Two years in the past, I assumed my quest for the most effective operating earbuds was over. The Beats Match Professional have been merely excellent in each method. Then I moved to the suburbs. The Beats’ ambient mode was no match for North Jersey drivers’ blatant disregard for velocity limits. Open-ear headphones appeared like the apparent reply. However which of them? For a couple of weeks, I dabbled with some bone conduction headphones, however I missed my bass drops an excessive amount of. That, in flip, led me to attempt the $119.95 Shokz OpenFit Air.
Whereas Shokz is greatest recognized for its bone conduction tech, the OpenFit Air makes use of conventional air conduction like another wi-fi buds. The speaker sits above your ear canal, whereas ear hooks maintain them securely in place. I usually don’t want ear hooks — consolation tends to be hit and miss. However I’ll give something a go if it means I get to have situational consciousness with out giving up my bass.
The excellent news: the bass is best. The unhealthy information is, it’s not by a lot. Honestly, no open-ear headphones are nice at bass, however these are at the very least much less muddy than bone conduction. If I’m operating subsequent to a busy road, I truly can hear the rumbly “five-star Michelin” verse in “God’s Menu” by Stray Youngsters. It’s not crystal clear — however I can hear it as an alternative of sighing and wishing I had my Beats Match Professional. (All bets are off should you’re close to a freeway, although.)
Apart from bass, the speaker place means you’ll be able to hear your content material fairly effectively, however open-ear buds all the time have limitations. I wore these on a number of commutes to the workplace. A quiet NJ Transit bus or practice? No downside. A loud New York Metropolis subway drowned out my audiobooks to the purpose the place I gave up listening to something in any respect. I by no means received any complaints about sound leakage, however I think about that’s as a result of the NYC subway is simply too loud for anybody to listen to something.
As train buds, these are an amazing choice. They’ve about six hours on a single cost, and a 10-minute cost will get you two hours of use, which isn’t too shabby except you’re an ultramarathoner. With IP55, you’ll be able to work up a pleasant sweat or deal with a little bit of rain, although I’d be cautious of a full-on downpour. They’re cozy and fairly safe — that’s, till you place some glasses on.
Whereas the hooks are pliable and comparatively skinny, they took up numerous house behind my ears. On days after I didn’t put on contacts, the highest of my ears felt crowded and weighed down. That heavy sensation made me paranoid that the Air would fall off, and I’d go to readjust them. Usually, that ended up with me by chance triggering the contact controls. Even after I didn’t put on glasses, I unintentionally dislodged the Air each time I brushed my bangs behind my ears. I don’t love that, as somebody who’s been traumatized one too many occasions by chasing after a bud that fell out of my ear mid-run. To be truthful, chances are you’ll not have these points. A few of that is possible right down to the form of my ears and the very fact my glasses have chunkier arms. However should you actually desire a safe match, a wraparound design is a better option.
$120
The Shokz OpenFit Air are a pair of light-weight open-ear buds that use air conduction and have six hours of battery life.
To my shock, I ended up preferring the Air for on a regular basis put on. Perhaps it’s simply me, however bone conduction headphones scream health in a method that feels slightly bizarre after I’m operating errands. These remind me extra of the sleeker, extra discreet Bose Extremely Open Earbuds. My favourite technique to put on these was after I was cooking or cleansing. I may simply hearken to my audiobooks or podcasts, preserve an ear out for beeping home equipment, and preserve the naughty cat from attempting to eat my dinner straight from the pan.
If I had higher imaginative and prescient, these would possibly’ve ended my quest for a Beats Match Professional various. They’re fairly inexpensive at $120, bass is first rate for a pair of open-ear buds, and so they’re cozy. I need one thing only a smidge safer for days after I don’t really feel like popping lenses in. Alas, the hunt continues.
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