Bone Conduction Headphones

wintersmd

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Jul 2, 2014
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I am looking for input on bone conduction headphones. I am single side deaf and don't like to wear earbuds or over the ear headphones while running/walking and riding my bike due to safety reasons. Does anyone on here have any experience on a good set on bone conduction headphones? Thanks for your advice in advance.
 
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Entropy

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Oct 27, 2008
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I use the OpenMove by Shokz and they work reasonably well for biking. Wind speed definitely affects clarity, but overall I’m pleased with them. Battery life has been excellent.
 
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hhunter

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Shokz Open Run for sure. I’m on my second pair. I had the originals for many years until I dropped them and a piece broke lose and made a rattling noise. The new Open Run are lighter and have better sound quality for sure. I’ve had my current pair for 2+years and the battery life is still great.
 

AgronAlum

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Jul 12, 2014
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No idea about the bone conduction ones but AirPod Pros have a pass through mode where it feeds in outside noise so you can still hear what’s going on around you. It’s nice to have the option of that, regular mode and noise cancellation.
 

BMWallace

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I've had the Shokz Open Move for 3 years after having an older model of the Shokz headphones for 2 years. And I plan on upgrading to the Open Run when the go on sale again. These headphones are super light and comfortable to wear for long stretches. I generally find in ear headphones to get painful, or just fall out constantly.

For sound quality: these do best in the human speech range. Things like phone calls, podcasts, and audiobooks are great. With music, the high treble and deeper bass can get lost, but that is okay with that trade-off to not have anything in my ears.

If you are ever somewhere loud like on a plane, the headphone sounds can get overpowered by other noise, but I have found that simple foam earplugs work great for keeping outside noise out while the bone conduction sound stays clear.
 
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wxman1

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My only complaint about the ones that I have is how they stick out on the back that pushes them off my ears when I try to relax on the plane.
 

nickoff

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I have shokz open run pro. Use for 20+ mile runs and in weight room. I have mild hearing loss and they still sound great to me and are loud enough. Huge fan of them.
 

g4ce

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Love my Shokz Open Run Pros. They just came out with open run pro 2s which apparently is a step improvement. Seem to be super durable. I bought a brand new pair for my wife for her birthday and I liked them so much that I bought a used pair off Mercari and have no regrets.
 

BigTurk

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Dec 17, 2013
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Honestly didn't know such things existed. I have in ear headphones and I think overtime they are impacting my hearing. After a long walk my ears are ringing and all I do is listen to podcasts. This might be a good alternative.
 
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JBone84

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I have an older pair of Aftershokz (~5 years old). They are awesome. I regularly use them for runs and bike rides, in a rotation with AirPod Pros and a set of AirPods depending on my needs at the time. They developed a rattle about a year ago but I fixed it with a YouTube video and about $6 worth of supplies.

I would absolutely buy a new set of bone conduction headphones from Shokz. I would not buy another set of AirPod Pros, but would buy another set of AirPods (the noise cancelling is pretty good but they are worthless for taking calls on because the internal cpu can't decipher my voice from ambient noise so my voice comes and goes for everyone on the call). If I really need noise cancelling, I put on my Sony noise cancelling over-ear headphones.
 

exCYtable

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I tested some in store several times; almost bought. Felt weird vibrating on outside of my head and was scared they would give me a headache so I didn't purchase.
 

wintersmd

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Jul 2, 2014
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Honestly didn't know such things existed. I have in ear headphones and I think overtime they are impacting my hearing. After a long walk my ears are ringing and all I do is listen to podcasts. This might be a good alternative.
I had a device that used bone conduction as a hearing aid.
 

Clonehomer

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Apr 11, 2006
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So do these actually go into your ears? I’ve developed a reaction to the silicon used in the in ear buds and can’t wear them for more than 10 minutes before my ears itch and start draining fluid. So I’m looking for a smaller alternative to over the ear headphones.
 

wintersmd

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So do these actually go into your ears? I’ve developed a reaction to the silicon used in the in ear buds and can’t wear them for more than 10 minutes before my ears itch and start draining fluid. So I’m looking for a smaller alternative to over the ear headphones.
From what I understand they do not go in your ears but fit against your jaw bone. The sound is transfered through your bone to your middle ear.
 
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exCYtable

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From what I understand they do not go in your ears but fit against your jaw bone. The sound is transfered through your bone to your middle ear.
This is correct. If you are looking for noise canceling, these are not your answer. If you like to be able to hear someone calling your name and still being able to hear them while listening to music, these are a good choice.
 
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snowcraig2.0

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Shokz OpenRun Pros here as well. Love them. Great to and clarity.

They are really great for calls as well. My wife uses hers as her primary office headset because of how well they work.
 

CtownCyclone

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Love my Shocks Open Runs. A guy I with with has a damaged eardrum and he uses them, which led me to give them a shot. They're great for everything except being on a plane, but I just use ear plugs in that case.