Derek 'Dez' Maggs 
If you are looking for a pair of wireless earbuds that let you enjoy your music and stay aware of your surroundings, you might want to check out the Shokz Openfit. These are anything but your typical earbuds. Instead, they sit on your ears and use an air conduction system to deliver sound to your eardrums. This way, you can hear both your audio and the ambient sound around you, which can be useful for safety and comfort reasons.
But how do they sound? Are they comfortable to wear? And are they worth the price? In this review, we will answer all your questions and more.
What is Air Conduction?
When first asked to review that Shokz Openfit earbuds, I was excited because I love the sciences behind Bone Conduction. Yet, to my pleasant surprise they were Air Conduction. I’ve know a little about Air Conduction but this is my first experiencing & testing it.
I was trying to put in my own words what it was, but it was too long winded & the National Institutes of Health sums it up do succinctly:
Air conduction uses the apparatus of the ear (pinna, ear canal, tympanic membrane, and ossicles) to amplify and direct the sound.
Design and Features
The Shokz Openfit earbuds has a unique design remind me of the fibonacci spiral. Each earbud has a flexible hook that wraps around your ear and a “speaker” that rests on your ear canal. The earbuds are made of plastic and come in two colors: black or beige. They are extremely lightweight, weighing in at only 8.4 grams each. Which makes the Shokz Openfit almost unnoticeable when wearing them & for all those people fitter than me, they are also IP54 rated Which means they are resistant sweat & dust.
The earbuds have touch controls on the outer surface that let you play/pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, activate voice assistant, and answer/end calls. The touch controls are responsive and easy to use, but I found I would accidentally touch the responsive button whenever I adjusted them. I love that the earbuds also have dual microphones on each side. As someone that at times only wear one & then swap throughout to the other when the battery died. To be able to not need to have the correct one on to be able to answer my phone has been a dream. Have both earbuds in & the voice quality for calls is the best I’ve experienced.
The earbuds come with a charging case that has a magnetic lid and a USB-C port. Which can hold up to four full charges for the earbuds, giving you a total of 28 hours of battery life. The earbuds themselves can last up to seven hours on a single charge. However, the case is quite large, a little over half the length & slightly wider than my Samsung S23. One thing that is slightly disappointing thing about the Shokz Openfit earbuds case, is it does not support wireless charging. Which is it should have for such a premium product.
Performance and Sound Quality
As previously mentioned, the Shokz Openfit earbuds uses an air conduction system to deliver soundwaves to your ears. This means that the speakers vibrate the air around your ears and create sound waves that reach your eardrums. This is different from bone conduction headphones, which vibrate your cheekbones and bypass your eardrums altogether.
The advantage I found with air conduction is that it produces better sound quality than bone conduction. Then add in the fact that the Shokz Openfit earbuds has a feature called DirectPitch that enhances the bass and clarity of the sound. The result is a balanced and rich sound that can compete with some of the best in-ear buds in the market. The soundstage is also wide and immersive, giving you a sense of space and depth.
The Shokz Openfit earbud has an EQ setting that lets you customize the sound according to your preference. You can choose from three modes:
- Standard mode: is the default mode that provides a balanced sound.
- Vocal Booster mode: enhances the vocals and treble for podcasts and audiobooks.
- Ear Saver mode: reduces the volume and bass for long-term listening comfort.
While the Shokz Openfit earbuds aren’t noise cancelling, they do have minimal sound leakage with the right setting. This is a good thing for fitness enthusiasts who want to stay aware of their surroundings while biking or running. The earbuds come with a feature called Auditory Transparency Mode (ATM), which allows you to adjust the level of ambient sound that you want to hear.
To activate this feature, simply tap twice on the left earbud. You can then choose from three levels:
- High: lets you hear everything around you as if you were not wearing any earbuds
- Medium: reduces some of the ambient noise but still lets you hear important sounds like traffic or people talking.
- Low: blocks most of the ambient noise but still lets you hear some sounds like alarms or sirens.
Comfort and Fit
One of the main selling points of the Shokz Openfit earbuds is its comfort. Unlike in-ear buds that can cause ear fatigue & irritation, the earbuds leaves your ear canals open and free. Weirdly, I find I’ve had less wax build up since switching to them. Yes, that may be too much information, but I have found them a dream to wear.
The Shokz Openfit Headset has a flexible and ergonomic design that fits securely and comfortably around your ears. The ear hooks are soft and bendable, so you can adjust them to fit your ear shape and size. The speakers are also angled and positioned to align with your ear canal and deliver optimal sound. The earbuds are very stable and do not fall off easily, I’m even guessing that is when you are running or exercising, but I didn’t test for this.
Conclusion
The Shokz Openfit earbuds is a pair of wireless earbuds that offer a new way to listen to music and stay aware of your surroundings. They are comfortable, durable, lightweight, hygienic, and easy to use. Packed full of many great features like touch controls, EQ settings, ATM mode, and voice assistant support.
However, for some users, there may be a few drawbacks, such as sound leakage, lack of noise cancellation, and lack of wireless charging. Yet, to be honest but to be fair, I value situational awareness and comfort over noise cancellation
If you are looking for a pair of wireless earbuds that let you enjoy your music and like to hear everything around you at the same time or are a fitness enthusiast you definitely want to give Shokz Openfit a try.
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