Created: 2024.01.03
This is a review of the Shokz OpenRun Pro I received in 2024. In all my reviews I try to give info on my biases so you can decide whether my loves and complaints are relevant to you as well. I don't get any referral $ etc.., for this - it is my highly personally biased, but not biased by the manufacturer report.
I found the cable. I've used them a few times since. I have one other 'would like' feature.
When you turn them on they say essentially "lots of power" or "a bit of power" or "Sorry sucker you should have plugged them in when you took them off last night."
Sort of like software that when you start to run it says "Hey, Can I take some unknown amount of time and upgrade you or did you start me because you want to get some work done?"
I think when you power them OFF, instead of saying "power off", they should say "medium battery; power off" or "low battery; power off."
I want to know the power setting when I take them off so I know whether I need to charge them. While yes it is nice that they say "sorry sucker you should have charged these last night." so you know not to bother using them today, saying "low power , power off" would be much more UX friendly.
My headphones ran out of battery several days ago. As soon as I find that special cable they use hidden somewhere among my 6 piles of identical looking black USB-C cables I assume, I'll probably give them another chance, maybe I'll paint the cord teal to match the headphones so I can find it easier next time. But since they don't have a mute button, I'm not in a panic to try them again. I'm thinking it should be law that products that don't use USB-C cords have a warning like they put on Canadian cigarettes saying "Warning this product does not use USB-C" and then show a picture of a landfill and local pollution problems. Then again, government rules seldom fix anything, they usually seem to make them worse (Removal of plastic straws by the Liberal government in 2023 resulted in twice as much pollution containing more serious hazardous waste than the straws they replaced - and they taste yucky when drinking with them. But I digress.)
I've already lost the cord. I'm sure I'll find it sometime today but what a pain, I have to find and keep track of another incompatible cord, and when it breaks, or I misplace it, I'll be out of a headphone for the rest of the trip AND until I can order and receive a new cord. I'm not impressed. Somehow I missed that when I ordered them. I have for the past year refused to buy products that use anything other than USB-C to charge.
The sound quality (me hearing it) is excellent according to people I have talked to using them.
The sound quality for me is excellent. A slight tickling/buzzing at times, but I'm getting used to it, just like I'm used to my Tinnitus.
The 'presence' - that is my interaction with the environment while using the headphones, is very good.
Both of those together say that the bone conduction interface is excellent.
Pairs nicely with both my cell phone and my main computer.
No one complains about the sound quality when I speak. That's good. The biggest decision I made buying these is whether I should have gone with the OpenComm2 UC with the boom mic but 1 generation older bone conduction interface. Looks like for my environment I made the right choice. I'll try to remember to update this report after using them outdoors a bunch, in the tropics. In discussions with people on the other end, the sound cancellation could use a bit of work, but it is adequate most of the time.
Nice subdued color (I went with the blue, it's a nice 'professional' teal color. The color rendering on my screens from their site is very accurate, I like it.)
I get lots of "what are those" and "those look cool" comments. As a 60 something, bald, fat old guy … I don't often get "cool" comments!
But … oh crap, ANOTHER incompatible USB power charge cord. It uses a magnetic cord, not USB-C, and it doesn't work on my QI wireless charger, so I'm beholden to carrying an extra, incompatible, non-reusable, special case cable every time I travel. This is a permanent flaw. The only way out is a new device.
And yes I understand it probably is because of problems with water in USB-C cables. But regardless of the technical reason, I'm not happy I have to keep track of a 'very distinctive black' (sarcasm) USB cable to avoid these becoming a paperweight.
My head was just (1/4") bigger than the minimum for the 'larger' band. It is unfortunate that it is not adjustable, especially when not sitting up with the back of my head away from touching anything (like headrest on a car, pillow, high back chair). Because I have team members around the world, I work long hours and have a habit of taking phone calls while laying down so my body can rest (due to too few hours of sleep.) I probably should have found a place to try the smaller on even though I was 1/4" into the recommended larger size.
I also wonder why it has to be so round and think instead of flat (think ribbon cable). I guess it makes it less likely to be bent and broken.
Maybe what I'll have to do at home/office is wear headphones instead of these.
Couldn't find any way to mute, and the manual for Shokz OpenRun Pro doesn't have 'mute' anywhere in it (the manual could have just said: To mute, use your device, this headphone can't do it for you.) So I have to get my device (i.e. phone) open it up, convince it that it is not against my head (disables the screen automatically), press the mute on the phone app. Given I often mute and then want to quickly unmute to say one or two words than mute again, this is disappointing.
Maybe this will come with a future firmware upgrade. They have all sorts of useless for me features on the 'multi-function button', since they have an app that lets you adjust things. Maybe they'll have an upgrade that lets me get rid of one of the functions I don't care about, and turn it into a mute/unmute button instead.
After wearing a few hours, I have 'sweat' where they touch my skin. Didn't actually notice until I took them off. I don't remember the last time I sweated in my office or house! I guess technically I do all the time, it just isn't enough to ever notice.
I'm surprised they renamed their company to SHOKZ from Aftershokz. The 1st thought that went through my mind was: Putting something electrical on my head from a company named "Shocks" - not gunna happen! I wonder if they thought about that when they removed the "After" part of their name, or whether they were still think along the line "After" shocks and didn't think about the "Electrical Shocks" concept of the plain word Shocks/Shokz. None the less, the 2nd thought was - I'm sure they are safe, I'm sure I won't get a shock from wearing them.
If you are wondering no, even when sweaty from wearing them, I never even once got even the tiniest shock from them. So it's just the name, nothing I can see to worry about.
Setup was easy. Turn off. Hold the power button until it says pairing (also shows blue/red lights alternating,) then connect from your device's Bluetooth connection app. For setting up for 2 devices it was an extra little step. Once it says pairing, press the button on the side, in front of your left ear (same one you'll use for answering the phone) and it will say "multipoint enabled", then connect your first device, turn it off, enter pairing mode again, pair to your second device.
Button in front of my left ear to answer the phone or hang up.
When I go out of range of a device, it gives me a beep telling me. Then when I walk back says 'connected'.
So … I'll probably use them until I lose the magnetic charge cord, then spend more time researching before buying an alternative:
I've explained my biases, so hopefully this will help you decide whether what are flaws for me are or are not flaws for you.