How good is bone conduction?

General IEM Discussion
21

I’ve been using Afershokz products for the last 3-4 years now. I’ve used the Trekz Titanium, Trekz Air and now the Aeropex pretty much every day, all day since a friend of mine introduced me to bone conduction.

As long as you know what to expect, I think the Aeropex is absolutely the best of what Aftershokz has to offer (not surprising considering it’s their current flagship.)
Unfortunately, I can’t give any relevant comparisons to other competitors, but there are a couple reasons why I will recommend Aftershokz over other generic or lesser known companies.

  1. Customer service through Aftershokz is top notch. I’ve had problems over the years with Aftershokz products, but they have always been quick to respond and very flexible and helpful with solving my issues. They offer a 2 year warranty, which I think is worth the premium alone.

  2. Build and comfort: The only times I take my Aeropex off are when I’m sleeping, when I need to charge them, or when I’m using over-ear headphones. (They will still work if you’re wearing IEM’s, which is awesome for playing a game (sound through the IEM’s) and listening to a podcast or talking on the phone (Through the headset).

  3. They can withstand daily use because they’re durable enough to stand up to wear and tear and IP68 certified. I’ve had a couple fail on me (the mic isn’t the best design if you get them wet constantly) but Aftershokz has always been happy to either troubleshoot my problems with me or send me a replacement free of charge.

  4. I believe they’re actually safer for continued listening than traditional headphones but don’t quote me on this. I haven’t done any research, but I think it was worth noting.

But there are a couple caveats, the main one being sound.
There’s no getting around the fact that bone conduction just doesn’t sound as good as traditional headphones. It could probably be comparable to low end consumer headphones, but to me I don’t use them because they sound good. I use them because they’re convenient, always there and sound good enough to get used to, especially for spoken word and phonecalls.

Some people complain about the vibration tickling or being uncomfortable, which is completely valid, but this went away for me after about a week tops.

I’ve also seen people report noticeable sound leakage (other people hearing what you’re listening to) but I personally don’t ever have them loud enough to make this an issue.

If you’re looking at bone conduction as something to use every day and not just a toy to get bored with after a week, I’d recommend the Aeropex 100%.

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22

If you’re intrigued by the unique benefits of bone conduction technology, they can be a valuable addition to your audio toolkit. However, if you’re primarily concerned about the best possible sound quality, traditional high-end earphones might still be your best choice.

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23

I tried the Aftershokz bone conduction headphones. They worked pretty well but I was distracted by the vibration induced by the bone conduction.

I ended up using a pair of Bose Frames which served the same purpose, but without the distraction. I had prescription lenses made for the Bose Frames. I liked the ability to hear my environment (cars, etc.) when walking around with them.

Of course neither of these solutions offer audiophile level sound, so I listen to podcasts and make telephone calls on them. For that purpose they are great.

24

I think if you tried a top tier iem, with bone conduction, your experience would be a lot different. There are several vendors that have excellent implementations of bone conduction. It adds a unique element to listening experience. Similar to what a sub woofer in car audio does. Several top tier iems have bone conduction drivers. Noble Audio “Kublai Khan”, Empire Ears “EVO and Raven” Unique Melody " MK II and III" and Astell & Kern “Odessy”
I own the Unique Melody MK II, the bone conduction helps to accentuate the bass and mids. You need to use Silcone or Xelastic tips to get full experience, foam tips mute the bone conduction. It adds more punch to bass, they use a 10mm dynamic driver for bass, the BC driver definitely accentuates the bass.

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