OpenComm2 2025 Upgrade - Open-Ear Bone Conduction Headphones, Wireless Bluetooth Headset with Noise Canceling Mic & Mute Button for Work Calls and Meetings, 16 Hour Talk Time for Mobile & PC - C120Carbonfree Certified

This is my new review of my second purchase of the same OpenComm2 USB-A magnetic model:I LOVE LOVE LOVE these. I cannot love without them; I can wear Skull Screws hearing protection AND a hardhat, and if I'm feeling extra spicy I can also wear these with my hazmat suit. When battery is low or I am done, I simply throw them over my CB cable and put the magnet near the charging magnet receiver, and should I ever need to quickly throw these on or grab and go, I don't have to think at all whether they are plugged in, the magnetic charger disconnects. I have encountered a few circumstances where I legitimately needed to use these while they were charging, and while this is possible, it may be tough unless you are fairly still as the magnetic charger is not the strongest... after all this time, the magnet strength seems useful, but I can't imagine it could get any stronger without increasing the size, and it's perfectly sized right now. Some things I absolutely HATE: the beeping and the automated voice. I prefer to use these at minimum volume or almost minimum, and they are plenty loud for phone calls, else I turn them up. The beeping is DEAFENING and the voice is also too loud. There is zero volume control for the hardware feedback so you have to learn how to set it and forget it, and not accidentally touch anything, and adjust volume by your phone/device. I have a fairly small head and these are massive, so I am basically drowning in them. So I do wish there could be a smaller size. Also, they are very rigid in shape, so the only "adjustment" is adhering to a large head, which I don't have, and even if I did; their rigidity is extreme enough to cause eventual discomfort, as although they are very light it does add up especially for glasses wearing, although most people probably won't be wearing these for 15 or so hours. Overall, these are my favorite and make work-life balance so easy. They're incredibly easy to clean especially thanks to the magnetic charge connection, and I feel comfortably wiping them down and wearing in heavy rain for extended periods of time. I sure don't understand how the "OpenComm2 2025 Upgrade" is not called "Downgrade". The updated version of this product was a serious letdown, as USB C takes away the convenience of something you should be able to throw on and go. As soon as I turn these on, I hear "Device 1 Connected", I never have trouble pairing this with my phone. And even the one time I did, it's as simple as restarting. I would absolutely go out of my way to further improve this amazing product; it is a huge safety benefit and productivity tool in personal and work life.This is my old and original 3/5 star review:Firstly, I give unduplicatable and impeccable reviews, so I deserve some credit:W/A1. Mic is non-removable but can be turned out of the way without issue2. Magnet for charger is very WEAK and when you attempt to charge while using beware: disconnecting the charger is a non-issue, however every time the charger reconnects, the OpenComms 2 will turn off! Turning on is fairly quick: hold one of the power buttons and it turns in and connects after some time.3. The hardware's feedback is insanely obnoxious! Volume adjustment is always the same too-loud volume level. When turning the device on, you cannot use volume buttons to seek or play, and the device repeats your battery level regardless if you press volume up or down. And no, you cannot play, pause, or seek songs or podcasts (any media) from the power buttons. Volume buttons are strictly for: turning the device on, turning it off, and adjusting volume if you don't have the device in hand.4. Sound quality is great and sounds really accurate. Bass will not reverberate but it does NOT sound as bad as those baseless tinny headphones from the 2000's. I would choose these over headphones any day. The bass is "baseless" but still sounds alright. No, audio is not balanced all the time in regard to fade or frequency, but it's a nonissue. Listening to someone speak over a podcast is clear and easily perceptive.5. I will update this review after using with hearing protection and while driving a semi truck. I will attempt to use the mic to control Siri, so stay tuned.Update:The battery life is no lie, and it does charge to full quick. The whole "battery high" and "battery medium" is annoyingly broad, but if you're tracking your time usage it's not so tough to know when it's time to charge. I found myself using hearing protection more to hear better, and preferred the volume to be at almost the lowest level all the time. When I turned the volume up, any better connections would drown put anyone trying to talk to me and it was just too loud. The sound quality is no professional headset, but it's great for videos, podcasts, and okay for music.The mic is completely useless for siri unless you're actively listening to audio through the headset, and even then I'm still unsure if it uses the microphone to trigger siri or if it's because the truck is just quiet enough.I would definitely recommend these, even if you'll only use the microphone one to a few times a week.The biggest caveat is the unbalanced audio. It often seemed as those I could hear audio out of the left ear than the right ear, as the right conductor was not touching to my skin enough. When I pushed it down, it felt like lots of travel, and I could not seem to bend it in place. They work great and it isn't a huge issue because they usually sound balanced. What are they worth? In my opinion no more than $110. Would I buy these OpenComm2's knowing all of this even though the price is way over $150? Yes. Button feedback noise? Uhg the beeping makes it worth maybe $40. The beeping is painfully loud and never okay. I have to separate these from touching my skin just to turn them on, off, etc.

Pros:- All day comfort- Great ANC Mic- Great sound for calls, music, streaming content, etc- All day battery life- Zoom/Teams integration- Hear your surroundings- Large tactile buttonsCons:- Proprietary charging cable (needed for IP rating)- Wrap around wire extends beyond neckI have own(ed) just about every high end wireless headset/earbuds out there (Bose, Jabra, Pixel, LG, Plantronics/Poly, Sony, etc. For business (MS Teams, Zoom, Etc.)I've tried them all with my laptop and have used Plantronics Savi for years even though it's not the most comfortable.I have used the original Aftershokz Opencomm headset and, although it offered great sound quality and superior mic quality, not having a dedicated mute button was a problem as a business headset. I have to press and hold vol up and vol down to mute and that was clumsy. Plus it muted the headset but not the Teams app itself.When my Plantronics headset started to lose battery life, i decided to try the Opencomm 2 UC. Reason: The Opencomm 2 UC is Zoom certified (and integrates perfectly with Teams).; the UC 2 also has a dedicated mute button on the mic stem; and the UC 2 has a USB dongle.The dongle connection is far better and more reliable than regular Bluetooth connection on a laptop. Plus it provides longer distance (up to 100 feet), which is basically 3X the distance from standard Bluetooth.The mic is as good or better than the mic on the original Opencomm headset, which Id rate as the best ANC mic in the business!The OC 2 has great battery life... It's rated at 16 hrs talk time and 8 hrs listening time. That's important to me because I don't just take Teams calls and Teams meetings, but I'm a software trainer and teach all-day classes online. So, I need a headset that truly lasts all day.The OC 2 also offers multi-point connection. So, I can connect to my laptop and my cellphone at the same time and it switches perfectly when called on. The original Opencomm was multi-point also, but when I went out of range... say, leaving my office laptop and going in my car with the cellphone, it would beep incessantly to let me know the laptop was disconnected. With the OC 2, it simply says, "PC disconnected."Because the "pads" that provide the sound sit in front of your ears and not on on or in your ears, you have great awareness of the sounds around you. However, for that reason, this headset isn't meant to block out sound like on an airplane, etc. although you can put ear plugs in and still use the OC 2 if need be.Music sounds fine (not audiophile quality, but fine). However, at high volume, bass can be more vibration than sound. But I am quite satisfied listening to music or streaming content with the OC 2.Buttons are well managed. Separate up/down volume buttons on easy to find and use; the dedicated mute button is a huge plus; and the multi-function button works fine for play/pause, answer/end/ next previous. Being tactile buttons rather than touch buttons, you don't accidentally trigger a command you didn't intend to trigger.I have only two issues with the OC 2:1. They use a proprietary charging cable. I understand this is necessary to achieve their IP (dust/water rating); but it can be an issue if you travel and forget your cable. For this reason, I bought a couple of extra charging cables (available on Amazon) and keep one in my suitcase and one in my computer bag.2. The band that goes around the back of my head extends out about a half inch from my head. This gets in the way of the back of my office chair, my recliner, and the back of my automobile seat. The work around is to tilt it up higher than it would normally be sitting until it rests against your head. Not perfect, but workable.