![\"See](\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/01\/258194_Shokz_Open_Fit_Pro_CES_AKrales_0011.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSee that third microphone array? That\u2019s what monitors sounds that actually reach your ear.<\/p>\n
I was deeply skeptical when Shokz first briefed me on the product. I\u2019ve tested several Shokz open-ear buds (not to be confused with their bone conduction headphones). While they\u2019re great for staying aware at home or in quiet areas, they\u2019re Not Great, Bob for commuting. I often can\u2019t hear my music \u2014 even at maximum volume \u2014 and forget audiobooks or podcasts!<\/p>\n
To my surprise, whatever dark magic Shokz is using in these buds works pretty well. The difference is very noticeable, especially if you turn the reduction setting all the way up in the Shokz app.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong. True ANC is still better. It\u2019s always going to be hard listening to audiobooks if there\u2019s a live mariachi band in my train car. (To be fair, ANC headphones also struggle against the power of mariachi.) But during less disruptive commutes, I had little problem listening to music and was able to listen to my audiobooks in more scenarios. I\u2019d say these are best suited to moderately loud environments. Think cafes, not so much bars.<\/p>\n
At home, I was surprised at how well the buds masked the ambient hum of my air purifier and fridge. Of course, it\u2019s no match for the TV if you\u2019ve got a show going on in the background, but that\u2019s not really the point. This is more or less the kind of earbud that lets you focus on your content, but still hear when your spouse yell-asks from another room if you\u2019ve seen their keys.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m much less fond of the fit. The hook is still quite bulky around the ear.<\/p>\n In another plus, bass quality \u2014 another weakness for open-ear buds \u2014 has improved as well. This iteration of the OpenFit Pro now supports a range up to 40kHz and reduces distortion below 100Hz. There\u2019s also Dolby Atmos support with head tracking, but that felt sort of gimmicky when I turned it on. Nice if that\u2019s something you like, but not all that necessary with open-ear buds.<\/p>\n The main issues I\u2019ve had in the past few weeks of testing are, once again, fit and design. The hooks still feel bulky behind the ear, especially when I wear them with glasses. Oftentimes, I don\u2019t feel they sit on my ears as securely as I\u2019d like. The case is also large, though I do appreciate the extra 50 hours of charge it provides. (The buds last 12 hours on their own; that drops to six with noise reduction.)<\/p>\n This is admittedly a niche kind of earbud. It\u2019s the rare person who would be able to fully replace their AirPods Pro (or any other pair of ANC-enabled buds) with these. However, as someone who likes to keep my wits about me when walking, commuting, or puttering around the house, they\u2019re much more useful than previous iterations of the device.<\/p>\n Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Victoria SongClose Senior Reviewer, Wearable Tech<\/p>\n Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All by Victoria Song<\/a><\/p>\n CESCloseCES<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All CES<\/a><\/p>\n GadgetsCloseGadgets<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Gadgets<\/a><\/p>\n Hands-onCloseHands-on<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Hands-on<\/a><\/p>\n HeadphonesCloseHeadphones<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Headphones<\/a><\/p>\n ReviewsCloseReviews<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n See All Reviews<\/a><\/p>\n TechCloseTech<\/p>\n Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n FollowFollow<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nVictoria Song<\/p>\n