Shokz Openrun Mini Review

Listening to music through bones is like an imagination turning into reality. Well, Shokz rightfully takes this responsibility and comes up with unique gadgets to stun the audience. But what do people with small heads do? Opt for regular size? Absolutely no, as the Shokz Openrun Mini Review article says it all.

As we all know, OpenRun is an updated version of AfterShokz Aeropex with some upgraded features, such as introducing a quick charge feature, the latest Bluetooth 5.1, a premium pitch, and a moisture detection alert.

How Do Bone Conduction Headphones Work? The process involves transferring sounds to the deeper part of the ear using the skull and jaw bones instead of the eardrums. The cochlea converts these vibrations into electrical signals and sends them to the brain via an auditory nerve for decoding them into sound.

What’s the Hype About a Mini Version? What is the difference between OpenRun and OpenRun mini? Shokz Headphones have different variants according to the size and shape of the heads that fulfill the purpose of the perfect fitting. Likewise, the OpenRun headphones also have a mini version. Thus, offers a 0.83 inches shorter headband than the standard size.

Why not grab new technology when it offers all the features? The case is the same with Open Run Mini bone conduction headphones. As an athlete, my top priority was a snug fit and what was happening around me. So, I chose a shorter size than the regular one for running.

Without any doubt, my decision did justice as I have been using the headphones for 3 months, and they still work great for me. So, keep reading my viewpoints if you are tired of fixing the longer headband at regular intervals.

I like that the headphones do not insert into the ear canal. Instead, rest on the above surface of the ears against the cheekbones. So, this provides extreme awareness of the outside world. It allows me to participate in all the activities without removing them.

My First Impression – Design

As soon as I took it out of the box, the black headphones had a unique design compared to bulky over-ear headphones. The titanium headband and two transducers near the earpieces make them flexible. Indeed the Open Run headphones are the lightest bone conduction with only 26 g weight.

In the start, wearing them with specs was a little difficult for me, but now I am used to them. Moreover, the lightweight frame of the headsets can grip the skin and hair due to the silicone rubber material body, so wearing headphones either with a helmet or glasses doesn’t make any difference in the sound quality. The key specifications of Shokz Open Run:

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
Battery: 8 hours
Quick charge: 1.5 hours on 10 minutes charging
Microphone: for phone calls
Waterproofing: certified IP67 rating
Moisture Detection: to let you know

How to Wear Shokz Openrun Mini?

On the first attempt, I needed clarification regarding the placement of earpieces. But with a little glance at the manual, I nailed the wearing. Generally, bone conduction headphones do not need to follow proper steps to wear but must be placed near the cheekbones to pick up the vibrations by bones and deliver them to the brain.

Hold the Open Run upright to make the wraparound band closest to you while the open end is at some distance, and ensure that the function buttons are facing downwards.
Place the headphones on the back of the neck and the headphones’ arms above the ears.
Adjust the earpieces close to the temple bones and make the neckband fitting proper with the help of adjustable straps.

Note: try to keep earpieces near the bones; in any case, if they shift from the desired position, you will suffer with audio clarity.

Accessories You Get With a Headset

Shokz Openrun mini and standard versions offer you the same accessories.

Drawstring travel pouch
Sports headband
Magnetic two-pin charging cable
OpenRun headset.

What Magic Do the Control Buttons Create in Operating Openrun?

Bone conduction headphones are famous for easy control. The reason is apparent: you do not stop and adjust the volume or play your favorite track during the movement. Therefore, I enjoy carrying them in running and cycling to take full advantage of easy access.

OpenRun Mini headphones comprise three buttons at the right side of the earpiece that are used for power/volume up and down. Whereas the device also has a multifunction button on the left. I can play or pause the music and hang or receive calls by pressing the multifunction button only once. Similarly, volume up and volume down do their work according to their efficiencies.

The only difference is that the power button has no separate designation; hence, you can switch it on and off with only a volume-up button. Also, the headphones allow me to control my digital systems by pressing and holding the button for 2 seconds.

I like the feature of volume controls as my worry about taking out my phone every time to adjust the volume has vanished.

What About the Connectivity of Openrun?

As we all know, the audio that bone conduction headphones are produced is different from audiophiles; however, with the improved Bluetooth standard of 5.1 and multipoint facility, enjoying a stable connection is much easier than using 5.0 Bluetooth in Aeropex.

With the multipoint pairing, I can rely on my laptop to do various tasks while simultaneously connecting my smartphone to hear the music of my kind. Moreover, the 10-meter Bluetooth range is the icing on the cake.

The headphones utilize SBC codecs and thus do not efficiently deliver rich audio to other devices. But still, I use them because they leave my ears to hear what is happening around me.

How Amazing is the Sound Quality?

I got clear sounds due to the premium pitch 2.0+ of the Openrun headphones. Another feature I don’t hear a few people talking about is the ability to switch between standard mode and vocal booster.

After using them several times and pressing the volume up and down buttons simultaneously, I can change the mode according to my preferences. For instance, the standard mode is to hear music, while the vocal booster provides accurate audio while listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

Furthermore, the sound quality highly depends on how you place your headphones. Suppose the transducers are positioned near the ears. You will get the mid-range, bass, and trebles, the same as the bone conduction headphones are famous for. Overall, the clarity of the vocals is next level.

Noise Isolation

Bone conduction headphones are not meant for complete isolation. So, it is different from the dream device for those who want to feel isolated. Due to the open-ear design of the Bone conduction headphones, hearing the outside sounds is a prominent feature that you and I cannot deny.

How Efficient are the Phone Calls with Shokz OpenRun?

Do you want to enjoy the pleasure of hands-free calls? If yes, Openrun has this facility too. Headphones are not only for enjoying pleasure or listening to music during workouts. You can use it for managing phone calls.

These headphones work efficiently for phone calls, but the microphone quality is okay because the working of a mic could be better at crowded locations. Whenever I have to receive a call, the microphone lets in a lot of outside noise to hear at the other end. However, I like the clarity of sound in quiet places.

How Does Openrun React Underwater?

Although all Bone conduction headphones must possess an IP rating, the response of every headphone is different in the water. Similarly, when my Openrun headphone fell off my hands into the pool. The headphone has an IP67 rating, but they are not suitable for taking underwater.

Anyhow, I took them out after a few seconds only to check the working, and they worked fine. It indicates that the headphones are demanding and can tolerate water pressure. Hence, a complete package for those who sweat heavily.

Does Openrun Offer Lasting Battery Life?

Shokz Openrun consists of a 160 mAh lithium polymer battery, which takes about 90 minutes for a full charge. The improved version also charges by connecting a proprietary magnetic charging cable to the two-pin connector on the headset.

Generally, I use them best when in the charging state. Otherwise, the quick charge feature is in my hands to get the one and half hours of playtime on 10 minutes charge. But for me, the battery lasts considerably more than 8 hours.

Using an OpenRun headset is a whole treat because they also make you alert about the battery drain by LED light indications. If the light flashes red, they demand charging, while blue symbolizes the fully charged battery.

My simple formula for using headphones is to charge them overnight so they can be available for me again the next day.

What I like most about the headphones

Situational awareness adds to the safety
No fear of ear infections due to design
Bluetooth 5.1 and range
fast charging makes things a lot easier
Lightweight and a snug fit
Multipoint connectivity is easy to access
Moisture detection adds to the maintenance of headphones

What I don’t like about the headphones

Magnetic charging cable makes them less universal
Not operated by any app
The Control panel is small
The performance of the microphone is not satisfied

Shokz Openrun vs Openrun Pro

Just as the OpenRun excels the Aeropex, Openrun Pro Bone Headphones is another variant to beat the OpenRun owing to upgrade features. In this article, I will mention only those features that make Openrun Pro enjoy the limelight in the music market.

Undoubtedly, the OpenRun pro headphones are a higher price as the headset is equipped with 9th generation Bluetooth and turbo pitch technology to offer you uninterrupted audio even when the headphones displace from their place.

The competitor headphones (Openrun Pro) have a large capacity battery and provide a playtime of 10 hours instead of Openrun’s 8 hours. No matter if you have already decided to grab OpenRun Pro, the durable one is OpenRun with an IP67 rating than IP55 of Openrun Pro.

FAQs

Is Aeropex and OpenRun the same?

The two headphones are at the distance of the generation gap, and Openrun is the next generation of Aeropex headphones. The distinguishing feature is the improved Bluetooth 5.1 of the Openrun against Aeropex’s 5.0. Furthermore, the predecessor does not exhibit a quick charge feature and does not alert you about moisture.

Can You Wear Shokz OpenRun in the Shower?

Openrun bone headphones have an IP67 rating, but unfortunately, these are not designed for swimming. You are not allowed to take them in the shower, especially when dipping your head into the water. In a nutshell, these headphones tolerate splashes of water or heavy sweat.

Can you Hear Outside Noise with Bone Conduction Headphones?

Bone conduction headphones rest above the ears and do not have any physical seal between the transducers and the surroundings. Hence, the audio leak is maximum, and the sound is audible enough to hear outside.

Final verdict | Shokz Openrun Mini Review

Shokz Openrun consists of many improved features to look for in a device. I like the headphones for their battery and sound quality that enables me to listen by switching between standard and vocal booster modes. In addition, the smaller headband conforms to the shape of my head and guarantees everlasting comfort.

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