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There are lots of different models of wireless headphones. If the most famous are obviously Apple AirPods, there are few brands today that do not offer headphones for sale. In addition to in-ear models, other designs are starting to make their mark. This is particularly the case for “free-ear” headphones. very appreciated by athletes.
With these solutions, it is possible to enjoy your music or a podcast, while remaining attentive to your environment. This is perfect for people jogging on the side of the road. In this area, one brand stands out from the others, it is Shokz.
The American company, launched in 2004, marketed the first bone conduction headphones in 2012 of the market. 12 years later, she has made it her trademark. Because Shokz does not offer “standard” headphones, but bone conduction solutions, a discreet technology, which allows you to completely release the ears by propagating sound via the temples.
OpenSwim Pro: a unique model
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Thanks to this very particular manufacturing method, Shokz has been offering 100% waterproof headphones for several years. Last January, it presented the OpenSwim Pro, its new helmet designed for swimmers. I had the opportunity to do a few laps with this device around my ears.
The initial promise was the following: to be able to use wireless headphones in a swimming pool, with good listening quality and comfort when placed which allows you to swim freely. Spoiler alert, the contract is more than fulfilled.
Let's start with the most obvious, waterproofing. The OpenSwim Pro headset does not disappoint on this point. Certified IP68, it is capable of withstanding two meters of depth for two hours, which means that in a swimming pool it is like a fish in water. The other important point is obviously the sound quality. Once our head is underwater, the headset immerses us in a musical bubble. The sound is clear, it’s very pleasant and it helps the time pass much faster. The lengths follow one another to the rhythm of the music thanks to the MP3 mode.
A perfect MP3 mode
Because the OpenSwim Pro, to work underwater, cannot be connected to the smartphone. As Bluetooth waves do not circulate well in an aquatic environment, another solution had to be found. Shokz has chosen an MP3 mode. It is therefore possible to store your favorite music directly in the headset, thanks to the charger which also transfers the data (it is nevertheless a proprietary port, which is a bit of a shame).
< p>Once in the water, simply press the buttons on the headset to switch from Bluetooth to MP3 mode. Shokz recommends using earplugs for better immersion in your element. Having done the test, the experience is clearly better with these small caps, although they can be quite uncomfortable at first.
Good sound quality, but without bass
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Underwater, the listening quality is really excellent. We are immersed in our bubble and the music follows one another with a clear, powerful sound, without pressing on the temples. It’s once outside the pool that things get complicated. The headset works well, but the sound is far from perfect. The bass is completely absent, which can give a fairly average result on certain musical styles.
The sound power is also a little below expectations. When listening to a podcast in a noisy environment, you can easily lose track of your episode. Generally speaking, headphones are very difficult to use in noisy places (public transport, swimming pool locker room with a college class or roadside).
Autonomy and design: a small hitch
< p>In terms of autonomy, the OpenSwim Pro is capable of running for 9 hours in Bluetooth mode and only 6 in MP3. Correct figures, which are nevertheless nothing exceptional. Recharging is there with 3 hours of autonomy regained in just 10 minutes. It takes a little less hours for a full charge of the headset.
If the autonomy is not the least strong point of this headset, the design is by far its biggest flaw. With its bone conduction sound technology, the OpenSwim Pro does not go unnoticed. But the problem is not there. It concerns the rear bar, constructed of a nylon and titanium alloy.
It goes around the head, but does not at all adopt the shape of the neck. We then find ourselves with a rounded bar at the back of the skull. I happened to hit it several times while swimming. When used outdoors, while running for example, this bar can also get in the way. It especially creates weight on the back of the device, which can cause pain in the ears.
The best, for lack of anything better?
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Despite this design concern which could easily be improved (with an adjustable position bar), the OpenSwim Pro meets expectations very well. It is presented by Shokz as a bone conduction headset capable of working underwater to break the monotony of 50 meter laps in the pool. Counting the tiles at the bottom of the water has lasted long enough, and the OpenSwim Pro allows you to escape by chaining lengths together. On this point it has become essential during my swimming pool outings.
But this great underwater success does not make us forget the rest. The helmet does not manage to hide these few defects once back dry. The design of the product is not perfect, as is the autonomy, while the sound quality is logically limited by the simple fact of using bone conduction. This technology can, in essence, only very poorly reproduce bass, an absence that we feel from the first song.
Finally, the OpenSwim Pro is the best… in its category. It's a bone conduction headset designed for swimmers, and in the absence of stiff competition, it dominates this market. For the rest of the athletes, the product may be suitable for listeners of podcasts or audio books, but other models of headphones with “free ears” can overshadow it.
The OpenSwim Pro are available on the Shokz website and from several third-party sellers. The helmet is sold for €199. It comes in two colors, red and gray.
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