Shokz OpenComm UC Headset Review - Perfect for Remote Work? | Mark Ellis Reviews
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ค. 2024
- This video is sponsored by Shokz.
If you’ve been using over-ear headphones or earbuds for Zoom calls, I’m afraid you’ve been doing it wrong. I’ve recently discovered the OpenComm UC from Shokz, and they have changed the game for me when it comes to calls. Find out more about these awesome bone-conducting headset in my full review and get yours now at: bit.ly/shokz_markellisreviews
Shokz provides 45 day risk-free trial, free shipping & free returns in the US and Canada.
#shokz #opencommuc #boneconduction
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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
01:16 - Over-ear headphones
02:00 - How they work
03:44 - Key features
05:41 - Performance
07:17 - Use cases
08:51 - Wrap up
So, who's tried bone-conducting headphones before?
I have, Aftershokz, since about 2014. Impressive, use all the time except when want to block out outside world. Call me a believer!
I have a pair of Air's. Had them about 2.5 years and the rubber popped off a couple of weeks ago. Looking at other brands right now. Not sure I like the lifespan of them, granted they do have a 2 year warranty.
@@bc9054 In case it helds, my first pair (from 2014 or maybe 2013) failed when the one of the puppies chewed half of it - she survived unscathed, they didn't. I upgraded 2017 to a newer version of Aftershokz (for better bone conduction ie sound) and still going strong. Who knows if I was lucky or you less lucky, but rate the sound given I can hear the outside world ...
As you have said, these shox are good for telephone calls and zoom meetings, not music. I have tried them and returned them. I prefer buds and over the ear headphones because I listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of movies. The shox are a good choice for the office environment and little else.
Been using OpenComm for a long time now. Love them but unfortunately there's an issue on Mac when using MS Teams and I'm very often forced to use other headsets. There's something between the driver and Teams that will auto mute you. (And yes, I know about the auto-level adjust settings). Been searching for months for a solution with no luck.
Great video Mark.
I’ve been using the original Aftershockz Opencomms since March 2021 for this exact purpose; Been working from home for 2 years and ended up with no end of ear problems with normal headphones, Absolutely love them.
I’ve been using the Shokz OpenComm for a couple of years now and they have been a game changer. I rarely use over-ear or ear buds at all now as i find the sensation of ‘blocked ears’ too uncomfortable. Great review. 👍🏻
Is it good for listening to music as well?
Thank you. Finally the information I was looking for! ❤
I was looking around around for reviews as I find myself having ear pain when using my headphones for long periods of hours. Thank you for this. Waiting for a decent discount before purchasing these
Honestly I'm a huge Bluetooth headset guy but these by far are the best I've ever had! They're so comfortable and just so awesome I'm a business owner and I'll never buy any other brand!
Great review! Never thought of getting a bone-conducting headphone for calls. Tried a few ear buds and none of them worked well
I had this ones but returned just because the lack of a physical mute button, I'm in calls a lot of times and needs to take care of some stuff at home like cooking and cleaning so the 2 seconds to mute + the sound every time you do it + using 2 hands (most likely) and then same thing for unmute its just too much compared to other gaming headsets that you can quickly mute and unmute with a single hand in no time. fliping back the mic its a good alternative but I think nobody will feel safe talking while that's still listening, or imagine using a blender . probably my case is a bit special but until they don't add the physical button I'm sticking with the other options. good video you are natural explaining and replying to comments, appreciate your work here
I share your concern about inadvertently "shared" conversation. I never had the case.
However, the OpenComm2 has a mute button on the mic. I just received it today.
Sound has been improved also. Worth the expense!
I used a pair of their other headphones when I did courier work. Perfect for staying aware while driving and listening to GPS directions and taking the odd call from customers.
I have these and they are amazing! I can wear them all day and forget I have them on. I recommend getting the direct connect dongle for better connection
I use my Shokz Openrun during for podcasts on my AM walk - while still being able to be situation aware. For the office, I think the lower profile is much more flattering.
Is the microphone ok for calls in the office?
Thanks Much !
Great review and I am seriously considering this headset. Question:I mainly take my zoom & Google Hangouts using the internal mic and speakers on my Macbook since I have my own office - so really curious about the value of these headphones when I am out and about taking calls, e.g. days in the office (in a shared space), walking the dog, at a coffee shop, listening to podcasts on the move. Can you talk about those use cases? You seemed to be pretty isolated in the video - so I could not get a sense of the MIC noise cancellation in the above scenarios rather than just in a home office.
excellent review! actually the best. first time someone gave an audio test for viewers. That is the key for me over batterly life and lightness. My work is based on phone calls. I might try these out. thx!
Lovely to hear - thank you!
Thank you! I'm elder and needed something easy to use...this is perfect for an 80 year old! Your explanation was perfect!
Awesome! Happy to be of service 👍
I’m definitely getting a pair for everyone at my office!
Interesting concept, I have the Aftershokz Trekz Air which are also bone conducting and I mainly use for cycling. I never thought of using them or a similar product at the office. I would be more inclined to use a set of active noise cancelling headphones.
I use my Air for running but mainly use them at the computer and for taking calls. They work really well, except for when you have the mic on mute. It gives you a beep every 3 seconds to remind you that you are muted.
Love my Shocz, bought them for running, give you so much confidence and wouldn’t use anything else…
I use my pair aftershocks for everything and they are great for me who has to use heating aids
Great review. I was concerned that they might not give good sound quality as I work in an inbound customer service type job from home and the very expensive sennheiser EPOS headphones the company provided just don’t stay connected to my iphone, they’re heavy, squish my head, make me too warm and so on. I’m sold. I’ll try a pair of these and see how I like them.
Everything is contextual.
From time to time I use a closed Jabra Evolve2 85 headset to block out noise of family for myself during a call. They also deliver quality music, though nothing compared to Sony headsets or my Hifi IEM's.
When I want something light to wear that doesn't heat my ears and filters out my environment noise for the guy on the other end of the call, while keeping awareness of my family's moves or a delivery ringing at the front door, or my dogs barking... I use the OpenComm.
With a Jabra Link380 BT I link it to my PC (ZOOM, Teams,...). Works like a charm, I just need to plug the dongle in another PC and it is ready for OpenComm. And Jabra Direct SW allows linking multiple BT headsets to that one dongle.
The other BT obviously is my phone.
So I just received the OpenComm2. Mainly because the mute button will assure me a 100% nothing can be heard accidentally on the other side when I don't want it to. I also have the impression sound quality has improved since.
Mark - Thank you for the review. I have been looking for a non-in-ear solution for a while. I had tried a much earlier version of Shokz and did not care for them. Based on your review I thought I would give them another go. What a great product! I am blown away by them. I appreciate you and the work you do for the community. =David=
This means an awful lot - thanks David!
The OpenComm stands really apart from the other models and is totally fit for purpose. The other models serve other purposes, I also tried one before but it was not fit for office use.
What an interesting piece of hardware
Hi Mark, good review as ever. I’ve been looking at the Shokz Openrun but couldn’t justify it as I have good earbuds right now. Does the microphone detach on these for that purpose?
Thanks, Matt. I’m afraid the mic doesn’t attach, no (these are designed specifically for calling duties 👍).
What distance away from the computer can they operate - about how many metres.
How do they sound on the other end when you are in a somewhat busy coffee shop?
Does the USB adapter have low latency? I'm curious if this would be a good option to plug into my PS5 and have a good mic to chat with and not have the classic headset hair dent or stuffy ears.
I bought this model based on the noise cancelling mic, but any distant noise, doorbell, dogs barking in the next room, people tell me they hear the ambient noise very clearly. Is there a noise cancelling setting or should it be enabled all the time? It's rather frustrating I'm not getting the clear results every review claims for the hefty price paid. Even anothet review showed a test with music and a blender in the background where it was imprssive and that's what sold me. Any ideas?
Thanks for this review! Well done, Mark.
Question... so flipping the mic doesn't really "mute" it like the gaming headphones that are out there... rather, the flipping just get the mic away from your mouth and the noise cancellation takes place? I was just wondering what if there's noise in the background still, will the mic pick up the noise at all or the noise cancellation is just THAT good?
Thanks!
It's just that good... I wear mine with the mic back when not in use. I forget to swing it back when I answer a call sometimes. They can't hear my voice when I speak. They'll hang up like its a bad connection. When i realize what I had done or not done in this case by swinging the mic back toward my mouth, when called back, the person on the other end said they couldn't hear anything, nothing, like it was absolutely quiet... So the noise canceling mic is crazy good.
I work in the commercial airline industry, I can be on a call near a plane with all the background noises of an airport going on and while other planes are taking off, and the person on my call CANNOT HEAR the background operations. I can hear them just fine, albeit at max volume, unless I have ear plugs in, then I can hear them really good at a much lower volume.... They are that good...
@@Flyby-1000 that’s impressive indeed! My only thing is that my kids would be around and I don’t want people I would be talking to to hear their noise. But I guess if people can’t hear airplanes flying then that’s more than enough. Good thing is that there’s an actual mute function by pressing certain buttons. I am just used to flipping mic up to mute. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t seem to find anything covering the compatibility of these with avaya one x communicator. Has anyone used these with a softphone setup?
While on an iPhone can I use these for text message dictation or email dictation?
Gr8 vid.. This is exactly what I have been waiting for to replace my current headset. Question: My company issued laptop has only 2 USB-C plugs which sit next to each-other. How about how wide is the USB-C dongle?
I have the same 2 USB-C plugs which sit next to each-other and have no issue plugging the dongle in and a charging cable, if that helps.
Nice review, I'm tempted. How is the comfort around the ear if wearing specs? I've found behind the head bands uncomfortable in that regard.
It's great! You forget they're on your head pretty quickly.
They are good, but they do occasionally hit the shirt collar and move a little bit. But it's not bad. I also have glasses and they are very comfortable.
Definitely think these could be valuable when, say, walking the dog - but also, running, cycling etc
…or when you’re doing all three at once.
do these headphones have a physical mute switch/button?
I've used openrun for half a year, and i love them.
Now i hate having my ears plugged (not to mention that sliding out thing earbuds do). It is really a different experience.
did I see a proprietary charging connector? no standard USB-C?
How is this for music?
Will this headset work with Amazon Work Space as well as Teams? I brought a cheap pair when talking on Amazon Work Space if I get a teams meeting to join the headset cut the person I'm speaking to off on AWS, so I'm hoping these won't do that, Any information would be appreciated 😊
Are these compatible with either iPhone or Android
You forgot to mention as you demonstrated with these they dont mess up your hair :D I recently purchased a pair of BT headphones on Amazon, they didnt work well at all with MS Teams or with Cisco IP Phone (Software) Everyday I had to repair and reset back up again in those apps. A royal PITA. These however, interesting. Ill have to do more research...interesting
I need these Mark. But it’s hard to except the mic sound when I hear your sound in studio mic, compared to Opencomm mic. I know it’s not a fair comparison to your studio mic. But is that the best a headset mic can sound? I teach online would like great sound.
Yeah, that’s not really fair, is it! But as you would guess, my studio mic sound goes through expensive gear and lots of post processing. These headsets do the job perfectly for audible, consistent calls and are so much more convenient than other options in my book.
@@MarkEllisReviews I’ll listen again with that in mind. The ear/headbone part I’m sold on already. Perfect for 2-4 hours a day coaching fatigue online. Keep up that great reviews, you are way ahead of 95% of the TH-cam crowd
@@JeffKellyMedia Wow, thank you for those incredibly kind words, Jeff!
Have you got any issue with Microsoft Teams? I saw people saying this headset have issue when use Microsoft Teams when put on mute
The work around, for now, is to mute the mic via the vol - & + buttons for 2 sec. the annoying mute tone goes away, but the Team mute stays on. Down side is, if you un-mute Teams to speak, you have to do the work around again... It's not that inconvenient, I've gotten used to doing it...
Can you use this without the boom? Does it have additional microphones?
No. It doesn’t have additional microphones. If you want one without the boom mic then get the openrun instead. Unfortunately this one doesn’t has noise cancelling on the mic.
Should be trivial to make them auto mute when you move the mic up like that
I bought these over a year ago... I freakin' love them!!!! Everything he mentioned is spot on. One thing he doesn't mention, the music sound quality is really, really good for how the work. I forget that I'm wearing them so often because they are so comfortable....
does it have a mute feature
These could be used for gaming as well I take it?
Yes. Used the aeropex for that and they work great
Absolutely a parent’s secret weapon.
What about if I turn the music loud and I don't want to hear the outside world? Like for example in a train?
Get normal earbuds. Or, if you only want these and not multiple sets, get some earplugs if you want to Mute the sound of the outside world.
A coworker has a pair of bone conduction headsets and the lag is really bad like watching a news anchor and s guest. The delay is so bad its hard to hold a conversation. Is that just because he has a cheap pair? Is there always a delay in bone conduction headsets?
Can these be used for gaming and streaming?
Ive used the normal aeropex headset for that, and it works good.
They're perfect for a truck drivers
I cannot get my mic to work
The mute beep is driving me nuts. I can't believe they put a crazy loud mute beep every 5 seconds if you use the + / - to mute a conference. Who wants to dash back to your mouse to mute or unmute while on a call if you're using wireless headphones to free yourself from the desk? This is a deal breaker in a pretty perfect product.
From my expirence with the normal opencomms, the non uc Variant, that's some form of bug. My opencomms never did this until like.. A year of owning them. Then they started that. I suspect it's something to do with teams buuut I am ultimatley not sure. It seems to happen to other headsets as well, not just the opencomms. Like, when I looked the issue up people complained in forums that it happend to them and they didn't have shocks.
@@lucariolps277 I don't think you understand the mute beep or how to mute the headset with the + and - on the headset. It has nothing to do with teams. The mute beep is with anything you use it on. Teams, Your phone, zoom etc. And yes with the UC version. It has done this with two UC headsets that I've had.
@@Oliver1071 I have the beep, it only happens on teams with mine. That's all i know. Ive muted with + and - and trough other ways. I always have it in teams.
@@Oliver1071 I see this while in MS Teams, and have not tried to Mute in any other situation with the headset buttons. I do mute on my i-phone with no beeping. In addition, I own the open run pro, with their app: No beeping on any app, at all.
Why would you use a headset mic when you have whatever you recorded this video on?
Because I really don’t fancy setting up my Sony FX3 and Rode VideoMic Pro Plus for conference calls, mate. Google them, if you have no idea what I’m talking about.
Can someone confirm these indeed also work with Microsoft Teams?
They do, use them on the daily
They work but if you mute yourself, you’ll get the stupid ass loud beep
@@marsisreborn Funny... Mine did do that for awhile, but it stopped doing it in the last 3 weeks... I didn't do anything to it. I wish I knew what changed so I could pass it on...
@@Flyby-1000 mine started doing it after like a year. It doesn't seem to be the headset, it seems to be something with teams. Ive read forum posts of people with other headsets getting that beep too.
@@lucariolps277 It was no doubt a TEAMS thing. Funny thing is... About a month after I wrote this, it stopped doing it...works as it used to before. I didn't change anything in TEAMS.....It just started working normally again... Odd.....
Sadly the lack of good mute functionality is a total deal breaker for me.
Same unfortunately
You can mute your device or in the program altogether. But that takes 1 second of extra effort. 😂
@@studlyhungwell When I'm listening to an hour or more call, going around the house doing chores, and someone calls my name out of the blue, I'm not close to the computer to push the button, and it will take a few seconds of awkward silence to unmute, not to mention the constant beeping I have to listen to while I'm listening to this long call on mute. I don't want to be anchored to my desk during long calls, that's the point of a wireless headset.
Hybrid is 100% the future.
Battery don't stay charged 8 hours
Companies like this should absolutely be shamed for adopting YET ANOTHER proprietary charger. I'm so absolutely enraged at the insane amount of chargers I still require when traveling in 2022. My QC35's are, fair enough, a few years old but should have had USB-C anyhow, sadly they have MicroUSB, so that's one cable, USB-C is required for my GoPro and most other devices, Lightning required for my iPhone, proprietary apple watch charger required for my watch, now I'm supposed to have yet another for this 'fancy' magnetic interface? Just give the bloody device USB-C and be done with it. "Oh but that would have had to change the design", mhm an extra 2mm and +5 grams to eliminate the need for another device-specific cable? It's just a complete non-starter to need another cable, and I think the general public should vote with their dollars. We live in an electronics wasteland, and companies like Shokz continue to push even more electronic waste into this world.
@@lucariolps277 that is super incorrect. Even back in 2017 the Samsung S8 was USB-C and IP68 waterproof. Nearly every mobile phone produced in modern era with USB-C has a strong waterproof rating.
Hi Mark. It really is surprising that a company that does not ship its products outside the US or Canada (and does not have a distributor in the UK or Australia, in my case) chose to sponsor a UK based reviewer for their product. After your excellent review I was keen to try their headset. A very frustrating experience. The distributor finder on their website is amateur. No…awful. I know you have an international audience so your US and Canadian mates will be fine but your UK watchers will have a hard time finding a pair. Give it a try. Enter United Kingdom. Perhaps when you review a product you can ask the sponsor where the product is actually available. Cheers C.
Thank you for the message and I'm sorry you were frustrated by that. As you might imagine, a lot goes into this stuff behind the scenes and I carefully select the sponsor partners I work with (and know exactly who they serve). The majority of my audience is also in the US, but I do my best to serve as many regions as possible. Its a juggling act, and a challenge when you're running this pretty much by yourself. It also means that not every product featured will be for you - please do take up these frustrations with Shokz, because they are a great bunch who I'm sure can reveal more about their distribution. Thank you.
You can just mute the mic. No reason to rotate your lil mic all the way up. I do it all the time.. hold volume buttons on the right side for a moment. Much more reliable and convenient. Glad to see these being showcased but this was an unforgivable oversight. Jk
“Unforgivable” 😂
Bone conduction headphone is a gimmick. They are just a pair of small speakers placed next to your ears. How they work has nothing to do with your bones. Period. I just bought a pair of Openrun Pro mini. I am 100% positive that they transmit sound just like any other speakers by air, because without touching my face, I can still hear my music perfectly, no distortion.
However, don't get this wrong. They are a very good idea when the environment you are in is almost quiet. I can wear them all day. And they don't fall off. The downside is that when you are in a slightly noisy environment such as a coffee shop, they become almost useless. Or you have to increase the volume to about 80% or higher in order to hear what you play clearly.
Of course you can still hear them. They vibrate. Sound is vibration. You can plug your ears with earplugs and you will still hear them. The aeropex Variant even comes with earplugs. So they don't use your ear canal. They do use bone conduction and not just speakers. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to hear them when I plug my ears.
@@lucariolps277 Have you actually owned a pair? I have.
@@titanxie5579 I have opencomm UC, I have aeropex, I have the open swims.. Yes.. I have multiple of them. With the ears plugged, i can't hear them unless I wear them. So. They do transmit over bone. Hell. Ive even wore them for swimming. Works perfectly. Because they transmit trough bone...
@@lucariolps277 you plug both your ears fully then the sound volume and quality are significantly reduced to a point that the headphones are basically unusable. I don’t know what you are talking about.
@@titanxie5579 I have no idea what you are talking about. I am currently wearing them. I plugged my ears. Volumen stayed the same and the Bass got heavier. That's all that changed. They litteraly give you earplugs with the aeropex. Why would they do that if they are speakers. Not to mention, you could literally sue them for wrongful advertiment if the bone conduction they advertise didn't actually work. I doubt they would plaster "bone conduction" everywhere, then just sell small speakers. They would have been sued straight trough the ground
Because I can't remote work my physical job?
Well, no, not everyone can, buddy.
The sound quality is awful. Yes I followed all the reset instructions and they still sound like junk. what a huge waste of money.
not a practical messy office condition's review .....👎
I’m not with you?
@@MarkEllisReviews nothing f a it
@@dreambig121 eh?
@@MarkEllisReviews seems like he tought youd Review them in corporate Office conditions. So like in a large cubical Office.
u just talking about company .not for product .poor review