I purchased these ‘Shokz’ brand headphones a while back (openrun pro model), let’s discuss:

I got them to fufill a specific need, to provide better situational awareness at work. The wireless earbuds that I’d been using previously do not provide adequate hearing protection and also the design can be problematic too, in certain settings. It’s a wonder I haven’t lost or damaged them already, and I know several co-workers that have done precisely that; it’s a pretty common issue.

Banded headphones then, seemed like a logical alternative. They are much easier to handle, and also allow me to use earplugs if I need to. If you’ve never tried them before, it’s like some kind of third dimension being able to simultaneously hear external and internal audio. It’s a pretty cool and novel experience.

Compliments:

-excellent battery life (pro model)

-quality materials and finish

-fast charging

-portability

-novel tech is great for niche applications

Critiques:

-comfort and fitment, non-adjustable, ‘one size fits all’ (transducer modules have sub-optimal vibrational transferrence because of poor positioning/retention/adjustment capabilities)

-limited hardware buttons

-awkwardly shaped hardcase

-proprietary magnetic charger (bad placement makes them not sit flat when charging)

-Comfort/fitment:

I’ve noticed an issue in that the transducer modules do not sit flat against my face. They have a slight tilt that causes them to sit a bit inward at the top and outward at the bottom. If I press the modules so that they are slightly more flat against my face where they should be, the difference in quality is pretty substantial. They have what I would say is a kind of rigid flexibility to them, which causes them to kind of sit just how they want to, which may or may not be how you need them to sit for optimal quality. Being critical, I definitely notice this lack of precision fitment.

-Limited hardware buttons

There’s three buttons for control. One button on the left side for play/pause (takes some getting used to for predominantly right-handed users, which is an odd design choice in my opinion), and two buttons on the bottom right side behind the ear for volume up/down and power on/off (the volume up button dual functions as the power on/off). The better design would’ve been symmetrical buttons on both transducers. The designers went with form over function here, which is annoying because it causes a lack of functionality/usability. Controls are not customizable either.

-one click = pause/play

-two clicks = advance

-three clicks = previous

-Awkwardly shaped hardcase

Honestly, I’m not even sure that a hardshell case is needed for this product because I think they are pretty resilient on their own, but I do appreciate that they included one. The nitpick that I have is that it’s this weird wedge type of shape that is slippery and doesn’t really fit good anywhere. The design of it just makes me not want to carry it around this way. It would be better if it was more of a standard shape and if it had some rubber grip to it too. If it had implemented charging too, it could’ve been very useful and practical.

-Proprietary magnetic charger

Firstly, there’s no excuse for not using USB-C at this point. Come on people… Secondly, the placement is (still) terrible. I don’t know how it was before the updated model that I have, but this one is quite annoying. When you connect the charger, you can’t really place them in a way that doesn’t cause them to flop around a bit. Upside down or rightside up, it doesn’t matter, charging is an awkward experience when it definitely didn’t have to be.

Design speculation and improvement:

-New output protocol

Simultaneous output/device synchronization:

-I don’t know how difficult or feasible this would be, but my idea is for the device to be able to be used simultaneously with other devices. For instance: if I have my bone conduction headphones connected to my phone and I decide to go for a ride in my vehicle, the output from my phone could go to both devices at the same time, thus allowing me to hear and feel the media. This would add a new level of immersion to the experience. Maybe certain channels/frequencies could be optimized between the multiple devices as well, e.g., voices could come through the bone conduction device and bass could come from the other sources.

Adaptive Modifications

-Threadded wrappings on the parts that go over the ears to compensate for the shortcommings of physical design (small guage paracord or twine). Some added thickness in this particular spot may allow the modules to sit flatter, thus increasing audio clarity. Potentially, a stylish and intuitive fix.

-3D printed spacer clip or something similar. My skills here are limited, but I know it could be a potential fix.

Alternative design for banding

-Adjustable metal headbands of yore (think 90’s style on-ear headphones)

-Independant transducer modules (synchronized with each other the same way that wireless earbuds do) could be implemented into a type of silicone headband. Something that wraps around the head or ears and allows a comfortable and proper placement.