• TWEAK
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• Headset

Shokz OpenFit

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Specifications

• Speaker type: Air conduction transducer
• Driver: 18x11 mm Dynamic Driver.
• Frequency response: 50Hz-16kHz
• Speaker sensitivity: 95.5 dB±2.5dB
• Microphone sensitivity: -38 dB ±2dB
• Bluetooth® Version: Bluetooth 5.2
• Charge voltage: 5V±5%
• Frequency band: 2402MHz-2480MHz
• Wireless range: 10m
• Battery: Li-Polymer battery
• Continuous play:
• OpenFit: Up to 7 hours of listening time with a single charge
• OpenFit with Charging Case: Up to 28 hours of listening time
• Standby time Up to 10 days
• Battery capacity Earbuds: 58mAh (Min)
• Charging case: 600mAh (Min)
• Weight:
• Earbuds: 8.3g ± 0.2g
• Charging case: 57g ± 1g
• Total weight: 73.85g ± 1g
• Sweat resistance Earbuds: IP54
• Charging case: Not waterproof

One of the key features of OpenFit, just like the OpenRun Pro we have looked at previously, is that they are designed with an open design, which blocks the sound as little as possible. Instead of delivering the sound directly into the ear, the drivers are made to push the sound in without blocking other sounds in your surroundings.

A tour around Shokz OpenFit

Shokz OpenFit is available in two colours, of which we have received the black one for testing.

The OpenFit set comes, like most other True Wireless earbuds, with a combined storage and charging case. It is made of black plastic with a pleasant soft touch surface. The design is super subdued with only a discreet Shokz logo on the top to break up the matte black style.

There is a small LED diode on the front that can indicate charging status and then there is a USB C cable on the back for charging the case and earbuds.

If we open the case, we can see the two ear buds, which are held magnetically in place in the charger. Here they will automatically charge via the built-in battery when needed. The battery in the two earbuds is 58 mAh each and there is an additional 600 mAh in the case.

If we look at the two ear buds themselves, they differ, as I said, in that they do not have to go into the ear. So there are no silicone tips or anything else.

Most of the surface of the Shokz OpenFit is coated with a super comfortable silicone surface that matches the case really well.

Shokz OpenFit comes with what Shokz themselves call their Dolphin Ear Hook, which is placed behind the ear so that the part with the sound just hangs in front of the ear.

With a weight of just over eight grams, it provides a set of earbuds that are virtually unnoticeable when you wear them.

The OpenFit set has an IP54 rating which means that they are dust and splash safe. So you don't have to worry during sweaty workouts or a run in the rain.

There is a touch interface on the side of each earbud indicated by a small bump. Here you can answer calls or control media playback. The functions can be customized via the Shokz app.

Software

Via the Shokz app on your phone, you have the option of a number of adjustments to your OpenFit set. It is possible to get a status on the battery and check if there should be any firmware updates.

In the app, you can choose between four predefined EQ settings or set up your own in a 5 band EQ. Of course, it's always a matter of taste and preference, but I preferred to leave the set on the default setting during my test.

The app also allows you to customize the functions on the touch interface. There are only two options, but on the other hand, they can have different functions on the right and left earbud.

So depending on whether you double tap or tap and hold, you can have different functions.

The app is pretty straight forward but not overflowing with features. Once you have adjusted your control settings and found the EQ you prefer, you probably don't get past the app very often, which in my book is also good enough.

There were no problems with the Shokz app during my test.

Testing

I've been using the Shokz OpenFit for a few weeks now with my Google Pixel 7 Pro phone. Connection and connection went smoothly and so did installation of the Shokz app. There was a new firmware update, which was done in a few minutes.

Using the OpenFit set has been a somewhat different experience. The special style and not least the low weight meant that I could actually easily forget that I had the kit on if I wasn't playing music.

This means that there has not been a hint of irritation or fatigue, as there is nothing squeezing or pressing anywhere.

Jumping to the sound, it surprised me positively. It is a delicious and very open sound image, which clearly performs best in the high and midrange. Bass is the weakness of headsets of this type, which I also experienced with the OpenRun set I tested earlier.

I experienced a slight distortion of the bass with certain types of music. However, it was typically when a heavy bass beat suddenly entered an otherwise rather quiet piece that I experienced it. In music where there was generally a heavier bass sound image, it was nothing and experienced as distinct.

The "magic" of the set, however, is that it is as open as it is. This means that the experience of music feels more like something that comes to the room around you and not something that is sent directly into the ear. This despite the fact that no one around you can hear the music.

All while still being able to hear what's going on around you in a way that I've never experienced with other True Wireless earbuds. Not even the best Ambient Mode setting I've tried has given the same experience.

This has meant that I have been able to walk around the house and "sneak in" to music or podcasts while I can still be part of a conversation and hear when my daughter calls me.

The disadvantage of a solution like that is that when you want to listen to music, it can be difficult to shut out the world around you. So for the train ride or the like, it might not be a set that is quite as suitable, since there is no shadow of noise reduction.

The only option is to turn up the volume, so you end up simply drowning out the surroundings. Even at maximum volume, I still found it relatively easy to hear my surroundings compared to a normal headset.

The touch functions on the set required a bit of getting used to. OpenFit naturally sits a little differently on the ear and therefore I just had to get used to aiming a little differently when I wanted to change a music track or turn it down.

Shokz itself states the battery time for around 7 hours of use on a charge, which can be extended to a total of 28 hours if continuous charging in the case is taken into account. That statement agrees with my experience during the test.

Price

Shokz has announced that the suggested retail price of the OpenFit set will be 290$ here at home. Whether they will also land at that price I cannot confirm at this time as the kit has only just been launched.

Conclusion

A True Wireless set like the Shokz OpenFit has a bit of a niche use in my book. It is for those situations where you want to be more aware of your surroundings. As the name suggests, it is an ideal set for training. This means, for example, that you can pay more attention in traffic when you are out running, as the world is not shut out like with many other headsets.

My own favorite scenario, however, as I mentioned earlier, is to be able to have music in my ears at home without me missing what is being said around me.

However, it is far from always that I want to hear music that way. So it's something you have to deal with yourself, because if you also want to be able to shut out the world, then it requires another set for that purpose.

For the open listening experience with advantages such as better safety on the run, however, OpenFit is the best set of its kind that I have tried. The price is on the expensive end, compared to other True Wireless sets. Considering the list of features together with the quality in general, I think it lands in a fairly comparable price range.

We end up with a final score of 8 for a solid and different set of True Wireless Earbuds, which may also be a little limited in their usability.

Pros:

• Super easy
• Good battery life
• Blocks out the sound from the surroundings like few others

Cons:

• The sound can lag a little on the bass
• The openness also means that noise from the surroundings is heard