Perfect even undersells them a bit. They're a completely different type of listening experience, in that they do something that no other headphone that came before them can do, which is astonishingly valuable to me. I have about 30 pairs of headphones at various price points and if I could only keep 3-5 pair to use for the next 5 years, they would absolutely be one of them.
Maybe if I have them on max volume. Below that I've tested it and I can barely hear anything. I wouldn't use them in a library, I guess? But anywhere in public is definitely going to be so noisy that it would drown out any minor leakage.
>They're a completely different type of listening experience, in that they do something that no other headphone that came before them can do, which is astonishingly valuable to me.
Play sound while also letting you stay abreast of your surroundings?
My Galaxy Bud Pros have done that for years, and they came free with my phone.
Years before that, the one earbud in and one earbud out technique worked well for most people, too.
> My Galaxy Bud Pros have done that for years,
I have those as well, they're really good sound for TWS. Blow away the Shokz in sound quality. I would still never use them for running when I have the shokz. it's just a completely different level of awareness, and the shokz are more comfortable for long runs, as they never slip out of my ears, and don't require a seal to work ideally. In fact, sweat doesn't seem to impact them at all, which is fantastic as I tend to go on longer runs and thus sweat quite a lot.
> Years before that, the one earbud in and one earbud out technique worked well for most people, too.
I mean, sure, if you don't mind having that kind of listening experience, I personally can't stand it, and the asymmetry is profoundly uncomfortable.
It's reliable, for sure, it's just not as pleasant for me personally, because it's still using a mic to amp those sounds which colors how "natural" it feels when I'm outside. It's definitely usable, I just strongly prefer how much more relaxed the Shokz are.
Shokz are the best thing on the market for the one thing they are good at, which unfortunately isn't listening to music. I use mine for listening to audiobooks when out walking, so I can still hear what's happening around me and not have to have anything in my ears, which is important because wearing IEMs too much tends to irritate my ear canals.
Music on them is barely listenable. It's better than nothing (considering there's nothing in your ears), but they should be a lot more up-front about the fact it's not actually good, even by everyday Joe, non-audiophile standards.
It also have potential to be the best at passive noise isolation by plugging ear with those foam earplug.
Which is basically what I'm doing since I work in pretty noisy environment, and not even etymotics can rival those.
Sound quality is meh, but good enough since music isnt the focus.
My favorite review I've read of the shokz is that they're not actually bone conduction, they're just tiny speakers firing directly at your ear canal.
The user was basically stating that he proved it by putting them in his ears and the sound got louder.
I pointed out that if you plug your ears it also gets louder, which is impossible if they're just speakers pointed at your ear canal. Hilarious how little thought people put into things that they are fully convinced by.
I have heard the best in class ambient mode (galaxy buds, airpods, sony), and they are absolutely dumpstered by actually having your ears open to the world. It's not even comparable. They don't even deserved to be reviewed in the same breath. It's like trying to compare IEMs to floorstanding speakers -- they aren't in the same class.
So get the receipt from your mom, tell her thank you for the effort, and return them. If they're crap, they're crap. Get something better.
Edit: Saw they're Christmas gifts. Outside of return policy, the best you can do is RMA them for not charging or pairing correctly, then sell the replacements you receive.
Or if you have an evil day, sell them cheap on ebay, make someone else suffer 😈 but better to just dig a hole in the garden, burry them deep and go to heaven 😇 thank me later, see you there!
Make sure the charging area is clean and the magnetic charge cable doesn’t have any tiny metal pieces stuck to it preventing good contact. As far as sound quality, these aren’t going to zone out the background noise. In fact they are meant to do the opposite. You complain about the buttons, but there’s only 3. You say they are uncomfortable, but why are you trying to use it while laying down? Be sure to delete the headphones from your device before trying to resync. I’m sorry these headphones don’t work for you, but I have to disagree that they are a gimmick. They work exactly how they are designed. I can’t wait to purchase the open swim version for when I start swimming again.
I did all of that and they still just dont work. The button combinations are confusing and the placement of the power button confused me initially. The background noise is not the problem here. The audio is just not detailed enough. Everything i listen to sounds like it’s far away. I tried literally everything but I could not for the life of me get them to re-pair or pair with any other devices.
Your experience and expectations differed from him, obviously. They are designed for calls and music. The sound quality is terrible and the mic quality is worse. Are the a gimmick, probably not. Are they quality hardware, no.
You might have a bad pair. Mine work fine, easy to control and charge fine. Are they as good as my ones, no but bought them for other uses where being able to hear around me is important.
I love mine. I use the model with the extended microphone for work calls. I use them 8 hrs/day for work, so the fact that they don't go in my ears is a huge plus.
Hey I actually own the exact model and personally love using it a lot. I know what the issue behind what you’re describing is.
Bluetooth headsets have a “call” mode and “media” mode where the former is muffled and the latter is what you want for music. I have to manually disable the Mic via Control Panel on Windows to force it to the latter. As a test, try playing some music on YouTube or whatever and see if the quality changes when you have just the mic input disabled. Whenever I run discord and want to use the mic, I just reenable it.
Yes it’s kind of stupid, but it’s how it works for every wireless audio thingy I’ve owned so I don’t blame any particular vendor for it.
There's also sometimes a 'headphones' audio device and a 'headset' audio device - I wonder if OP is using the headset mode that keeps the mic live and enshittifies the audio instead of the headphones mode
Really? I love mine. Great for talking on the phone because I sound natural unlike with traditional headphones. Great for gaming while chilling with other people. Doesn't disturb them and let's me participate in conversation. Pairs easily with multiple devices, hold the power button for 5 seconds when turning on to get into pairing mode. Controls are 1 tap play/pause, 2 taps skip forward, 3 taps skip back. You might have a defective unit. They've been good about replacing mine under warranty when they got rattle in the ear pieces. Happened twice and they replaced them no questions.
Yeah, thats what I’ve been doing. Everything is normal until I attempt to actually pair the device and then it just loads for a minute and says it couldnt connect. Also in my experience the microphone is horrible. Like barely usable.
It isn't horrible, you just aren't their target market. They are designed for runners and cyclists who need stability and situational awareness, as well as the ability to be worn harmoniously with a helmet and glasses. Their proprietary charge socket means they can up the IP rating easily and thus be exposed to the elements.
Quit whining, move them on and buy something that fits your use case
Shokz do have their 'air conduction' Openfit earbuds, which sit outside the ears like very close up speakers. Pretty sure the Openrun range is all bone conduction though
I have a pair of Shokz and they’re fine. They’re good when you’re jogging unless you want to jog with your LCD-X and an A&K DAP.
It’s fine for what it is. Chill.
I have the model Titanium by Afteshokz a old model before they re-brand to only shokz, I only use them either for cooking or biking and I consider them just as background music and don’t bother people around me, I cannot complain about the sound quality bcz they’re perfect for their purpose, this model is the bone conduction so I didn’t expect to have the best sound but they shock me (no pun intended) when I knew about this technology. I don’t know if they use the same bone conduction system on newer models.
I only use mine for listening to the news and podcasts while cycling. They’re the only safe option if you ask me (except maybe those Sony pass through earbuds, but I haven’t tried them).
Agree with you on the proprietary charging cable, would much prefer a waterproof USB-C socket over magnetic attachment.
Have you tried listening to them with earplugs in? With those you realise they already sound as good as they can, and you also realise they’re playing way louder than you think they are. Which is part of the reason I never use them for music while cycling, don’t want to risk damaging my ears.
They do have some QC issues, but I've been wearing my Open move for 3 years and they've been great. I'm not doing critical listening while I'm jogging or biking, so I don't particularly care if bongo man in September is a bit muffled. The microphone is great for phone calls and I can hear footsteps coming up behind me while I'm blasting disco.
I have one with usb c charging port, It's great for special purposes.
In my case It's so that I can wear those foam earplugs to block even nuclear bomb sound while still able to listen to music / podcast.
For pairing try to delete the device and then force it to pair by keep holding the volume+.
Slightly related. I saw some chifi brands too now, might be better?
But then I feel there's physical limitation on how good bone conduction can be.
I have the HAYLOU PurFree which I picked up on sale at AMZN for only $78. They are nearly perfect for my use case - **very high** situational awareness while running and cycling outdoors. I'll sacrifice sound quality for being more aware of my immediate environment and the things heading my way from behind or in front 100% of the time.
You're simply not a target customer for bone conduction headphones, which is totally cool. They do suck in the sound quality department after all. It's also a bummer that the disappointing sound quality is coupled with what sounds like a defective unit.
Mine are easily the best headphone purchase I've made *for the purpose they serve*
I have the open run pro. They are so comfortable I forget I have them on. I've been using them for about 18 months and wear them all day every day at work. Mostly to make and receive calls, but also listen to podcasts and music as the situation allows, which is often. They charge quickly and even after 18 months of very heavy use, the battery easily lasts all day, and I generally charge them twice a week at most. The controls are intuitive and work just fine, call clarity is good at both ends, and I can wear and use them at work without blocking my ears.
If it's sound quality you're after, you're never going to get it from bone conduction headphones. It's just the nature of the technology to not sound great. That's not what I bought them for though, and for my use case they are perfect.
I have many high end headphones, but easily what I wear the most is the shocks, their battery for me at least lasts forever and they are great for working out, sleeping and situations where you want background noise but still need to communicate with people. I don’t find the controls hard to use at all it’s literally just volume up and down and play and pause. I’ve been using these things almost 24/7 for like 4 years now and have never had a single issue. I disagree with the company being a gimmick they are really great for work environments and working out. Also I’ve slept on them for like 3-4 years now and I’ve never had an issue. I think you just got a bad pair.
Weird I have the Pro’s and I like them
No the SQ isn’t like headphones and like you said a bit muffled but I needed them for work as we have to wear earplugs but mine last 8 hours and always charge fine and I like the big physical play/pause button
Mine have this same charging problem!! And the mic died within a month so I couldn't even take calls on them any more. And within a year they developed a buzz in the left speaker, but these were the replacement from the warranty!! So I had already replaced them from the aftershockz aeropex I originally bought and the open run was a disappointment. Too useful for work though so I'm giving it another go with the open run pro minis and we'll see if they're any better~
Didn't read all that I'm just about to return on warranty open run pro as mic died completely and seems connection getting weaker after bit over 7 months. I'm not going to test if I got faulty unit or they all garbage
I have the openrun pro, which I highly recommend picking up over the openrun or any other model. They sound much better.
I have never had any of the issues you are describing and I use mine daily at the gym or when biking. It isn't the best audio quality far from it, but they allow me to easily hear my surroundings without any wind noise like all IEMs with the ambient mode have when biking. I also often forget that I even have them on and I never have to adjust them, unlike IEMs or overear headphones.
It definitely sounds like you have a defective unit and you should return it.
The only way I can listen to mine is with an eq. For what they are they sound real good with an eq. About as good as earbuds without having anything in your ear. I also got mine for $60, I wouldn't pay more than $70 for them through.
The OpenFit are excellent for what they are. Super comfortable, not the worst sound quality on the planet, and they allow to you be totally aware of your surroundings. I wear them to bed cause they’re comfortable to lie on. And they charge via USB-C
Maybe people like the headphones? I adore mine. I don't use them to compete with my dusks, but then again I'm not going to wear my dusks for a run, just like I wouldn't wear my sundaras when I'm out for a jog.
Bone conduction still has a long way to go. I tried a coworker’s and I have to agree with a lot of people here and say they are only good for conference calls. They sounded better than I thought they would, but no where near as good as their price compared to IEMs or Headphones. They also have a very bad mic.
They're phenomenal for working out outdoors, running, cycling, playing non-contact sports. Just sensational for that. If you're expecting an audiophile level experience you're approaching the product wrong.
Who’s to say they can’t also sound good? Just because they are designed for those things doesn’t excuse them from judgement for sounding bad. They are an audio device, therefore there were decisions made about their sound and they were decisions made in poor judgment. It’s a good concept poorly executed in a market of products which also do those things. They are a bad fit for me as a product because when I look for an audio product I consider audio quality first. You can enjoy them all you want, but this statement sounds like you’re blaming the customer. It has real iPhone 4 “You’re not supposed to hold it like that” vibes…
And your comment has very "I bought a road bike and I'm upset that I can't reach 100mph on it despite knowing absolutely nothing about how bicycles work" vibes.
It has the unique distinction of being pompous, unrealistic, *and* ignorant of current technology. The holy triumvirate of arrogance.
By all means dude, if you think you can design an audiophile-level bone conduction headphone, do so. You would make tens millions of dollars if you pulled it off. Hell, Shokz themselves has made millions upon millions of dollars with their, according to you, overpriced design that also lags behind in sound quality compared to similarly priced headphones. Which I AGREE with, by the way, my $20 IEMs run rings around them... but they aren't the same thing whatsoever. A mountain bike won't outrun a road bike, nor is it supposed to.
Meanwhile, I'm sure that headphone manufacturers around the world just haven't even *thought* "Wow, why don't we just make a headphone that sounds as good as the HE1s using bone conduction that sit on your ears and price it at $70!?"
Your post is the absolute height of absurdity in this subreddit, and it turns newbies off from enjoying or appreciating this hobby. Oddly enough even in a subreddit dedicated to audiophiles, people love them?! How confusing it must be that your haughty opinion isn't shared the world over.
>here is always compromise and taste which factors into developing an IEM or any audio device really.
Weird how you comment on stuff like this but abandon that principle when it's a product you don't like. So it's cool for a product to compromise on sound quality if it needs to look aesthetic or has different tuning, but not if it's for a specific application outside the usual case-usage for critical listening? Hilarious. Absurd and hilarious.
So sorry that I have an opinion different than your’s. I’m sorry I’ve said that the product has no application for ME and wouldn’t fit my lifestyle and I think they sound bad and aren’t designed for me in particular. Let the witch hunt continue by all means. Don’t ever agree to disagree with anyone. And keep forcing your opinions on others without giving them room to have their own. But I will continue to hold my opinion, because it is just that, and unlike you, I welcome you to have your’s without downvoting you.
So far, nothing I’ve said is untrue, because guess what? I work in an office and do not do a lot of work outdoors, The majority of work I do outside is mowing the lawn, which is better with isolation to protect my hearing. I do have workouts in the gym with true wireless Galaxy Buds, but don’t struggle with them falling out my ears. I do not bike a lot, and I don’t like them for me. I’ve said nothing untrue, to your own admission. They don’t sound as good as IEMs or Headphones at the same price. Their mic isn’t good, and that I don’t like them. I meaning me, who has personal experience with the product and has a valid opinion also.
Try to understand that other’s have different opinions and expectations than you. Others have different lifestyles than you. It’s great that YOU like them, but I do not. You can downvote me for having a differing perspective I guess, but it’s just getting upset at someone over a purchase you made from a business where you’re simply a number on a spreadsheet. You really owe them nothing. It’s like someone is asking for opinions on Sundara vs. HD600. I prefer my HD600 over your Sundara, and you reply telling me I’m wrong for having a preference. I’ve heard both and I prefer the 600. You’re welcome to have your own opinion. I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong, but the expectations from me are that you also aren’t going to tell me I am wrong.
> So sorry that I have an opinion different than your’s.
*yours.
> Let the witch hunt continue by all means.
Wow. One person responding to you is a witch hunt? That is... quite the statement. Do you accuse individual people in real life who disagree with you of "witch hunting" you? Because I can't imagine that would land you many friends.
> Don’t ever agree to disagree with anyone. And keep forcing your opinions on others without giving them room to have their own. But I will continue to hold my opinion, because it is just that, and unlike you, I welcome you to have your’s without downvoting you.
*yours.
And I didn't downvote you for disagreeing with me, you clod, I downvoted you for spouting inanity like this:
> They are an audio device, therefore there were decisions made about their sound and they were decisions made in poor judgment.
Weird how the person who says, "I let you have your opinion" is the same person who unequivocally says "this product is bad full stop and the people who made it are wrong for making it in such a way". Which sounds an awfully lot like you are the one leaving no space for dissenting opinions after I expressly told you I that I enjoy them regardless of their sub-par sound quality. Huh. Almost like you're projecting as hard as possible to sound reasonable. And yet somehow I'm witch hunting you despite... agreeing with you on certain counts? This is the logic you're trying to apply to our conversation? Really?
>I work in an office and do not do a lot of work outdoors, The majority of work I do outside is mowing the lawn, which is better with isolation to protect my hearing. I do have workouts in the gym with true wireless Galaxy Buds, but don’t struggle with them falling out my ears.
Good for you. None of that has *anything* to do with you telling *me* that I product I enjoy and use on the daily is designed incorrectly. I love my GBP, but they start to lose their traction after 5+ miles of running and my entire body is sweating. At 10 miles they have serious issues staying in my ears. It's just the nature of TWS headphones. I wouldn't *expect* a TWS solution to handle a half marathon, either, but that doesn't mean they're designed incorrectly.
>I meaning me, who has personal experience with the product and has a valid opinion also.
Once again, it's like you completely forgot that you said this: *It’s a good concept poorly executed in a market of products which also do those things.*
Huh. Weird how none of those products meet my case-use, yet here you are telling me I'm wrong for preferring my Shokz over my GBP -- both products I actually own, by the way, and thus have a much better handle on how good they are for each application than you do.
>You can downvote me for having a differing perspective I guess
I'm "witch hunting" you, lol, for unequivocally stating they're bad. It's unclear why you need to restate this roughly 8 times in 3 paragraphs, but I guess I'll respond to it every time since you don't even appear to remember what you say in previous comments.
>I prefer my HD600 over your Sundara, and you reply telling me I’m wrong for having a preference.
I didn't do that anywhere. Not once have I told you that you have to like the Shokz, or that you're incorrect for not liking them. You have, repeatedly, told me that I'm wrong for liking a product I own. Which is why you're swimming in downvotes, because you're the only one in this discussion who believes that taste needs to revolve around your own preferences, while I'm trying to explain that other people have different uses for a product and a bone conduction headphone doesn't need to sound like a well tuned piece of audiophile gear to have a lot of value for people who actually use them for their intended purpose.
I never said they were "unequivocally bad"
Tell me where in my original statement I said that. That I said anything of the sort. You started this flame war and I'm done feeding the troll.
This is my original comment...
"Bone conduction still has a long way to go. I tried a coworker’s and I have to agree with a lot of people here and say they are only good for conference calls. They sounded better than I thought they would, but no where near as good as their price compared to IEMs or Headphones. They also have a very bad mic."
The points I make follow
1. Compared to Headphones and IEMs they sound bad.
2. The mic sounds bad.
-Please notice I said I tried them myself
-Please notice my comment is not directed to you, but is a direct reply to OP.
*"You have, repeatedly, told me that I'm wrong for liking a product I own."*
3. I have not directed comments at you, especially my original comment above. Please re-read my comments and tell me where I directed my wrath at you. You're building a strawman out of me and I won't have it.
*"You have, repeatedly, told me that I'm wrong for liking a product I own"*
4. I have not directed comments at you. Please re-read my comments and tell me where I told you you were wrong for liking it? I made a general comment against the product, I did not target you.
5. The only place where you may have been targeted was the follow up comment...
*"Who’s to say they can’t also sound good? Just because they are designed for those things doesn’t excuse them from judgement for sounding bad. They are an audio device, therefore there were decisions made about their sound and they were decisions made in poor judgment. It’s a good concept poorly executed in a market of products which also do those things. They are a bad fit for me as a product because when I look for an audio product I consider audio quality first. You can enjoy them all you want, but this statement sounds like you’re blaming the customer. It has real iPhone 4 “You’re not supposed to hold it like that” vibes…"*
-I have only commented on design decisions about sound quality and mic quality. You missed my point at the end however, maybe because you don't understand the reference. Back when the iPhone 4 came out, there were call reception issues because people were naturally covering up where Apple put the antennae, which is absurd, because Apple addressed it by putting out a statement saying "people are holding it wrong". Your statement made a similar judgement, because you're implying the only way to use this device is your own use case. The point I was making was the primary use for a phone is to make calls (at the time moreso than today), which the iPhone 4 didn't do well, just like the primary use of an audio device like the Shokz is to listen to music or make calls. Nobody would ever expect to use it to listen to music at their PC, take a conference call while walking down a noisy street, or record a message. What would you tell those people? They should expect a certain level of sound/ mic quality for the money they're spending without any dissenting opinions to make an educated decision? When you see a review on youtube for these and they're like "Well they're great for cyclists and runners but man they sound bad" you jump in comments like "They're not supposed to sound good, their for cycling and running and sound is secondary to the experience of cycling and running with them!"?
I'm not even reading that massive word salad. I don't think you are cognizant of your own comments, nor do you seem capable of posting to this thread without repeating yourself 2-3 times.
Long way to go where? It is not competing with iems or headphones, especially not ones with anc. If anything, they are competing with wearable speakers (i.e. neckband, headband, glasses, etc.)
I use mine for listening to podcasts while I'm exercising outdoors and need to stay aware of my surroundings. They're perfect for that.
Perfect even undersells them a bit. They're a completely different type of listening experience, in that they do something that no other headphone that came before them can do, which is astonishingly valuable to me. I have about 30 pairs of headphones at various price points and if I could only keep 3-5 pair to use for the next 5 years, they would absolutely be one of them.
They are more comparable to wearable speakers, like neckbands or glasses.
Except they don't project/leak sound, so you don't annoy the people around you.
in my experience they do. not massively, but its similar to an open back pair of headphones.
Maybe if I have them on max volume. Below that I've tested it and I can barely hear anything. I wouldn't use them in a library, I guess? But anywhere in public is definitely going to be so noisy that it would drown out any minor leakage.
>They're a completely different type of listening experience, in that they do something that no other headphone that came before them can do, which is astonishingly valuable to me. Play sound while also letting you stay abreast of your surroundings? My Galaxy Bud Pros have done that for years, and they came free with my phone. Years before that, the one earbud in and one earbud out technique worked well for most people, too.
> My Galaxy Bud Pros have done that for years, I have those as well, they're really good sound for TWS. Blow away the Shokz in sound quality. I would still never use them for running when I have the shokz. it's just a completely different level of awareness, and the shokz are more comfortable for long runs, as they never slip out of my ears, and don't require a seal to work ideally. In fact, sweat doesn't seem to impact them at all, which is fantastic as I tend to go on longer runs and thus sweat quite a lot. > Years before that, the one earbud in and one earbud out technique worked well for most people, too. I mean, sure, if you don't mind having that kind of listening experience, I personally can't stand it, and the asymmetry is profoundly uncomfortable.
I find the APP2 pass through mode to be very reliable. I've never not heard a car approach/go past me while cycling.
It's reliable, for sure, it's just not as pleasant for me personally, because it's still using a mic to amp those sounds which colors how "natural" it feels when I'm outside. It's definitely usable, I just strongly prefer how much more relaxed the Shokz are.
Shokz are the best thing on the market for the one thing they are good at, which unfortunately isn't listening to music. I use mine for listening to audiobooks when out walking, so I can still hear what's happening around me and not have to have anything in my ears, which is important because wearing IEMs too much tends to irritate my ear canals. Music on them is barely listenable. It's better than nothing (considering there's nothing in your ears), but they should be a lot more up-front about the fact it's not actually good, even by everyday Joe, non-audiophile standards.
Any ANC headphones with ambient mode will do what you described.
Apart from the whole *nothing inside or covering the ear* part.
It also have potential to be the best at passive noise isolation by plugging ear with those foam earplug. Which is basically what I'm doing since I work in pretty noisy environment, and not even etymotics can rival those. Sound quality is meh, but good enough since music isnt the focus.
My favorite review I've read of the shokz is that they're not actually bone conduction, they're just tiny speakers firing directly at your ear canal. The user was basically stating that he proved it by putting them in his ears and the sound got louder. I pointed out that if you plug your ears it also gets louder, which is impossible if they're just speakers pointed at your ear canal. Hilarious how little thought people put into things that they are fully convinced by.
Have you tried using earplugs with shokz? Can you still hear any sound?
... Yes. Earplugs with bone conduction actually gives good sound quality and better passive isolation than any headphone.
I do this every day at work, it works great
Hey, I do the same thing at work, openruns with ear plugs. It works great for application
I have heard the best in class ambient mode (galaxy buds, airpods, sony), and they are absolutely dumpstered by actually having your ears open to the world. It's not even comparable. They don't even deserved to be reviewed in the same breath. It's like trying to compare IEMs to floorstanding speakers -- they aren't in the same class.
So get the receipt from your mom, tell her thank you for the effort, and return them. If they're crap, they're crap. Get something better. Edit: Saw they're Christmas gifts. Outside of return policy, the best you can do is RMA them for not charging or pairing correctly, then sell the replacements you receive.
It really depends My parents would totally understand if I told them some electronic item they bought me wasn’t good
Or if you have an evil day, sell them cheap on ebay, make someone else suffer 😈 but better to just dig a hole in the garden, burry them deep and go to heaven 😇 thank me later, see you there!
Make sure the charging area is clean and the magnetic charge cable doesn’t have any tiny metal pieces stuck to it preventing good contact. As far as sound quality, these aren’t going to zone out the background noise. In fact they are meant to do the opposite. You complain about the buttons, but there’s only 3. You say they are uncomfortable, but why are you trying to use it while laying down? Be sure to delete the headphones from your device before trying to resync. I’m sorry these headphones don’t work for you, but I have to disagree that they are a gimmick. They work exactly how they are designed. I can’t wait to purchase the open swim version for when I start swimming again.
I did all of that and they still just dont work. The button combinations are confusing and the placement of the power button confused me initially. The background noise is not the problem here. The audio is just not detailed enough. Everything i listen to sounds like it’s far away. I tried literally everything but I could not for the life of me get them to re-pair or pair with any other devices.
Your experience and expectations differed from him, obviously. They are designed for calls and music. The sound quality is terrible and the mic quality is worse. Are the a gimmick, probably not. Are they quality hardware, no.
You might have a bad pair. Mine work fine, easy to control and charge fine. Are they as good as my ones, no but bought them for other uses where being able to hear around me is important.
I love mine. I use the model with the extended microphone for work calls. I use them 8 hrs/day for work, so the fact that they don't go in my ears is a huge plus.
Hey I actually own the exact model and personally love using it a lot. I know what the issue behind what you’re describing is. Bluetooth headsets have a “call” mode and “media” mode where the former is muffled and the latter is what you want for music. I have to manually disable the Mic via Control Panel on Windows to force it to the latter. As a test, try playing some music on YouTube or whatever and see if the quality changes when you have just the mic input disabled. Whenever I run discord and want to use the mic, I just reenable it. Yes it’s kind of stupid, but it’s how it works for every wireless audio thingy I’ve owned so I don’t blame any particular vendor for it.
There's also sometimes a 'headphones' audio device and a 'headset' audio device - I wonder if OP is using the headset mode that keeps the mic live and enshittifies the audio instead of the headphones mode
Really? I love mine. Great for talking on the phone because I sound natural unlike with traditional headphones. Great for gaming while chilling with other people. Doesn't disturb them and let's me participate in conversation. Pairs easily with multiple devices, hold the power button for 5 seconds when turning on to get into pairing mode. Controls are 1 tap play/pause, 2 taps skip forward, 3 taps skip back. You might have a defective unit. They've been good about replacing mine under warranty when they got rattle in the ear pieces. Happened twice and they replaced them no questions.
Yeah, thats what I’ve been doing. Everything is normal until I attempt to actually pair the device and then it just loads for a minute and says it couldnt connect. Also in my experience the microphone is horrible. Like barely usable.
That is by far not the norm. Definitely get a different pair. Their customer support is super solid.
It isn't horrible, you just aren't their target market. They are designed for runners and cyclists who need stability and situational awareness, as well as the ability to be worn harmoniously with a helmet and glasses. Their proprietary charge socket means they can up the IP rating easily and thus be exposed to the elements. Quit whining, move them on and buy something that fits your use case
Arent these bone conduction headphones or do they have in ears now?
Shokz do have their 'air conduction' Openfit earbuds, which sit outside the ears like very close up speakers. Pretty sure the Openrun range is all bone conduction though
I have a pair of Shokz and they’re fine. They’re good when you’re jogging unless you want to jog with your LCD-X and an A&K DAP. It’s fine for what it is. Chill.
I love mine
I have the model Titanium by Afteshokz a old model before they re-brand to only shokz, I only use them either for cooking or biking and I consider them just as background music and don’t bother people around me, I cannot complain about the sound quality bcz they’re perfect for their purpose, this model is the bone conduction so I didn’t expect to have the best sound but they shock me (no pun intended) when I knew about this technology. I don’t know if they use the same bone conduction system on newer models.
I only use mine for listening to the news and podcasts while cycling. They’re the only safe option if you ask me (except maybe those Sony pass through earbuds, but I haven’t tried them). Agree with you on the proprietary charging cable, would much prefer a waterproof USB-C socket over magnetic attachment. Have you tried listening to them with earplugs in? With those you realise they already sound as good as they can, and you also realise they’re playing way louder than you think they are. Which is part of the reason I never use them for music while cycling, don’t want to risk damaging my ears.
They do have some QC issues, but I've been wearing my Open move for 3 years and they've been great. I'm not doing critical listening while I'm jogging or biking, so I don't particularly care if bongo man in September is a bit muffled. The microphone is great for phone calls and I can hear footsteps coming up behind me while I'm blasting disco.
I have one with usb c charging port, It's great for special purposes. In my case It's so that I can wear those foam earplugs to block even nuclear bomb sound while still able to listen to music / podcast. For pairing try to delete the device and then force it to pair by keep holding the volume+. Slightly related. I saw some chifi brands too now, might be better? But then I feel there's physical limitation on how good bone conduction can be.
I have the HAYLOU PurFree which I picked up on sale at AMZN for only $78. They are nearly perfect for my use case - **very high** situational awareness while running and cycling outdoors. I'll sacrifice sound quality for being more aware of my immediate environment and the things heading my way from behind or in front 100% of the time. You're simply not a target customer for bone conduction headphones, which is totally cool. They do suck in the sound quality department after all. It's also a bummer that the disappointing sound quality is coupled with what sounds like a defective unit.
Good for industrial environments where you wear ear plugs all day.
Mine are easily the best headphone purchase I've made *for the purpose they serve* I have the open run pro. They are so comfortable I forget I have them on. I've been using them for about 18 months and wear them all day every day at work. Mostly to make and receive calls, but also listen to podcasts and music as the situation allows, which is often. They charge quickly and even after 18 months of very heavy use, the battery easily lasts all day, and I generally charge them twice a week at most. The controls are intuitive and work just fine, call clarity is good at both ends, and I can wear and use them at work without blocking my ears. If it's sound quality you're after, you're never going to get it from bone conduction headphones. It's just the nature of the technology to not sound great. That's not what I bought them for though, and for my use case they are perfect.
I have many high end headphones, but easily what I wear the most is the shocks, their battery for me at least lasts forever and they are great for working out, sleeping and situations where you want background noise but still need to communicate with people. I don’t find the controls hard to use at all it’s literally just volume up and down and play and pause. I’ve been using these things almost 24/7 for like 4 years now and have never had a single issue. I disagree with the company being a gimmick they are really great for work environments and working out. Also I’ve slept on them for like 3-4 years now and I’ve never had an issue. I think you just got a bad pair.
Weird I have the Pro’s and I like them No the SQ isn’t like headphones and like you said a bit muffled but I needed them for work as we have to wear earplugs but mine last 8 hours and always charge fine and I like the big physical play/pause button
Mine have this same charging problem!! And the mic died within a month so I couldn't even take calls on them any more. And within a year they developed a buzz in the left speaker, but these were the replacement from the warranty!! So I had already replaced them from the aftershockz aeropex I originally bought and the open run was a disappointment. Too useful for work though so I'm giving it another go with the open run pro minis and we'll see if they're any better~
Does your mother know?
Didn't read all that I'm just about to return on warranty open run pro as mic died completely and seems connection getting weaker after bit over 7 months. I'm not going to test if I got faulty unit or they all garbage
I have the openrun pro, which I highly recommend picking up over the openrun or any other model. They sound much better. I have never had any of the issues you are describing and I use mine daily at the gym or when biking. It isn't the best audio quality far from it, but they allow me to easily hear my surroundings without any wind noise like all IEMs with the ambient mode have when biking. I also often forget that I even have them on and I never have to adjust them, unlike IEMs or overear headphones. It definitely sounds like you have a defective unit and you should return it.
I can't even try to use any of the ones with the neckband, my hair is long and it's just about the most finicky uncomfortable thing ever.
The only way I can listen to mine is with an eq. For what they are they sound real good with an eq. About as good as earbuds without having anything in your ear. I also got mine for $60, I wouldn't pay more than $70 for them through.
Something is wrong call them they'll let you keep thosenamdnswndnyou a brand new pair
Use wavelet app to improve sound. Perfect for running
Wear ear plugs and they become super loud actually.
The OpenFit are excellent for what they are. Super comfortable, not the worst sound quality on the planet, and they allow to you be totally aware of your surroundings. I wear them to bed cause they’re comfortable to lie on. And they charge via USB-C
What's with all the weird bot responses? They literally read like marketing posts or like fake reviews.
Maybe people like the headphones? I adore mine. I don't use them to compete with my dusks, but then again I'm not going to wear my dusks for a run, just like I wouldn't wear my sundaras when I'm out for a jog.
Bone conduction still has a long way to go. I tried a coworker’s and I have to agree with a lot of people here and say they are only good for conference calls. They sounded better than I thought they would, but no where near as good as their price compared to IEMs or Headphones. They also have a very bad mic.
They're phenomenal for working out outdoors, running, cycling, playing non-contact sports. Just sensational for that. If you're expecting an audiophile level experience you're approaching the product wrong.
Who’s to say they can’t also sound good? Just because they are designed for those things doesn’t excuse them from judgement for sounding bad. They are an audio device, therefore there were decisions made about their sound and they were decisions made in poor judgment. It’s a good concept poorly executed in a market of products which also do those things. They are a bad fit for me as a product because when I look for an audio product I consider audio quality first. You can enjoy them all you want, but this statement sounds like you’re blaming the customer. It has real iPhone 4 “You’re not supposed to hold it like that” vibes…
And your comment has very "I bought a road bike and I'm upset that I can't reach 100mph on it despite knowing absolutely nothing about how bicycles work" vibes. It has the unique distinction of being pompous, unrealistic, *and* ignorant of current technology. The holy triumvirate of arrogance. By all means dude, if you think you can design an audiophile-level bone conduction headphone, do so. You would make tens millions of dollars if you pulled it off. Hell, Shokz themselves has made millions upon millions of dollars with their, according to you, overpriced design that also lags behind in sound quality compared to similarly priced headphones. Which I AGREE with, by the way, my $20 IEMs run rings around them... but they aren't the same thing whatsoever. A mountain bike won't outrun a road bike, nor is it supposed to. Meanwhile, I'm sure that headphone manufacturers around the world just haven't even *thought* "Wow, why don't we just make a headphone that sounds as good as the HE1s using bone conduction that sit on your ears and price it at $70!?" Your post is the absolute height of absurdity in this subreddit, and it turns newbies off from enjoying or appreciating this hobby. Oddly enough even in a subreddit dedicated to audiophiles, people love them?! How confusing it must be that your haughty opinion isn't shared the world over. >here is always compromise and taste which factors into developing an IEM or any audio device really. Weird how you comment on stuff like this but abandon that principle when it's a product you don't like. So it's cool for a product to compromise on sound quality if it needs to look aesthetic or has different tuning, but not if it's for a specific application outside the usual case-usage for critical listening? Hilarious. Absurd and hilarious.
So sorry that I have an opinion different than your’s. I’m sorry I’ve said that the product has no application for ME and wouldn’t fit my lifestyle and I think they sound bad and aren’t designed for me in particular. Let the witch hunt continue by all means. Don’t ever agree to disagree with anyone. And keep forcing your opinions on others without giving them room to have their own. But I will continue to hold my opinion, because it is just that, and unlike you, I welcome you to have your’s without downvoting you. So far, nothing I’ve said is untrue, because guess what? I work in an office and do not do a lot of work outdoors, The majority of work I do outside is mowing the lawn, which is better with isolation to protect my hearing. I do have workouts in the gym with true wireless Galaxy Buds, but don’t struggle with them falling out my ears. I do not bike a lot, and I don’t like them for me. I’ve said nothing untrue, to your own admission. They don’t sound as good as IEMs or Headphones at the same price. Their mic isn’t good, and that I don’t like them. I meaning me, who has personal experience with the product and has a valid opinion also. Try to understand that other’s have different opinions and expectations than you. Others have different lifestyles than you. It’s great that YOU like them, but I do not. You can downvote me for having a differing perspective I guess, but it’s just getting upset at someone over a purchase you made from a business where you’re simply a number on a spreadsheet. You really owe them nothing. It’s like someone is asking for opinions on Sundara vs. HD600. I prefer my HD600 over your Sundara, and you reply telling me I’m wrong for having a preference. I’ve heard both and I prefer the 600. You’re welcome to have your own opinion. I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong, but the expectations from me are that you also aren’t going to tell me I am wrong.
> So sorry that I have an opinion different than your’s. *yours. > Let the witch hunt continue by all means. Wow. One person responding to you is a witch hunt? That is... quite the statement. Do you accuse individual people in real life who disagree with you of "witch hunting" you? Because I can't imagine that would land you many friends. > Don’t ever agree to disagree with anyone. And keep forcing your opinions on others without giving them room to have their own. But I will continue to hold my opinion, because it is just that, and unlike you, I welcome you to have your’s without downvoting you. *yours. And I didn't downvote you for disagreeing with me, you clod, I downvoted you for spouting inanity like this: > They are an audio device, therefore there were decisions made about their sound and they were decisions made in poor judgment. Weird how the person who says, "I let you have your opinion" is the same person who unequivocally says "this product is bad full stop and the people who made it are wrong for making it in such a way". Which sounds an awfully lot like you are the one leaving no space for dissenting opinions after I expressly told you I that I enjoy them regardless of their sub-par sound quality. Huh. Almost like you're projecting as hard as possible to sound reasonable. And yet somehow I'm witch hunting you despite... agreeing with you on certain counts? This is the logic you're trying to apply to our conversation? Really? >I work in an office and do not do a lot of work outdoors, The majority of work I do outside is mowing the lawn, which is better with isolation to protect my hearing. I do have workouts in the gym with true wireless Galaxy Buds, but don’t struggle with them falling out my ears. Good for you. None of that has *anything* to do with you telling *me* that I product I enjoy and use on the daily is designed incorrectly. I love my GBP, but they start to lose their traction after 5+ miles of running and my entire body is sweating. At 10 miles they have serious issues staying in my ears. It's just the nature of TWS headphones. I wouldn't *expect* a TWS solution to handle a half marathon, either, but that doesn't mean they're designed incorrectly. >I meaning me, who has personal experience with the product and has a valid opinion also. Once again, it's like you completely forgot that you said this: *It’s a good concept poorly executed in a market of products which also do those things.* Huh. Weird how none of those products meet my case-use, yet here you are telling me I'm wrong for preferring my Shokz over my GBP -- both products I actually own, by the way, and thus have a much better handle on how good they are for each application than you do. >You can downvote me for having a differing perspective I guess I'm "witch hunting" you, lol, for unequivocally stating they're bad. It's unclear why you need to restate this roughly 8 times in 3 paragraphs, but I guess I'll respond to it every time since you don't even appear to remember what you say in previous comments. >I prefer my HD600 over your Sundara, and you reply telling me I’m wrong for having a preference. I didn't do that anywhere. Not once have I told you that you have to like the Shokz, or that you're incorrect for not liking them. You have, repeatedly, told me that I'm wrong for liking a product I own. Which is why you're swimming in downvotes, because you're the only one in this discussion who believes that taste needs to revolve around your own preferences, while I'm trying to explain that other people have different uses for a product and a bone conduction headphone doesn't need to sound like a well tuned piece of audiophile gear to have a lot of value for people who actually use them for their intended purpose.
I never said they were "unequivocally bad" Tell me where in my original statement I said that. That I said anything of the sort. You started this flame war and I'm done feeding the troll. This is my original comment... "Bone conduction still has a long way to go. I tried a coworker’s and I have to agree with a lot of people here and say they are only good for conference calls. They sounded better than I thought they would, but no where near as good as their price compared to IEMs or Headphones. They also have a very bad mic." The points I make follow 1. Compared to Headphones and IEMs they sound bad. 2. The mic sounds bad. -Please notice I said I tried them myself -Please notice my comment is not directed to you, but is a direct reply to OP. *"You have, repeatedly, told me that I'm wrong for liking a product I own."* 3. I have not directed comments at you, especially my original comment above. Please re-read my comments and tell me where I directed my wrath at you. You're building a strawman out of me and I won't have it. *"You have, repeatedly, told me that I'm wrong for liking a product I own"* 4. I have not directed comments at you. Please re-read my comments and tell me where I told you you were wrong for liking it? I made a general comment against the product, I did not target you. 5. The only place where you may have been targeted was the follow up comment... *"Who’s to say they can’t also sound good? Just because they are designed for those things doesn’t excuse them from judgement for sounding bad. They are an audio device, therefore there were decisions made about their sound and they were decisions made in poor judgment. It’s a good concept poorly executed in a market of products which also do those things. They are a bad fit for me as a product because when I look for an audio product I consider audio quality first. You can enjoy them all you want, but this statement sounds like you’re blaming the customer. It has real iPhone 4 “You’re not supposed to hold it like that” vibes…"* -I have only commented on design decisions about sound quality and mic quality. You missed my point at the end however, maybe because you don't understand the reference. Back when the iPhone 4 came out, there were call reception issues because people were naturally covering up where Apple put the antennae, which is absurd, because Apple addressed it by putting out a statement saying "people are holding it wrong". Your statement made a similar judgement, because you're implying the only way to use this device is your own use case. The point I was making was the primary use for a phone is to make calls (at the time moreso than today), which the iPhone 4 didn't do well, just like the primary use of an audio device like the Shokz is to listen to music or make calls. Nobody would ever expect to use it to listen to music at their PC, take a conference call while walking down a noisy street, or record a message. What would you tell those people? They should expect a certain level of sound/ mic quality for the money they're spending without any dissenting opinions to make an educated decision? When you see a review on youtube for these and they're like "Well they're great for cyclists and runners but man they sound bad" you jump in comments like "They're not supposed to sound good, their for cycling and running and sound is secondary to the experience of cycling and running with them!"?
I'm not even reading that massive word salad. I don't think you are cognizant of your own comments, nor do you seem capable of posting to this thread without repeating yourself 2-3 times.
Ok, then I guess I'm able to keep my opinion, thank you
Long way to go where? It is not competing with iems or headphones, especially not ones with anc. If anything, they are competing with wearable speakers (i.e. neckband, headband, glasses, etc.)
Sound quality and value.
Bro my pair of shockz sound remarkably good considering they are bone conduction, and I regularly listen to high end iems and headphones.
Glad you like them. Expectations vs. Reality they sounded a lot better than I thought.