Shokz OpenFit 2 Review
Pros
- Comfortable to wear for long periods
- Enjoyable open-ear sound
- Good level of EQ customisation
Cons
- Still has some sound balance issues
- Misses out on wireless charging from OpenFit 2+
- They’re not cheap
Key Features
-
Battery Up to 48 hours total listening time
-
IP rating IP55 protection against water and sweat
-
Open-ear design Constant awareness of what's around you
Introduction
The Shokz OpenFit 2 were announced in January 2025 and it’s taken several months for the OpenFit update to land in the UK. Shokz fans will be hoping it’s worth the wait.
The original OpenFit was the company’s first foray into making open earbuds instead of neckband-style bone conduction headphones. Along with a new form factor, it also switched from bone to air conduction to counter the swathes of cheaper open-ear alternatives flooding the market.
The OpenFit 2, which launched alongside the flagship OpenFit 2+, sees Shokz make improvements to the design, sound, controls and also up things in the battery department.
As already mentioned, there isn’t a shortage of open-ear earbuds out there, so Shokz will be hoping the changes it makes on the OpenFit 2 can ward off both the cheaper and pricier competition.
Price
The OpenFit 2 launched in the US first before getting a wider release in Europe on June 5th which included the UK. They cost £169, making them one of the more expensive open-ear earbuds available.
That’s cheaper than the now discontinued OpenFit (£179), with that £179 price now attached to the OpenFit 2+. The 2+ are largely the same earbuds with the addition of a Dolby Audio mode and wireless charging. There’s also the OpenDots One ($199), which have so far only launched in the US.
In Shokz terms, that does make them more expensive than the OpenFit Air (£94), which offers a shorter battery life and features an older generation of Shokz’ air conduction technology, though has a design more geared towards fitness.
Look outside of the Shokz range and the OpenFit 2 sits well below the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (£299), but is slightly more expensive than the Sony LinkBuds Open (£149). There’s a whole host of much cheaper open-ear earbuds including the Huawei FreeArc (£99), the Nothing Ear Open (£129) and the very dinky Soundcore AeroClip (£129).
Design
- Comes in black or cream colours
- Improved waterproof rating
- New ultra soft silicone added
The OpenFit 2 looks like the first OpenFit as Shokz seeks to refine elements for the latest version of its ear hook earbuds in a bid to make them more comfortable, offer an improved overall fit and add better controls.
I can’t say I had major problems with the comfort of the first version but Shokz has introduced a softer silicone to amp things up on that front. I’ve worked out with them, walked around and sat at a desk with them for extended periods and they haven’t weighed heavy or have been at all uncomfortable to don.
My main gripes with the OpenFit were centred on fit. They never fell out, but felt there was some element or unbalance in the design that meant they moved around a little during exercise.
The ear hooks have been redesigned and interestingly, I’ve also been testing the OpenFit 2+ at the same time, where I’ve experienced similar concerns. My time with the OpenFit 2 has been very different for some reason and they seem to stick in place more reliably during more energetic use.
It’s great to see that physical controls have been embraced for the OpenFit 2 and instantly makes them a much more likeable set of earbuds to use. You can use the new single buttons on the top of the buds when you want to skip tracks, handle calls and are well utilised for adjusting volume. The touch controls remain, with uses limited to accessing your phone’s smart assistant and that’s fine with me.
There’s a change with the water resistance rating offered on the new OpenFit. The IP55 sweat-proof rating offers a defence against dust and light splashes of water. Think sweat and light rain basically.
Like the OpenFit 2+ and the OpenFit, that protection doesn’t extend to the charging case, which roughly stays the same size as the OpenFit’s case and includes a pairing button inside and an LED indicator up front to let you know when it’s in charging mode.
Features
- New version of Shokz air conduction technology
- Misses Dolby Audio from OpenFit 2+
- Longer battery life
The OpenFit 2 makes some changes both with the hardware and software responsible for delivering sound towards your ears.
It’s moved from a custom driver setup to a dual driver one, planting two individual speakers on each bud to produce sound, all while still keeping you aware of your surroundings.
A new version of Shokz’ OpenBass algorithm has been added to offer something more likeable for bass fiends and it retains the EQ presets and custom EQ modes, which are accessible from the free Shokz smartphone app.
That app is also the place you can enable multipoint pairing and customise the new physical controls. One thing you don’t get access to is the Dolby Audio mode now available on the OpenFit 2+ and the OpenDots One.
On the connectivity front, there’s Bluetooth 5.4 and I’ve used them with an iPhone, Samsung Android phone, paired them to a Garmin watch and a MacBook and have experienced zero issues pairing or suffered any sort of connection drop outs.
Battery life is an area where improvements have been made. The OpenFit 2 have gone from 7 hours to 11 hours off a single charge with music. There’s also a jump from 28 hours to 48 hours battery from the charging case. For talk time, it’s now 8 hours from a single charge and 36 hours in total with the charging case fully powered up.
Unlike the OpenFit 2+, you don’t get wireless charging support, but you do get the same quick charge mode that gets you two hours of listening from a 10-minute charge. The battery life is definitely better than the OpenFit by quite a considerable amount.
An hour’s listening, at a pretty loud volume, saw the battery drop by 10%. That doesn’t quite equal 11 hours and is closer to 10 hours. Given the original OpenFit fell short of its promised 7 hours, that’s still a big improvement.
Sound Quality
- AI added for improving call quality
- Improved volume performance
The most redeeming quality of the sound profile here is the improvement in volume, even when not at maximum volume. This certainly improves the experience of using them outdoors in busier environments.
It ensures blustery wind and loud traffic doesn’t entirely cut through what is overall a very bright and energetic-sounding set of open-ear earbuds.
I still don’t think it really makes vast improvements in terms of the balance offered and delivering supremely detailed sound. In open-ear terms, these are some of the most likeable I’ve used, but not necessarily the best.
On Underworld’s Jumbo, a very bass-heavy track, there’s warmth, power and a bass performance that’s more woolly than tight. Mids feel a touch recessed and trebles have more of a grainy quality. On Tracy Chapman’s Talkin Bout A Revolution, there’s more signs of that likeable warmth and a mids performance that’s pretty relaxed. You hope for those trebles to zing and excite, but they’re quite not able to get there.
For podcasts and audiobooks, you get plenty in the way of volume and the clarity in general is good as well. Call quality benefits from that improvement in power and overall volume and while I’m not convinced the use of AI to boost call clarity massively shines through, I’d have no qualms intercepting a call from my phone with them.
Should you buy it?
You want open-ear earbuds that offer enjoyable sound and a comfortable design
While the OpenFit 2 might not shine in all audio departments, there’s enough to like along with a design that will make them a good fit for most.
You want the most balanced-sounding open-ear earbuds.
I still think the Sony LinkBuds Open and Bose Ultra Open are the open-ear earbuds to beat if you want something that offers more polished open-ear sound.
Final Thoughts
Shokz has clearly listened to the feedback on the OpenFit and as a result it’s come up with an instantly more impressive set of open-ear earbuds. One that’s comfortable, has much better controls and even better battery life.
They’re expensive though, and you could get more balanced open-ear sound from Sony’s LinkBuds Open for a bit less or the Bose Ultra Open for considerably more. If you want the best-sounding Shokz earbuds, these are the ones.
If you’re looking for the best value option, the OpenFit Air still sounds great and there’s options below the price of the OpenFit 2 to look at as well.
Trusted Score
How We Test
We test every pair of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find.
We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Tested for a week
- Tested with real world use
FAQs
The biggest differences between the OpenFit and OpenFit 2 is that the OpenFit 2 offers an improved earhook design, physical controls, bigger battery and the latest Shokz audio hardware, which you won’t find on the first OpenFit.
Full Specs
| Shokz OpenFit 2 Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £169 |
| USA RRP | $179 |
| Manufacturer | Shokz |
| IP rating | IP55 |
| Battery Hours | 11 |
| Fast Charging | Yes |
| Weight | 71.8 G |
| ASIN | B0DN11MTZ6 |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| Model Number | SHOKZ T920 |
| Audio Resolution | SBC, AAC |
| Driver (s) | Air conduction transducer |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Colours | Black, Beige |
| Frequency Range | – Hz |
| Headphone Type | In-ear |
Trusted Score
The post Shokz OpenFit 2 Review appeared first on Trusted Reviews.
https://ift.tt/l2D80gn
Comments
Post a Comment