The Shokz OpenFit Air could be good if it weren’t for my glasses

Two years in the past, I believed my seek for the most effective operating headphones was over. Beats Match Professional had been simply good in each method. Then I moved to the suburbs. The ambient Beats mode was no match for North Jersey drivers’ blatant disregard for velocity limits. Open-back headphones appeared like the apparent reply. However which of them? I performed round with just a few for just a few weeks. bone conduction headphoneshowever I missed my bass an excessive amount of. That, in flip, led me to decide on the Shokz OpenFit Air for $119.95.

Whereas Shokz is greatest recognized for its bone conduction know-how, the OpenFit Air makes use of conventional air conduction, identical to every other wi-fi earbud. The speaker sits above your ear canal, and ear hooks hold them securely in place. I don’t normally favor ear hooks — consolation tends to fluctuate. However I’ll attempt something if it means I get situational consciousness with out sacrificing bass.

Excellent news: bass is higher. The dangerous information is, not a lot. Frankly, there aren’t any open-back headphones massive on the bass, however a minimum of it is much less muddy than bone conduction. If I am operating close to a busy avenue, I can really hear the rumble.”5 michelin stars” verse from Stray Youngsters’ “God’s Menu.” It is not crystal clear — however I can hear it, as an alternative of sighing and wishing I had a Beats Match Professional. (Although all bets are off in case you’re close to a freeway.)

Other than the bass, the speaker placement means you may hear your content material fairly nicely, however open-back headphones all the time have limitations. I wore them just a few occasions on my commute to work. A quiet bus or NJ Transit prepare? No drawback. The noisy NYC subway drowned out my audiobooks to the purpose the place I refused to take heed to something in any respect. I by no means received any complaints about sound leakage, however I assume that is as a result of the NYC subway is simply too loud for any hear one thing.

As sports activities pads they’re a wonderful possibility. They final about six hours on a single cost, and a 10-minute cost offers two hours of use, which isn’t too dangerous until you’re an ultramarathoner. With IP55, you may sweat it out or stand up to a light-weight rain, although I’d ​​be cautious of a heavy downpour. They’re comfy and pretty secure — till you place in your glasses.

Whereas the hooks are versatile and comparatively skinny, they take up a number of area behind your ears. On days once I didn’t put on contacts, the highest of my ears felt tight and heavy. This heavy feeling made me paranoid that the Airs would fall out, and I’d go to regulate them. Typically, this may finish with me by chance activating the contact controls. Even once I wasn’t sporting glasses, I’d inadvertently dislodge the Airs once I combed my bangs behind my ears. This isn’t my favourite factor to do as somebody who has gotten damage too many occasions chasing an earbud that fell out of my ear whereas operating. Actually, chances are you’ll not have the identical points. A few of that is in all probability because of the form of my ears and the truth that my glasses have thicker temples. However in case you actually need a safe match, a wrap-around design is healthier.

To my shock, I ended up preferring the Air for on a regular basis put on. Possibly it is simply me, however bone conduction headphones scream health in a method that feels a little bit odd once I’m operating errands. These really feel extra like a sleeker, extra understated Bose Extremely Open In-Ear Headphones. My favourite time to put on them was once I was cooking or cleansing. I might simply take heed to audiobooks or podcasts, take heed to squeaking home equipment, and cease a naughty cat from attempting to eat my dinner straight from the frying pan.

If I had higher eyesight, these would possibly finish my seek for an alternative choice to the Beats Match Professional. They’re pretty inexpensive at $120, the bass is respectable for a pair of open-back earbuds, they usually’re comfy. I want one thing a little bit extra dependable for these days once I do not feel like sporting contacts. Alas, the search continues.