Shokz OpenFit 2+ – Hardware Review
With summer slowly approaching and the weather getting better, even we gamers love to go outside for a walk or some exercise. Our go-to devices for staying motivated are often our headphones or wireless earbuds, playing our favorite tunes. Over the years, we have reviewed many of these devices, ranging from budget-friendly options to more premium devices and a few sport-oriented earbuds too. Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at Shokz’s OpenFit 2+ wireless earbuds, which are great for working out and for day-to-day use at home or at the office. For a few weeks, we put the device to the test, and we were very pleasantly surprised.
Design
The OpenFit 2+ is a very stylish package in general. We received the grey model for our review, and we loved the overall sleek and subtle design. The rubberized components didn’t have too many bells and whistles, and the metallic finishing touches did break the otherwise monotonous color palette. The Shokz logo is subtly visible on each earbud and on the lid of the case. The latter only has the USB-C port and the small LED as standout features.
Comfort
We found the OpenFit 2+ to be incredibly comfortable. As this isn’t really an inner-ear device, you’ll have the exterior ‘ear hooks’ that go around your ears, while the actual ‘earbuds’ rest inside your auricles. This was also somewhat similar to JBL’s Soundgear Sense, where we also had to adjust the earbuds a little to find the perfect position. After that, it was pretty much smooth sailing, as we could easily use the OpenFit 2+ for hours on end without any issues. When wearing glasses, you’ll need to find a slightly more comfortable position, but even then, we didn’t encounter any major problems. We also found the earbuds easy to clean by using a microfiber cloth.
Specs
- Up to 48 hours of listening time (via case)
- Up to 11 hours of battery life with a single charge (earbuds)
- Qi wireless charging
- IP55 Water resistance
- Physical buttons for precise control
- Easy multipoint pairing
- AI-powered, crystal-clear calls
Overview
You’ll be good to go in a matter of seconds when pairing the OpenFit 2+ to your phone or other media device. You’ll have to keep the earbuds in the case while pairing, and then when successfully connected, you can start using them. You can, of course, opt to just use one earbud or both of them together, depending on your needs. Shokz also has a dedicated app you can install, but it’s not necessary, and the device already works great as is out of the box. That being said, the app does allow you to choose different profiles where bass is more prominent or voices pop out more, for example. Other than that, you’ll have Dolby Atmos settings, noise reduction settings, and so on. The app itself is easy to work with, and while you can make an account for it, you can also use it without registering.
We are often a bit skeptical about the sound quality when we’re reviewing devices that are not in-ear or when headsets don’t have a proper over-ear design, as there is often a lot of quality loss then. We were surprised in the past by the sound quality of JBL’s Soundgear Sense, which already altered our expectations and opinions a bit on the matter. Shokz’s OpenFit 2+ further proved that these ‘outer-ear’ earbuds deliver amazing sound quality. Of course, the bone-conducting technology behind the device is already impressive in its own right, as it further enhances audio quality by transmitting sound via vibrations. We could easily enjoy high-quality audio feedback from music, podcasts, and calls, while still being fully aware of our surroundings. At the office, we could easily hold a conversation with coworkers to answer questions, while never having to turn our background music off. There is also hardly any audio-bleed for the people sitting around us, which is also a huge plus.
Other functions include IP55 Water Resistant certification, making sure the device can withstand light rain, sweat, and dust, but we would still recommend being careful. We also enjoyed the actual physical buttons that provide nice tactile feedback. You can, of course, pick up calls, adjust volume settings, skip tracks, etc., on the fly with these. Multipoint pairing is also an option here, which is a bonus. On top of that, the case can provide 48 hours of battery life in total, and the earbuds can last around 11 hours on a single charge. These times were fairly accurate during our testing period.
Conclusion
Shokz’s OpenFit 2+ was an absolute delight to use. Not only are the earbuds comfortable and have a premium feel, but the audio quality is also amazing, the bass is deep, and when calling, those on the receiving end were treated to crystal clear audio feedback. We loved using the earbuds when working out, but also for simple day-to-day usage when relaxing or getting some work done. The bone-conducting technology worked great, and while this is a premium-priced pair of earbuds, it’s certainly worth the investment.
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