The Shokz Open Run Pro 2: deeper bass for motivation on runs

Sports without a soundtrack or podcast? Since I discovered Shokz open-ear headphones about a year ago, I’ve hardly done without. By now, the Open Swim Pro has conquered the top spot on my list of favourites, displacing the Open Run Pro. Now Shokz is sending a new candidate into the race – the Open Run Pro 2.

What distinguishes it from the Open Run Pro

While the Open Run Pro was previously the flagship model among Shokz bone conduction sports headphones, the Open Run Pro 2 goes one better. It combines bone conduction technology with special drivers, which they already use in the Open Fit and the Open Fit Air.

Shokz calls this new combined technology Dual Pitch. This remedies a usual weakness of bone conduction technology: lacklustre performance in the bass range. With the Open Run Pro 2, lower frequencies are now transmitted by sound waves, flowing audio into the ear canal via small speakers. The treble and middle range still play through the cheekbone onto the auditory nerve. The result: a well-balanced sound, as my colleague Florian Bodoky wrote in his report from the IFA.

In addition, the vibrations that bother some athletes with pure bone conduction models at high volumes should also be a thing of the past thanks to this combined approach. I haven’t felt these vibrations myself from other models either, but I rarely listen to music at full volume.

How do they perform in practice?

First of all, the headphones are made for running, not enjoying music in high quality. They’re designed to make it easier for you to listen to motivating beats, coaching sessions accompanied by music, audio books or podcasts during your workout. Bone conduction headphones offer one outstanding advantage: remaining aware of your surroundings and thus avoiding danger thanks to having your ears uncovered. Compromises in sound are unavoidable.

Like other Shokz bone conduction headphones, the Open Run Pro 2 sits on my cheekbones without any pressure. It remains comfortable on longer runs of around two hours too. Nothing wobbles during sprint intervals.

The band allows you to wear the headphones around your neck away from your ears if you’ve had enough auditory stimulation. In terms of comfort and fit, the headphones score highly with me. Incidentally, they’re also available in a smaller mini version and in grey.

The new running headphones also hit the mark when it comes to operation. Instead of the touch controls of the Open Fit Air, they have small buttons that are even a little higher up and easier to reach than those of the Open Run Pro.

Connecting to a smartphone is easy via Bluetooth. You can almost use the headphones out of the box without the Shokz app. However, if you want to change finer equaliser settings, you can easily do this in the clearly laid-out app.

For me, multipoint pairing is the app feature that makes these sports headphones suitable for everyday use. It allows me to use the headphones seamlessly with different devices for making phone calls (which, by the way, works quite well thanks to the voice isolation in the microphones) and for watching videos.

Sound and volume in the city and forest

Back to sports: music, podcasts and audio books can be heard clearly when running in the forest and on country lanes. At the same time, I remain very aware of my surroundings. Be it birdsong, wind or an approaching e-biker. On one run, I was really glad to hear the saws of the forest workers on a winding trail in time, so I didn’t have to stop abruptly. The headphones definitely fulfil their purpose.

The situation is somewhat different – as you’d expect – next to a busy road. Here, I have to turn the music up so loud that it becomes unpleasant and I’d prefer to do without rhythmic background music. At high volumes, the bass played through the air in particular is too powerful for me.

Speaking of volume, very little sound leaks out. At a moderate volume, people sitting next to me on the tram can’t hear any of my music.

Battery life and robustness

The headphones are made for long runs – their battery is said to last up to 12 hours at medium volume. This is in line with what I experienced. And even if you forget to charge it, you’re not necessarily in for a silent workout. Thanks to the quick-charging function, you can listen to music for two and a half hours after five minutes of charge.

Unlike the previous model, the headphones have a USB-C connection – you don’t need to pack an extra charging cable when travelling. In my opinion, it’s a clear advantage.

The headphones are protected against splashing water (i.e. rain), sweat and dust (IP55). They’re flexible and make a solid impression overall. However, you should expect this from headphones made for outdoor sports.

Is the upgrade worth it?

With the many models that Shokz has launched in the last year alone, one question arises: who is the Open Run Pro 2 intended for? If you’re looking to buy your first pair of Shokz bone conduction headphones and you mainly run and cycle, then the Open Run Pro 2, with their fuller sound thanks to Dual Pitch technology, are certainly a good choice.

If you already own the Open Run Pro and are satisfied with the sound so far, an upgrade probably won’t bring you much gain. Unless, of course, you’re looking for better bass.

If water sports are part of your repertoire, the Open Swim Pro is your best choice, as you can also use it for jogging, cycling and – like the other models – occasionally in everyday life. However, you’ll have to compromise on sound for waterproofing – they don’t have Dual Pitch technology, but they do have a 32 GB internal memory for audio files. Personally, the Open Swim Pro remains my favourite because of its versatility in sports and the dual function as an MP3 player.