- Shokz just launched the all-new OpenFit Pro open earbuds at CES in Las Vegas
- Head-tracking spatial audio compatible with Dolby Atmos and “noise reduction”
- At first I like the sound – even for a hefty price of £219 (around $295, AU$440)
Fans of open-back headphones and sports-specific bone conduction headphones will likely be familiar with Shokz products. But the just-revealed OpenFit Pro are the first Shokz earbuds to feature a “dual-diaphragm synchronized driver and noise reduction.” And by “noise reduction”, you absolutely have to think “active noise cancellation, but for an open-ear design”.
Shokz is quick to point out its unique SuperBoost algorithm for “dynamic, distortion-free sound,” as well as a new “aerospace-grade aluminum PMI dome cap” on the speaker housing alongside the premium silicone I’ve come to expect from the brand.
And I can tell you that this “button” on the earpiece is a good thing from a design standpoint, as well as a sound one, since it happily slides under my concha cimba (one of the inner folds of my outer ear, above the concha proper) to help with security.
Shokz OpenFit Pro is also ready for your Dolby Atmos content with head-tracking technology on the menu, and in my initial testing I found it responsive and nimble when moving my head around the source device.
Want to customize the levels of the actual frequencies you hear in the mix? OpenFit Pro has five EQ presets and two customizable EQ profiles in the Shokz app.
Shokz OpenFit Pro: Key features and pricing, plus my first thoughts
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Shokz admits that achieving noise reduction in an open-ear design was “a challenge.” OpenFit Pro are Shokz’s first earbuds to feature open-ear noise reduction (this is very rare, even in 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-fitting algorithm.
Through the Shokz app, users will be able to manually adjust noise reduction levels based on their surroundings, whether they need deeper focus or prefer to stay aware of what’s going on around them. I didn’t get early access to the iOS app before their launch (today, January 6), but I’ve been listening to them for four days and I have to say I’m looking forward to further tweaking the noise reduction levels, to see what they can really do.
From my first listen, the sound was punchier than expected and dynamically nuanced, with excellent levels of detail and a bass that often made me forget that these were open-back headphones – and that’s not something I say lightly.
And here’s another thing I’ve never seen before: the support accessories in the box. Slip these little O-rings over the hook, and you get 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 enabled, the claim is a more standard 6 hours of battery life 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 fast charging. This last part of the statement I can vouch for – it is a good one.
Elsewhere, you get multi-point pairing, IP55 for water and dust resistance, as well as Bluetooth 6.1. And although their 12.3 grams per earbud seems relatively heavy, after wearing them for four days now, I’ve found them extremely comfortable.
On this occasion, I also have a glamorous assistant (read: fiancé) who tried the Shokz OpenFit Pro on me while playing tennis and cycling in the evening, because I injured my shoulder while dancing. He doesn’t like in-ear headphones, but wanted to try listening to music while working out, so he was happy to help me. An added benefit with these types of models is that you can happily share them without constantly cleaning and swapping ear tips, as no part of them enters your ear canal.
“Your ears are your mirrors when you ride a bike”
His first assessment? “They’re perfect for cycling; I could still hear the traffic – because your ears are your mirrors when you’re cycling – but my music was loud and clear, which was a welcome change from the pitch-dark monotony of Tuesday nights on the tennis road.
“When I was at the tennis center, they were great for dynamic and static stretching as well as shuttle runs. I also wore my baseball cap with them and a helmet when I rode my bike, and they never got in my way. I’ve been playing tennis competitively for 30 years, but this is the first time I’ve hit a ball with an auditory distraction, and Queens of the Stone Age definitely helped me warm up on the court.
“The fact that I could still hear the sound of the ball coming from the other end of the court during warm-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 small stabilizers, the right sometimes didn’t feel safe in the tougher rallies, but the stabilizer went a long way to solving that problem.”
I’ll continue to test them over the next few weeks and finalize a full review (it doesn’t have my work), but initially we both think there’s a lot to like – although at £219 (or around $295 or AU$440) they’re not cheap considering 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.
This current class leader was $100/£100 less than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds at launch and is only $20/£10 more than Shokz’s classic OpenFit 2. So while it’s clear where the extra $120/£50 went with the OpenFit Pro (first-time noise reduction; Dolby Atmos optimization with head tracking; one extra mic per earbud; lots of work in the design department), it will be interesting to see where the sound-per-pound value ends up. Watch this space…
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