Shokz's OpenRun PRO. The project started on January 10th at the crowdfunding site "GREEN FUNDING".
The brand name was changed from AfterShokz to Shokz, the flagship model of bone conduction earphones was renewed, and OpenRun PRO debuted. It is the orthodox successor model of the high-end AEROPEX so far. Bone conduction earphones that do not burden the ear canal even when used for a long time and do not block environmental sounds are ideal for online meetings such as working from home or teleworking. Even if you leave it on for the whole day, there is almost no strain on your ears, and you will immediately notice when the front door bell rings, when you receive a landline call, or when your family calls you. It can be said that Korona-ka has more clearly revealed the appeal of bone conduction earphones that allow you to hear the necessary environmental sounds while concentrating on the sounds you want to hear. The music-wearing bone conduction earphone OpenRun Pro supports fast charging and has increased battery life from 8 hours to 10 hours. It weighs 29 grams, which is 3 grams heavier, but it is 20% smaller. Nevertheless, it secures a button that is 30% larger than the conventional one to improve operability. However, what sets it apart from the past is its audio characteristics. Since the existing products are bone conduction earphones, the sound quality is secured in consideration of the mid-high range, which is rather preferable for voice calls such as conferences, but in terms of enjoying music and content such as movies, it is inevitable. Unlike general audio earphones, it lacked the richness of the bass range. The difference in sound from canal type audio earphones in the same price range is clear. In OpenRun Pro, it is said that it focused on this part and improved the reproduction quality of the bass range. Even if you actually listen to it, you can clearly see the difference. Still, sound leakage is minimal and almost unnoticeable. Of course, it is not the same as the canal type high-end earphones for audio, but the sound quality is so good that you can wear a BGM with a reasonable sound quality for a whole day. Earphones that close your ears will allow you to immerse yourself in the music, but you won't feel like wearing it. At the same time as the brand name was renewed, it can be said that it is an attractive new product with a renewed image of the category of bone conduction earphones. What you can get by closing your ears, what you can get without closing your ears In fact, bone conduction earphones are a technology that will play an important role in the future Metaverse space. Mixed space, which is a combination of real space and virtual space, is called mixed reality (MR), but bone conduction earphones can achieve MR of sound. You can superimpose a virtual sound on top of the real environmental sound to embody another world view. Now, active noise canceling earphones can create a sound that combines real and virtual by picking up the environmental sound with a microphone and superimposing it on the reproduced sound. Therefore, you can hear the voice of the person you are talking to, and you can talk at the cashier at the convenience store without removing the earphones. Bone conduction earphones are the opposite of that. The real sound remains real, and the virtual sound is superimposed on it. No operation is required to get out of the virtual space. This technology will be attracting attention because the world is not immersive in the future, and we are looking for a hybrid user experience that combines real and virtual. It is a demand to secure both what can be obtained by closing the ears and what can be obtained without closing the ears. So far, bone conduction technology is the best way to do that. In terms of "glasses for listening" that expands reality, OpenRun Pro can be said to be glasses for listening. The wearing method is also an image of wearing glasses from the back of the head. For glasses, choose the one with the power and color according to the purpose, because you want to see far away, you want to see clearly, you want to suppress glare, and you want to see near clearly. Similarly, bone conduction technology can superimpose virtual sounds optimally without interrupting realistic environmental sounds. In other words, what is there is an extension of reality. The only dissatisfaction with Shokz's product line is the structure of the titanium band that crosses the back of the head. The company calls it a neckband, but it's actually better to call it a headband. Above the neck, that is, across the back of the head. If you put your head on a tall chair or headrest, this band will get in the way. There is a limit to how well you can adjust the position. Bone conduction does not work when the band is placed overhead. Also, trying to lie on your back will get in the way. However, if this band is used as a cable, touch noise will surely be generated. It would be nice if the left and right could be completely wireless, but it would still get in the way if you put your ears down, and the separate type is a separate type and management is complicated. There are many aspects that are easier to handle if they are connected by a band. The manufacturer must have already grasped the usability in that area. I would like to leave it to the next generation of products how to eliminate that discomfort. Active noise canceling earphones that completely shut out the real and invite you to immerse yourself in the virtual, and bone conduction earphones that aim for the coexistence of real and virtual. Both are the sound experiences that the world is looking for. In this way, the unreasonable problems are solved little by little. Friends in the same space are enjoying conversation while listening to different music. That's the view of the world. This time OpenRun Pro is closer to that world. When I witnessed the evolution of these products, I am really glad that I was able to live in this era. Author: Shohei Yamada As a freelance writer since the dawn of personal computers, he has contributed articles related to smart life to various newspapers. From hardware, software, the Internet and cloud services to mobile, audio and gadgets, he continues to pursue new norms while proposing smart lifestyles. Authors of Impress's "Can Do Internet" and "Can Do Outlook".
Shohei Yamada