Se is just a costco branding apparently so they can undersell bigger box stores without price matching. Nice way around that. So they are essentially just original openruns.
Review is simple...
Love the idea. 10/10 for that.
Listening to music is God awful though. I don't know how anyone can praise the sound quality. There is no way it would ever amp me up even one iota to work out harder or push myself. I think I could get more amped up from listening to nothing. I think using these for music would actually take away adrenaline and just frustrate me. 1/10 for that.
2/10 total because it might be more convient than having my laptop or cellphone play music while doing the dishes but sounds almost the exact same. So I can at least use them for that.
If you like the audio quality, that's totally fine. This isn't an attack on your personal preferences. Don't take offense as I've seen some people do. You do you.
Videos
Who should get the Shokz OpenRun?
Outdoor athletes will appreciate how the OpenRun keeps their ears open to passing cars while also relaying music to motivate them through workouts. Those with in-the-ear (ITE) or invisible (IIC) hearing aids can use this pair of bone conduction headphones since it bypasses the outer ear. Any listener who has an aversion to sticking things in their ears will like how this pair of headphones keeps the ears completely unoccluded.
Is the company AfterShokz the same as Shokz?
Yes, on December 28, 2021, AfterShokz renamed itself to Shokz. Shokz changed its name on its 10-year anniversary to lead into the next decade with a simplified and easier-to-share message than the former name “AfterShokz.” With this name change, came a revamped logo to better illustrate the bone conduction technology.
What accessories do you get with the Shokz OpenRun?
Shokz includes a drawstring travel pouch, a sports headband, a magnetic two-pin charging cable, and the OpenRun headset.
These headphones are great... for some things.
THE GOOD
They're VERY light and comfortable. The moment you put them on, you forget they're there. They don't move around (no matter how much you sweat) and the band that goes around the back of your head doesn't get caught when you turn your head, even if you're wearing a bike helmet. And even if they do happen to move a little, you don't notice because it doesn't change the audio quality or volume, and you never feel like they're at risk of coming off. They're easy to put on and take off too.
They're great for audiobooks and podcasts, which is what I use them for.
You can still hear everything that's going on around you.
Absolutely no problems fitting them with glasses or bike helmet. Again, for me, it's like they're not even there.
The volume is pretty good. You can hear the audio over MOST external noises. (More on this below.)
Solid battery life.
Good, big, actual clickable buttons. No unreliable gestures.
THE NOT QUITE AS GOOD
They DON'T sound good. Not even as good as the cheapest set of buds or over-ears I've used. Don't be fooled by their marketing or other reviews into thinking otherwise. Yes, you can HEAR the music clearly, but I'd never use them to LISTEN to music, to immerse myself in it. They're tinny. I'd use them for music only if I wanted something in the background. It's much like placing your phone near your ear and playing music. The bass is a little better than that, but they're categorically NOT headphones for listening to music. (For reference, I listen to music with my Sony WF-1000XM4 buds or Sony WH-1000XM5 over-ears. But my kids have cheaper headphones, and the Shokz don't even come close to those cheaper gadgets. Fortunately, the sound quality is largely irrelevant for me, because I listen to mostly audiobooks, and they're great for that.)
If you're planning to use them in or beside traffic, be aware that a loud truck or Harley will drown them out, even at the highest volume. And if the traffic varies, you'll have to constantly adjust the volume, otherwise the headphones will be blaring in your ears when the traffic's light, and too quiet when the traffic's heavy. None of this is a huge problem for me, because most of my riding is done next to light or no traffic. Occasionally a truck will go by and I'll miss a word or two of my audiobook, but I can still pick up what I missed from context. And if I can't, I can always skip back a bit and listen again. If you're playing to music, I suspect traffic won't be a problem, because you won't notice / care if you miss a particular note or lyric.
If you're planning to use them in high wind or when riding very fast, you may not hear as much. That said, I have no problems, even downhill at around 40km/hr. I had to turn up the volume, but I could still hear clearly.
If you're outdoors in an environment with mixed ambient noise (no traffic, light traffic, heavy traffic, wind), you'll find your average volume is pretty high. When combined with the poor sound quality, you may find this a bit fatiguing. I think it's mostly the sound quality. I find it hard to listen to loud, abrasive noises of any sort, for a sustained period. They're definitely not as fatiguing as wearing a set of uncomfortable buds or buds that start slipping out as soon as you start to sweat, but still a little tiring. That said, I can easily get through a 3-hour bike ride, without feeling the need to turn the content down or take them off.
TLDR: They're great for listening to audiobooks while cycling. Not great for really listening to music.
Happy to answer any questions. :-)