Shokz OpenDots 2 vs OpenDots Air: ranked and scored
I scored and ranked OpenDots 2 and OpenDots Air against 44 open earbuds. Controls are finally fixed with squeeze gestures, sound gets a bump, and the 2 climbs back to the top after weighting.
By James · Picky Audio
· 8 min read
QUICK TAKE
Short version: Shokz OpenDots 2 is the best-sounding open‑ear bud I’ve tested, and after weighting my scores it finishes 1st with 92.4. OpenDots Air is the better value, landing 2nd with 91.4. Both move to squeeze controls and wearing detection — a huge usability upgrade.
Pick OpenDots 2 if you want the cleanest high‑volume sound, low‑latency mode, improved Dolby Audio, Smart EQ and drop alert. Pick OpenDots Air if you want nearly the same sound for less with slightly better call quality; you give up Dolby Audio and a little battery/fast‑charge speed.
| SHOKZ OpenDots 2 | SHOKZ OpenDots Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (RRP) | 199 USD / 339 AUD | 129 USD / 219 AUD |
| Comfort | 9/10; same ergonomics as Dots 1/2 feel identical to me | 9/10; wire sticks out a touch more |
| Side sleep | Good once positioned on the pillow | Fine but less comfy than Dots 1/2 |
| Fit security | 9.5/10; balanced clamp + silicone grip stays put (even damp) | 9.5/10; equally stable in workouts |
| IP rating | IP57 buds; case IP54 | IP55 buds |
| Battery & case | 9/10; 10h buds, 40h total; 5‑min = 2h fast charge; compact case | 8.5/10; 9h buds, 36h total; 10‑min = 2h; thicker case; hidden front press for pairing |
| Wireless charging | No | No |
| Controls | 9.75/10; squeeze sensor (adjustable), side taps, wearing detection with skin detect; no mic mute | 9.75/10; same control set and wearing detection; no mic mute |
| Connectivity | 8.5/10; Bluetooth 6.1, SBC/AAC; multipoint (no takeover); no mono; Google Fast Pair, Swift Pair; Find My buds; low‑latency mode | 8.5/10; Bluetooth 6.1, SBC/AAC; multipoint (no takeover); no mono; Google Fast Pair, Swift Pair; no low‑latency |
| App / extras | 8/10; Dolby Audio (improved), 5‑band EQ, Smart EQ (hearing test), prompt tone level, high stability mode, drop alert (beta) | 8/10; 5‑band EQ, prompt tone level, high stability mode; no Dolby, no Smart EQ, no drop alert |
| Call quality | 7/10 overall in my tests | 7.5/10 overall in my tests |
| Max volume (measured) | 112.3 dB | 110.2 dB |
| Sound below 60% | 9.75/10; crisper treble, clearer mids, slightly deeper, tighter bass | 9.5/10; very close to Dots 1; subtle extra punch vs Dots 1 |
| Sound above 60% | 10/10; redesigned diaphragm keeps bass clean at high volume; better separation | 9.5/10; keeps up on bass amount but mild distortion around ~80% |
| Final score (before weighting) | 90.25/100 (3rd) | 89/100 (4th) |
| After weighting (rank) | 92.4/100 (1st of 44) | 91.4/100 (2nd of 44) |
| Best for | Best overall sound and features | Best value pick with slightly better calls |
THE SCORECARD
SHOKZ OpenDots 2
- CATEGORY SUM
- 90.25of 100, before weighting
- RANK
- 1of 44 open earbuds
- CATEGORIES
- 10
- STRONGEST
- 10Sound at high volumes (above 60%)
- WEAKEST
- 7Call quality
Comfort
9/10Same excellent ergonomics as Dots 1; feels identical to me.
Security of the fit
9.5/10Balanced clamp and silicone grip stay stable, even when damp.
IP rating
Buds IP57; case IP54.
Case and battery life
9/1010h buds/40h total; 5‑min top‑up gives 2h playback.
Controls
9.75/10New squeeze sensor fixes accidental taps; wearing detection with skin detect.
Connectivity
8.5/10Bluetooth 6.1, SBC/AAC; multipoint without takeover; no mono; Fast/Swift Pair; Find My; low‑latency mode.
Call quality
7/10Slightly worse than Air in my tests.
App customization and extra features
8/10Improved Dolby Audio, 5‑band EQ, Smart EQ, high stability mode, drop alert (beta).
Sound at low volumes (below 60%)
9.75/10Cleaner treble/mids, slightly deeper bass vs Air/Dots 1.
Sound at high volumes (above 60%)
10/10No audible bass distortion at loud levels; better separation.
THE SCORECARD
SHOKZ OpenDots Air
- CATEGORY SUM
- 89of 100, before weighting
- RANK
- 2of 44 open earbuds
- CATEGORIES
- 10
- STRONGEST
- 9.75Controls
- WEAKEST
- 7.5Call quality
Comfort
9/10Comfortable; wire protrudes slightly more than Dots 1/2.
Security of the fit
9.5/10Stays put during workouts and when damp.
IP rating
Buds IP55.
Case and battery life
8.5/109h buds/36h total; 10‑min = 2h fast charge; pairing button hidden on case front.
Controls
9.75/10Same squeeze controls and wearing detection; no mic mute.
Connectivity
8.5/10Bluetooth 6.1, SBC/AAC; multipoint without takeover; no mono; Fast/Swift Pair; no low‑latency.
Call quality
7.5/10Slightly better than Dots 2 in my phone‑call tests.
App customization and extra features
8/105‑band EQ, prompt tones, high stability mode; no Dolby/Smart EQ/drop alert.
Sound at low volumes (below 60%)
9.5/10Very close to Dots 1; a touch more bass punch.
Sound at high volumes (above 60%)
9.5/10Great bass amount but mild distortion near ~80% volume.
Which should you buy: OpenDots 2 or OpenDots Air?
If you want the best sound and the most complete feature set, grab OpenDots 2. It edges the Air in clarity and high‑volume cleanliness, adds low‑latency mode, improved Dolby Audio, Smart EQ and a handy drop‑alert beta. If you want better value, the OpenDots Air delivers almost the same sound for less, slightly better call quality, and all the core upgrades like squeeze controls and wearing detection. You lose Dolby Audio and a bit of battery/fast‑charge speed.
Are the new squeeze controls a real fix?
Yes. Both buds move from the old rear touch strip to a force‑squeeze sensor with adjustable sensitivity, plus side double/triple taps. Accidental activations are gone once I set sensitivity to low, and you can change click volume or turn it off. Wearing detection now uses skin detection so a bud in your pocket won’t trigger. The only miss is call controls — there’s still no mic‑mute, and you can’t map an EQ/Dolby toggle.
Battery, case and comfort notes
OpenDots 2 run 10 hours in‑ear and 40 total with the case; Air do 9 and 36. No wireless charging on either. Fast charge is better on the 2 (5 minutes = ~2 hours) versus 10 minutes on Air for the same top‑up. The Air case hides its pairing button under the front panel — press the front to pair. Comfort is great on both; for side sleeping the 2 (and Dots 1) are easier to position, while Air are fine but the wire sticks out a touch more. Colors: Air in purple or black; Dots 2 in pale white with gold accents, black, or gray, with optional clip‑on jewelry if that’s your thing.
Connectivity and app extras
Both use Bluetooth 6.1 with SBC/AAC, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, and multipoint without takeover (pause on one device, play on the other). There’s still no true mono mode: use only the left bud and you’ll only hear the left channel. Auto left‑right channel switching works even if you wear each bud on either ear. OpenDots 2 add a low‑latency mode and a Find‑My‑buds locator. In the app, both have a solid 5‑band EQ and control customization; OpenDots 2 add improved Dolby Audio, a Smart EQ hearing test, and a drop‑alert beta that beeps if one bud falls off while you’re moving.
Sound quality: low vs high volume
Below 60% volume, OpenDots 2 push treble a bit more directly, clarify the mids and add a touch more bass depth; I scored them 9.75 vs the Air at 9.5. Above 60%, both Air and Dots 1 can show very mild bass distortion near ~80% on bass‑heavy tracks. The redesigned diaphragm in OpenDots 2 sorts that out for me — I can keep a slight bass boost at louder levels with no audible distortion, so they get a 10/10. I measured max volume at 112.3 dB for OpenDots 2 and 110.2 dB for Air. Sound leakage is similar across the lineup: at ~60% you’ll leak a little in a quiet room.
Questions I keep getting
Do OpenDots 2 or Air support true mono listening?
No. If you use only the left bud you’ll hear only the left channel, not a summed mono feed. Both do automatic left–right channel switching if you swap ears.
Is there a gaming or low‑latency mode?
Only on OpenDots 2. Latency is best on iOS for me; it wasn’t great on my Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
Can I mute the microphone from the earbuds during calls?
No, there’s still no mic‑mute mapping in call controls on either model.
Do the cases support wireless charging?
No. Charging is via cable only. OpenDots 2 have faster top‑ups (5 minutes ≈ 2 hours of playback) whereas Air need 10 minutes for the same.
Are they comfortable for side sleeping?
Dots 1/2 are good once positioned; Air are fine but the wire sticks out a bit more, so they’re a little less comfy on the pillow.
THE VERDICT
After the weighting pass, SHOKZ is back on top: OpenDots 2 finish 1st with 92.4, thanks to cleaner high‑volume sound and the big control overhaul. OpenDots Air slide into 2nd with 91.4 and are the value pick — nearly the same sound, slightly better calls, and all the core upgrades for less. If you want the very best open‑ear sound and features, get OpenDots 2. If you want 90% of that for less cash, get OpenDots Air. If calls matter most, also consider HUAWEI FreeClip 2. Stay picky.
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