I saw a recommendation for these "bone conduction" earphones for riding, on the basis that they don't block out traffic and other important environmental noise. I am wondering if anyone has tried them? Many arguments against:
They're expensive - 130 quid for the standard ones
The sound quality is unlikely to be as good as normal earphones
I already have AirPods with a "transparent" mode
It's one more material thing to clutter up my life
They're expensive (did I mention that?
I got some for xmas and really like them.
They wont fall out like airpods can and the ear is open so much better than transparent mode (I have airpods I use on the turbo with noise cancelling).
The sound quality is really good - I was amazed as I didnt think it would be great.
Its really good being able to commute with them and have some background music. I can hear traffic etc without issues (and the annoying click coming from my pedals or bottom bracket this morning!)
They are truly life changing.
At speed they are useless . At MTB speeds it just sounds like someone is cycling behind you playing all your favourite choons.
I have loads of gravel ( leisure cycling!) tracks near me that are just incredibly boring.
Combine them with a podcast you are getting entertained and exercise. I bought the cheapest to start with but liked them so much I got the most expensive for my birthday.
I couldn't be without them.
Ps I wear glasses on my bike and they fit no problem.
Pps to the comment below. I have tinnitus and any sort of in ear is out of the question. I can do a 3 hour ride and not have hurty ears.
I have some and they're OK for riding, but just OK. They seem very dependent on head shape, so try them first if you can.
For example, I can hear music fine when I ride, but a podcast is out of the question. They can also induce quite a lot of wind noise, in my experience. You end up turning the volume up which sort of defeats the point. I've also noticed my ears ringing afterward which makes me wonder just how much volume they're firing into my skull.
Better for running, in my experience. If I want to listen to stuff while riding I use the Beats Fit Pro with a Varia radar.
I have the Open Run ones, got a voucher on a Strava challenge.
They are amazing. Like all headphones, above 20 mph the wind noise overpowers the sound unless you are stupid enough to have it so loud you ruin you hearing and/or don't want to be aware of your surroundings.
They are light, comfy, secure, fit with my helmets and Oakleys.
I'd heard lots of comments about quality. I'm not a hifi buff, they sound fine to me. My son is at uni doing music and does a lot of AV stuff for uni events, his own headphones are Bose and Sennhauser (sp?). He tried my Shokz and said they were much better than he expected.
I love mine - wear them for commuting with R4 or a podcast on. They are robust to chuck in a bag - they came with a case but i nevr use it as its too bulky, waterproof, easy to wear and easy to use. Mine are quite old when they were called Aftershokz but still look and work as good as new with the battery lasting ages.
To be honest I'd pick my route though - even though you can hear traffic, they are a distraction and so I tend to only switch them on offroad or on very quiet roads. Would never wear earbud style when riding even with transparency mode on.
They are pretty rubbish for music IMO but then I am a bit of a hifi buff so prefer to actually listen to music rather than have it on in the background. They were a around £100....which is probably the least amount i've spent on a pair or headphones....so for the money they are quite good
I wear them probably 6 hours a day on average. My commutes have little traffic so I’m always listening to podcasts. At work I have music on all the time. It’s enough to take the edge off the open plan hubbub.
They are a bit tight on my fat neck/head but that’s preferable to earache I risk with in ear headphones
Love them but as above, in busy traffic or at speed they just don't work unless you have them too loud. If you are wandering though the woods yourself though they are fantastic. The quality is much better than you would imagine but not as good as decent earbuds. I got my shokx for 99eur a few weeks ago so hunt around and you might find an offer. At 130squids i would have thought twice about it.
They are also great for watching stuff online in the house but still wanting to be able to hear your family. It feels less rude somehow
My son reviewed these and really liked them https://road.cc/content/review/oladance-open-ear-headphones-299057 definitely a different sound (much more bass) compared with https://road.cc/content/review/haylou-purfree-bc01-bone-conduction-earphones-298007
yup, got those, they are amazing, i wear them solo MTB and commuting..
i've also got in ears (not pods, none of that apple shite) with transparency
firstly, in ears, if i stack it i worry there is risk to my head/ears in an impact
the transparency is no where near as natural as with having your ears fully open
My son reviewed these and really liked them
Thanks - I guess - I was kinda hoping everyone would say "these are rubbish, save your money", not "they're good, but look what you get if you spend even more" 🙂 🙂
Sound quality on my latest pair of Shokz is greatly improved over previous versions IMO. I’m just hoping reliability is improved - the magnetic power adaptor that provides some measure of waterproofing is a hopeful sign. Openruns are currently £90 at Costco.
I wear mine for running virtually all the time for podcasts. For riding as soon as you're at any speed, certainly on the road, wind noise overcomes them, but love them for everything else. I also have a waterproof non-Bluetooth pair for swimming which I do have music on which makes going up and down a pool tolerable.
yes...this thread and Rio's post have now got me looking at the Pro... thanks a bunch!
I was dubious when I was also looking, but took a punt on a blue pair which were discounted on Wiggle and they are brilliant for what I use them for, out walking and rollerblading so I can still be aware of the surroundings. I now actually use them tonnes more than I would normally wear normal headphones when outside. They also came with earbuds to put in your ears to give a better sound, but that kinda defeated the object of having them.
Openruns are currently £90 at Costco
That sounds like what I got. Had to take a blue pair to get the low price but i would have been happy with pink too. Great price
Love mine for riding and double up for work meetings online. quality surprisingly good.
Hardly use my ipod pro's now - perhaps just at the gym when I want to block out the noise.
On a slight tangent, I use a pair of earshots which are not bone conductor 'phones, instead they are kind of like traditional earbuds, but they don't go plugged into the ear canal, they stay outside of it, allowing you to safely hear other things going on around you.
Also, when I did something stupid and needed help, their customer service was the best customer service ever!
I have the base OpenMove model which retails at £80 but I got for about £50 during an Amazon sale.They charge via USB but I have used them on long, rainy audax rides without any issues.
My experience mirrors much of what has already been said - surprisingly good sound quality but get swamped by wind noise at higher speeds. It is very easy to pause playback when needed by tapping a button on the left earpiece when needed.
I am very happy with the base model and would replace them if I lost them.
Ok - stop - i give in - I’m getting some !! I see runningexpert have discounts on both the base and pro models.
I had some Aftershokz for several years. They were never quite loud enough*, but regardless, I used them constantly until they broke. I immediately ordered some Shokz Openrun (£100 ,btw) and they're even better; louder and clearer. They also connect flawlessly unlike the last pair.
The bass response is dire, but still I wouldn't be without them.
*the addition of foam earplugs helps with volume, but you can still hear someone calling you, for example
I’ve got the base ones too. Positive views here also. Albeit that’s based on a £60 BF deal. Worth seeing deals direct from Shokz. I’m not sure paying much more than that justified.
I was worried about the not loud enough/ wind noise comments. But no issue on Mtb. I can’t put to full volime would be too loud.
if never tried do be aware that of course these playing at a decent volume is still going to detract (distract?) from hearing other sounds. Clearly they are much better than in ear but it’s not some quiet distant sound, it’s right there at your head just amplified I think through bone conduction.
I’d suggest more akin to wearing a big set of cans off your ear (DJ style!) than some pixie magic that gets sound to your brain.
I am not a sound engineer!
I see you already bought some but thought I'd chime in. The wife bought some early last year, I was skeptical, but she loves them. I tried them and have to say they are pretty good. I've always been horrified at those that run/ride/whatever with headphones in and take great pleasure in looking down on them from my moral highground where I can hear traffic etc. Now I've trying to find a reason not to buy some myself. For a while it was because the band on the Shokz was quite large and might get in the way, now I see they've introduced a model with a smaller band. FFS.
TLDR - if you didn't already, buy some!
For anyone that has the usb charging ones and finds that the charger stops working after repeatedly getting wet i've found white vinegar applied with an earbud cleans the corrosion and gets them charging again.
I wanted to try this kind of style of headphone and bought some off Amazon for under £20. Z8 something or other.
Great and I use them loads when doing jobs in garden and walking dog and sometimes riding. Very comfy and have forgotten I’m wearing them before. Sound quality ok but I’m no hifi buff.
whem the 1st pair broke after a couple of years I vaguely considered upgrading to Shokz but couldn’t justify the price and bought the same again.
I bought these recently from Amazon for about £35 with a voucher. They're pretty good sitting in the lounge though remove the excuse for ignoring Mrs Boblo so watch out for unexpected consequences...
I've just ordered a pair of Openmove Shokx from Winstanley's for £65 to see if they'd any betterer.
<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">One of the pairs will be going back - if I remember...</span>
My original aftershokz died a couple of weeks ago after probably 6 years of use (won't switch on and won't charge. I use(d) them every day, the sound quality wasn't hifi but the other benefits far outweighed that for use when running/working/paragliding - anything where I want music but also situational awareness. I used to find that the bass response was a bit lacking, though if I held them against my temples lightly (with fingers or a buff) the bass got a lot better so it may have been a head shape issue.
I've ordered a set of the latest and greatest. I'll be interested to see how much better they are, given they're claiming this is something like the 9th generation (where mine must have been the first or second).
