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I'm relatively new to bone conduction headsets - prior to this, I've only used the opencomm air. Getting that particular headset was revelatory for me - I've always had some hearing loss, and in particular, have had a hard time understanding speech. The air just completely cut through the muddiness of my hearing - and while it was certainly not perfect, the tradeoffs were worth it. I am on video calls all day long - the battery just couldn't cut it, and the mics picked up way too much, so I didn't really use it for this.
I had high hopes for the opencomm - I'm fairly sure I'm one of the first people to get this, I sort of found it by accident, and it didn't seem like there was a lot of info out there about it. So this was a total leap of faith -- and it has paid off. That being said, keep in mind that I'm writing this early in the product cycle, and without the "pro" to compare it to.
At this point in time, there's only a bit of information out there about this headset, and there's some mention of the Aftershokz Pro - Those aren't out yet, but it's also not immediately clear what differentiates them, there's no clear comparison. As far as I can tell, the Pros will offer an IR sensor to detect when the headset is on or off that frankly is not an important feature for me to have, and I consider myself a "professional." I haven't found anything different yet, but again, we are early in the product cycle.
I'm a few days into it, but what I'm getting form this that I wasn't getting from the air is enough battery life to handle my days full of calls, a mic that picks my voice up with better clarity and no background noise, and higher quality audio.
So what's to complain about?
- A dedicated hardware mute button would catapult this into absolute perfection - You can mute via holding both volume buttons, but it's slow, and you get the loud double beep periodically (I found it to be loud, but not painfully loud as some have describe some of the other headsets). I really don't understand why more headsets don't offer a better mute experience, given it's something that can see heavy use.
What some other people may notice:
- The air would pair with two devices simultaneously, the opencomm only works with one device at a time. Note that I don't mean that you have to re-pair the device whenever you want to switch, you just have to manually disconnect from one and connect to another. This isn't a problem in practice for me, and the two device functionality could always be a bit odd, so I don't see it as a loss.
Things I am really surprised by:
- The audio is significantly higher quality than I expected. You are still going to be lacking bass, but not as drastically as the air. I'd still prefer my sennheiser HD600s for music, but that's hardly a fair comparison, and there are tradeoffs due to my hearing (lyrics are harder for me personally with any non-conductive headset/headphones - but I'm a weird edge case).
- Wearing earplugs and switching the EQ in the headset fixes the bass issue - like, entirely. This was something that was just "OK" on the airs, there were times I couldn't tell the difference. Not the case here, it's a clear difference. It's still not going to be a perfectly flat curve, but it's REALLY good given the tech involved. Is it as good as a headphone amp hooked up to studio grade headphones? No, and it isn't supposed to be- but it's damned good, and stands up to surprisingly critical listening.
- Bluetooth range is REALLY good, at least for my house/setup.
- Probably the most comfortable full headset I've worn, the mic doesn't change the comfort you'd get out of the Air (again, the only other comparison I really have)
Things I am ambivalent about:
- I could take or leave the magnetic charging. It's a trade-off between the ease of use and lack of wear from magnetic charging, or the ease of finding widely available standard USB cables and not having to keep track of the one cable that works. It's probably a win for you if you only use this headset in the same location or with the same laptop, as the lack of port wear should make it more reliable.
Bottom line is that this is a really good headset, and I feel like it's priced fairly for what all it offers - and for me personally, the benefits MAJORLY outweigh any of my complaints, which are admittedly minor complaints... really, just that there are some quality of life things that could be done for muting.
I've been using a Sennheiser presence for the past few years, and while I've tried other headsets, it's always been the wireless headset with the best battery life, range, and fidelity, and certainly the best sounding mic of any I have used. Nothing has knocked it off of its throne, but I think the OpenComm just might.
If you have not used a bone conduction headset before, you should be aware that this is a very different experience, and you shouldn't expect that you will get hi-fi full-range audio beamed directly into your cochlea. You will lack bass, and you will still hear more of the world around you which may or may not be good depending on your scenario (and you can always use earplugs to help with both of these things.) I wouldn't use these to replace my studio headphones for audio mixing.
I am not in a position to say if this will help with any hearing loss for you personally, and this is not a medical device, nor does it claim to be beneficial here. My experience with this should not necessarily guide any decisions made for hearing loss reasons, I am an edge case. But if you have found bone conduction headsets to be beneficial, this should be a no-brainer for you. And if you have perfect hearing, this could still be a great option due to the clarity of speech through it, the comfort, the battery life, and the range.
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Product Description
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Open-Ear Comfort.Our open-ear design and secure, lightweight fit ensures all-day comfort. |
Awareness & Connection.Engineered with 7th generation, patented bone-conduction technology, this headset keeps you connected and aware of your surroundings. |
Noise-Canceling Boom Mic.Adjustable DSP noise-canceling boom microphone eliminates background noise in loud environments when positioned near the mouth. |
16 Hours Of Talk Time.Powered with up to 16 hours of talk time or up to 8 hours of listen time on a single charge, while a 5-minute quick charge gives you 2 hours of talk time. |
What’s In The Box:
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AfterShokz OpenComm Bone Conduction Stereo Bluetooth Headset |
(1) Magnetic induction charger |
Carrying Case |
From the brand
Our story
How we got our start
Bone conduction technology was introduced into the AfterShokz debut product line in 2011. For the first time ever, AfterShokz had made the unique listening experience provided by bone conduction technology available to the general public.What makes our product unique
We’re disrupting the headphone industry with our innovative open-ear design and patented bone conduction technology. The result is a premium listening experience while your ears stay open to your surroundings for maximum situational awareness, safety, and connection.Why we love what we do
Our team is on a mission to enhance lives through our technology. We work to bring you the best combination of performance and quality, continuously improving our products to deliver safety, comfort, and stability, while inspiring connectedness and impacting lives.Videos
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Should You Buy?
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CRAZY GOOD! AfterShokz OpenComm Wireless Bluetooth Headset!
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Great mic noise canceling, but several issues to watch for!
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Shokz OpenComm Bone Conduction Open-Ear Bluetooth Headset
Martina - @BronzeGoddess
Hail to the king. The best headset I've found, period.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
Until recently, I worked at home as a hell, er, helpdesk tech for a multinational bank. For that job, I used all my own equipment. My laptop would connect to the company's Citrix environment for a workstation, and their phone system would call my cell phone so I could take calls. I'd tried a couple of different wired headsets, but no wireless headset had anywhere near the battery life needed to make it through a 9 hour shift. I'd lusted after the AfterShokz OpenComm, but couldn't justify to myself the expense of it. I was finally able to afford it, thanks to the (unwilling) financial contributions of my poker buddies.I should have gotten this MUCH sooner than I did. It is the *PERFECT* headset for that sort of job. The bone conduction isn't a gimmick, it works and works very well. The noise-cancelling mic works great, only a few callers ever had trouble hearing or understanding me. When it's not needed, the mic can be rotated out of your way. As others have noted, it's adequate for listening to music, but it's not my first choice for that. Bass is nearly nonexistant, but it IS useful if you want to hear some tunes in a noisy environment (such as those poker games which financed this purchase to begin with!)Another segment of the population that should strongly consider this is folks who have hearing loss. My mother and uncle (who both wear hearing aids) each bought one of these after trying mine out. Mom says she now hears callers better than she did using her expensive ($2000+) Widex Bluetooth hearing aid!I'm usually very cynical about marketing claims, and I was no different here with their claims about '16 hours of talk time'. But I can say with certainty that they aren't bullsh*t*ng you. I have yet to run this thing out of juice, even on hours-long conference calls or Teams/Skype/Zoom meetings. When it is time to recharge, the included USB cable with proprietary magnetic connector makes this a snap. When not in use, they thoughtfully include a carrying case. The open air design makes this very comfortable to wear all day if needed, and lets you hear callers or music without completely disconnecting from the world around you.In conclusion, this headset isn't for everyone. But for those who would find it useful, it's like a gift from God.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
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Top reviews from other countries
Jk
It may have a couple of short falls, but bottom line - I thoroughly recommend this product.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 6, 2020
SN47
Produit intéressant mais à perfectionner
Reviewed in France 🇫🇷 on February 24, 2021KFamily
Really cool. Here are some helpful FAQs if you're considering this
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 7, 2021Mr R.
Excellent sound quality but very pricey
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 22, 2021
