There’s no big visual change in the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 – but that’s because the important and compelling upgrades are hidden within.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Improved audio quality | Audio improvements are best appreciated when you’re not running |
| USB-C Charging | Comparatively expensive |
| Multiple size options for different head sizes | Bulky carrying case |
Score: 4.5/5
In this review
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Specifications
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Design
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Performance
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Battery
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Conclusion
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It wasn’t that long ago that I reviewed the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones, in all honesty.
That’s because when I did, they weren’t particularly new, though I’ve since covered more recently released sets like the Shokz OpenSwim Pro 2 or Shokz OpenFit Air sets.
The reality here is that it’s been a while since Shokz updated its run-specific headphones. I’ve had a pair of the freshly-announced Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 (how do they come up with these innovative names?) strapped around my head for most of the last week ahead of their announcement, testing them out to see how improve on the originals.
While there’s not much physically that’s changed here, and it is honestly hard to make any kind of sensible argument for any Shokz owner to upgrade if your existing set is still humming along just fine, the improvements that Shokz has made here make them very much the obvious choice for athletes – or even just folks who want an open listening experience with good audio playback as well.
Design
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 look a lot like the original Shokz OpenRun Pro. There are refinements in play here if you look closely enough, thanks to the shift to a dual speaker arrangement that mixes bone conduction for most of the audio along with open air drivers primarily for pushing bass, but you’d have to peer closely and compare to pick that.
At 31.3g, they’re surprisingly a touch heavier than the original OpenRun headphones, which weigh in at 29g. Can you actually feel that 1.3g difference on your skull?
Unless you’ve got Daredevil-level sensory awareness I doubt it, though it could have some minor impact for ultramarathon style runners at some level. I’m not one of those, but honestly even if you do want headphones for very long treks, the reasons behind that extra weight more than make up for it.
The all-important "Googly Eyes" test: They look like a slightly inquisitive (or maybe slightly cross-eyed) alien.
Shokz produce the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 in either a black (as tested) or orange finish, highly reminiscent of the OpenSwim Pro headphones. Orange could be useful if you do a lot of running at night as it’s got that high-vis look to it, but conversely black is considerably less extroverted.
One feature I do like here is that Shokz produces the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones in two distinct sizes, either “Standard” or “Mini”. The difference here is in the rear band, with the mini band being shorter for those with smaller skulls. I’m not amongst their number, so the standard set fit just fine.
Otherwise, I’ll return to the observation that the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 really do feel a lot like the Shokz OpenRun Pro in day to day usage.
With my lack of hairstyle, I’m more sensitive than most to the movement of any cable behind my neck, but I have had no problems at all with the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 in this regard. Equally, they fit nicely in with my glasses – here the black colour helps stylistically too – with no comfort issues at all. The same was true for the original Shokz OpenRun Pro though.
Like the originals, you also get a carrying case with the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones. It’s still a fairly large affair, but then if you’re spending this kind of money on sports headphones, it’s wise to keep them safe in transit. Just don’t expect to slip them into your pocket when running.
Performance
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 pair over Bluetooth, with an update to Bluetooth 5.3 over the Bluetooth 5.1 found in the original models.
Like the OGs, this is handled with a long press on the power/volume up button to initiate pairing modes. That’ll get you connected to most Bluetooth sources and ready to run, though if you want firmware updates or access to multipoint pairing or a limited set of equalisation modes, you’ll need the Shokz app – and if you’re an existing Shokz owner it’ll need to be the updated version of the app (which should be available when the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones launch on September 5th).
I know this, because at first I couldn’t get the Shokz app to see the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 at all. That’s because I had an early release pair, but if you do hit an issue with the app not seeing the headphones even when they’re paired, make sure that the app is updated. Shokz provided me with early access to the updated app to get around that issue.
The big change that Shokz is pitching for the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 is around audio quality. Like the prior OpenRun headphones, they use bone conduction to avoid having actual buds/speakers in your ears, but this is accentuated with open air drivers (a la the OpenFit Air headphones) to give a dual-driver setup that’s meant to deliver better bass over the air while avoiding reverberation in your cheekbones that could impact the audio quality – and all while leaving your actual ears open to the world around you so you don’t get flattened by that bus while running.
Or at least in theory; Shokz won’t actually cover your medical expenses if you get hit by a bus, so y’know… try not to do that?
Do they deliver improved audio quality?
Yes, but it depends on your precise environment if you’ll notice, and we’re still not in pure audiophile territory here in any case.
That’s a problem that Shokz can never really solve while keeping open-ear, because you’re always going to have a level of outside noise interference, and indeed you probably want that if you’re buying this style of headphone.
Testing in my home office just using them as music headphones, the differences were (predictably) most noticeable on bass-heavy tracks. Going for a little classic “Enter Sandman” action showed the way that the dual speaker setup handles the difference between vocals and the heavier guitars well, while switching up to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” still presented well.
However, it’s fair to presume that most folks buying the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 aren’t going to just be driving a desk all day. Out at a couple of parkruns and a number of street runs, the improvements in audio were harder to spot, and again this isn’t surprising. It’s harder to appreciate the nuance of Suzanne Vega’s “Blood Makes Noise” when a garbage truck is making more than enough noise near you.
While the audio is improved, I still found I gravitated towards the Bass Boost setting in the Shokz app, simply because it’s an area where this kind of open design is always going to sound a little less impressive.
It’s also worth noting that the highest volume level on the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 isn’t terribly loud. This does limit noise leakage, and is probably kind to your overall skull over time, but it does mean that you might struggle to hear your music if it gets noticeably chaotic around you at the same time.
Battery
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 are that little bit heavier than the original Shokz OpenRun Pro, but part of the reason for that is that Shokz has added just a little more battery capacity, with 150mAh batteries hiding within their slender frames. That’s a jump of 10mAh, and that might not seem like all that much.
Mathematically it isn’t, except that it allows Shokz to expand the battery run time to a claimed 12 hours, up from 10 hours on the original set. Unlike, say, smartphones, Bluetooth headphones don't need particularly large batteries to run for decent lengths of time.
Can I run for 12 hours? No, I cannot, but in more ad-hoc testing at this stage I’ve rather easily been able to hit at least 10 hours with power left over, so it feels eminently achievable. However, the improvements in battery life aren’t my favourite part of the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2’s power story.
Prior Shokz models have either used charging cases or custom charging cables, but the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 use standard USB-C charging. You don’t get a charger in the box, just a simple USB-C to USB-A cable, but this is a huge step for Shokz, and one that I absolutely love.
It doesn’t matter if I do lose the supplied USB-C cable, because I have plenty of them, and they’re easily sourced even if I were to lose them while travelling. I get why some of Shokz’ models (such as the OpenSwim ones) might still need custom charging cables to maintain water resistance but hopefully this is a sign that the rest of the range will switch to USB-C as new models come to market.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2: Alex’s Verdict
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 don’t radically reinvent what Shokz is doing in the premium runner’s headphone space, but then again they didn’t really need to. The improvements in audio are quite welcome, even if there are plenty of exercise opportunities where it might be a little harder to discern those differences. Certainly, if you’ve got an existing set of Shokz headphones you’re happy to work out with, the upgrade envy argument is a harder one to make.
However, if your existing set has died or been lost, or you’re looking for a set of headphones to accompany you where situational awareness, lightness and audio quality are a must, these are simply the best option going right now. They’re not inexpensive, and they’re terribly niche-specific – but they’re worth it.
Shokz OpenRun Pro 2: Pricing and availability
The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones will be available in Australia from September 5th 2024 at an RRP of $319.
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