The original bone conduction maker Shokz have officially jumped on the clip-on earbud train. The new Shokz OpenDots One is a significant departure from the bone conduction tech the brand built its name on, and it’s one of two devices launched today, alongside the OpenFit 2+.
DRN received a review unit and media briefing ahead of today’s official launch.
Design and First Impressions
In the last few months I have tested six different clip-on earbuds. Most were priced in the low-to-mid range. So, opening the OpenDots One (which I’ll just call OpenDots from here) in the dead of the night, my first reaction was: “Holey Moley! These are premium.”
Actually that was my second reaction. The first was noticing Shokz had printed setup instructions right onto the protective wrap. A thoughtful touch given the unfamiliar to many form factor.
The OpenDots and their carry case both feature a two-tone finish. My unit came in grey (there is also a black variant). Personally I prefer the grey. It is subtle with just enough contrast to stand out without being loud.
The lid of the case has a muted pink-gold metallic finish, while the body is cream-coloured. The etched Shokz logo adds a classy flair. The buds follow the same visual theme — part metallic, part soft silicone. Eye-catching but not in your face gangster style.
Each earbud weighs just 6.5 grams. Not the lightest ever but for perspective, a sheet of 80gsm A4 paper is 5 grams. The OpenDots are only 1.5 grams heavier per side.
A reset button lives on the back of the case, and there’s a USB-C port underneath for wired charging. It also supports wireless charging — a win for convenience.
Compared to other clip-ons I’ve tested, the OpenDots absolutely look and feel more premium and are priced to match.
Set Up and Hardware Details
The clip-on design consists of a front-facing speaker module which aims toward your ear canal, and a rear module that houses the battery and controls.
Shokz connects these two parts using the JointArc, a 0.19mm thick memory titanium alloy. It is flexible, durable, and designed to retain shape.
Under the hood, each bud contains two 11.8mm drivers that deliver the power of a single 16mm driver. That is with thanks to their proprietary Bassphere tech.
As with most Shokz products, you will need the app to unlock all the features. You will also need to create a Shokz account which if I recall correctly is a new requirement compared to previous devices. That done, pairing was fast and easy.
Audio Performance and Listening Experience
Shokz has a solid reputation so I had high expectations. Putting the OpenDots on felt… different. The JointArc is much more flexible than other clip-ons I’ve tested. You can practically deform it and watch it spring back into shape.
That flexibility helps when fitting the buds, you can slip a finger into the loop to open it up if needed (assuming you don’t have sausage fingers).
My first test was catching up on the Mushroom Daily podcast. Not exactly a stress test but I needed my fix. Dolby Audio is one of the big talking points in the app, promising a “vivid, professional, and impactful audio experience.”
For podcasts, though, Dolby made things sound airy, too airy. Weirdly enough for a few moments I felt like I was getting vertigo. Leaving it off works perfectly fine for podcasts where it is mostly chatter.
Changing over into music, this is where having Dolby Audio makes a difference to the listening experience in the good way.
I started with Running with the Boys by Lights, a warm bubbly synthpop with a uplifting chorus. The vocals are kept tight and controlled, the way it is intended by the artist. I am not particularly enamored by the track itself, but it came up in a playlist I asked ChatGPT to suggested for me.
Marilyn Manson’s cover of “Sweet Dreams”, because how else am I going to test out the claim of the OpenDots being a bass powerhouse? I love the Eurythmics version, but Manson takes this to a new level with a raw passionate anger that just growls in your ear.
Heroes. One of the top songs by the one and only David Bowie. The OpenDots did not let him down with this one, it was quite an intimate listening experience.
The Police’s Every Breath You Take, does that even need an introduction? The bass, the vocals is nicely separated, projected onto the sound stage and pulls at you.
Wrapping it with This Silence is Not Killing Me by Nouvena is three minutes and thirty six seconds of raw power that runs the musical gauntlet. Listening to it with the OpenDots gave me goosebumps.
Call Quality
Shokz claims that the OpenDots is AI powered for call clarify.
One cheeky morning while prepping my eight hours slow-cooker beef ribs, I tested that claim. Between the rangehood, clanging utensils and running water, no one on my call suspected a thing. Audio was clear both ways. Not a bad result while browning meat.
And yes for the record, come dinner time it was melt in your mouth delicious.
Gesture Controls and Usability
The OpenDots give you three ways to control playback and calls:
- Double tap the battery module on either earbud to play/pause or answer/end calls.
- Double pinch the ends of the battery module to perform the same actions.
- Long press to trigger one of: volume control, voice assistant, track skip, or nothing.
If the tap feels too finicky, which it sometimes is, you can disable it in the app and rely solely on the pinch gesture.
Long press can also reject calls — in theory. I couldn’t get long press to work at all.
Battery Life and Charging Features
This is where the OpenDots shines.
On a single full charge, you get 10 hours of playback.
The case provides an additional three full recharges bringing the total playtime to an impressive 40 hours.
As mentioned before, the case supports both wireless charging and USB-C. On top of that it also supports Quick Charge so a ten minutes charge in the case will give your buds another two hours of listening time.
I have been pushing the OpenDots as much as I can in the period between receiving the unit and when the embargo lifts and it definitely has stamina.
Despite a visibly substantial battery, the buds don’t feel heavy. The barrel shape helps them stay clipped securely during use.
Key Features and Connectivity
Under the hood Shokz has packed in Bluetooth 5.4 in the OpenDots. Not the latest version with the larger bandwidth and more importantly, improvements in measurement accuracy and ranging.
This is a little disappointing as the Find My Earbuds feature is to play a pinging sound, as long as you are Bluetooth connected to them. BT6 would have given the option of displaying a distance to device.
The OpenDots comes with IP54 rating, that is limited ingress of dust permitted and light contact with water. Don’t forget to take them out before jumping in the shower or pool!
I am loving the trend where there are no designated left or right earbuds. It is auto recognised and will adjust accordingly.
The Shokz app comes with a full EQ so you can tune the sound to your heart’s content.
There is a dedicated “Private” profile that “manages high-frequency output to effectively control sound leakage”. So essentially an attempt for privacy mode.
I find that sound leakage was within reason in the course of my usage, but choosing the private profile did cut off the top end. This would be something I would save for a voice call or a meeting only.
The OpenDots support multipoint pairing, you can have two concurrent Bluetooth connections running.
Limitations and Usability Quirks
I do have a few, some are more squeaky than others.
The Find My Earbuds feature is a little barebones as it requires you to be Bluetooth connected to the OpenDots. It does not show a last seen location, and you are left to rely on listening out for the pinging sound that you can trigger.
The UI here can be a little confusing. When you tap on the play button under the picture of the bud, it comes up with “Please wait” in grey and “Pinging now” in orange (loving that alignment with DRN house colours there).
You actually need to tap on “Pinging now” to trigger the sound otherwise it does nothing.
Whilst you can customise your EQ, unfortunately you will have to start from baseline. You can’t start with a preset then tune it from there.
Whilst you can customise the controls, it is limited to what a long press can do and there are only three pre-defined actions which I have listed earlier, or none.
I note that the app forces me to have both audio control and call control set. For example I can’t just configure it for volume control and choose no action for call control. The moment I choose none as an action, it is set as no action at all for long press.
Incidentally, I also cannot get long press to work. The OpenDots just does not respond to it for me.
As for the tapping on the battery surface, I find it a bit hit or miss. Perhaps it is the way my hand is angled when I do it, but I find that I have to try a few times to touch the right spot. Using the pinch action gives me better results, although I have on occasion almost missed the touch points due to hand positioning.
Conclusions
The Shokz OpenDots One is hands down the best clip on earbuds I have tested to date, and I have tried more than a few. They also happen to be the most expensive at A$339 RRP.
You are paying for premium build quality, great sound and incredible battery life. The weak point is the limited control customisation and quirks in the app, which could be fixed with a software update.
The Shokz OpenDots One will be available starting 3 July 2025 via Shokz and JB Hi-Fi (grey and black). Wider retail rollout begins 31 July 2025.
DRN would like to thank Shokz for providing the review unit.
