There are brands whose name is irremediably associated with a specific use. For years, Shokz reigned supreme in the sports earphone market, notably thanks to its famous OpenRun bone conduction range. But times are changing and consumer habits with them. For several years, the manufacturer has been attempting a bold and confident shift towards a much more “lifestyle” audience. This was already the case with the first generation of OpenDots, but also with OpenFit Air and Pro. This second generation, marketed at 199 euros, embodies this new philosophy even more.
The main idea of this new iteration is clear: Shokz undeniably masters its product and its technologies, but the design of these headphones is intended above all for a particular use, such as the office, home or teleworking. We have moved far from the spirit of intense physical effort to the comfort of an office or living room. The challenge is significant: to succeed in convincing an audience of hybrid workers that the open format is not just reserved for marathon runners. Here is our avis after several days of intensive testing.
Design and comfort: a real feather in the ear
If there’s one area where Shokz has nothing left to prove, it’s ergonomics. With an extremely low weight of only 6.4 grams per earphone, the feeling of lightness is immediate. The manufacturer has opted for a profiled silicone design. This soft coating coats an internal structure resting on a nickel-titanium alloy plate, a material well known for its shape memory and robustness. These headphones are available in three rather sober and elegant colors: Pearl White, Gray and Black.
Once in place, the result is simply stunning. They are very light and comfortable, so much so that you can wear them for hours and hours without realizing it. This is where sedentary use takes on its full meaning. They are perfectly suited to a particular use such as the office, home or teleworking, because you can switch from one use to another, whether for a video conference or listening to music, without ever needing to remove your headphones. This is a real asset for those who continue virtual meetings.
Despite this clearly domestic orientation, Shokz has not neglected solidity. The headphones benefit from IP57 certification, guaranteeing excellent resistance to dust and water. The charging case, for its part, displays IP54 certification. So you won’t have to worry if you accidentally spill your cup of coffee on your desk.
Ergonomics and functionality: control at your fingertips
To interact with these OpenDots 2, Shokz offers a user experience that is as fluid as possible. The companion application provided by the manufacturer is particularly complete. The controls, all customizable, are disconcertingly easy: they are carried out by simply tapping the arc of the earpiece or by squeezing the battery at the back of the ear. These gestures allow you to manage music playback and calls with great ease, without needing to handle your smartphone.
In terms of advanced features, Shokz has integrated the Fast Pair and Swift Pair protocols to facilitate pairing with your different devices. If you lose your headphones, it is only possible to locate them on Android using the Google Find app. iPhone users will have to be content only with being able to make their headphones ring from the application.
Connectivity and application: the king of multipoint
The app doesn’t just adjust touch controls. It also offers great sonic flexibility. The user thus has access to four EQ presets as well as a custom five-band mode. This allows you to finely adjust the sound reproduction according to your personal preferences or the type of content listened to.
Connectivity is provided by Bluetooth 6.1. The OpenDots 2 have a multipoint function which allows two devices to be connected simultaneously. This is an absolutely crucial feature for the target audience. You can listen to music on your laptop and instantly take an incoming call on your smartphone, without any hazardous manipulation.
Hands-free kit: the Achilles heel in an urban environment
It is often on the quality of the microphones that wireless headphones stumble and the OpenDots 2 are unfortunately no exception to the rule, despite impressive equipment on paper. The brand has integrated a complex system consisting of two air conduction microphones coupled with a bone conduction microphone.
In practice, the results are extremely mixed. THE hands-free kit is very effective in quiet environments where the correspondent can hear you perfectly well. This is ideal for a secluded office or quiet living room. However, the system very quickly finds itself in difficulty as soon as noise is heard around you. If you plan to make important calls while walking on a busy street or in a noisy open space, the person you are talking to may suffer. This limitation definitively limits these headphones to controlled sedentary use.
Audio quality: great promises, but physical limits
It is in the audio field that Shokz was particularly awaited. For this new generation, the brand has not skimped on technical means and proudly claims 30% more bass compared to the previous model. To achieve this, it has developed Bassphere 2.0 technology. This ingenious system places two 11.8mm transducers face to face, which is equivalent, according to the brand, to the power of a large 16mm transducer. Added to this is MirrorPitch technology, designed to reflect the audio signal inside the concha of the ear before it enters the ear canal. The stated goal is to significantly improve bass punch and overall volume.
What is it in fact? Shokz engineers have done a remarkable job opening up the soundstage. OpenDots 2 offer excellent spatializationdue both to their open format and to the meticulous work of the Chinese brand. The result is airy and very pleasant. In addition, the integrated Dolby Audio function allows you to give a little more body and consistency to the audio signal.
This clarity greatly benefits spoken content. We saw very good quality on voice content such as podcasts. Vocals stand out wonderfully, making prolonged listening to broadcasts or vocal meetings very comfortable.
However, the laws of physics are stubborn. Despite notable progress, there is still a bass deficit. We’re still far from the mark if we compare these headphones to classic in-ear models or even to the OpenFit Pro from the same brand. In addition, the whole suffers from a lack of dynamics, which we clearly realize when listening to classical music. The orchestral flights lack impact and relief.
Finally, the open design very quickly shows its limits outdoors. We have noticed that we systematically tend to turn the volume up quite loudly in noisy environments. Inevitably, this is the inherent limitation of open design; street noise is not blocked, forcing the user to compensate by dangerously increasing the volume of their music. Further proof that these headphones are made to stay warm at home.
Autonomy: marathon runner’s endurance
If Shokz abandoned the sporting spirit on the design, he kept it on the battery. Official specs claim up to 10 hours of music on a single charge. During our test of OpenDots 2 in real conditions, we measured a very good battery life of 10 hours 24 minuteseven slightly exceeding the manufacturer’s promises. This is a very good performance which allows you to cover an entire day of continuous work without any problem.
The charging case is not left out, since it pushes the total autonomy up to 40 hours. In the event of running out of fuel between two meetings, a fast charging function is present: 5 minutes of charging is enough to provide the headphones with 2 hours of music playback.
To fully recharge, allow approximately 1 hour to recharge the headphones alone. The case, for its part, requires 2 hours of wired charging or 3.5 hours of wireless charging, since it benefits from certification for Qi wireless charging.
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