It's been 7 months using these as many days as not. I listen to everything between spoken word podcasts, folk, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. I'm an omnivore cyclist (commuting + road + MTB), I also do a lot of remote IT/software work and talking on the phone.
For the reasons listed below, I think this is the best "cyborg"-style audio interface to the brain available. There are limitations and it's not "one headset to rule them all", but overall I'm quite happy and if you took mine today I'd buy another tomorrow.
Good things:
- For most use cases (and any casual listening), audio quality is just fine. Frequency perception across the spectrum will never be as consistent as headphones designed foremost for AQ, but you'll only be disappointed if you A/B them with a set of monitors or audiophile headphones.
- The headset doesn't block your hearing. If you play music much louder than ambient sounds, then ambient sounds still get hard to hear, i.e. your situational awareness still suffers proportional to listening volume, but less so than for normal headphones. I still usually hear cars approaching from behind while cycling.
- It feels more "natural" to talk on the phone with this than with obstructing headphones or earbuds, because you hear the sound of your own voice normally.
- This headset is 100% compatible with glasses and helmet straps, and it's easiest if you put on the headset after everything else. (You may have issues if the temple arms of your glasses are especially thick, but I don't.)
- The headset is plenty comfortable to wear for a few hours; I wear it in anticipation of a phone call. (Like anything worn on the head, you'll eventually you'll want to take it off.)
- The rubber-coated "spring" connecting the two halves is pretty durable as advertised. It got bent a little out of shape from traveling in a backpack, and I bent it back. The included case is soft-sided and probably doesn't make much difference.
- I've owned several "glitchy" bluetooth devices and this isn't one of them. Turn it on and your paired computer/tablet/phone connects right away.
Some awesome, unexpected use cases:
- Voice directions for GPS navigation while cycling -- much better and safer than looking down at a navigation display.
- Videoconferencing via Google Hangouts and the like -- I've given 2-hour remote presentations wearing them, and they are barely noticable on camera.
- Sometimes I'll use it while driving instead of the car audio system, and when I get where I'm going, I step out and walk away with no interruption in the audio or having to fidget with anything.
Issues:
- The microphone doesn't handle background or wind noise well. It's OK for phone conversations while driving, but people can't hear me while I'm washing dishes. Wind from forward motion greater than about 5-8 MPH also drowns out the microphone, so, walking on the phone is fine but cycling on the phone doesn't work.
- Forward motion greater than ~15-18 MPH catches enough wind noise to drown out the headphones, even at high listening volumes. As a cyclist, this is fine for commuting and mountain biking, but on fast road stretches I hear mostly wind.
- At high volumes the drivers vibrate your face a lot at certain bass frequencies. I notice this most when listening to a podcast with a lot of bass in the recording. The equalizer has two settings, 'less bass' and 'more bass', and sometimes switching to 'less bass' mitigates the vibration.
- When there is a constantly high ambient noise floor (e.g. on an aircraft), it's hard to hear whatever you're listening to, even at high volumes. You can put in earplugs(!) to shut this out, and your audio will sound clearer yet bassier. Noise isolating headphones are really better for flying.
- Sometimes changing the equalizer setting seems to have no effect, which could be a firmware bug or just my unsophisticated ears.
- There is some external audio leakage which gets worse at moderate-to-high volumes. It's not bad enough to annoy people in an office if you're listening at volumes that allow you to hear someone trying to get your attention.
- Multipoint pairing doesn't work. It will remember multiple paired devices but only ever connect to one at a time. If you want to connect your computer you need to disconnect your phone first.
- You get about 10 minutes of warning before the battery dies. This isn't a big deal because the battery life is pretty long and quick to charge, thankfully with the same micro-USB cable that everything else uses.
You may ask "why four stars with all these issues?" They're all manageable/minor annoyances or corner cases. I also feel that we should support unproven, promising new technolgies that may improve everyone's lives, especially when developed by non-megacorps. With that perspective, perhaps I'm more likely to forgive little issues. Looking forward to see how much better these get in a few years.
From the brand
Our story
How we got our start
Bone conduction technology was introduced into the AfterShokz debut product line in 2011. For the first time ever, AfterShokz had made the unique listening experience provided by bone conduction technology available to the general public.What makes our product unique
We’re disrupting the headphone industry with our innovative open-ear design and patented bone conduction technology. The result is a premium listening experience while your ears stay open to your surroundings for maximum situational awareness, safety, and connection.Why we love what we do
Our team is on a mission to enhance lives through our technology. We work to bring you the best combination of performance and quality, continuously improving our products to deliver safety, comfort, and stability, while inspiring connectedness and impacting lives.From the manufacturer
AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones
Features:
- Bone conduction technology delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to hear ambient sounds.
- Titanium wraparound headband is lightweight and flexible for durability and portability.
- OpenFit design ensures maximum situational awareness and comfort during long-term wear.
- PremiumPitch guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass.
- Wireless Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing.
- LeakSlayer technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage.
- IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture, from workouts to wicked weather.
- Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge.
- EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go.
- Dual noise canceling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech.
- Audrey Says voice prompts guide users through power, pair, play and talk.
- Hassle-free 2-year warranty.
Specifications:
- Speaker type: bone conduction transducers
- Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
- Sensitivity: 100 ± 3dB
- Microphone: -40dB ± 3dB
- Bluetooth version: v4.1
- Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
- Wireless range: 33 ft (10m)
- Battery: rechargeable lithium ion
- Continuous play: 6 hours
- Standby time: 10 days
- Charge in: 1.5 hours
- Weight: 1.27 oz (36g)
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UPDATE BROKE A SECOND TIME (Blown Away-They really fit a niche that no other product does imo)
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2019
Update: June 2021 I am docking these to 3/5 stars After getting a replacement last year for the same exact problem these broke again, rendering them totally useless. I had taken them off and set them on my desk, when I picked them back up they were broken, I have to assume that the frame broke when I took them off just from dragging on my ears. These have proven to be less durable than a set of glasses which is a shame for a device marketed towards sports and outdoors. The only reason I am not lowering my rating even more is because I got a fair bit of use from them before they broke, lasting about a year each.The part of the frame that goes behind your head seems to be reinforced with springy metal and has been plenty durable, being able to flex completely out with no problem. Unfortunately this same reinforcement does not extend all the way through the frame. Twice now the frame has snapped near the earpiece. This part consists of hard plastic and soft rubber and is hollow and less than 1/4" of an inch wide. This is an obvious weakness but not enough of a problem to break instantly. HANDLE WITH CARE. This puts me in a tough spot because I don't want to drop cash for something so seemingly fragile, but other than that one weak spot they seem really well made and I rely on the functionality of being able to wear earplugs while running machinery yet listen to music and books. If they made a better version out of a more flexible plastic with springy metal reinforcement all the way around the frame I'd buy them in an instant. ~~~Original Review~~~ $100 at time of purchase (early 2019)I was recommended this brand by a blind man, he used them connected to his iphone in order to make use of his smartphone. I decided to buy them while on a very specific industrial job that involved VERY loud machinery in enclosed spaces. They worked perfectly, allowing me to listen to audiobooks and music for hours every day, while also being able to take calls perfectly with earplugs in. The quality of sound is pretty comparable to earbuds, don't expect studio level quality, but it is plenty enough to enjoy music.Though I originally got these for work I have started using these every day for workouts, they have been serving well in rain and heavy sweat, let me listen while still being able to hear. They have no cords, stay on better than earbuds, and are much more comfortable than over ear headphones for how light they are and how well they stay on. You could probably do gymnastics with these headphones on. The Mic works well with Siri to do voice commands, including making calls. These are also great for hands free while driving.A word of caution- make sure that you keep them in a secure place, they should be fine in a backpack pocket, but if they get sat on or stepped on the stems could tear. I had that happen to mine but they sent a replacement which was really nice. For the past couple of weeks I have been using plug in earbuds- bluetooth, and over ear headphones, none work as well. I really missed them when doing lying rows and pushups and the earbuds kept coming loose.-Sports-Loud work/OSHA-Hands Free-Travel
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2019
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