Shokz’ new open headphones don’t care what ear you clip them to

The Shokz OpenDots One earbuds don’t diagnostic near and close designations. You tin usage them successful whichever receptor you choose. | Image: Shokz

Shokz has launched what the institution is calling its “smallest and lightest unfastened earbuds to date.” The caller OpenDots One clip onto the backmost of your receptor alternatively of sitting wholly wrong it. It’s a plan that’s akin to what the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds person helped popularize implicit the past year, but Shokz’ caller unfastened earbuds are not lone cheaper, they’re besides interchangeable, truthful you tin instrumentality them successful immoderate receptor you want.

Bose launched its Ultra Open astatine a steep $299, and portion they’re often connected merchantability and person dropped to arsenic debased arsenic $229, Shokz’ OpenDots One are debuting astatine $199.99 successful grey oregon achromatic done the company’s online store and Amazon.

Shokz was 1 of the earliest companies to pioneer open-style headphones that don’t passively artifact ambient sounds making them perfect for runners, cyclists, oregon anyone wanting much situational consciousness oregon their environment. The institution is astir apt champion known for its headphones that usage bony conduction to support your ears wholly unobstructed, but successful caller years it’s expanded to smaller offerings that bent an aerial conduction talker successful beforehand of the receptor canal.

The caller OpenDots One usage that second approach, but alternatively of a wraparound receptor hook, they utilize a U-shaped plan made with a flexible nickel-titanium sheet wrapped successful brushed silicon that securely clips onto the outer portion of the ear. That positions the talker conscionable extracurricular the receptor canal truthful different sounds aren’t blocked.

Weighing successful astatine 6.5 grams each, the OpenDots One are somewhat heavier than Bose’s unfastened earbuds but connection up to 10 hours of playback connected their own, oregon up to 40 hours erstwhile paired with their charging lawsuit that supports wireless charging retired of the box. Bose’s Ultra Open max retired astatine 27 hours. 

There’s nary progressive sound cancellation fixed the OpenDots One prioritize proceeding what’s going connected astir you, but they diagnostic a dual operator plan and 4 antithetic EQ modes positive the quality to make your ain customized dependable illustration done the Shokz mobile app. The astir unsocial feature, which volition entreaty to those who often premix up their near and close earbuds, is that the OpenDots One are wholly interchangeable, adjacent successful their charging case. When attached to your ears, the earbuds volition automatically admit which receptor they’re some in, and volition set the audio accordingly truthful you inactive perceive a due near and close stereo mix.