[Correction available] The sound is good without closing the ears.Try SHOKZ's latest bone conduction earphone "Openrun Pro" | Mynavi News Mynavi News Mynavi

After the rebrand to SHOKZ, the first product -conduction headphone "Openrun Pro"

"Shokz" is a brand that cares in the field of bone conduction headphones.Until now, it was developed under the name AfterShokz, but was rebranded at the end of 2021.The first product is "Openrun Pro" (crowdfunding starts on January 10/direct sales).Let's examine the ability as the latest bone conduction headphones, such as sound quality and usability.

Speaking of bone conduction headphones a long time ago, it was common to say that the sound quality was difficult, even though the ears were not closed, and it was very popular for music appreciation.Certainly, there are times when the situations where bone conduction headphones play an active part in the factory, construction site, and military areas were recognized other than audio.

However, the situation has changed in recent years.Bone conduction headphones, which have a regenerative ability that can withstand music appreciation, have appeared one after another, and the use of voice calls/video conferences with microphones is expanded.I didn't work out for a while from my former negative impression, but when I tried it about three years ago, I was surprised at the improvement of sound quality.

At that time, I tried "Air" of SHOKZ (formerly afterShokz).The product, released in 2018, sold sound quality, such as "PremiumPitch+", which realizes a dynamic range comparable to a general air conduction headphone, and an EQ preset that enhances bass.After that, I will listen to bone conduction headphones of the same brand, such as the flagship machine "AEROPEX" released in 2019 and "OpenComm" released in 2020, but the stance that emphasizes sound quality is consistent, and the bones are consistent.I felt an extraordinary spirit to conduction technology.

"Openrun Pro" is a successor to Aeropex.Up to 1 5 -minute charging, including "SHOKZ TURBOPITCH", which aims for deep bass playback.It is a culmination of two and a half years of product development, such as a quick charging function that can be used for 5 hours, a dual noise canceling microphone that gathers your voice clearly, and a 20%smaller body compared to Aeropex.

The design is basically a monotone finish that follows Aeropex.The black model that I tried is a subtle combination of two different colors except for the logo.

When I put it in line with my personal OpenComm that inherited the design of Aeropex, it looks different at first glance.Openrun Pro is a sport -conscious design that uses a built -in microphone instead of a thin boom microphone but a transducer (part in contact with the temple).The left and right unit part where the SHOKZ logo is engraved is slightly smaller, which seems to contribute to miniaturization.

The wearing feeling is good.The titanium neck band is opened greatly with a slight force, and the U -shaped part on the upper part of the ear has silicon gentle on the skin and is not friction.The side pressure of the transducer is an exquisite salt plum that does not shift, and seems to be taken into consideration for a long time.He brought it to jogging in a daily routine, but he didn't need to touch the transducer except when wiping sweat.By the way, the dustproof performance is compatible with IP55, and there is no problem if it is sweat or light rain.

There are three buttons for operation.One is located on the left transducer, and functions as a playback/stop button when playing music.The remaining two are located at the bottom of the right control part and can be used to adjust the volume.The power is on/off and the pairing is assigned to the volume+button and the button, so it is hard to make a mistake.Both are physical buttons, which are located in a position that is easy to press even while wearing.

The audition of Openrun Pro uses the combination with the iPhone 13 Pro.There are three types of sources used: music streaming services (Amazon Music), video distribution service (Amazon Prime Video), and voice calls (Facetime Audio).

At Amazon Music, it starts with Red Hot Chile Peppers "by the Way".Painting a solid bass and a powerful snare attack of the fan key part, the power is enough."Can't Stop" has a sharp cutting guitar at the beginning, and the vocals that are clearly positioned in the center are small.In terms of bass amount and thinness, the air conduction headphones are shaped, but the feeling of openness due to the absence of the ears is irreplaceable.

続いては曲調を一転、ジャズ/ECM系音源に。キース・ジャレット&チャーリー・ヘイデンの「身も心も」は、ベースがやや大人しめで空気伝導ヘッドホンのときと印象は異なるが、ピアノの響きが存外にいい。フルボリューム付近で聴くとくぐもってしまうものの、音量を下げていくと透明感が出てくる。ふと思い立ち、キース・ジャレットのソロ作「The Melody At Night, With You」を聴いてみたところ、これがなかなか。「シェナンドー」あたりのゆったりした曲は心地よく、スピーカーリスニングのような感覚で楽しめる。

U. Boat Director's Cut was selected for the video distribution service.I watched mainly the scenes targeted by the destroyer, but it is easy to hear the lines.Although the roaring and explosive sounds are not comparable to the theater environment with a subwoofer, the whispering voice can be heard firmly, and the sense of presence in the sealed space of submarines is transmitted.I checked dramas such as "Fargo", but the conversation part is still easy to hear, and it seems good to use it as a TV headphone.

The last test is a voice call using FaceTime Audio.I tried to talk between the iPhone, but the other person's voice was clear and sounded without any discomfort.When making a voice call with a complete wireless earphone, even if only one ear is attached, the sense of incongruity around the ear is inevitable, but the bone conduction headphones are no stress because they do not close their ears.I handed the Openrun Pro to the opponent and checked what kind of voice it sounded, but it clearly conveys my voice without being affected by the surrounding noise.The Zoom's microphone test, which I tried on a Mac, has good results and seems to be useful for video conferences.

I tried it with my personal OpenComm in my mind, but I realized the evolution of sound quality while keeping the excellent hold power and fit feeling as it was, such as the fact that there was almost no gap even after a long time.It is noteworthy that the low frequency volume and expressive power are not as good as the air conduction headphones, but if the bass comes out so far, it is reasonably satisfactory.OpenComm's songs of "Retchiri", which were unsatisfactory in the low range, are quite cool with Openrun Pro.

Nevertheless, SHOKZ's bone conduction headphones are good at the midrange per 300Hz to 1kHz.Human voices sound clear and express details such as lip noise.Voice calls can be heard by the other headphone because the other person's voice can be heard naturally, and the surroundings can be heard even if the surroundings are somewhat noisy just because of bone conduction.

Although it was not in time for this writing, it is said that dedicated applications with functions such as switching in narration language and firmware update are being prepared.It is said that the function to switch equalizer is also implemented, so it should be a safe material for the direction of considering bone conduction headphones for watching music.

"SHOKZ" has renewed the brand name and started a new walk.When the first product is so complete, I am looking forward to the hot category of bone conduction, what kind of products we are planning in the future.