The AfterShokz OpenMove was recently launched in the Philippines from Digital Walker and Beyond the Box. OpenMove is AfterShokz’s entry-level bone conduction headphones but offers some of the features of the higher-end siblings.
Admittedly, this is the first time I’ve ever used a bone conduction headset and before we get to the meat of it all, I’m impressed and I get it.
Photos taken by Rianne Ronquillo
Design and comfort
The OpenMove has a pretty simple rubber-coated titanium neckband and plastic ear hooks. The headphones are pretty light at 29g which makes them pretty easy to use throughout the day or even on a walk. Because of the rubberized texture, they have a good grip on them with just the right amount of clamping force on your head, both aren’t enough to be painful but they’re enough to keep them secure despite moving around.
I personally tried them as I went out for errands and initially, I was worried because it’s another thing that I’ll have hooked to my ears along with my glasses, face mask, and face shield (got to stay safe). The worry quickly faded though as I made it through my errands, I felt no strain at all on my ears or near my ears. In addition, they stayed on with no slippage at all despite how sweaty I was.
As it was my first bone conduction headphones, there was an initial phase of “Am I putting these on right?” but I soon found out that all I had to do was just follow the groove of the ear hooks until they sit comfortably on your ears and the earbuds rest on your head near your ears.
Control and connectivity
The headphones have three buttons on them, volume controls on the right band (with the volume up doubling as a power button and pairing button), and a multifunction button on the left earphone for functions like stop, play, next song, and so much more. It doesn’t seem like a lot of buttons but AfterShokz was able to include quite a variety of controls with just a matter of holding and pressing some buttons a number of times and pressing two buttons at once.
That said, it’s quite daunting trying to figure out how to connect the headphones as you open them. It’s one of the few times I consulted the user manual, only to find out just how many things you can do with the three buttons. This is great and all but I wish it had an app to accompany the variety of button combinations to streamline the experience as to lessen the back and forth with the manual.
One thing I did I like about the headset is that it has an “audio assistant” called Audrey that tells you if the headphones are on or if you’re connected to a device or even the battery level of the headphones. The last of which I think is the most convenient as Audrey just simply tells you whether its batteries are high, medium, or requires charging from just a press of a button. It allows you to keep using the headphones and keep track of the battery level without checking your phone.
The headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.0 which offers quite an impressive distance before the audio starts getting a bit choppy. Even with thick concrete walls between me and my phone, it still held up.
The OpenMove also features Multipoint pairing which allows you to connect the headset to two devices, like say your laptop/pc and your phone, and seamlessly switch between them. The feature just adds even more convenience as it switches from your laptop to your phone when a call comes in.
Battery
The battery of the OpenMove is said to offer up to 6 hours of use and it held up to it in my use of the headphones. That was enough for me to use it a few times in a day and still have some juice left over for an hour or so the next day before it needed to be charged. The combination of the battery and Audrey informing me of the battery levels me is a big win in my book.
It charges via a USB-C port, thankfully, and charges for around 2 hours, that’s enough for you to finish some work and get back to it to use it in full battery again.
Audio quality
Lastly, but most importantly the audio quality. The OpenMove was actually impressive as far as audio quality goes given that I was expecting it to just be decent or subpar because of my lack of experience with bone conduction headphones. It is powered by patented 7th generation bone conduction and PremiumPitch 2.0.
The sound stage isn’t as open as some of the more traditional earphones or over-the-ear headphones but it still gives you enough to hear the different elements of the song to enjoy the song.
I’m a bass lover and this definitely delivers in that department. Although, you’ve got to be very cautious with the volume levels especially with overly bassy songs/audio. I found myself turning the volume level down quite often because the vibration of the headphones is just intense with the mix of intense bass and louder volume. This is just a sensation, I’m not a big fan of.
The OpenMove offers three EQ presets to choose from – Standard Mode, Vocal Booster Mode, and Earplug Mode. These can be activated by simultaneously holding the volume buttons until Audrey informs you which EQ mode you’re on. I mostly used the Standard EQ setting but having Vocal Booster Mode for when you’re listening to podcasts or more acoustic tracks is very nice to have. Earplug Mode, as the name suggests, is used hand-in-hand with earplugs which the headphones come with.
In addition, the headphones have dual noise-canceling microphones which based on taking some calls did a good job of minimizing the noise and delivered clear audio throughout the call.
Ram found his love and appreciation for writing in 2015 having started in the gaming and esports sphere for GG Network. He would then transition to focus more on the world of tech which has also began his journey into learning more about this world. That said though, he still has the mentality of "as long as it works" for his personal gadgets.
