If you ’ve been in the food market for anew couple of earbudsorheadphones , you might have come across a singular technology called bone conductivity . Offering an choice to the traditional manner that headphones and earbuds transmit sound to your eardrum , this tech use quiver through your own jawbone and skull alternatively .
That ’s obviously a pretty introductory verbal description , and we ’ll flourish on it below , but ivory - conduction earpiece , and the way they sit outside the pinna , are an excellent solution for user such as runners , swimmers , and cyclists who need to be capable to enjoy music while still hearing possible luck around them .
Butbone - conduction headphonestend to be a scrap of an outlier in the greater universe of wearable audio products . They are something of a niche product but offer a fairly unique experience when it comes to both set and performance . As barbaric as headphones that knead without sit in your ears may sound ( pun intended ) , we tell you they are very real . So here ’s our breakdown of how bone conductivity works .
Welcome to your ears (and brain)
for best interpret how bone conductivity earphone give rise sound , we should also explore the science behind a traditional hardening of headphones ( or earbuds ) and the unlike portion of our ears . And to best understandthatprocess , we should also explicate how audio drivers and speakers lick in universal .
Speakershave one very basic job : to push and take out air to produce quivering . These vibration are convert to airborne pressure waves ( perhaps best known as sound Wave ) , which our pinna discover as levelheaded . The process of decipher these wave is care by our tympanic membrane and other part of the inner ear . After go past through the outer and in-between department of the ear canal , the wave knock on the cochlea ’s room access . For those unaware , thecochleais a snail - shaped construction in our inner ear that converts reasoned waves into electrical impulses , which are decoded by our brains as “ legal . ”
With traditional headphones , getting these vibrations into electrical signals requires the participation of every part of the ear canal , from the eardrum to the cochlea . But is there a way to get vibrations to the cochleawithoutpestering our eardrums ? Yes — through the bones in our oral sex .
Puppeteering your skull: The science of bone conduction
Believe it or not , you do n’t in reality need the outer and center parts of your ear to hear strait , because you ’re not technically “ hear ” anything . Remember : it ’s our brain that turn pressure wavesintoaudible auditory sensation .
If you ’ve ever seen a twain of bone - conduction earphone , you ’ll notice that they have transducers ( the part that produces pressure waves ) that sit right next to the ear instead of over the spike canal like traditional headphones . Shokz , one of the leaders in this engineering science , explicate its tech really well on its website , but the basics of it are that the transducer “ send vibrations through the cheekbones and give up strait directly to the inner capitulum . ” This quick A - to - B mental process completely ringway most part of our capitulum duct , forgetful - burn those pressure wave directly to our cochlea .
It ’s science at its harmonious good , but what are osseous tissue conduction headphones well used for , and which brands make the best models ? Let ’s unpack both of these mystery story .
Bone conduction headphones for the win
Bone conduction headphones have long been championed as an first-class sound alternative for phratry who suffer fromconductive listening loss . You may have heard ofcochlear implants . These awesome hearing aids in reality function in a similar way to os conduction headphone — they go around most parts of the spike canal and go directly for the cochlea . ivory conduction audio recording allows the listener to have sound even if parts of the inner capitulum are compromise . And even if someone is only partially indifferent , pearl conductivity audio allow the listener try full stereo audio , while leaving the ear channel accessible for hearing aids .
Beyond medical aid , bone conduction earphone are also ideal for gym goers who need a set of earpiece that do n’t require constant registration . Most off-white conduction headsets are equipped with a supportive band that wrap up around the back of the headspring for stability , making them much hard to stir than traditional headphone .
Even everyday commuter and those of us working in chatter - fill work environments can benefit from off-white - conduction audio . You ’ll be capable to leave alone your ears overt to pick up on essential sounds , like oncoming traffic , exigency vehicles , and life-sustaining piss - tank discussion .
pearl conductivity audio also helps to reduce the hurt one can do by listen to music at excessive volumes using traditional phone . This is because the myringa itself is far more sensitive to wear and tear from gimcrack listening than your eubstance ’s cranial bones .
What kinds of bone conduction headphones can you buy?
For a while now , the bone conductivity marketplace has been corner by one standout brand : Shokz ( formerly AfterShokz ) . And honestly , if we were recommending a stage set of bone - conductivity earphone , we ’d point them right toward this brand . Not only doesShokzhave a turn of different model to choose from , but the ship’s company has been perfect its applied science for more than 10 year . Flagship products like theShokz OpenRun Pro 2even volunteer a companion app for iOS and Android that lets you customise your hearing experience and specify up Bluetooth multipoint for fast shift between your gadget .
You ’ll also be able to findseveral other companiesthat make self-colored bone - conduction headphones . When shopping , though , be sure to cautiously read whatever substance abuser reviews are available .
Audiophiles be warned
Bone conduction headphone are truly remarkable in more ways than one , but if your routine one concern is level-headed quality in your headphones or earbuds , do n’t look to bone conductivity . To put it simply , osseous tissue conduction headphone arejust notdesigned forsuperior howdy - fi hearing . Sure , spending a few dollars more on a flagship curing of Shokz over the introductory manakin may get youslightlybetter audio , but no pearl conduction headset is go to come nigh to the kinds of prolific speech sound you may gestate from make like Sony , Bose , and Apple . Though it ’s rumored that Samsungmight be figure this space , so we ’re excited to see any innovations they might bring .
to boot , because of the way the tech work , bone - conduction headphones just are n’t as loud as traditional headphones , and when they ’re crank up as loud as they go ( which we do not recommend ) , the additional - pronounced vibrations can make your head feel a little eldritch .
However , if you ’re the athletic type in hunting of a set of headphone to provide you with the motivational euphony you need while being able to try that bus screeching just metre away , or you care to be capable to be aware of what ’s live on in the office while you file your TPS reports ( Office Spacereference , y’ all ) , then os conductivity headphones might be a serious option for you .
