatory, with standard as the better option for music and vocal as the podcasting preference. You can also control multipoint Bluetooth pairing and playback, but that’s about it.
I’m also pretty impressed with how well the OpenRun Pro stay in place when I’m out racking up the miles. I fully expected some shifting and bouncing, but the main speakers have stayed tight to my ears so far. If anything, I’m still learning where to position the headband in relation to my hair, and even that is easy to ignore on the back of your neck.
Although they started as my dedicated running companion, I quickly found myself reaching for the OpenRun Pro at other times, too. Whether it’s a simple, mindless task like doing the dishes or working my way through some article updates, it seems to pass much faster with headphones on. The bone conduction style lets me catch up on my podcast backlog without taking me out of conversations, and I don’t look like “that guy” trying to talk with earbuds in my ears.
I’m not afraid to wear the OpenRun Pro and take a phone call, either. All it takes is a tap of the multifunction button to pick up or end a call. It does feel like the voices are coming from inside my head, but the dual noise-cancelling microphones — both on the right side — make it easy to hear me clearly on the other end. I’ve taken calls mid-run more than once, and there have been no complaints other than my huffing and puffing.
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