'I tried wireless open earbuds to mask noise and keep alert of my surroundings'

Daily Record

a day ago

The new wireless OpenFit 2+ from Shokz keep me aware of my surroundings without disrupting my music
Music has played a huge part in my life, and I always carry earphones with me, whether I'm exercising, travelling solo or working. For years, the Apple AirPods have been my ride or die because they are light and compatible with my iPhone, but I've been looking for something new as they get older.
The new Shokz open earbuds caught my eye, completely different from traditional earphones. The Shokz OpenFit 2+ deliver music using air conduction with two individual speakers for sparkling highs and deep bass. They are available at £179 on Shokz online, Amazon, and other retailers.
The open-ear design is similar to wearing earcuffs, but these offer more than just fashion accessories. They are surprisingly secure, even for a glasses-wearer like me. By not going inside the ear, there is no pressurised feeling and no dirt buildups around the seal, they feel more hygienic, and I could wear them for hours without any discomfort.
Of course, there are other open earbuds on the market, just like Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds, and instead of hooking over the ear, they clip around the edge of the ears. Shoppers can get these for £299.95 at Bose.
On Amazon, shoppers can consider Anker's Soundcore AeroFit 2, which is on 10% off and reduced to £90.27. The open earphones feature a bulkier double-curved design for an adjustable fit.
The Shokz OpenFit 2+ weigh only 9.4g each, and are crafted with an inner layer of ultra-soft silicone, which I found them more comfortable than the hard plastics from my AirPods. In terms of sound quality, I know it's impossible to have noise cancellation but the flagship is enabled with Dolby Audio that it delivers better sound than my £159 gen2 AirPods.
The basses and highs are distinctive, and the Dolby Audio tech wraps the sounds around me for a lifelike audio. They are not as premium as the overhead cans because they do not support spatial audio or head tracking. But with the Shokz app, I can customise the EQ using either four preset modes or two on its own.
I had no issue listening to the music with noise and chatter around me, it gave me a sense of surrounding awareness, which was helpful when walking around central London on my own. I gave the earbuds to my friend, but found it hard to adapt to what she described as a "half in, half out" situation.
"It's an odd feeling, like you're in an echo box or like I'm eavesdropping on other people's conversations, and I struggle to focus on either the music or the conversation," she told me.
The Shokz OpenFit 2+ has one action button on each earbud, and I use them to adjust the volume, skip tracks, play/pause, and answer calls. Tech-savvy shoppers can also activate touch buttons for voice assistants like Siri or Bixby.
Marathon runners might want to consider the Shokz pair as traditional headphones are not permitted in races like the Edinburgh Marathon Festival but they stated: "We allow bone-conducting headphones which do not plug the ears and therefore allow the participant to hear the environment are advised if the participant wishes to listen to music during the event."
The earbuds support wireless charging and a quick 10-minute charge provides up to two hours of listening time. I have been using them for two months without having to charge, as they also have an incredible standby time of up to 270 days.