Wireless earbuds successfully work like sound-blocking earplugs when crammed into your ears, and whereas that’s nice for tuning out distractions, it’s not so nice when it’s safer to listen to what’s happening round you. Shokz’s answer to the issue has been to skip the ears altogether and ship sound by way of a person’s cheekbones, and the newest technology, referred to as the OpenRun Pro, promise added bass efficiency that you may really feel.

Even mid-level wi-fi earbuds now supply options that assist make you extra conscious of your environment by utilizing built-in microphones to amplify sounds round you. It’s a helpful function while you’re out for a run, and even simply wandering round a busy metropolis, because it permits you to hear vehicles and different hazards whereas nonetheless having fun with your tunes. The downside is that ambient sound boosting usually sounds very unnatural and unsightly, so most both don’t use it or use only a single earbud.

Shokz (previously AfterShokz) personal answer to the issue has all the time been a intelligent one. Instead of blasting sound waves down the ear canal, it transmits them by way of the wearer’s cheekbones utilizing a pair of vibrating transducers that sit simply in entrance of the ears. The method nonetheless delivers music to the eardrums however leaves the ears themselves extensive open to naturally decide up ambient sounds as an alternative.

Not each headphone maker focusing on athletes takes this method as a result of sound delivered by way of bone conduction isn’t as wealthy or full as it’s by way of earbuds or over-ear headphones, and it’s usually missing the low-end frequencies that may make listening to music so pleasurable. That’s a downside that Shockz is particularly addressing with its new OpenRun Pro Premium Bone Conduction Sport Headphones that includes the ninth technology of the corporate’s transducer know-how and a brand new function referred to as Shokz TurboPitch that introduces bass enhancers so decrease frequencies are extra prominently heard and even felt. Shokz can be introducing an accompanying cell app for the primary time that features two EQ settings: ‘Standard’ for music and ‘Vocal Booster’ for making voices clearer whereas listening to podcasts.

Other upgrades embrace bigger shortcut buttons on the OpenRun Pro headphones and a repositioned charging port. Unfortunately, a proprietary charging cable remains to be required and can be one more accent you’ll by no means need to lose. With an IP55 water and mud ranking, the Open Run Pros will even work simply wonderful if worn within the rain or by way of a torrential sweat, however as with many devices, you’ll need to keep away from an unintentional submersion.

Battery life is rated at 10 hours of playback after a full one-hour cost. But for those who solely have 5 minutes to prime them off once they unexpectedly die, you possibly can nonetheless count on to get an hour-and-a-half of playback afterward. The new Shokz OpenRun Pro Premium Bone Conduction Sport Headphones can be found for pre-order at this time from the Shokz website for $180, solely in black. If you favor an alternate colour, you’ll have to attend till later this yr.