When it come toopen - pinna earbuds , there are two main styles : earhooks or clips . While large for constancy , earhooks do n’t always play nicely with spyglass . They also have a bulky appearance , and they typically set the speaker outside the capitulum ’s concha , making it harder to steer sound into the ear epithelial duct . The clipping style , which , as the name suggests , wrapping around the side of your spike , addresses these weakness , and now Shokz has debuted its first magazine - way model , the $ 200 Shokz OpenDots One .
The clip - flair class already has plenty of pick , including models from brands like Bose , Soundcore , and Soundpeats . Have the Shokz OpenDots One carve out a niche for themselves , or should you seem elsewhere ? allow ’s ascertain them out .
Design
Before we get into the pattern itself , a quick note on the name . In 2023 , prior to publish its earhook - basedShokz OpenFit , the fellowship brieflysold a similar devicecalled the Shokz OpenDots . Though very few multitude ever owned them ( in fact , a Shokz voice touch to them as a beta production ) , the ship’s company want to keep the OpenDots name while obviate any confusion with that early candid - ear product — thus , OpenDots One .
If I were to depict the OpenDots One in a single Scripture , it would be “ pocket-size . ” Shokz has gone out of its path to make these earbuds as little as potential . That includes the charging event , which is the smallest I ’ve seen so far for a Seth of open - ear earbuds .
The buds resemble the $ 299Bose Ultra Open Earbuds , with a very pliable connector join the main speaker faculty with a cask - shaped shelling compartment . The bud offerIP54 protectionfrom dust and water — good for pelting and sweat , but not much else .
Where Bose draws attention to the Open Ultra , using a metal - finish inlay on its talker faculty and a whopping 10 colour alternative , Shokz has given theOpenDotsOne a more demure visage . The connector is covered in Shokz ’s matte - finish , ultra - sonant silicone , and the two modules have subtle , satin - finish accents . you may select from black or gray ( more of a beige ) colors .
There are two ways to habituate the touch sensation controls . you’re able to tap anywhere on the flexible connector or the back of the battery compartment , or you’re able to utilize your index finger and ovolo to sneak the top and bottom of the barrel . That pinching movement is how the Open Ultra Earbuds work , too , but Bose uses a forcible button , while Shokz ’s version is touch - free-base .
The OpenDots One also have a canny whoremaster : there ’s no predetermined in good order or leave earbud . Onboard detector limit the orientation when you put them on and automatically assign the correct communication channel . you could override these sensors using the Shokz app , but I ’m not certain why you ’d desire to .
Similarities to Bose ’s design continue with the way the OpenDots One sit in their case — mostly exposed once the lid is candid , making it super easy to snap up them .
Speaking of the case , Shokz one - ups the more expensive Bose buds by including wireless charging .
Shokz OpenDots One specs
Comfort, controls, and connections
With very few exceptions , all open - spike earbuds are very comfortable even for prolonged use . The same goes for the clip - style , but this is where personal preference ( and perhaps your pinna ’s material body ) number into play .
I ’ve been wearing the OpenDots One for a week now , often leaving them in for the intact day . After several hours , I note force per unit area where the speaker mental faculty bear upon the interior of my concha . It ’s never painful , but I do take to give myself a break for a few minutes before putting them back in .
I say it may be an anatomy thing , because only my right ear is affected ; the left over ear is always comfortable .
The paroxysm is very unassailable . Some clip - dash buds can shift around , which not only affects comforter but can also impact sound quality . The OpenDots One last out put , even when at the gym .
Both touch gestures work well , with the pinch gesture proving more accurate for me . I still prefer a physical clit — way of life well-heeled to use , especially with gloved workforce — but that ’s not the magnanimous reason I choose Bose ’s carrying out . For reasons experience only to Shokz , there are only two wiretap gestures : a double - water tap ( or three-fold pinch ) and a foresighted pinch , and only the long collar can be custom-make .
gambling / pause is always available via the double - rap , leaving the long pinch as your only option for track skipping , volume adjustment , and vocalize assistant access . you’re able to pick one .
Shokz did the same thing on the first - gen OpenFit , and I find oneself it just as baffling .
spoiled still , when I ask about the limitation , I was secernate there ’s no way around it , and it ca n’t be fix via a firmware update . Bizarrely , Shokz also said that a secondly - gen OpenDots One is already in the works , and it will have a button . So I guess if you need more control , you should hold off .
The OpenDots One fun wear sensors , an strange feature for open - ear earbuds . They do what you ’d expect , pause medicine when you murder a bud and summarize when you wear it . Auto - pause is n’t as responsive as I ’d wish ; it can take up to two seconds to quetch in . automobile - resume , on the other hired man , is most instantaneous .
You do n’t get Google Fast Pair support on the OpenDots One , but pairing is still very easy and degenerate using the Bluetooth card on your phone . With Bluetooth 5.4 , the connecter is very stable , though not over long length . With most wireless earbuds , I can walk around my house and continue machine-accessible when I leave my sound on the second flooring . The OpenDots One seem to have a shorter leash , shake off out once I commence further than about 25 metrical foot by .
BluetoothMultipointworks cleanly and Shokz makes it easy to see and select your pair devices in the companion app .
I ’m disappointed that Shokz still has no architectural plan to sustain BluetoothAuracast , a feature that lends itself well to all - day earbuds like the OpenDots One .
Sound quality
Shokz use two 11.8 millimeter drivers in each speaker faculty , orient toward each other . It says this aim delivers deep , powerful bass , equivalent to a 16 mm active number one wood . While I did n’t have an actual lot of 16 mm machine driver earbuds as a comparison , I can safely say the OpenDots One birth some of the good basso I ’ve ever heard in a set of unfastened - auricle earbuds .
I suspect it ’s in reality a combination of the driver setup and the placement of the talker faculty . The nearer you get to the pinna canal , the less bass you lose .
The overall sound signature is n’t as balanced as you ’ll get from the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds — the OpenDots One are a bit shy on midrange detail — but there ’s good clarity and no aberration even at the loudest bulk .
Just think , unless you ’re indoors in a quiet location , you ca n’t wait miracles from any open - ear earbuds . Noises around you will interfere with levelheaded quality ; it ’s just the nature of the open - pinna animate being .
The Shokz app offer two EQ presets ( Vocal , Bass Mode ) plus a third setting called Private Mode , which attempt to cut back possible heavy leakage by increase bass voice and scale down some senior high school . To essay this , my wife and I stood three feet aside in a quiet room . After shift modes ( at 70 % volume ) , she said it made no deviation to the amount of sound she could hear . The good news show is that the earbuds probably do n’t need Private Mode — my wife said it was inconceivable to tell what Sung dynasty I was listening to , and doubt she ’d be able to make out address from a phone call .
you may also access a five - circle equalizer to make your own EQ mix , which can be saved under their own names .
Finally , there ’s an optional Dolby Audio style . It create a slenderly wide soundstage , though it should n’t be confused withDolby Atmos Musicorspatial audio — it ’s not aiming for that level of 3D immersion .
It work well ; you may listen that expanded sense of place . It ’s not as immersive as the Immersive Audio option on the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds , and it ’s not as open - sounding as theShokz OpenFit 2 . So that ’s the flip side of the coin : The OpenDots One produce good bass because they ’re closer , while the OpenFit 2 create a big sense of blank because they pose further out .
Call quality
Indoors , name in the OpenDots One is excellent . My voice was reproduce with very serious clarity . out of doors , or in noisy environments , the buds fight a bit more as they essay to invalidate out those background sound .
Unlike the Shokz OpenFit 2 , which are rank champ at suppressing haphazardness during calls , the OpenDots One just are n’t quite as effective .
Still , as with all open - ear earbuds , the chief welfare is being able to learn your own vocalization , wee yell of all kinds far more instinctive and less tiring .
Battery life
Shokz pegs battery life on the OpenDots One at 10 hours per charge , with an extra three full charge in the case , bringing entire bombardment life story to 40 minute . That assumes 50 % volume , which likely wo n’t be enough when you ’re outdoors , so your real - world public presentation will be closer to 8.5 hour .
Still , that ’s a utterly decent number ease up that most the great unwashed wo n’t take heed to music ( or podcasts or audiobooks ) for 8.5 hours consecutively . More significantly , it ’s far better than you ’ll find in most clip - way open - auricle earbuds , which are n’t known for their stamina .
For comparison , these numbers are only more or less less than the earhook - base Shokz OpenFit 2 ( 11/48 ) , which have a much large charging case .
Conclusion
Clip - style open - spike earbuds are a hot trend right now , and the Shokz OpenDots One are a great pick for those who require what unfastened - ears offer , but may dislike the fit or shape of a traditional earhook design .
At $ 200 , they ’re on the pricey side — only the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are more expensive — and I ’m not thrilled with the limitation on their touch controls . You should definitely watch out other clip - elan options before you corrupt , like the Soundcore AeroClip , Soundcore C40i , and Soundpeats PearlClip Pro . They ’re all less expensive and ca n’t match all of the OpenDots One ’s lineament , but if you do n’t involve wireless charging ( for instance ) , why pay more for it ?
However , with splendid bass response , a very comfy and secure fit , Bluetooth Multipoint , and wireless charging , the Shokz OpenDots One check a lot of the boxes that other open - ears ca n’t . Plus , they ’ve got one of the smallest , most pocketable charging cases on the market .
If that sounds like music to your ears , grab ‘ em . I retrieve you ’ll be very well-chosen .
