Shokz OpenRun Pro 2

Sound Quality and DualPitch

What separates the OpenRun Pro 2 from every other set on this list is that it isn't a pure bone-conduction headphone. Shokz adds a small dedicated air-conduction speaker alongside the bone-conduction transducers in what it calls DualPitch technology, letting the bone driver handle mids and highs while the air driver fills in the bass that bone conduction notoriously can't produce. TechGearLab summed up the result plainly, noting the OpenRun "pairs bone conduction audio with an air conduction speaker to bring a richer sound than bone conduction-only competitors." In practice that means the Pro 2 has a fuller low end than the standard OpenRun, the Mojawa Run Plus or the Nank Runner Diver2 Pro, all of which rely on bone conduction alone.

That said, this is still an open-ear design and physics imposes limits. SoundGuys, which scored the headphones 7.3 out of 10, found the bass improvement real but modest, and noted that in noisy city environments ambient sound can still drown out your music. Bone conduction will never match a sealed in-ear monitor for low-end slam, but among open-ear options the Pro 2 is the most satisfying listen reviewers tested.

Battery Life and Charging

Shokz rates the Pro 2 at 12 hours of playback, two hours more than the original OpenRun Pro's 10. SoundGuys and TechRadar both confirmed the figure holds up in real use, which is generous for the category and enough for a week of typical workouts between charges. A five-minute quick charge delivers roughly 2.5 hours, so a top-up before a run is rarely a problem.

The bigger upgrade is the charging port. Shokz finally dropped its proprietary magnetic dock in favor of a standard USB-C connector, ending the long-standing complaint that you needed to carry a special cable. It's a small change on paper but reviewers across SoundGuys and TechRadar flagged it as one of the most welcome practical improvements over the previous generation and over the still-proprietary standard OpenRun.

Fit, Comfort and Controls

At 30.3 grams the Pro 2 uses a titanium band that wraps behind the head, and reviewers consistently describe the fit as secure and easy to forget. TechRadar called the fit "comfortable and lightweight," and it held position during running and cycling in testing. The open-ear design is the entire point: nothing blocks your ear canal, so you stay aware of traffic, teammates or your surroundings.

Controls are the weak point. SoundGuys found the physical volume buttons hard to distinguish by touch, a problem that gets worse with gloves in cold weather. Several reviewers also noted that cycling helmets and winter hats can interfere with the band's fit, and that the headphones can shift during weightlifting where the head moves more than in steady-state running.

Microphone and Call Quality

Shokz markets a wind-resistant dual-microphone array with an AI noise-reduction algorithm it claims filters 96.5% of background noise, including wind at speeds up to 15 mph. For voice assistants and calls in quiet settings that's adequate. But SoundGuys specifically called out that microphone quality remains subpar in windy conditions, which is exactly when an outdoor runner or cyclist most needs it. If frequent calls are a priority, this is a category-wide weakness rather than a Pro 2-specific one, but it's worth setting expectations.

The companion Shokz app adds a layer of utility the standard OpenRun lacks entirely, with selectable EQ presets and a custom equalizer that lets you nudge the tuning toward more bass or clearer vocals. SoundGuys found the app stable and the EQ meaningful enough to tailor the sound to podcasts versus music, which matters more on an open-ear design where the default signature can't lean on a sealed ear canal to reinforce low frequencies.

Where It Falls Short

The most consequential limitation is water resistance. The Pro 2 carries only an IP55 rating, which protects against splashes and dust but explicitly cannot be submerged. That's a downgrade from the standard OpenRun's IP67 and a world away from the IP68 Shokz OpenSwim Pro and Mojawa Run Plus or the IP69 Nank Runner Diver2 Pro. SoundGuys flagged this directly, noting the IP55 rating leaves the Pro 2 more vulnerable to dust and water than the cheaper OpenRun and explicitly rules out swimming. If you swim, the Pro 2 is the wrong Shokz.

Price is the other sticking point. At around $180 it sits at the top of the open-ear market, and there's no onboard storage, so swimmers and anyone wanting phone-free playback must look elsewhere. TechRadar still judged the price "worth it" for the fit, audio and battery, but acknowledged it's a premium ask. SoundGuys also raised practical fit caveats that surface in daily use: the band can shift during weightlifting, and cycling helmets or winter hats can disturb its seating against the cheekbone, slightly reducing the bass benefit the DualPitch driver is supposed to deliver.

How It Compares to Alternatives

Within the Shokz family the Pro 2 is the clear sound leader, and the DualPitch air-conduction driver is the reason. The standard OpenRun, which sells for roughly $50 less, uses a single bone-conduction driver and trades away that bass richness, though it gains a tougher IP67 rating in return. Stepping further out, the OpenSwim Pro, Mojawa Run Plus and Nank Runner Diver2 Pro all add 32GB of onboard storage and submersible waterproofing the Pro 2 simply doesn't have, but every one of them relies on bone conduction alone and so cedes the low-end advantage back to the Pro 2.

That positions the Pro 2 as the specialist's choice for sound and the generalist's choice for dry-land use. SoundGuys' 7.3, TechGearLab's 84 and TechRadar's 4.5 stars all land it at or near the top of their respective open-ear rankings, with TechGearLab ranking it first of ten running headphones tested. The disagreement among reviewers is minor and centers on whether the bass gain justifies the price, not on whether the Pro 2 is the best-sounding option, a point on which they broadly agree.

Who It's Best For

Buy the OpenRun Pro 2 if you are a runner, cyclist or gym-goer who wants the best-sounding open-ear headphones available and values staying aware of your surroundings over isolation. It is the pick for someone who carries a phone for music and never swims with their headphones, and who will appreciate the USB-C charging and app-based EQ that the rest of the field either lacks or implements less cleanly. If you need in-pool playback or maximum waterproofing, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro, Mojawa Run Plus or Nank Runner Diver2 Pro are better matched; if you want most of the experience for $50 less and don't mind weaker bass, the standard Shokz OpenRun is the value alternative. For the buyer who wants one open-ear headphone that sounds as good as the category currently allows, the Pro 2 is the safe recommendation.