"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
01/27/2020 at 19:49 • Filed to: product review
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"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
01/27/2020 at 19:49 • Filed to: product review | 2
| 8 |
I mentioned these in a post recently , and someone expressed some interest in how good they were, so here’s the Oppositelock Review ™ .
What are they?
These are one of a line of bone conduction earphones by Aftershokz. I got them a little over a year ago so I could listen to tunes while I’m out on my rides. For those who aren’t familiar, instead of putting speakers over or into your ears, these things position little pads just in front of your ear, between the ear canals and your sideburns. From t here, they transmit the sound directly into your head through the bone. It’s not new tech, but it’s only recently that it’s been perfected for consumer use with music. Their big advantage is safety. They don ’t block out any of the sound in your environment, so you can safely listen to tunes while still being aware of your surroundings on your walk, jog, or ride. I’ve found them to be a minor revelation, since I almost always ride alone.
How well do they work?
Pretty well. They pair instantly and perfectly with my iPhone every time and stay connected even if I’m on the other side of the house from my phone. That means I can use them while doing other stuff . They are comfortable and stay put by wrapping around your ears and don’t jostle with activity. You don’t have to readjust them much.
They have a good balanced sound. Just listening to Pandora or my own playlists, I get clear highs and midrange. Base is adequate, but I don’t notice an improvement in base if I press the pads closer to my ear in the way that you can sometimes do with earbuds. So, it’s just the way they are. If you’re someone who wants thumping base, these may not be for you. When I’m out working up a sweat, too much base can give me a headache, so these work for me most of the time.
The sound quality to me is akin to what I find with good mid-range earbuds. I count Apple’s buds in that group for comparison. It doesn’t sound like you’re right in front of the stage, but rather on the other side of an open doorway that’s in front of the stage, if that helps.
The set has a single button over the left pad that you can use to pause and start your playlist, call up Siri, and answer phone calls. Two buttons on the right side of the set handle power, pairing and volume, along with telling you verbally how much battery you have left.
The microphone is fabulous. No one has ever asked me to repeat myself, and I never have to raise my voice on a call. Since they are so comfortable, I sometimes just leave them on around the house if I’m expecting a call, or use them to talk to my family while I cook dinner, etc.
Also, big bonus: they are waterproof. I have used them in the shower dozens of times now. I try to avoid direct jets on them though. They are easy to clean off with a damp cloth.
Battery life is good. The company says six hours. I’ve never timed it, but I can use it over several sessions before I have to recharge. Pressing the volume down button tells you how much you have left, so you have warning. T he set charges quickly through a micro-USB cord included. Also included is a pair of foam ear buds in a case that you can use as passive noise reduction if you like.
Are there any limitations?
Yes. A safety caveat: if you turn them up, they will dominate your attention just like other loud sounds right next to your head , and you will no longer be hearing the cars around you. These things have some volume if you crank them up, so I find that I have to keep them several ticks below max.
The other thing to remember is that other people can hear them if they are close to you. They don’t isolate your music. So, if you’re in close spaces with other people and don’t want to be a jerk, you either have to keep them down low or switch to conventional headphones . So you can use them as your only set of headphones, but I bet most people will still keep other sets of cans or earbuds.
How much do they cost?
About $100. You can get better overall sound performance on in-ear buds or over-the-ear cans for that money if you look just a little bit, but those are a different beast for a different purpose. The Trekz Air is aces at what it does, and is so worth the money. I give them four out of five hubcaps.
facw
> Chariotoflove
01/27/2020 at 20:07 |
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There are of course much cheaper options, a whole slew of no-name Chinese models like these (~$36, and even cheaper options in the similar items section ): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DWXMXBH
I haven’t tried any though, so I can’t say how much you sacrifice by going cheap.
shop-teacher
> Chariotoflove
01/27/2020 at 20:11 |
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Interesting. I’ve never heard of these, but I m ay have to give them a shot.
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Chariotoflove
> facw
01/27/2020 at 20:16 |
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I’ve seen a bunch of those on Amazon. I’ d be leary of them in this case simply because the industry reviews describe how even Aftershokz took a while to get these right.
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facw
> Chariotoflove
01/27/2020 at 20:17 |
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You may be right though it’s a lot harder to get it right the first time than to copy someone who already has it figured out.
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Chariotoflove
> facw
01/27/2020 at 20:21 |
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That’s true. I like to go with a company that’s been around long enough for me to find multiple independent reviews, including user reviews on Amazon. I’ve found a couple of less expensive asian gems that way, but they were with established tech. Not as much data in this area. But I would love to hear if anyone has experience to contribute.
phenotyp
> Chariotoflove
01/27/2020 at 21:09 |
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I’ve really been interested in trying conduction phones since I first heard of the tech, so
... 1995 or so?
I have 3 pairs of bluetooth earbuds now
, and before that I used Shure in-ear monitors for all my listening. But the wires were always my (no-pun) hangup.
The first time I listened to Shure monitors, I about crapped my pants from the detail of the sound that I’d been missing.
Currently, if I want real sound, I crank it up on my McIntosh/Fisher towers in my studio, but weirdly, having never listened to music with a phone, I got the iphone 7 in 2016, and got a set of Rowkin earbuds after a week or two.
Audiophile? No. In need of a good set of personal-sound-thingies that don’t look terrible and that I love using? Yep.
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Chariotoflove
> phenotyp
01/28/2020 at 00:36 |
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Me too. I’m not sure what audiophile is supposed to mean, but I think it’s most commonly used to communicate snobbery.
Wires are a pain, so now that BlueTooth is good enough to make music actually sound good, I have been really wanting something. My wife’s Bose noise canceling headphones are the best for really listening to music and for flying. But these Trekz are the choice for exercise. In ear buds are attractive in theory, but most hurt my ears after a while.
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phenotyp
> Chariotoflove
01/28/2020 at 01:31 |
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Super interesting.