I put the Shokz OpenFits over my ears and let the music rip. Already connected to my phone, the earbuds fired up immediately without me having to push play. That can be a little alarming the first time, but not a big deal.

The OpenFit’s other strengths relate to their open-ear design, one which successfully achieves the goal of increasing awareness of your surroundings while the headphones are in use. This is invaluable if you’re running or cycling and can be useful when crossing the road or listening out for deliveries at home, too. Press and hold the touch area of the earbuds with two fingers simultaneously until the indicator lights flash orange and green, which indicates the earbuds have entered pairing mode; Now, with the launch of the Shokz OpenFit, Shokz has become the clear frontrunner in open-ear earphone technology. In this article, we’ll explore what sets the OpenFit apart from other open-ear earphone models, and explain how you can be open, engaged, and alert without sacrificing your audio quality. You get a pretty standard charging case with the earbuds and it's easy to magnetically secure them inside, although the unique shape of the OpenFit does make for a bigger case than more normal earbuds boast. Manage connection: you can connect or disconnect device 2 in App, as well as manage the headphones' connection record.There’s also room for dual noise cancelling microphones to handle calls which use AI noise cancellation technology that, according to Shokz, deliver clear call quality.

part of this service, you will also be signed up to receive occasional special offers and third-party Utilizing bone conduction or DirectPitch™ technology, these open-ear earphones transmit sound to your ear canal without obstruction. This means you can enjoy your favorite music while remaining aware of your surroundings. However, throughout our testing, they remained in place. The position of the speaker takes some getting used to and will require a bit of trial and error to figure out your preferred fit. Once configured, though, we had no complaints with the fit or audio consistency during workouts. The Shokz OpenFit will undoubtedly split opinion. On the one hand, they excel within a particular niche. They’re excellent for listening to music when you’re running, cycling when you want to remain aware of what’s going on around you, and in the gym (so long as it's not too loud). And for those who dislike the feel of earbuds, they’re a lightweight and non-intrusive alternative to bulky over ear headphones. While they're not likely to win any awards for audio quality, for open-ear headphones the sound is great. Aside from the aforementioned limitations, the quality remained consistent, loud and smooth during our tests thanks to the brand’s ‘Direct Pitch’ technology, which is said to help deliver ‘bold highs, clear mids, and surging bass’. Whether it was during runs, cycles, or workouts, the audio for both music and podcasts was of great quality throughout.Trebles can feel a little strangled on the standard sound profile, with the electric guitars in Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” sounding dampened, in favour of more weight in the drums. While the Treble Boost preset did a reasonable job at countering this issue, I found that I had the most success when I opened a custom EQ and bumped the higher frequencies up a couple of notches. They never fell off, but the design creates the sense they might. It feels like there’s an issue with the weight and balance of weight between earhook and the main earbud element. I’ve tried other open ear speaker-style headphones before like the Cleer Arc and they felt more secure than the OpenFit. Shokz claims a 28-hour battery life. I never wore out a battery in testing, but continuously stored them in the case. The OpenFit easily got me through a 10-hour workday. Shokz OpenFit Review: A Music Listening Session Imagine a world where music seamlessly intertwines with your surroundings. In 2011, the founders of Shokz aimed to create an audio experience that does exactly this. They developed an innovative new headphone model by combining an open-ear earphone design with bone conduction technology. The introduction of an app and an equaliser is a great addition. I made my own profile immediately, which suited my taste and music preferences. I found it very easy to navigate and use.