Thomas Gerlach wrote:
justinhorne wrote:
dcohen24 wrote:
I use trekz aftershox headphones exclusively for working out.
I'm such a huge fan of Aftershokz. I have struggled with earbuds since a teenager (sports or otherwise, they just
do not stay in.) Aftershokz are freaking amazing. The only real con is that they're not great in super loud environments, but in that case you could just use foam earplugs. You obviously couldn't hear the exterior at that point, but neither could you with in-ears.
I just picked up the new swimming ones; they're pretty sweet. Con is that it's all storage (not bluetooth) which makes sense for swimming, but isn't ideal day to day. Dream state would be storage plus BT.
Did you ever try a vertical headphone (ie over the head system)? Fwiw, I bought a pair of Aftershokz way back in the beginning and I really couldn't see myself ever using them - the sound quality was horrible without foam earplugs compared to corded
Sony MDR-AS35w - many would argue that these were the best sport headphones ever produced - sadly they are no longer produced. I also worry about people turning up Aftershokz too unsafe levels (too hear more clearly) then having a rush of ambient noise as well.
Regardless, this is one area where I find a lot of irony. Personally I am very old school in my music device and I just don't see myself ever moving off of a storage device in the near future (I realize this isn't for most). Truth be told I was working on the Bluetooth stack way back in 2004, hacking it to open the communication channel to allow more than just the standard voice conversation - I sold a software product that did that for other people. I mention that because in general I am still not sold on Bluetooth for music/voice 15 years later and I find myself using a basic MP3 player with guts from the late 2000s as well paired with the Sony MDR-AS35w. It is ironic though as I was basically using a iPhone size device back in 1994 when I was middle school albeit maybe twice as thick.
I would be curious to hear some feedback for anyone that relied on say a Sony MDR-AS35w and reviewed the sound quality, durability, ability to stay put, and ability to not have to charge and always have power as long as your device has power compared to Bluetooth offerings. I get it, people don't manage their music anymore, they want to use their streaming services, they want to use Bluetooth, but 15 years later I am still not sold on the technology. I do have a pair of
3M worktunes, that I use for different use-cases, but I really don't see myself giving up my tiny MP3 player and corded headphones anytime soon for at least running. Another benefit of vertical headphones is they don't need to be so tight as they are not falling out which means you do get plenty of ambient sound let in as well. They really do seem like the best, unless of course you can't bothered by the fact that there is a cord.
I have personally never used those headphones, nor any over-the-head.
I should clarify, my dislike of earbuds (for sports, not general listening) extends beyond just the wired aspect. I
have used earbuds with ear loops that are wired. Basically, for me it comes down to: if the bud is intended to create any sort of seal within my ear, it
will unseal at some point, usually between minutes and 15 or so minutes. Regardless of the form factor, once that seal is broken, I hate the misbalanced sound, the feel of sweat in my ear, or the constant
awareness of my earbuds. If I could wear magic weightless over the ear cans (like I use at home,) I would, certainly.
For me, sound quality while working out just isn't a huge deal. I have some Senn 598s with a decent amp at home for proper listening (not the best headphones on earth, but I enjoy them a lot.) I don't think I've ever noticed SQ one way or another while working out. I just like the sound.
I'm pretty neutral on streaming services, and actually I really agree with you regarding the tiny mp3 player. I do think it's funny how we had that lighter-sized iPod Shuffle in like... 2008 or whatever, and now you see people carrying these big-ass phablets just so they can get music on their phones. I recently got the Aftershokz Xtrainerz (the swimming ones,) and one of my favorite side benefits with them is that I can run (with all my music from ~~2006) without a phone. I freaking love it. I don't carry my phone on me when I run without my run vest, so it's really nice to have music again. It's funny how sometimes things can get 'better' and simultaneously take years to then get back to where we were before the improvement.
JustinDoesTriathlon Owner, FuelRodz Endurance.