People are always looking for newer and better headphones or earphones, either to experience better sound quality or to fit their active lifestyles, and OneOdio’s OpenRock Pro and Shokz’s OpenRun are two popular options. But which of these will work best for your purposes? There’s no one-size-fits-all option, so which one will fit your needs?
The OneOdio OpenRock Pro uses air conduction; it has excellent sound quality, and its directional drivers ensure minimal sound leakage. Shokz’s OpenRun uses bone conduction; its sound quality is somewhat lower, but its completely open-ear form factor allows for near-perfect environmental awareness.
Curious about the broader context? Explore our guide on open-ear vs bone conduction headphones
With headphones, there’s often a trade-off between sound quality and functionality for people with an active lifestyle. The OpenRun and OpenRock Pro are both excellent models that work well for both, but they still have different perfect use cases. Let’s go into their specifications and performance so you can choose the one that works best for you.
OpenRock Pro Vs. OpenRun: Technical Differences
The user experience differences between the OneOdio OpenRock Pro and Shokz OpenRun headphones essentially boil down to their different technical approaches.
Bone Conduction Vs. Air Conduction Open Ear
Shokz has made a name for itself as a pioneer of bone conduction headphone technology, and OpenRun is one of the company’s most well-known models.
Bone conduction headphones don’t block your ears at all. They send vibrations directly into the listener’s inner ears through the cheekbones, bypassing the outer ears and leaving them open for near-perfect environmental awareness since there’s nothing to block external noise.
Unfortunately, this means that the sound quality isn’t as good as that of air conduction headphones. Though Shokz has made great strides in improving sound quality, it’s still not on par. However, many people (especially athletes) consider this a worthwhile trade-off for improved environmental awareness, which helps keep them safe while running or cycling.
OneOdio’s OpenRock Pro uses air conduction, its sound quality is considerably better than that of the OpenRun. It features two open-ear earbuds, so instead of blocking or plugging your ears, the earphones hang over your ear canals, offering better sound quality without sacrificing environmental awareness, only slightly affecting it.
Bluetooth And Connectivity
The OpenRock Pro supports Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX, a codec that enables streaming 24-bit high-quality audio over Bluetooth, while the OpenRun only supports Bluetooth 5.1. This gives the OpenRock Pro a slightly superior sound on top Android phones, like the Samsung Galaxy, compared to the iPhone.
However the OpenRock Pro lacks multipoint connection, a feature supported by the OpenRun. This allows for more seamless transitions between devices with the OpenRun.
Water And Dust Resistance
OneOdio’s OpenRock Pro has a rating of IPX5. This means it is not rated for dust resistance, but it is decently water resistant. The earphones will be okay with a little bit of sweat and very light rain as long as it doesn’t carry on for too long.
The Shokz OpenRun has an impressive rating of IP67, meaning it is dust tight and can handle full water submersion for up to 30 minutes. Some users even shower while wearing their OpenRun headphones.
This is another advantage of the OpenRun for athletes that might sweat profusely or often go running or cycling in the rain.
Battery Life
Both devices have excellent batteries, but their mileage will vary considerably due to the different form factors.
The OpenRock Pro offers up to 19 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is incredible. Even better, you can charge the earbuds in their carry case, which pushes it up to 46 hours. A quick 5-minute charge provides 1 hour of playtime.
Bone conduction headphones’ batteries tend not to last as long as those of air conduction models. The OpenRun’s battery lasts up to 8 hours, and it does not come with a charging case, so you have to connect it to wall power or some external power source to charge. However, it charges quickly, and just 10 minutes on a charger will give you around 1.5 hours of battery life.
In-Depth Experience
All the technical details are great, but it comes down to having the best possible user experience in the end.
Comfort
The OpenRock Pro has two earbuds, making it a true wireless solution. However, unlike other earphones like the AirPods, the earbuds don’t plug your ears. They clip over your ears and position over your ear canals, leaving your ears open for better environmental awareness. This removes the irritation associated with in-ear earphones. Additionally, it uses air conduction, which helps avoid the skull pain some people experience with bone conduction when the volume is high and vibrations are strong.
The over-ear hooks of the OpenRock Pro are designed for comfort and are adjustable to fit you nicely. Yet, there’s one thing to note. After adjusting the hooks, you have to bend them back to their original shape. This step is necessary to fit them back into the charging case for a proper charge. But honestly, it’s not the most convenient thing.
Despite this, They secure a tight fit to prevent any flopping around, without irritating your skin. Plus, even with glasses or sunglasses on, using these headphones is still a breeze and quite comfy. However, if your glasses have particularly thick frames, you might encounter some discomfort. The earbuds weigh around 13 grams each, making them light enough to be comfortable even if you wear them all day.
The OpenRun is a single unit with a strap that runs around the back of your head or neck. The strap is comfortable, though it could interfere with a bicycle helmet. It weighs 26 grams, the same total weight as the OpenRock Pro. It also leaves your ears open since it sends vibrations into the bones around your ears rather than into them.
OpenRun also fits quite tightly, which is vital for bone conduction technology, but not so much that it irritates the skin. The vibrations can take some time to get used to, especially for people with sensitive skin, but most people get used to the sensation pretty quickly.
Sound Quality And Volume
We already mentioned that the OpenRock Pro has better sound quality than the OpenRun. Especially the OpenRock Pro produces solid bass, providing punchiness and clarity that well surpasses the OpenRun. I found the iconic bass line in Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” sounds exceptionally good. This is fantastic for individuals like me who get motivated while running to genres like metal, rock, pop, or hip hop.
The Shokz OpenRun’s sound quality isn’t terrible, though. They are not audiophile headphones, but they are great for taking on a run. The bass isn’t as bad as Aftershokz used to be, and the highs are clear, but the sound is a bit flat and uninspired compared to the OpenRock Pro.
Volume is something that plagues both devices, though. Bone conduction headphones are notorious for their volume problems, though it’s actually caused by the fact that your ears are uncovered rather than an actual lack of volume.
The OpenRock Pro has a similar problem. Because of its open-ear design, its maximum volume feels a bit lower than it should be. However, its volume is still higher than that of OpenRun.
Sound Leakage
There’s a common theory that bone conduction headphones don’t bleed sound, but that’s unfortunately not true. The Shokz OpenRun has quite a lot of audio bleed, especially at higher volumes. If it’s high enough, the entire frame can start vibrating, letting everyone around you join in the music.
The OpenRock Pro is much better. The directional drivers ensure that the sound goes directly into your ears, at least when you’re listening at volume levels around 50%, making them perfect for listening in bed at night or in a crowded office. But be careful not to crank it up past 80% – your coworkers might not appreciate becoming unwilling participants in a ‘guess that tune’ game. So, keep it moderate unless you’re in the mood to start an unexpected office party!
Call Quality
Call quality is good on both devices but better on the OpenRock Pro. The OpenRock Pro features two microphones on each side, not just one like most TWS earbuds, which helps to keep your voice clear. Its call noise reduction algorithm is good at separating voice from background noise, which works very well unless you are in exceptionally windy conditions, like on the top of Twin Peaks San Francisco. Sudden noises like car horns, screaming, or loud barks are effectively toned down without muting your voice in the process.
The OpenRun doesn’t perform as well in noisy conditions. Sudden noises often drown out your voice entirely, and phone calls in windy conditions can be a nightmare. It’s also worth mentioning that, despite its excellent water resistance rating, the OpenRun’s microphone will often have issues for an hour or two if it gets wet, making phone calls nearly impossible.
Conclusion
The OneOdio OpenRock Pro and Shokz OpenRun are both excellent devices but with entirely different purposes. The OpenRock Pro’s most significant advantages are its better sound quality and call noise reduction, so it’s a perfect option for those who want good sound quality without losing environmental awareness. However, if you’re more budget-conscious and still seek reliable open-ear headphones, the OpenRock S is a compelling, cost-effective choice.
On the other hand, OpenRun sacrifices some sound quality to cater to its target market: athletes. If you are participating in any high-intensity sports involving lots of sweat, the OpenRun will be a much better option due to its excellent water resistance.
