Clips are all the rage these days on wireless headphones. sony I have a clip, bose it has a clip, JBL It’s got clips, and now Shokz is back with the Open points 2marking its second generation clip-on style wireless headphones.
Shokz is bringing some improvements to the attractive $199 OpenDots, including improved bass, improved Dolby audio, and better call quality, which are advantages over previous generations of Shokz headphones. However, the question is not necessarily whether the OpenDots 2 are better than their predecessor; It’s about whether they stand out in a field of open-back, clip-on headphones that feel wider than ever.
Shokz OpenDots 2
The Shokz OpenDots 2 are solid open-back wireless headphones with a great clip-on design, good bass, and solid sound.
- The bass is solid
- Dolby Atmos audio ups the ante
- Comfortable
- The fit was not quite right for my ears.
- Not the most feature-rich
- The price is slightly higher than I expected.
A suitable sequel
Like other open wireless headphones from Shokz, including the OpenFit Pro (which I really like), the OpenDots 2 are not lacking in the audio quality department. With the advantages I mentioned above, OpenDots 2 sounds pretty good. The bass is really solid thanks to Basssphere 2.0, which is Shokz’s spherical acoustic system driven by two 11.8mm drivers that are meant to sound like a larger 16mm driver.
I could go into nerdy detail about how Basssphere 2.0 works, but what you really need to know is that it translates into good bass, especially for a pair of open-back wireless headphones, a category that’s not necessarily known for its performance in that arena. When listening to “Da Funk” by Daft Punk, I got a good performance across the entire frequency range. Powerful bass was well represented but not unpleasant; the synths in the high and mid frequencies were on top of the mix; Bursts of sampled tracks could still be heard in the middle of it all.
In the rock genre, this full range also had its effect. “Any Major Dude” by Steely Dan sounded clear and immersive, and I could make out the keys, rhythm, and lead guitar. Once again, the bass was surprisingly present, but not overpowering or too artificially boosted.
One thing I recommend doing if you pull the trigger on these wireless clip-on headphones is to go straight to the Shokz app and try the Dolby Audio option. Dolby Audio is one of the upgrades this generation and I see why Shokz included that upgrade in their marketing. By activating that feature, the soundstage expands quite a bit and the entire audio experience feels a little more immersive, a little bigger. Shokz says the feature delivers “clear vocals, richer details, and better bass,” and from what I hear, that synopsis is accurate. The Dolby Audio experience won’t be for everyone, as it changes the tuning drastically, but I personally like the bigger sound on most tracks.
If you want more subtle tuning adjustments, the Shokz app has presets to amplify bass or vocals for more private listening with less noise, but I would recommend trying Smart EQ. This mode will guide you through two sound profile options for six different frequency ranges and then select which of the two profiles in the range sounds best to you. It’s an interesting way to make a custom EQ, it feels less complicated than others I’ve used and still produces good results. The Smart EQ tuning definitely sounded a little clearer to me, but not as explosive as the Dolby Audio switching. You I can’t It uses Dolby Audio and Smart EQ at the same time, so you’ll have to decide which is best for you.
The OpenDots 2 are also quite loud, and while they’re not ideal for use on the noisy New York City subway (to be honest, no open wireless headphones are), they held their own. I still think Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds are easier to hear in noisy situations, but the OpenDots 2 are no slouch.
Ultimately, OpenDots 2 sounds better than cheap (but still strong) competition like the Sound clip1 ($70) and rival Bose’s only clip-style option, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds ($299), which makes sense given a price that falls between those two pairs.
A comfortable clip, but perhaps not the king.
One of the main benefits of clip-on wireless headphones, or any open-back wireless headphones, is comfort. Instead of plugging your ears with a silicone tip like most active noise canceling (ANC) wireless earbuds, the wrap-around, clip-on open earbuds allow your ears to breathe. This makes them much more comfortable over longer periods of use, and the OpenDots 2 are no different.
I wore the OpenDots 2 for most of the work day and sometimes almost forgot I had them on. Like other open-back wireless clip-on headphones, you can hear your surroundings well when music isn’t playing, although not as well as if you weren’t wearing headphones. If I had one complaint about the comfort of the OpenDots 2, it’s that the fit wasn’t quite right for me. They are a little smaller and at times I felt like the driver didn’t fit in the ideal spot next to my ear canal, making them sound a little quieter than they should. They also feel a little tighter in my ears compared to Soundpeats’ Clip1 earbuds or Bose’s Ultra Open Earbuds.
The less than ideal fit isn’t enough to necessarily deduct points, but I couldn’t help but feel that the other two pairs mentioned above felt more natural in my ears. That said, everyone’s ears are different, so your mileage may vary.
Like other open wireless earbuds, the OpenDots 2 are also great for calls. I used OpenDots 2 for a half-hour conversation and was able to hear both my surroundings and the person I was calling well; They also reported that my voice sounded strong and clear. I also ran a test with a simulated subway noise, and the person I called said they couldn’t hear it at all thanks to the ambient noise cancellation in the OpenDots 2. Overall, they rated the call quality a 7/10, as the fidelity wasn’t spectacular on their part, even if it was quiet, but I still wouldn’t hesitate to use them in a noisier environment to call since it was still audible.
The touch controls are a little strange in OpenDots 2, but they’re fine. Instead of tap and swipe controls, there are sensors at the top and bottom of the base of the headset that you pinch, which aim to prevent accidental activations. In that sense, they mostly It worked (I rarely touched them by accident), but I still prefer the physical buttons. As is the case with almost all modern pairs of wireless headphones, the pinch inputs can control track skip, play/pause and volume, which is a pinch and hold. You can also set your preferred gestures in the Shokz app for the left and right earbuds, as well as pinch sensitivity, which is a nice touch.
These aren’t the most feature-rich wireless earbuds, but they have most of the features you want, like the Find My Earbuds feature that lets you ping lost earbuds if they’re paired to your device, custom equalizer, multi-device pairing, and as I mentioned, Dolby Audio. Unlike the OpenFit Pro, there is no noise reduction functionBut that’s to be expected: Shokz is pretty much the only company to offer noise reduction in an open-back wireless headphone, and it’s reserving that feature for premium models. I also don’t know if noise reduction can be achieved in a clip style format.
Battery life is pretty solid thanks to the lack of ANC. Shokz rates the OpenDots 2 at 10 hours of battery life, and based on my testing, that’s perfectly accurate. I started a test with the battery at 100% and played music for an hour at 65% volume, and the headphones dropped to 90% at that point. The charging case, which charges wirelessly by the way, holds an additional 30 hours of battery.
Should you choose this clip over others?
There are plenty of clip-ons to choose from these days, which raises the bar for the OpenDots 2. However, even with high standards, the OpenDots 2 is worth considering. I like the sound quality better than cheaper clip-on headphones like the Soundpeats Clip1, and I like that they are cheaper than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds with comparable sound quality.
The fit isn’t amazing to me, but that’s pretty subjective – they might fit me just fine. his ears perfectly. I wish they were a little cheaper as they are good but not amazing. But $199 is nothing outrageous by any means.
With enough volume, features and improvements over the last generation, the OpenDots 2 are a solid value and firmly take their place in the mix among clip-style competitors.
