How do the Shokz work?

Most people want to know, how do the Shokz provide sound if they don't go in your ear? The answer: using a technology called bone conduction.

 

In laymen's terms, as they rest on your temples a combination of sound waves and vibration works to reproduce audio and generate music for you to enjoy.

 

This results in sort of a hybrid version of earbuds that are much safer. Basically, you gain more awareness of any impending dangers, and you risk arguably less hearing damage (note: not scientifically proven, but as a personal observation only).

 

 

Furthermore, as I mentioned in the intro, you will no longer need to pull out your earbuds anytime someone asks you a question -- a huge plus for crowded gyms!

 

How can that be? While you can still hear directional noise when wearing these headphones, these still drown out non-directional noise. For example, if someone comes up to you at the gym to ask how many sets you have, you can answer and continue working out without grabbing for your earbuds.

 

However, you can still primarily enjoy your music and drown out non-directional sound. For example, the annoyingly chatty group "working out" nearby you will be mostly drowned out by your music.

How loud do the Shokz get?

According to Shokz OpenRun models tops out at 105 dB, while the OpenRun Pro tops out at 100 dB. In my experience testing both, they both produced about the same amount of volume at max levels.

 

Simply put, while the volume level does not match that of an in-ear earbud style headphone, it's close enough, and the other factors more than make up for the loss in overall sound volume (such as less ear ringing from prolonged usage, and greater ease of spontaneous communication).

 

I mostly tested these in a noisy gym or weight room environment. Again, the volume level was loud enough to enjoy my music and drown out most background noise, unless directly spoken to.

You may also notice louder impacts around you more, such as the clanging of weights. But higher frequency sound is mostly drowned out, which is good.

How good is the Shokz sound quality?

Similar to my points in the previous section in regards to sound volume, you won't necessarily want to compare these to in ear earbuds on the basis of sound quality, but they're close enough, and you'll like these due to the other benefits they provide.

 

Since you're playing music thru bone conduction rather than close to your eardrum, the listening environment will not quite be fully optimal. However, I want to emphasize that the end result is still very good!

How heavy or light are the Shokz headphones?

Of the two models, the OpenRun is the slightly lighter and more sleek model, but the OpenRun Pro is also very lightweight. To be technical, we're talking a difference in 4 grams in weight between the OpenRun and the OpenRun Pro.

 

However, you definitely notice the difference when wearing the OpenRun and OpenRun Pro. I was skeptical at first, but once I tried on the OpenRun Pro for a few workouts, I was sold on the superiority of its design.

 

All told, they are some of the lightest on ear headphones on the market. In fact, they are more similar to the weight of in ear earbuds.

What is the difference between the Shokz OpenRun and the Shokz OpenRun Pro?

Besides the slight different in size and weight that I mentioned in the previous section, the sound level and sound quality is largely the same, as are the features.

 

It comes down to feel and personal taste. Some people will like the slightly larger and slightly different fit on the Shokz Open Run. However, I prefer the OpenRun Pro, personally.

 

If you are convinced that the Shokz OpenRun Pro are the right pair of headphones for you, the pricing information is below.