Especially for runners and pedestrians, one of the major drawbacks for headphones is the lack of input from their surroundings. They can’t easily hear trucks or buses driving near them, which, especially for people living in urban areas, can be dangerous. AfterShokz created a solution to this problem by making headphones that play music while still leaving the eardrum open for audio from their surroundings.
The headphones were shipped to my (Callan’s) house quickly after contacting the company. They arrived in a rubber zipper case, and came with instructions in multiple languages, earplugs, and a micro usb cable. These headphones are easy to set up and can be connected to multiple devices at once, although they only play input from one device. The headphones are simple to set up, and the instructions and manual are clear and understandable.
Aftershokz headphones are designed to let users listen to music while also allowing to hear their surroundings. The sound vibrations travel through the user’s cheekbone, leaving the ear open for other input. Some more mundane examples of bone conduction are humming with your ears plugged or hearing your own voice (note how it sounds different when you talk rather than hearing a recording). These headphones are designed with athletes in mind, although they aren’t the only people Aftershokz are useful for. We let some of the girls on our soccer team try them, and they were all shocked (pun intended) at how the music seemed to be inside their head!
Because these headphones are designed with one main purpose (letting the user hear their music and their surroundings), the sound is different than other headphones. They’re quieter than others, and the sound is simply different because the music is played through the cheekbone. Especially for first-time users, moving the headphones around and adjusting where they’re sitting helps find a sweet spot where audio quality is best. My (Callan’s) sweet spot is with the back band tilted up snug with my head, but the sweet spot will vary with the person. Audio quality improves when the actual ear is plugged though, so if you’re looking for sound quality at times, the headphones come with a set of earplugs.
These headphones are very flexible and water resistant, which is awesome for runners. I (Callan) have run with mine and they worked awesome!
Aftershokz has multiple styles of headphones, including bluetooth options. We received the Trekz Air model, the newest and lightest style as of now, but all of the models use the same technology.
These headphones are a great product, especially for pedestrians that are looking for a way to be able to hear their surroundings. Although the audio quality is different, the sound is clear and achieves its claim. Overall, these headphones are awesome, and they’ll definitely be used in the future.