Shokz - OpenFit Air

I couldn't find that many opinions online so I thought I'd throw in my two cents. A bit of background, I'm a bit of a headphone enthusiast but nothing crazy - my main headphones are the the HD650, HD620s, and previously the AKG K701. I use the Etymotic er3xr on the go in addition to some random wireless Sony bluetooth earbuds. I also have the Bose QC45. I bought the OpenFit 2+ as an upgrade over the OpenFit Air which I currently own as a pair of cheap(ish) open headphones for situations where I'd like to hear the environment outside. To be honest the old OpenFit Air are kinda bad but they are cheap and are tolerable for some background music. The OpenFit 2+ are a substantial improvement and actually provide decent sound quality. Overall I'd describe the sound signature as being overall pretty well balanced and slightly V shaped with plenty of treble sparkle. The treble resolution isn't amazing but it's hard to fault given the category doesn't have that many contenders. The sub-bass rolls off a little as well which is expected for this form factor, but bass extension is surprisingly good. Soundstage is good, reasonably wide, which is not exactly surprising given V shaped sound signatures does tend to assist to that effect. Compared to my er3xr, the Shokz has a laid back midrange with a hotter treble and is of course less detailed across the board. It's brighter than the HD650's with a rougher less refined sound. I bought them for $339.00 AUD, I'd highly recommend them for anyone who is after some open sporty headphones and is willing to pay for good sound quality.

The original OpenFit? They're essentially the same as the OpenFit Air in terms of sound quality i.e. kind of bad and honestly not very tolerable to listen to, I mainly use them to listen to podcasts or videos where sound quality doesn't matter very much. I haven't tried the Bose Ultra Open but the form factor is quite different.

Just picked up Shokz Open Fit Air, loving the open form factor.

Shokz openfit air are great. “*only*” 100$, great battery life, great awareness, decent enough quality.  Max volume is a little low for them to be my only headphones - they get drowned out by the bus sometimes.  Had a beats pair once upon a time that died the second they got moist for the first time. 

So freaking true! I've returned my Shokz Open Air's 4 times. Open Run 1 time. It's so frustrating. I'm thinking about the Open Air 2s. I really like how the neutral colors blends and the ability to really hear ambient noise.

Not sure open ear earbuds can successfully cancel noise. I have the Shokz Openfit 2 and Air. I don't have any complaints, except maybe the carrying case is a little bulky compared to my Airpods...

Really loving my Shockz Open Air 2’s

I just got Shokz OpenFit Air and I really like them. Super comfortable - and I hate basically all headphones and earbuds. No issues with my glasses either.

I’ve been using the openfit air for workouts, yeah it did fine, just didn’t last long. After checking out the bose open ultra, I ended up trying the opendots this year thanks to a friend’s rec. No regrets so far. Sound quality: dots sound noticeably better than fit air. The bass is stronger, and overall sound feels more immersive and clear. Battery life: The dots last about 50% longer than air. I used to charge every day, now every 2–3 days. Plus, it has fast and wireless charging, which is really nice. Design: The charging case is smaller and feels smooth in hand. The only thing is I have to clean it more often since my ears get oily and the silicone case inside shows marks easily. A quick wipe with a cotton swab fixes it though.

The Opendots are great but the Openair stay on better, in my opinion. I have weird ears, apparently, and can only wear the dots for a few hours before they start to hurt. The Openair I can wear all day except they mess with my glasses. My fave Shokz is the Openfit. I sleep in them so I can fall asleep to music.

Skokz OpenRun Pro or OpenFit Air I use both.

Hearthrough is generally pretty bad for cycling even on high end TWS. It certainly doesn't compare to open ears. Of course, you're not going to get the bass you get on traditional in-ear TWS because there's no seal, so the bass dissipates before it gets to your ear canal, but if safety is the primary concern, open ears are the best pick. I've always been a firm advocate of separating exercise and commuting/everyday use across two sets. It has the added benefit of prolonging the life of your TWS by reducing the likelihood of sweat and congealed ear wax seeping into the drivers (the most common TWS killer) I've tested most of the major models. [Shokz OpenFit Air](https://youtu.be/6as1WWAPdyA) gave me the best fit (they've kinda ruined that with their most recent release) and [Huawei Freearc](https://youtu.be/Mbb2Xwjlhks) were the value option that actually sound better than the Shokz for me.

Very difficult to say since everyone's ear shape differs slightly and everyone's tolerance to discomfort is different too. You've done the right thing by identifying which part of the ear it hurts. The next thing is to try different style earbuds to work out what shape fits you best. When it comes to stem-based, you've generally got two types of in-ear fits: shorter, fatter nozzle with shadow insertion (Apple, Huawei, OnePlus, Soundcore, Realme, Redmi, etc) or smaller, rounded nozzle with deeper insertion (Earfun Air 2NC & Air Pro 4). The former seems to be flavour of the month because it reduces occlusion, but for some users it also causes pain because they can't find eartips suitable to fill the space around the antitragus and provide sufficient stability. The latter style is prone to more occlusion but it is an alternative option you might want to consider as you try and narrow down the reason these buds cause you problems. There aren't so many non-stem options these days and most of them tend to be quite bulky due to the need to house a battery, circuit board, chipset, mic etc but the lighter options include Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, which is medium insertion with a small nozzle. Other potential options here include the Jabra Elite range. You could also try semi in ear. The Airpods 2 or Airpods 4 shaped offerings would be better than the larger, more bulbous shape of the Airpods 3. Lots of Airpods alternatives [here](https://youtu.be/Pn8jPFtjR_4) or [here](https://www.scarbir.com/guide/cheap-apple-airpods-alternatives) if you wanted to go even cheaper. Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are old, but they are popular due to being both semi in ear and also barely going in the ear at all, again they can be picked up cheap these days so could be an option to try. Finally, if all else fails, you have either [open ear](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL85LR0G6DtA-7ilJvuB0GTCH_cayYizsF&si=s0osx_zYJQK6n2WN) or [ear clip](https://youtu.be/_V3GJkXoN5w). Both form factors have good budget options for you to try and fit out to see if you like it before moving up to something in the more premium range. I personally use Shokz OpenFit Air for running, and whilst the sound is obviously nowhere near as immersive as in ear, they are super comfortable and pretty versatile. In short - nobody can really recommend something that will guarantee to work for you because of the reasons I mentioned at the beginning, but with some trial and error you should get there - try the styles I've mentioned above systematically and I'm sure one of them will work out for you.

[I tested the OpenFit Air](https://youtu.be/6as1WWAPdyA) extensively with glasses and a helmet and they gave me the best fit of all of the options. The OpenRock S and OpenRock Pro are both ok but a bit too bulky and the Soundcore and Nothing both rest against the tragus, which I found pretty uncomfortable after a while. The Shokz are designed slightly differently, curving away on the inside, meaning you can wear them with a little pressure without discomfort. They're so comfortable, for me at least, that I actually wear them when I go to sleep as well and never feel them during the night.