I just recently learned that this is a thing that exists. I’ve had a couple audiology tests that use these weird headphones with firm rubber balls where normally expect to see the speakers; the rubber balls sit on your temporal bone, and there’s a metal bar the wraps around your head connecting them and giving them pressure to kinda squeeze your head.
The sound experience was pretty wild - my ears were completely open, so I could still hear ambient noises, but the sounds from the headphones were just kinda there… like it didn’t sound like they were coming from anywhere, but like beamed directly into my brain.
I was curious if these were exclusive for audiology testing or if there were commercial variants for listening to music and such… hit the ol’ search engine, and lo and behold: there are actually quite a few commercial variants!
- TLDR -
Anywho, I’m intrigued as hell, and am curious if anyone here has experience with bone conduction headphones. Lots of questions:
Which brand/model are you using?
How’s the sound quality?
How’s the sound leak?
What kind of music do you use it to listen to? (my poison of choice is symphonic metal, with emphasis on the symphonic bits – looking for that full range hit everything from the flutes to the howler monkeys :P)
Are they comfortable to wear? For how long?
Do you get any skin irritation or even breakdown where it contacts your temple?
Does the hook part wrap around your ears without any pressure points?
Does the behind-the-head band bounce around when you’re walking or running?
How much space is between the band and the back of your head/neck? (I think my noggin is a bit on the smaller side, and I have basically no hair… one of the manufacturers makes one with a smaller sized band, which might be a good selling point for me)
How’s the battery life?
How long have you had it?
When do you use it? (working out, at work, etc)
Do they stay put, or do you need to reposition them frequently?
Anything else to comment on?
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I bought a cheap pair on Amazon for around $30 just to try the concept out. I actually use them primarily for gaming cause I play a lot of split screen/in the same room with people, so it let’s us talk while I can still hear.
Couple of notes:
- Don’t put the volume too high, as they can damage your ears just like regular headphones
- They are definitely quieter than regular headphones as nothing is blocking your ears.
Which brand/model are you using?
Aftershokz Aeropex
How’s the sound quality?
Not great, but they are not headphones I use for audiophile-purposes
How’s the sound leak?
No idea tbh - a bit more than in-ears/over-ears I guess?
What kind of music do you use it to listen to?
Hardly any. If I want music, I have other hardware for that. My primary use for these headphones is to listen to podcasts while exercising
Are they comfortable to wear? For how long?
You don’t really notice them. I use them for hours on end for long cycling trips and they work well for that
Do you get any skin irritation or even breakdown where it contacts your temple?
I have not noticed any
Does the hook part wrap around your ears without any pressure points?
Yes
Does the behind-the-head band bounce around when you’re walking or running?
Not noticably
How much space is between the band and the back of your head/neck?
A few centimeters, less than five.
How’s the battery life?
A full charge maybe gets you 8 hours I think? I never let my devices go that low, though
How long have you had it?
2 years
When do you use it?
While exercising to listen to podcasts
Do they stay put, or do you need to reposition them frequently?
They stay where they are. It can be annoying to put on/take off shirts though as they can easily get stuck in them
Anything else to comment on?
I really enjoy my headphones, but they are most certainly not good for music imo. Still, it makes my rotation, which is mostly these plus a pair of buds that go in my pocket for all other listening purposes
Completely agree with everything said there and will add a couple of cents.
They are not audiophile headphones but now form an irreplaceable part of my lineup because they are the opposite - an extremely handy and comfy sound devices for when I am active.
The sound quality leaves a lot to be wished for on its own… BUT I have never noticed it in the 3 years that I have used it while running, cycling, or being in the gym. Our mind focuses on other stuff when exercising and the audio for that level of attention is perfect.
The weak spots are the lows and highs - jazz is not worth it and you miss the colour on the bass (i.e. only the thump), the mids are okay, which makes most rock/indie/pop good to listen to.
Hmmm. I listen mostly to genres of “extreme” metal, and decent bass production is a must for me in my exercise headphones. I’ve killed multiple sets of Shure in-ear monitors with sweat (RIP my wallet), and use sound-isolating ear tips to eliminate extraneous noise and get better sound. I absolutely notice the loss in sound quality when I switch to different, less-isolating headphones, and it’s very distracting for me.
It sounds like these would not be a good fit for me.
What others have said here is you could try and pair it up with earplugs. That does noticeably improve the sound quality and bass, while it’s no shame to ruin earplugs with sweat.
I am an evangelist for these. I have a set of the aftershokz and I wear them like a watch, always on my head. I do a lot of work in different kinds of factories, forges, power plants, etc which are all places earplugs are required. No big deal with bone conducting headphones, I can listen to my podcasts while I work. A bonus too is the kind I ended up with can connect to two phones, so my work phone and personal phone don’t need two different headsets. The only downside is when I have to take a flight somwhere they aren’t really loud enough to fight the sound of the plane so you have to wear earplugs. But the upshot is people generally leave you alone if yer wearing earplugs which is nice. I grab handfuls of them from our customers anyways so it’s double not a big deal.
Can confirm everything this 👑 just said. Wear them everywhere. I’ve spent 45 hours listening to books in the last 2 weeks alone.
Being able to hear what is around you but also what you want is a game changer. Have a toddler as well. Comes in way handy for that also.
Someone at work does this, and I can never quite tell if he’s talking to me or is he’s on the phone when he starts talking
I had a pair of trekz titaniums before and wanted to wear them all the time but felt kinda rude if I were to talk to someone with them on
Maybe this is the Gen X or Millennial in me but I take phone calls outside, or to the other room.
They make them with Boom Mics so you pull it down when you’re talking.
Either way if someone is talking on the phone right in front of me - I don’t consider it rude to listen, or even butt in. It’s low key rude that they’re having a private conversation right in front of you whichever headphone they wear.
The guy doesn’t have the one with the boom mic, it’s work related calls and the office is not big enough to go to another room
Also interested!
Never tried them, but people claim that they are great for anything but music. You can totally listen to music through your bone, but the experience lacks behind good headphones.
Lots of Aftershox comments and recs here. I’ve owned 3 generations of Aftershox and now use the Suunto Wingz. I like the head gestures and led and the sound is as good if not better. YMMV.
I use a set of Skullcandy ear buds. I’ve had them a few years, sound quality is ok for the money. I have a set of Shure SE530s that kinda ruin the bell curve for me. Battery life is meh. Ear buds are comfortable and hook into my ears nicely. No strap, band or ear hooks. I use them for remote meetings and when I’m flying. No real complaints.
Delete works great on the Fediverse
I had a pair I would use while doing chores and taking walks or riding bikes: times I didn’t want to block ambient noise but wanted some music or podcast running. Sound quality is nowhere near typical headphones. In the right usage scenario, they were great… until I accidentally sat on them and haven’t replaced them yet.
I love my Shokz Openrun. It really fits my head, is easy to detach and the audio is pretty good. I use it basically everyday, anywhere and anytime. After wearing it for about an hour, you don’t even remember that you’re wearing it. It’s so comfortable. The battery is pretty good, too. You can play music on it 16 hours straight.
My mother who used to be a Shokz user bought soundcore aerofit pro recently though, she claims that musics sound better on Shokz. So I don’t recommend those “open-ear headphones”.
One thing I hate about Shokz is that I cannot lie on the bed while wearing it. Otherwise it’s pretty good.
I have the Shokz OpenRun Pro. Well worth the money, no complaints. I wear them all the time at work (hazard issue to have in-ear earbuds). There’s a pause button on the side when I’m trying to give somebody my full attention, or I’ll just take them off and wear it around my neck. Lasts through a 16 hr shift.
Afterskokz are great like everyone says. I even sleep with mine on sometimes with a rain app on so it doesn’t bother my wife. They stay on all night for me, they are better laying on your side but you can lay pretty much how you want with a little adjustment.
Aftershocks… I have the mini for about 2 years and still a but too much space in the back but my hair usually covers it. Better is usually 30’ish hours? Sound is good, you won’t get deep bass or be immersed by it but for running around it’s great. I wear mine at work and in the shower too. Sometimes while sleeping too depending on battery life and the lazy factor. My BFF has the “detached” over the ears version which eliminates the neck band issue.
The detached version doesn’t use conduction, and it goes in the ears preventing ear plugs for anyone curious.
It’s weird the website acts as though they are comparable.
But their sound quality is notably better.
Right and it’s also better for Air Buds and all over Earbuds which is what they should be compared to
I’ve had a pair of shcokz until I forgot them in an airport. I bought regular pair instead since that’s what was available at the time. Pretty much what everyone said here is true. Comfy, you hear well 90% of the time, good combo with earplugs when you can, sound quality is okay but not great.
One very neat (accidental) feature of them is that if you put them in the right accustic (like in a cupboard) they turn into an okay speaker.
I got the shokz openrun pros just a few weeks ago despite considering them and other bone conduction headphones for years. I wanted them because I bike a lot and wanted to have open ears when listening to music. I quickly found the reason they are called openRUN, because when biking at anything over about 10kmh, the wind noise overpowers them so much I need to turn them to unhealthy levels in order to hear anything.
Another disappointment is that they aren’t really bone conduction. They are just small speakers pointing directly into your ears. I partially bought them because I was excited about the tech, but they are now useless in my application and boring. I will probably sell them and get in ear buds with pass-through noise canceling and wind noise cancelation.
Another believer in Shokz. I’ve got two. I mainly use them during work (wfh) to listen to YouTube/podcasts. And for me it’s a vastly superior experience to ear buds and on/over ear headphones, which always make me feel super hot.
The other pair I use while cycling. And yeas, while at high speeds I don’t really hear anything because of wind, during normal riding they’re excellent because I still hear ambient sound, which is my preference, safety wise.
Whats normal and whats highspeed in your case? I consider Them for my daily way to work but go rather fast (25km/h to 30) cause its a long way to go…
In my experience, after trying most brands, they are just ok for music.
Using them at the gym was not a good experience because the gym music is too loud, and this is the same for malls and airports.
Outdoors usage is good for running and washing the car. None of them are good for Webex or Zoom meetings because the mic is very tinny, except for Shoks OpenComm2 UC, with the boom mic.
In a quiet office, with open space design, my coworkers didn’t complain. One coworker sits two desks down, from me, has a pair of Shokz and I don’t hear his music.
And because of the behind the neck design, you can’t lay in bed. Anything that pushes the conductor out of the sweet spot will ruin the music.
I didn’t keep any of them.
Have you seen shokz open fit? They’re more the wireless earbuds form factor, those might work in bed
Your TLDR is longer than the comment above it LOL
Yeah usually TLDR means “here’s a short summary” but in this case it’s “here’s where to start reading if you don’t care about the context and want to just dive right into the questions”.
It’s a TS;DR
