Based on what we’ve seen (and heard), Shokz is making some big strides. The pioneer in bone-conduction headphones is expanding into the broader personal audio space with some of its recent releases, including its OpenFit family of earbuds. The latest from Shokz, the OpenFit Pro, might just be the brand’s best earbuds yet.
Earlier this month at CES, I got some ears-on time with the award-winning OpenFit Pro headphones. And honestly, I wasn’t prepared to be as amazed by the audio performance as I was.
OpenFit Pro Earbuds: What’s New
The OpenFit Pro ($250) is the first OpenFit model to feature noise reduction, Dolby Atmos optimization with head tracking, and smart wear detection that automatically pauses your music when you take off a bud.
Shokz made the physical button satisfyingly clicky and customizable. They improved the audio quality across the board, with better bass and dynamic range. It now has Bluetooth 6.1 for a more stable wireless connection. There’s also an additional noise-canceling microphone for improved call quality.
The Pro version also offers better play time — 4 hours from just a 10-minute quick charge (twice that of the three previous OpenFit models) and up to 50 hours total with the case.
So, if you’re looking for noise reduction, head tracking, wear detection, and the best sound quality in the Shokz OpenFit family of earbuds, you should check out the OpenFit Pro. Here are some of my impressions after trying out these slick new headphones.
Noise Reduction
Going into the demo, I had a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of reducing external noise without creating a seal in or around my ears. But these headphones actually pulled that off, while remaining totally outside my ear canals.
I was in a huge ballroom with over 150 companies showing off products at their booths. It sounded somewhere between a constant din and a full-on cacophony. Yet, when I donned these hook-style earbuds and dragged the adaptive Noise Reduction slider in the app to 100%, the event space noise was almost completely minimized. It didn’t block out everything, but suddenly the event space felt a lot more peaceful.
It was almost eerie (pun intended).
The experience made me think they might be the first open-ear headphones I’d actually consider wearing on the subway, a place where I want to drown out as much of the inherent ruckus as possible, while still remaining aurally aware of my surroundings.
Sound Quality
Next, I was surprised by the richness and details of the music coming through the Shokz. This brand has certainly come a long way in the last decade, since its early bone-conduction headsets. On the Standard equalizer setting, everything sounded good and plentiful, not harsh or lacking (as some other open-ears can). Or to put it more positively, the music sounded full and pleasant.
I played around briefly with three of the other presets, which accentuate bass, vocals, and treble. They all seemed to do their job. The bass was relatively decent for open earbuds.
I didn’t test the fifth preset that supposedly minimizes sound leakage. But I’m confident that, between the first four and the ability to customize a full 10-band EQ, I could easily find a sound signature that works well with any audio I want to stream.
Spatial Audio
Finally, I was shocked by the spatiality of the music I heard after toggling on the Dolby Atmos-based head tracking. I’ve previously enjoyed head-tracking with high-fidelity headphones when watching movies or playing games. I just hadn’t expected to experience it with open-style earbuds playing music.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t ditch my current soundbar surround setup for these earbuds. Nor would I throw out my favorite over-ear headphones. But these small, open earbuds do a surprisingly competent job of representing a wide, immersive soundscape.
The OpenFit Pro headphones are also impressive beyond their audio chops. They offer multi-point pairing via Bluetooth 6.1, smart wear detection that pauses the music when you take one off, and a satisfyingly clicky, customizable physical button to help you control the buds in various conditions.
Speaking of which, the buds themselves are IP55-rated to survive dust, sweat, rain, and small splashes. And they boast up to 50 hours of total runtime with the case, up to 4 hours of playtime from just a 10-minute quick charge.
Previous Shokz OpenFit Models
Since we first fell in love with the original OpenFit a few years ago, Shokz has expanded its open-earbud family to include four hook-style models. So, let’s run through them.
Shokz released the follow-up, the OpenFit Air, in June 2024 as a solid entry-level model. For just $120, you’re getting its lightest hook-style earbuds, even if it’s by less than a gram. They have a wired charging case, multipoint pairing, touch controls, and IP54 dust, water, and splash resistance. Battery life is rated at 6 hours on the buds and 28 hours with the case.
Battery life is the most substantial improvement with last year’s releases, the OpenFit 2 ($180) and OpenFit 2+ ($200), which significantly up the ante to 11 hours on the buds themselves and 48 hours including the case. The controls mix physical buttons and touch sensors. They also offer boosted sound by separating the woofer and tweeter.
You can currently find the OpenFit Pro on Shokz.com in either black or white for $250. If you’d like to save $50, the OpenFit 2 is still a solid choice, though it can’t do the whole noise-reduction party trick.
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