Whereas clip-on earbuds have been kicking across the Asian markets properly earlier than Bose launched its $300 Extremely Open Earbuds final yr, it was Bose’s revolutionary design and advertising and marketing that introduced this new fashion of earrings-like open earbuds to a worldwide viewers and spurred others to launch clip-on designs to the U.S market. Now Shokz, identified for its bone-conduction headphoneshas joined the rising clip-on crowd with its OpenDots One ($200), a extra premium mannequin that appears and feels just like the Extremely Open Earbuds however lists for $100 much less.
I have been testing the OpenDots One for a few days, evaluating them to the Extremely Open Earbuds together with some funds clip-on buds that value as little as $50. Listed here are my preliminary ideas on the OpenDots One. Notice that they don’t use bone-conduction know-how.
Learn extra:Â Greatest clip-on earbuds of 2025
Design
From a design standpoint, the Shokz OpenDots One measure up fairly properly to the Bose Extremely Earbuds. They match my ears as properly and perhaps even barely higher than the Bose buds, that are fairly comfy. Just like the Bose, they’ve a versatile connector that Shokz refers to as a JointArc and says “supplies a delicate but safe grip on varied ear shapes” whereas noting that “tender silicone strategically positioned on the outside of the speaker additional minimizes stress, even throughout prolonged put on.”
I in contrast the OpenDots One (left) to the Bose Extremely Open Earbuds (proper).
As with all clip-on buds, the OpenDots One, as their identify implies, characteristic an open design. Which means the bud and driver sit over your ear canal and are not jammed in it like noise-isolating ear buds with silicone or foam ideas. Open buds permit for sound to leak into your ears and are good for many who do not like having ear ideas jammed of their ears or wish to hear the skin world round them for security causes. Shokz focuses on headphones and earbuds which can be properly fitted to sporting actions and like its bone-conduction headphonesthe OpenDots One provide a safe match and work properly for runners. They’ve an IP54 score, which implies they’re going to present safety from “mild rain and sweat” and are additionally dust-resistant.
The contact controls take some trial and error to get used to. You’ll be able to both faucet the battery compartment or JointArc or “pinch” the battery with two fingers to regulate playback and reply/finish calls. You’ll be able to set the lengthy faucet and maintain gesture to both modify quantity, activate your voice assistant or advance tracks ahead and again. I desire the Bose’s bodily management button on its battery, which can also be formed like a barrel, however the OpenDots contact controls have been advantageous.
Shokz OpenDots One Sound High quality
Shokz says the OpenDots One characteristic its Bassphere know-how that “combines twin 11.8 mm drivers in a spherical module to duplicate the efficiency of a 16mm driver.” Additionally they characteristic Dolby Audio and Shokz’ DirectPitch know-how, which minimizes sound leakage so folks close to you possibly can’t hear what you are listening to (or hear it very faintly anyway). You must interact Dolby Audio within the Shokz App for iOS and Android and it does open the sound a bit and the whole lot sound a tad fuller. It is merely some type of digital processing and it is unclear whether or not it impacts battery life however you possibly can hear a distinction when participating it.
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You’ll be able to modify the place the bud clips on to your ear to search out essentially the most comfy match though sound high quality could also be impacted barely with placement.
The sound of all clip-on buds modifications barely with the way you place the buds in your ears (you possibly can slide the bud up or down a bit to search out essentially the most comfy match however the positioning could impression sound high quality). Additionally they face some bass challenges due to their open design and have a tendency to not sound pretty much as good as noise-isolating earbuds.
That is the case right here as properly, though the OpenDots are among the many best-sounding clip-on buds I’ve examined, which needs to be anticipated given their excessive worth. That mentioned, their sound falls a little bit in need of the Bose Extremely Open Earbuds’ sound high quality, even with Dolby Audio engaged. The Bose buds sound a little bit extra open with a tad extra bass and their tonal stability is barely higher (they sound extra pure and correct general). It is a comparatively refined distinction however it’s noticeable.
The primary difficulty with cheaper clip-on earbuds is that they have an inclination to distort a bit at larger volumes. The OpenDots One primarily handle to keep away from distorting whenever you push up the quantity. They play loud however not super-loud.
The OpenDots One are available two coloration choices.
Shokz OpenDots One Voice-calling efficiency
Shokz headphones and earbuds are inclined to have good voice-calling efficiency and whereas the OpenDots One aren’t dangerous within the voice-calling division, callers did say they heard a good quantity of background noise once I used them on the noisy streets of New York.
At launch, the Bose Extremely Open Earbuds additionally weren’t nice performers for voice calling with comparable points with background noise discount. However Bose has subsequently improved the noise discount with a firmware replace (Bose additionally added multipoint Bluetooth pairing with the identical firmware replace). And whereas the Extremely Open Earbuds nonetheless aren’t top-notch for voice-calling, they’re now above common.
Shokz OpenDots One additional options and battery life
The OpenDots One have “Dynamic Ear Detection” that enables the earbuds to mechanically acknowledge which bud is during which ear, so no left or proper markers are wanted. However in any other case their characteristic set is pretty fundamental. They do hyperlink with the Shokz App for iOS and Android, which “permits multipoint pairing between two units, 4 pre-set EQ modes plus two personalised EQ, Discover My Earbuds and extra.”
The Bose Extremely Open characteristic Bose’s Immersive Audio for music spatialization. That is the identical characteristic discovered within the QC Extremely Earbuds and QC Extremely Headphones. As with these fashions, these buds have head-tracking, so you possibly can set the Immersive Audio for Nonetheless mode that fixes the sound or Movement Mode that follows your head actions. Participating it does improve the sound a bit from customary stereo mode however I feel it makes a extra pronounced distinction with the QuietComfort fashions. Additionally, participating it does cut back battery life.
The Extremely Open Earbuds are rated for as much as 7.5 hours at average quantity ranges however that quantity drops to about 4.5 hours with Immersive Audio on. The charging case supplies an extra 19.5 hours of battery and has a quick-charge characteristic however no wi-fi charging choice.
In distinction, the OpenDots One are rated for as much as 10 hours of use on on a single cost, with an extra 30 hours of battery within the charging case, which does characteristic wi-fi charging. So the Shokz undoubtedly have a bonus there.
Shokz OpenDots One closing preliminary ideas
The well-designed OpenDots One are among the many greatest open earbuds on the market proper now and definitely have a spot on our checklist of greatest clip-on earbuds. Whereas they do not sound fairly pretty much as good because the Bose Extremely Open Earbuds, they’re fairly shut and match my ears barely higher and have higher battery life. Just like the Extremely Open Earbuds, which checklist for $299 however are presently on sale for $249, they’re overpriced, however at the least they value lower than the Bose and their case does have wi-fi charging.
Extra inexpensive clip-on earbuds just like the Bowie Bowie Mc1 (about $50) or Tozo OpenEarRing ($30), do not sound pretty much as good or characteristic as premium a design. However as a result of these kinds of clip-on open buds are extra for informal listening, not important listening and simply do not produce the best sound, it is more durable to justify spending massive bucks on them. In different phrases, the OpenDots are clearly superior to these funds fashions however not $150 higher.
Shokz OpenDots One key specs:
- Weight: 6.5 grams per bud
- IP54 splash-proof and dust-resistant
- 11.8 mm drivers
- Bluetooth: 5.4
- Dolby Audio
- Contact controls
- Battery life: As much as 10 hours on a single cost and as much as 40 hours with the charging case
- 10-minute fast cost supplies 2 hours of playtime
- Multipoint Bluetooth pairing
- Wi-fi charging supported
- Customise EQ modes and contact controls in Shokz App for iOS and Android
- Find your earbuds characteristic
- Colours: Black or grey
- Value: $200
