Shokz OpenFit 2 vs. Soundcore AeroFit 2: which open-ear earbuds should you buy?

Open-ear earbuds were once a novelty, seemingly straddling the middle ground between bone conduction headphones and traditional wireless earbuds. But the category is now firmly in the mainstream as buyers have figured out that their hybrid design is both more comfortable than earbuds and sounds better than bone conduction. Manufacturers have responded by developing more innovative designs, improving bass response, and adding features that were missing to the first-gen products.

Two of the leading brands in the classic, earhook shape variety of open-ears, are Shokz and Soundcore. The Shokz OpenFit 2 and Soundcore AeroFit 2 have much in common, like dust and water protection, similar levels of battery life, the ability to connect to two device simultaneously, and the latest Bluetooth tech. But there are also significant differences and some might mean that one of these open-ear models is a better choice for you than the other.

Let’s compare them and see.

Shokz OpenFit 2

Soundcore AeroFit 2

OpenFit 2 vs. AeroFit 2: Price

Shokz thinks of itself as the premium brand in the open-ear category and its OpenFit 2 is priced accordingly at $180. Soundcore, on the other hand, is a brand known for its highly competitive mix of price and performance and it sells the AeroFit 2 for just $100.

While both models get discounts now and then, Soundcore discounts tend to be deeper when they happen. So whether we’re talking about regular or sale pricing, Soundcore is the clear winner.

Winner: Soundcore AeroFit 2

OpenFit 2 vs. AeroFit 2: Specs comparison

As you can see, on paper (on pixels?) these two products are very close in specs. And while the OpenFit 2 have the edge when it comes to battery life, the AeroFit 2 appear to lead when it comes to Bluetooth codec compatibility and wireless charging.

But as we get into the finer points, you may see they’re not quite twins.

Winner: Tie

OpenFit 2 vs. AeroFit 2: Design and fit

There are two big reasons that people gravitate toward open-ear earbuds: Comfort and situational awareness. Both the OpenFit 2 and AeroFit 2 offer excellent comfort — shortly after putting them on, you forget you’re wearing them. And, like all open-ear earbuds, they don’t block your ear canal so external sounds and voices can be heard as easily as if you weren’t wearing earbuds at all.

Where you notice the biggest difference is the way the OpenFit 2 sit. Shokz has found a way to optimize both comfort and stability. Thanks to shape of the arc and the use of super-soft silicone, which wraps around the entire hook as well as a portion of the the speaker module, the OpenFit 2 stay perfectly anchored.

The AeroFit 2 are light and feel great, but Soundcore only uses silicone on the flexible connecting wire, so the front and rear modules don’t grip your skin as firmly as the OpenFit. Soundcore has incorporated a four-position hinge into the speaker module, which can be used to fine-tune the fit, but it also moves the speaker relative to your ear canal. You may find a tradeoff between stability and sound quality.

The first-gen OpenFit only had touch controls and they were not only a bit tricky to use, but they were also limited in what actions they could control. The second-gen use a highly tactile set of physical buttons (in addition to the touch controls) — a big improvement. You can now control everything (including volume) and there’s no need to guess if you tapped correctly.

The AeroFit 2 use touch controls. They’re fine as far as touch controls go — and there’s excellent customization in the Soundcore app — but they can’t quite compete with the accuracy of physical buttons.

If you’re very fashion-minded, the AeroFit 2’s multiple color options will prove an attractive option, but I think the OpenFit 2 are slightly sleeker, and better-looking.

With better stability and available physical controls, the Shokz take this one.

Winner: Shokz OpenFit 2

OpenFit 2 vs. AeroFit 2: Sound quality

Open-ear earbuds will likely never win any sound quality contests (especially versus traditional earbuds) but that doesn’t mean they can’t sound good. In fact, when using them indoors I’m often pleasantly surprised by just how far this category has come. Still, because most people will want to use these earbuds outside, where external noise will interfere heavily with your music, calls, or podcasts, you need a set of open-ears that can produce enough volume to compensate. They also need to have strong bass response as low frequencies are the first victims of life outside.

The Shokz OpenFit 2 deliver both the volume and the bass response needed to tackle all but the noisiest of locations. Don’t expect pounding low-end — you won’t find that on any open-ear designs at the moment — but you’ll certainly be aware of the OpenFit 2’s bass. Along with power and bass, the OpenFit 2 offer a pleasingly balanced sound signature that should work well for almost any genre of music you listen to (though again, hip-hop and rap fans may find it underwhelming). There’s plenty of detail and as long as you’re not running beside a freeway, you should be able to enjoy the midranges too.

The Soundcore AeroFit 2 are no slouch in the sound department either. And for a set of earbuds that cost 44% less than the OpenFit 2, they sound way closer than their price suggests. Still, they can’t quite match the OpenFit’s power or bass response. This might only be noticeable in louder circumstances, but it’s definitely a consideration. Yes, the AeroFit 2 support Sony’s hi-res LDAC Bluetooth codec, which in theory gives you higher quality sound. But unless you’re in a perfectly quiet room, listening to a lossless source of music, you won’t get the benefit.

Both models give you a selection of EQ presets (though Soundcore’s collection is way bigger) and both let you create custom EQ mixes to suit your taste.

The OpenFit 2 may not be superior to the AeroFit 2 to a degree that justifies their much higher price, but they are better and that’s all you need to win this category.

Winner: Shokz OpenFit 2

OpenFit 2 vs. AeroFit 2: Additional features

Sometimes it’s the little things that can make a difference. The Shokz OpenFit’s charging case is slightly smaller, for instance, and yet it lacks wireless charging, which the Soundcore AeroFit 2 have. Both are superb for making calls — they’re amazing at canceling competing sounds so your voice sounds clear — but the OpenFit 2 do a better job managing the effects of wind noise.

Both support Bluetooth Multipoint and switching between connected devices is a breeze, but I especially like that the Soundcore app can push the AeroFit 2 back into pairing mode, while the OpenFit 2 require that you place the buds back in the case and press the pairing button.

Soundcore rarely introduces new features on its products via firmware updates (it tends to wait for a new product version), while Shokz has proven willing and able to do so: it added Bluetooth Multipoint to the original OpenFit several months after they launched. I bring this up because while both products use Bluetooth 5.4, which is capable of supporting LE Audio and Auracast, neither set of earbuds work with these features. To be fair, neither company has said it will add them, and yet if I were to bet on one company to do it, it would be Shokz.

Winner: Tie

OpenFit 2 vs. AeroFit 2: The verdict

In my review of the Soundcore AeroFit 2, I called them the best open-ear earbuds for most people. I stand by that assessment. After all, price matters. For some, it matters more than anything else. What’s great about the AeroFit 2 is just how much you get for $100. There’s no doubt in my mind that they are the better value between these two products.

Still, this is a comparison of performance as well as value, and in that spirit, I have to concede that the Shokz OpenFit 2 are simply the better set of open-ear earbuds when it comes to the big things: comfort, stability, sound quality, and call quality. Admittedly, the OpenFit 2 sometimes only squeak out a victory — comfort comes to mind — and yet, a win is a win.

So my verdict is perhaps predictable. If budget is important and you want the best balance of price versus performance, go with the Soundcore AeroFit 2. If, on the other hand, you’re willing to pay a bit more to get a set of open-ears that deliver what I consider to be the best all-around combination of features, get the Shokz OpenFit 2.

Winner: Shokz OpenFit 2

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