Just had my mind blown - Bone conduction headphones.

[Crossy 28,038]

A spot of background.

I have to change my mode of commute for various reasons (mostly $$$) so I'll be on the train rather than driving.

Of course this is mind-bendingly boring so listening to music (actually BBC Radio 2) is required.

I can't use earbuds as I don't like the sweaty, blocked feeling and I tend to get ear infections anyway, dont want to increase the risk.

I have a very nice set of closed-cup phones which I use at home (they block the screaming from Madam's Thai soaps whilst I enjoy the cricket), but having seen how dorkish others look when wearing similar on the train ...

I also feel for my fellow passengers and wish to avoid them having to listen to a tinny version of Ken Bruce (I need to listen at high volume due to hearing loss).

 

Enter bone-conduction headphones.

They purport to be everything I need, nothing in the ear (no blocked feeling and you can hear the enviroment), almost invisible (so you don't look like you just stepped of the flight deck) and there's no tinny version of your music broadcast to all and sundry.

 

After some research I bought a set of Aftershokz Aeropex from the Aftershokz store on Lazada. At a splash under 6,000 Baht they don't exactly fit in the "low cost" price bracket, there are rather cheaper (2,500 Baht) options from the same stable but I went for the long talk time (8 hours), light weight (26g) and IP67 water resistance (not quite good enough for swimming but getting caught in the rain isn't an issue).

 

 

So they arrived this afternoon. A bit of a charge (comes with two magnetic charge leads) I paired them with the phone and put on Ken Bruce. I admit I wasn't expecting ultra-fi sound, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised with the depth of the bass, not squeeky. Definitely listenable and they go far louder than I'm comfortable with without any significant sound leakage.

 

Not a technology everyone has come across, but for those of us who like to cycle or jog on our more than somewhat risky roads being able to hear what's going on around you has to be a valuable safety enhancement. Definitely worth a look (ok listen).

 

[DeepSea 100]

11 minutes ago, Crossy said:

A spot of background.

I have to change my mode of commute for various reasons (mostly $$$) so I'll be on the train rather than driving.

Of course this is mind-bendingly boring so listening to music (actually BBC Radio 2) is required.

I can't use earbuds as I don't like the sweaty, blocked feeling and I tend to get ear infections anyway, dont want to increase the risk.

I have a very nice set of closed-cup phones which I use at home (they block the screaming from Madam's Thai soaps whilst I enjoy the cricket), but having seen how dorkish others look when wearing similar on the train ...

I also feel for my fellow passengers and wish to avoid them having to listen to a tinny version of Ken Bruce (I need to listen at high volume due to hearing loss).

 

Enter bone-conduction headphones.

They purport to be everything I need, nothing in the ear (no blocked feeling and you can hear the enviroment), almost invisible (so you don't look like you just stepped of the flight deck) and there's no tinny version of your music broadcast to all and sundry.

 

After some research I bought a set of Aftershokz Aeropex from the Aftershokz store on Lazada. At a splash under 6,000 Baht they don't exactly fit in the "low cost" price bracket, there are rather cheaper (2,500 Baht) options from the same stable but I went for the long talk time (8 hours), light weight (26g) and IP67 water resistance (not quite good enough for swimming but getting caught in the rain isn't an issue).

 

 

So they arrived this afternoon. A bit of a charge (comes with two magnetic charge leads) I paired them with the phone and put on Ken Bruce. I admit I wasn't expecting ultra-fi sound, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised with the depth of the bass, not squeeky. Definitely listenable and they go far louder than I'm comfortable with without any significant sound leakage.

 

Not a technology everyone has come across, but for those of us who like to cycle or jog on our more than somewhat risky roads being able to hear what's going on around you has to be a valuable safety enhancement. Definitely worth a look (ok listen).

 

I bought some for my wife who has the tiniest ears known to man, as she was always complaining about not being able to find comfortable earbuds which were her size. I tried them myself, its a bit disconcerting at first, being able to hear everything in the room, plus the sound from the earphones, also a tiny, tickle of a buzz against the ear if you turn the volume up full, but great tech, love them.

[nikmar 6,696]

Must admit to never having heard of bone conductor ear phones.

I do tend to listen to music on my daily skytrain commute to Silom every day and normally, go for the “stepping off the flight deck” look with Bluetooth headphones. I do feel a bit of a helmet but this sounds promising.

Will give them a go. Cheers for the review. 

 

[donnacha 6,023]

I like to listen to audiobooks while swimming for 90 minutes every day, so, I have tried every type of swimming MP3 player I could get my hands on.

I was recently intrigued to discover the swimming version of these bone conduction headphones, the AfterShokz Xtrainerz. The Lazada price of around 5,500 THB would be well worth it if the sound is clear and they last for at least a year. Just a pity they wouldn't be able to connect to my Apple Watch via Bluetooth.

My usual (non-swimming) earphones are my Airpods Pro, just wonderful, far better than my Bose QC35 noise canceling headphones.

 

Edited February 23 by donnacha

[Crossy 28,038]

2 minutes ago, donnacha said:

I like to listen to audiobooks while swimming for 90 minutes every day, so, I have tried every type of swimming MP3 player I could get my hands on. I was recently intrigued to discover the swimming version of these bone conduction headphones, the AfterShokz Xtrainerz. The Lazada price of around 5,500 THB would be well worth it if the sound is clear and they last for at least a year.

 

If the performance of the Aeropex is anything to go by you should be well happy with the Xtrainerz. Obviously you are still going to get the glugging noises in the ears unless you wear earplugs as well.

 

The Aeropex has a 2 year warranty, one assumes (dangerous I know) that the Xtrainerz are similar.

[Golden Triangle 5,898]

@Crossy how well do you do with Popmaster ? I'm normally lucky if I can get above 10, currently listening to yesterday's Steve Wright, such a funny show at times.

 

[KannikaP 1,202]

40 minutes ago, Crossy said:

A spot of background.

I have to change my mode of commute for various reasons (mostly $$$) so I'll be on the train rather than driving.

Of course this is mind-bendingly boring so listening to music (actually BBC Radio 2) is required.

I can't use earbuds as I don't like the sweaty, blocked feeling and I tend to get ear infections anyway, dont want to increase the risk.

I have a very nice set of closed-cup phones which I use at home (they block the screaming from Madam's Thai soaps whilst I enjoy the cricket), but having seen how dorkish others look when wearing similar on the train ...

I also feel for my fellow passengers and wish to avoid them having to listen to a tinny version of Ken Bruce (I need to listen at high volume due to hearing loss).

 

Enter bone-conduction headphones.

They purport to be everything I need, nothing in the ear (no blocked feeling and you can hear the enviroment), almost invisible (so you don't look like you just stepped of the flight deck) and there's no tinny version of your music broadcast to all and sundry.

 

After some research I bought a set of Aftershokz Aeropex from the Aftershokz store on Lazada. At a splash under 6,000 Baht they don't exactly fit in the "low cost" price bracket, there are rather cheaper (2,500 Baht) options from the same stable but I went for the long talk time (8 hours), light weight (26g) and IP67 water resistance (not quite good enough for swimming but getting caught in the rain isn't an issue).

 

 

So they arrived this afternoon. A bit of a charge (comes with two magnetic charge leads) I paired them with the phone and put on Ken Bruce. I admit I wasn't expecting ultra-fi sound, but I was extremely pleasantly surprised with the depth of the bass, not squeeky. Definitely listenable and they go far louder than I'm comfortable with without any significant sound leakage.

 

Not a technology everyone has come across, but for those of us who like to cycle or jog on our more than somewhat risky roads being able to hear what's going on around you has to be a valuable safety enhancement. Definitely worth a look (ok listen).

 

Do they help you win at Popmaster?    LOL

Edited February 23 by KannikaP

[donnacha 6,023]

Just now, Crossy said:

If the performance of the Aeropex is anything to go by you should be well happy with the Xtrainerz. Obviously you are still going to get the glugging noises in the ears unless you wear earplugs as well.

Right. It would be interesting to see if they would still be useable with the presumably louder noise from one of those Endless Pool / counter current swimming machines. But, yes, earplugs probably required in both cases.
 

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

The Aeropex has a 2 year warranty, one assumes (dangerous I know) that the Xtrainerz are similar.

Yes, that appears to be the case. Thanks Crossy.

 

[OneMoreFarang 27,662]

Interesting. I like to hear your "long term" review maybe after a month.

I think lots of headphones seem to be good at the beginning (especially if we just paid a lot of money for them). But after some time they are uncomfortable to wear or the sound it not so good, whatever.

So please update us when you used them for some time.

[Crossy 28,038]

Just now, KannikaP said:

Do they help you win at Popmater?    LOL

 

Nope!

 

2 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

@Crossy how well do you do with Popmaster ? I'm normally lucky if I can get above 10, currently listening to yesterday's Steve Wright, such a funny show at times.

 

I'm lucky to get into double figures, I did once get a 3-in-Ten (Mud hits IIRC).

 

[KannikaP 1,202]

3 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

@Crossy how well do you do with Popmaster ? I'm normally lucky if I can get above 10, currently listening to yesterday's Steve Wright, such a funny show at times.

 

Love it when Ken (or Gary) ask how many points do they think they will score. Oh, in the mid teens they reply. There is only ONE mid teen score ....15

[Crossy 28,038]

1 minute ago, KannikaP said:

Love it when Ken (or Gary) ask how many points do they think they will score. Oh, in the mid teens they reply. There is only ONE mid teen score ....15

 

And then they go on to get 39 followed by winning Champion's League at christmas.

[Crossy 28,038]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Interesting. I like to hear your "long term" review maybe after a month.

I think lots of headphones seem to be good at the beginning (especially if we just paid a lot of money for them). But after some time they are uncomfortable to wear or the sound it not so good, whatever.

So please update us when you used them for some time.

 

Wilco, they are incredibly light with just a slight pressure from the headband, should be easy enough to forget you're wearing them.

 

[KannikaP 1,202]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

And then they go on to get 39 followed by winning Champion's League at christmas.

Here is my 17.30 ringtone. There is a very interesting video on You Tube of the orchestra recording this jingle.

POPMASTER.mp3

Edited February 23 by KannikaP

[VocalNeal 7,463]

55 minutes ago, Crossy said:

At a splash under 6,000 Baht

 

How many BTS tickets is that? Should have stuck to driving. 555

 

Did you get the pink ones?

Edited February 23 by VocalNeal