Shokz - OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction Sports Headphones

 

Shokz - OpenRun Pro 2 Bone Conduction Sports Headphones (in Black)

At REI in Sunnyvale, California today I purchased a lightly-used pair of Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones (in black). 

Initially released at $180 and $150 during their current spring sale, REI sold these at $115 (~35% off retail & ~25% off sale price). We applied our member dividend.

A risk in buying a returned item: all sales final on returned gear. We tested pairing them to my phone and all was well. So taking a calculated risk they will work out.

They claim 12 hours of battery life 👀 This improves on the ~3-4 hours I got from my current Skullcandy Sesh Evo earbuds. My workaround for my long runs was to take the charging case with me and recharge on-the-go. The Sesh Evo earbuds also seemed to cut-out when I turned my head to my left (e.g., to look for traffic, or look at the scenery), which was not ideal.

UPDATE: 10 April 2025 - Love these. Working perfectly 😎 🎶 🎧 They seamlessly transition between my mobile and laptop Bluetooth connections 👍🏻

Headphones and Behind-the-Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids

I have a hard of hearing (HoH) friend with a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, who requested info about headphones. Keeping notes, as I go along.

CONSTRAINTS

• Corded (no BlueTooth, as the iPod Shuffle does not support it)
• Over-the-ear (not on-the-ear); that is, circumaural
• Noise-canceling 
• Prefer simplicity (for example, no headphones amp needed, minimal buttons, so not accidentally pressed)

STYLES

• Headphones
• Telecoil (also known as T-coils)
• Bone Conduction
• Phonak ComPilot (?)

POSSIBILITIES

• Sennheiser
• RS 165 Wireless RF TV Listening System
• RS 170 Wireless RF TV Listening System
• HD 380 PRO
• Koss
• UR-20 Home Headphones
• SteelSeries
• SteelSeries Diablo III Gaming Headset
• Beyer Dynamic
• Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO

OUTSIDE-THE-BOX IDEAS

• Upgrade hearing aids to make/model supporting Bluetooth
• Pros:
• Stream audio directly to the hearing aid
• Works with many devices
• Cons:
• Cost...$800-$2,000
• Time
• Bone conduction headphones
• Pros:
• Conducts audio directly, so no feedback
• Cons:
• May interfere with glasses and/or BTE hearing aid
• Telecoil option (for example, under-chin receiver, neck-worn receiver)
• Pros:
•  No feedback from headphones
• Cons:
• Complicated setup (?)
• Pandora internet radio, and so forth

RESOURCES
https://www.reddit.com/r/deaf/
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wireless-home-theater-headphones/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headphones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearing_aid

GENERAL NOTES

• TV wireless amplifier: two birds with one stone (?)
• Headphone's music must reach the hearing aid's microphone; therefore, for BTE hearing aids, the headphone's ear cup must open up, at the top, and cover the top of the hearing aid
• Noise canceling option a big plus
• Take hearing aids out, during use (?)
• A caution, on feedback: "If the headphones push on the hearing aid or sit too closely to the hearing aid, you may experience feedback, a whistling noise coming from the hearing aid. This is an indicator that you either need to re-position the headphones or are unable to wear those headphones with your hearing aids."
• Hearing aid adjustment may minimize or eliminate feedback. 
• (?)