Verdict
The Shokz OpenSwim offers whole sound in the water for swims . Back on kingdom , you just need to have the willingness to throw your own audio files onto it to make the most of it and live without the Bluetooth cyclosis sustenance for other listening social occasion .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Shokz OpenSwim is largely a rebranding exercise for the bone conduction earpiece company , which , along with commute its name , also decide to change the title of its phone range .
So the AfterShokz Xtrainerz is now the Shokz OpenSwim , carrying the same promise of let you hear to sound recording during a swimming session .
These earphones still do that through bone conductivity engineering , keep you aware of your surroundings as you seek out some audio companionship when leap in that kitty or open - water swimming spot . The OpenSwim set retails for £ 139.95 / $ 149.95 / AUS$219.95 , make it slightly pricier than Shokz’sOpenRunheadphones .
While literally thousands of sports phone are build for workout on body politic , there are few options out there for swimmers . So , does the OpenSwim rise to the surface and deliver the goods in and outside of the water ?
Design
Shokz has moderately much settled on a look for all of its headphone and that ’s a wraparound - style band that stay on the top of the back of your neck , planting the arm of the headphones in close proximity to your ears .
The OpenSwim looks nearly very to the more running - focused OpenRun andOpenRun Pro , aside from the splatters of white on the frame and the absent multi - function button , which is primarily used for handle calls on the OpenRun . The OpenSwim lacks an onboard microphone to enable sustenance for calls .
What make it suitable for swim is theIP68 waterproof certification , which hold these earphones fit for being submerge in water of up to 50 m. It work in open water system and syndicate , and I have n’t experienced any carrying into action or operating issues with these headphones in my water - based testing time .
Shokz says you’re able to wear the earphone comfortably under a swimming cap , and that was n’t a problem for me either . I tried them with and without a cap , and they wrap around securely without exerting any noticeable press on longer swims . Using them with a cap for sure cut the chances that they ’ll move about , but going capless does n’t entail they ’re more susceptible to budging when you start move around .
The OpenSwim pose uses the same titanium in the frame as other Shokz earphones . This mean the earpiece are made of strong , durable materials that do n’t add any variety of considerable weightiness that would make them uncomfortable to wear for longer catamenia . I ’ve also used these for outdoor and treadmill runs , and they ’ve been comfortable to wear for non - swimming activities too .
Unsurprisingly , there are some easy - to - reach physical buttons admit , which sit down under one of the arms , hold back them out of sight . you’re able to use those push button to work on the headphones , skip backward and forward a track , adjust volume and check over battery status . There ’s also an additional mode button , which is tucked away and offers support to skip music folder , switch between the two available EQ modes and choose whether to enable playback feature like the shambling mode .
Outside of the headphones , Shokz does also include swimming earplug to better sequester audio , although I found they ’re not integral to getting the good audio . There ’s also a silicone polymer carry case , which is useful if you ’re keeping the headphones by the poolside or desire to make trusted they do n’t get soak when you contrive them in your bag with your sloshed swimming gear later .
Features
The first matter to address about the OpenSwim is the direction it delivers audio to your ears in the water . Shokz does it by using its osseous tissue conduction PremiumPitch 2.0 engineering , and the audio come from the build - in 4 GB music player , which has enough elbow room for just about 1,200 songs . There ’s noBluetooth cyclosis , which is less of an issue in urine , as Bluetooth and swim do n’t meld , but more of a trouble if you need to utilize these headphones to well out other audio .
To get audio onto the OpenSwim , you ’ll require to plug it into a computer with the proprietary charging transmission line and then embroil and drop MP3 , WAV , WMA , AAC , and FLAC file formats onto it . These can be placed into different folders , but everything has to be your own purchased sound . Unfortunately , you ca n’t load offline playlists from pelt avail , such as Spotify , which would make these headphone far more desirable .
On the battery front , music role player streaming does generally be given to hit the stamp battery hard than Bluetooth streaming , and it also depends on the volume you ’re listening at . Shokz claims you’re able to get up to eight time of day of shelling lifetime , and I ’d say it can perhaps expend one or perchance two minute below that , depend on the hearing volume . You do get electric battery prompts through the headphones , although letting you experience the battery is mellow , medium or low does n’t give a precise sense of the level you ’re playing with .
There ’s also no fast consign support , which was include on Shokz ’s OpenRun headphones , with the OpenSwim assume up to two 60 minutes to get from zero to 100 % . You ’ll have to deal with a proprietary charging cable here as well .
Sound Quality
On the heavy front , Shokz OpenSwim offers the selection of two listening musical mode . There ’s a general manner and a swim mode . The general modal value is designed to provide a more balanced phone for listen to euphony , while the swimming mode is optimize for listening in the water . Those two modes are clearly distinct out of the water , but I ’d say less so when submerge .
The general mood offers a sound visibility that ’s a little more well - rounded , warmer and punchier overall . When you switch things up to the swimming musical mode , there ’s an stress on loudness and clarity . at long last , though , I do n’t think using the general EQ mode during swims is necessarily off - limits , and I actually found it provide the more rewarding strait when submerge , especially when listening to more bass - enceinte audio recording .
Before you dunk your head in the pee , these headphone sound passably much like most other bone conduction pairs : clarity and item come up before great power and bass . Once submerged , it ’s an completely different story , and that sound gets efficaciously channelled towards your ears without any horrible fogginess , and audio is surprisingly clear , flash and enjoyable .
Switching to that swim EQ mode palpate better suited if you ’re listening to audiobooks or podcasts , but I think outside of that , the general mode does a very good line of work of delivering delight audio to your ears in the pee .
You still have that sentience of bather around you when you bob your head back up , but it sure enough does n’t overcome the audio delivered by these phone . intelligent escape is undeniably an issue here , but that ’s a criticism you’re able to level at all osseous tissue conduction earphone , and it ’s definitely less of a problem while in the water .
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Should you buy it?
The Shokz OpenSwim delivers honour audio when you ’re submerge in piddle .
Outside of listening to your own sound recording , the Shokz OpenSwim is n’t very utilitarian .
Final Thoughts
Shokz has set up out to provide a set of headphones that extend strong audio when you ’re swim , and it does deliver on that front . They ’re well-situated and impregnable to wear down in the water , the controls are prosperous to use , and you have a good amount of stamp battery life to spiel with . The boastful issue here are that you need to be unforced to drag in and drop down your own music onto them and the deficiency of Bluetooth – this is a Brobdingnagian negative given the price here .
Trusted Score
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FAQs
As these headphone are chiefly for use in water , there is no support for Bluetooth streaming .
Full Specs
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