What Are Bone Conduction Headphones and Are They The Best Bluetooth Headset?
Feb 14,2023 | David
Bone conduction headsets are becoming popular among sports fans. We always see people wearing headphones that don't have to be tucked into their ears when they are running, riding, or working out. They looks cool, so what exactly is bone conduction headphones? In addition to their cool appearance, what are their other characteristics?How about their pros and cons?
What are bone conduction headsets?
As the name suggests,bone conduction headsets are headsets that use bones to conduct sound. They actually use the principle of sound transmission in solids, and directly transmit sound to the auditory nerves through the skull to achieve sound transmission and perception. Compared with traditional headphones, due to the different transmission paths, they do not need the earbud part of traditional headphones, or even do not need to touch the ears at all. They ensure that the ear canal hygiene will not be affected, so they are healthier and more hygienic.
From the appearance design, bone conduction headsets are non-in-ear headphones. They mainly have three designs: hanging-ear type, clip-on type, headband type. The hanging-ear bone conduction headphones are to hang on the auricle, and the vibration unit is put close to the temple to transmit sound by the skull; Clip-on types are clamped on the ears, and the vibration unit is placed close to the auricle, and the sound is transmitted by the bones on the auricle. A headband type is used to tie the vibrating unit to the head to transmit sound through the skull. Among the three designs, hanging-ear type are the mainstream.
Bone conduction headphones is a new application of old technology. Bone conduction technology is very mature and safety is very good, so you can use them with confidence.
It is generally recognized that bone conduction headsets are the best Bluetooth headset. It has a lot of advantages and is very suitable for sports use
Advantages of bone conduction headsets
The way bone conduction headsets are worn without earbuds brings tangible benefits:
Safer: It does not block your ears when wearing it, allowing you to maintain awareness of the surrounding environment, making outdoor sports safer;
Healthier: it uses bones to transmit sound, and the sound is directly transmitted to the auditory nerve, avoiding damage to the eardrum, and can protect hearing well;
More hygienic: Bone conduction headsets do not need to be worn in the ear, even if worn for a long time, they can keep the ear canal fresh and avoid otitis media, otitis media and other diseases caused by blocked ear canal;
More comfortable: They are very light, and there is no sense of weight when worn. The surface of many bone conduction headphones is made of skin-friendly soft material, which is very comfortable to wear;
Unique appearance: wearing bone conduction headsets with unique design can help you attract more people's attention;
When keeping in touch with the outside world, you can communicate with friends or colleagues while listening to music, and you will not neglect them because of listening to music.
So,Why they have so many advantages?This is determined by their working principle
How do bone conduction headsets work?
The production of sound is a kind of vibration, and the sound source can cause air, liquid and solid to vibrate.
There are two main types of sound that we usually hear: air conduction sound and bone conduction sound. "Air conduction sound" means that the sound source vibrates and transmit to the ear through the air, and "bone-conducted sound" means that the sound source vibrates transmit to the ear through the bone.
Sounds such as human voices and TV sounds vibrate the air around you. The vibrations are collected by the pinna and transmitted through the ear canal to the eardrum. Sound transmitted to the eardrum is transmitted through the auditory ossicles to the inner ear, where the vibrations are converted into electrical vibrations that are recognized as sound. The sound we hear through this path is "air conduction sound".
"Bone conduction sound" does not pass through the pinna, external auditory canal (outer ear), or bone ossicles (middle ear). Instead, the sound source vibrates in resonance with the skull, and the skull vibrations are transmitted directly to the inner ear, where the vibrations are converted into electrical signals and perceived as sound. This is how bone conduction works.
Bone conduction headsets are headphones based on bone conduction sound transmission. When they work, they only need to attach the sound unit to the temple. The vibration of the sound source drives the vibration of the skull, and the skull transmits the vibration to the inner ear. The cochlea completes the perception of sound and transmits it. Give the auditory nerve and auditory center, and finally the cerebral cortex allows us to "hear" the sound after comprehensive analysis.
From the introduction above, you may be interested in bone conduction headsets. However, how to the headphones still needs careful consideration. Sound quality, sound leakage reduction and security are the three main issues you must consider. Next, I will recommend several mature bone conduction brands, hoping to help you select suitable headphones.
1. wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction Bluetooth headsets
Reason for recommendation:
Wissonly bone conduction headsets are recognized by the market with its leading bone conduction vibrator technology. Their team has accumulated more than 10 years in the field of bone conduction technology, which has been affirmed in terms of product quality and hearing protection effect.
Wissonly Hi Runner uses a large-size bone conduction vibrator, which increases the vibration area by 35%. When you wear it, the diffusion direction of sound quality will be more comprehensive, the coverage will be wider, and the sound will be more stereo. Its sound will be deeper in low frequency and more transparent in high frequency. They have also made a lot of efforts in the technology of sound leakage reduction, including the built-in reverse sound wave system and the all-closed-body design, thus reducing the sound leakage by 90%.
It is comfort: Wissonly Hi Runner's whole body is made of high-tech and low-sensitivity silicone, which contains no chemical components to avoid allergy. The overall touch is as silky as baby's skin, which can avoid uncomfortable situations when worn for a long time.
Wissonly Hi Runner bone conduction Bluetooth headsets are also equipped with a new Bluetooth 5.0 chip, which has stronger anti-interference ability, and can easily cope with various outdoor complex scenes, so as to ensure that the good mood during exercise will not be disturbed by disconnection. The stable connection also brings ultra-low delay performance. Listening to songs, chasing dramas and playing games meet all the daily demands for headphones.
2. Philips A6606 bone conduction headsets
Reason for recommendation:
Philips A6606 bone conduction sports headphones has a unique night light design, which can help the wearer solve the problem of sports safety in dim environment. It is equipped with Bluetooth 5.2 technology, with an effective distance of up to 10 meters. It has low power consumption, faster connection speed, higher security and stability. A6606 can last for 9 hours on one time charge, which can fully meet the daily needs of users. That is, its waterproof level is not high, it can't be used in swimming, it doesn't have built-in memory, and it can't be used without Bluetooth.
3.AfterShokz OPENRUN PRO bone conduction headsets
Reason for recommendation:
OPENRUN PRO is very light, and its surface material is soft and skin-friendly, so it is comfortable to wear. Its slim body and unique color scheme make it look flattering as well. Its sound quality is also quite good, and it performs very well in terms of anti-sound-leakage, even in outdoor use, you don't have to worry about privacy leakage at all. It is very powerful, very user-friendly. In addition to being slightly expensive, it is also a recommended headphones overall.
4.earsopen SS900 bone conduction headsets
Reason for recommendation:
It adopts the 5.2 Bluetooth protocol, which can start automatic connection when the charging compartment cover is opened. It is low latency during use, and the anti-interference ability is also strengthened. In terms of sound quality, BoCo's miniature bone conduction vibrator is adopted, which has good performance at low frequencies, but which has harsh noise and serious sound leakage at high frequencies. The 8G single-earphone body is basically comfortable during the whole wearing process.
5.Nank Runner CC3 bone conduction headsets
Reason for recommendation:
Among entry-level headphones, the Runner CC3 still performs well. Its body is wrapped in a layer of skin-friendly material, which will not feel uncomfortable to wear during exercise, and the firmness is also good, which can firmly lock the headphones on the ears.
It also has an MP3 mode with 4G memory, which can save nearly 1,000 songs. You can enjoy listening to songs without a mobile phone. The waterproof level and battery life are average, and it is not suitable for swimming.
So, do you have your favorite bone conduction headset? If you are still confused, I suggest you choose between Wissonly and Aftershokz. The sound quality and sound leak reduction performance of their products are good. The difference is that Wissonly hi Runner has better configuration and higher cost performance,it's more worth buying.