Here’s a set of headphones I picked up the other day. Completely different but seem to work well thus far. From my personal experience, I like the wrap-around style of headphones (as in wrap around the neck) having used Nike, Philips and Seinheiser before. This style tends to stay in place well, especially if running trails, and the cord sits behind, as opposed to in front, therefore not getting caught on things or in the way of swinging arms. I also have Yurbuds but they don’t really suit my ears that well for some reason. iPhone buds have dissolved or fallen out at regular intervals.
For these bone conductive earphones, the key benefit is having the ear canal open and allowing greater spacial awareness. The sound quality is better than I expected but I’m not a super audiophile and was after more running function than sound form . The comfort is good. I also find there’s no problem with getting sweat bubbles in the ears like some in-ear buds create if it’s really warm or sweating up doing intervals.
I’ve found these good for running on the streets and pavement and being more aware of what traffic/bikes might be around when sidestepping pedestrians and road furniture. I never wear headphones when riding but these would be the only sort I’d consider doing so if I were to do so.
The downside – It comes with a relatively heavy sound control box with a short cord at the top. For this I clip to my collar or running cap. It also requires it’s own power source, so add that to your list of things that need to be charged and will run out of batteries at the most inopportune moments! Maybe this has something to do with powering the speakers? I’d like to see this unit made smaller, same for the headphones overall. No idea how long a charge lasts yet as only used them for a few hours.
Also a bit on the expensive side at $70 but I was willing to give it a try.
So far, so good.
(N.B. Apart from being a paying retail customer, I have no affiliation with this brand)
Here’s their marketing spiel:
Open Ear Bone Conduction Headphones
Powered by Bone Conduction Technology
AfterShokz Sportz 2 headphones sit comfortably in front of (not inside or over) your ears, delivering the only open ear listening experience that doesn’t inhibit ambient noise. They use bone conduction technology to transfer stereophonic sound via little vibrations on your cheekbones to your inner ears, bypassing the eardrums completely.
The open ear design enables you to listen to music when you’re running, biking, jogging, driving, hiking, skiing and more—all while safely staying connected to your surroundings. The unique benefit of our open ear design offers situational awareness, potentially preventing accidents that can be caused by traditional headphones and earbuds blocking outside sounds.