AfterShokz Aeropex Sport Running Headphones, Wireless Bone Conduction Bluetooth Earphones with Mic, IP67 Waterproof for Cycling, Workout (Lunar Grey)
| Dimensions: | 13.5 x 9.36 x 16.9 cm; 30 Grams |
| Model: | AS800 |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | SHENZHEN VOXTECH CO.,LTD |
| Origin: | China |
Bought these when my Trekz Air started buzzing hugely when playing any significant bass two weeks after the 2 year warranty expired! I contacted the company about an out-of-warranty repair, but this is not something they offer – I imagine they just swap new for old during the warranty – however they offered a decent discount on a pair of Air, or a smaller discount on the Aeropex. I’d already bought this replacement pair, and with proof of purchase they refunded me though Amazon, which I think is pretty decent.
The Air had a good sound, the Aeropex are even better. I was properly impressed when I put them on – though of course they aren’t audiophile quality. The fit is slightly less good as the smaller, lighter ‘speakers’ either don’t grip your face so well, or don’t quite balance against the battery, but it’s pretty minor and I haven’t found it annoying when wearing them.
In short, I’d buy them again in preference to any other headphone. And if I could only afford the Airs I wouldn’t hesitate there either, despite the short lifetime they were incredibly useful for wearing during exercise and I got at least an hour’s use from them daily throughout that time. Be aware both styles are often discounted by 20-30% which makes them even better value.
After years of trying in ear pods for running I splashed out on these. 150 is a lot of money but in my case I do think it was worth it for two main reasons. First is that whichever size adapter I used on my in ear pods, inevitably at some stage on my run, they would fall out. As AfterShokz sit in front of the ear, this isn’t a worry.
The second reason I love these is because I suffer with tinnitus. In ear pods always made this much worse and I ended up only ever wearing the left pod as the tinnitus is worse in my right ear. After a run with in ear pods my tinnitus could be awful. As Aftershokz don’t sit in the ear, they don’t affect my tinnitus at all.
I’m not really a music ‘fan’ so I can’t comment of the music quality, just to say I have no complaints and can hear the music loud and clear when running. What I will say though is that the sound does still ‘mask’ background noise so I can’t hear if another runner is approaching me from behind.
Easy and great to use. If you are looking for a good set of bluetooth running headphones and can swallow the price, these are very good.
After years of trying in ear pods for running I splashed out on these. 150 is a lot of money but in my case I do think it was worth it for two main reasons. First is that whichever size adapter I used on my in ear pods, inevitably at some stage on my run, they would fall out. As AfterShokz sit in front of the ear, this isn’t a worry.
The second reason I love these is because I suffer with tinnitus. In ear pods always made this much worse and I ended up only ever wearing the left pod as the tinnitus is worse in my right ear. After a run with in ear pods my tinnitus could be awful. As Aftershokz don’t sit in the ear, they don’t affect my tinnitus at all.
I’m not really a music ‘fan’ so I can’t comment of the music quality, just to say I have no complaints and can hear the music loud and clear when running. What I will say though is that the sound does still ‘mask’ background noise so I can’t hear if another runner is approaching me from behind.
Easy and great to use. If you are looking for a good set of bluetooth running headphones and can swallow the price, these are very good.
These a fantastic for workouts, running, cycling etc. They are super easy to put on, charge etc. The design means no worries about falling off or wires getting caught. I thought there might be less wind noise when cycling than normal in-ear buds but this is not the case. If anything it’s slightly more. However, I feel much safer being able to hear the road and surrounding noises more clearly with nothing in my ear.
Once familiar with them, the buttons are easy to operate when wearing but can be a little fiddly with full finger cycling gloves on.
The sound quality is fine. I wouldn’t expect them to be as good as a decent set of normal headphones, and they’re not. However, it is perfectly adequate and I’m certainly not complaining here.
The charge seems to last a good while- I can do a good number of runs or rides before thinking about needing to charge them again.
Overall easily the best headphones I’ve had for exercising with.
I’m in my mid- to late-70s and use headphones both out walking and around the house to listen to audiobooks—though occasionally music and news-feeds.
Previously I used largish, cushioned headphones indoors (easier to take on and off) and smaller, less bulky in-the-ear Jaybirds outdoors … and of course I always had to connect or disconnect one or the other on my iPhone.
All that is in the past … these are by far, by light-years, the best headphones I have ever had … I no longer have to swap when I come in or go out AND I can hear my wife when she comes into the kitchen to ask what I’m cooking.
Occasionally, when traffic is particularly close, it interferes but, as I always hear it approaching, all I do is cup the ear at that side for a few seconds and I hear every word of my book. I could use the earplugs supplies but have not had to yet.
Best thing I ever did was to buy these AfterShokz Aeroplex headphones … and there’s the obvious bonus in that the younger generation (anyone below 70) think I’m really trendy, in most cases trendier than they are. They’re right, of course.
I’m in my mid- to late-70s and use headphones both out walking and around the house to listen to audiobooks—though occasionally music and news-feeds.
Previously I used largish, cushioned headphones indoors (easier to take on and off) and smaller, less bulky in-the-ear Jaybirds outdoors … and of course I always had to connect or disconnect one or the other on my iPhone.
All that is in the past … these are by far, by light-years, the best headphones I have ever had … I no longer have to swap when I come in or go out AND I can hear my wife when she comes into the kitchen to ask what I’m cooking.
Occasionally, when traffic is particularly close, it interferes but, as I always hear it approaching, all I do is cup the ear at that side for a few seconds and I hear every word of my book. I could use the earplugs supplies but have not had to yet.
Best thing I ever did was to buy these AfterShokz Aeroplex headphones … and there’s the obvious bonus in that the younger generation (anyone below 70) think I’m really trendy, in most cases trendier than they are. They’re right, of course.
I’m in my mid- to late-70s and use headphones both out walking and around the house to listen to audiobooks—though occasionally music and news-feeds.
Previously I used largish, cushioned headphones indoors (easier to take on and off) and smaller, less bulky in-the-ear Jaybirds outdoors … and of course I always had to connect or disconnect one or the other on my iPhone.
All that is in the past … these are by far, by light-years, the best headphones I have ever had … I no longer have to swap when I come in or go out AND I can hear my wife when she comes into the kitchen to ask what I’m cooking.
Occasionally, when traffic is particularly close, it interferes but, as I always hear it approaching, all I do is cup the ear at that side for a few seconds and I hear every word of my book. I could use the earplugs supplies but have not had to yet.
Best thing I ever did was to buy these AfterShokz Aeroplex headphones … and there’s the obvious bonus in that the younger generation (anyone below 70) think I’m really trendy, in most cases trendier than they are. They’re right, of course.
My first pair of Aftershokz bought with trepidation as I have never spent so much on a pair of headphones.
However, lockdown has meant a different way of taking exercise – running, walking, cycling, indoor rowing being the main activities. I have a pair of earbuds as well but wearing them for prolonged times was uncomfortable and I felt at times they were going fall out.
I have found these headphones comfortable to wear and the sound quality good. The increase/decrease in volume could be in smaller increments but overall a good pair of headphones which are easy to wear and light. They are expensive but I think less likely to be lost than a set of expensive earbuds.
The packaging is good but a little over designed
The package comes with a pouch to keep your headphones in when not in use and an AfterShokz bum bag (made of some flimsy looking plastic material) big enough to put a mobile phone into but not perhaps a phablet, and a set of foam ear plugs for noise cancellation
Personally I think that most of what comes with the headset is tat and how much this over packaging costs could have saved on the overall cost
The drive to cut down on plastic globally has been lost here
The funkiest feature is the magnetic charging cable which leaps to the headphones
The packaging is good but a little over designed
The package comes with a pouch to keep your headphones in when not in use and an AfterShokz bum bag (made of some flimsy looking plastic material) big enough to put a mobile phone into but not perhaps a phablet, and a set of foam ear plugs for noise cancellation
Personally I think that most of what comes with the headset is tat and how much this over packaging costs could have saved on the overall cost
The drive to cut down on plastic globally has been lost here
The funkiest feature is the magnetic charging cable which leaps to the headphones
I decided to push the boat out and go for the aeropex and I’m certainly glad I did. I find the sound quality excellent, for total base heads these would not cut the mustard but for people who like their tunes and not have the outside world totally blocked out they are great. They are also comfortable to wear and don’t bounce around when running, they stay in place exactly where they should. For phone calls they aren’t great in noisy environments, if there is a lot of road noise then being able to hear what is being said if a touch tricky and the person on the other end struggles to hear with lots of ambient noise but they work. The only downside is noise bleed, people around you can hear your music, not in a boom box way, but it is definitely audible at higher volumes.
Bought two pairs for running so my wife and I could both listen to music or a podcast and be able to talk to each other when required at the same time.
These work amazingly well. The sound quality is very good (you would want a dedicated pair of headphones if you are an audiophile to listen to music but that’s not the purpose of these!) and certainly good enough for running and you can still hear to have a conversation or be aware of traffic etc.
There is, obviously, no noise cancellation but come supplied with a set of ear plugs to deaden background noise in harsh, noisy environments. However, I’ve not used these yet.
Battery life is good and they come with TWO proprietary magnetic charging leads. One for home, one for the office/car.
Excellent product which, despite the reasonably high cost, are worth every penny. The old saying goes that you get what you pay for. With these, you’re paying for quality and you get it.
I am an avid researcher when it comes to buying products, I’m almost keen on music, and have a broad and eclectic taste so value buying the right product for the right situation. I have some Bose overear headphones for at home immersive listening, some Jabra Active Elite 65t for when I’m out walking the dog or just want to listen when moving, and some tiny Sennheiser in ear buds for when I need help sleeping. So I have no particular brand affiliation or loyalty – is what I’m saying in a long winded way!
I tried the Jabra’s when I was riding but didn’t like the lack of awareness of my surroundings despite the HearThrough being maxed. Plus was nervous of losing one on a trail somewhere, so I began researching (again).
That’s when I found Bone Conduction headphones. I dug deeper and trawled YouTube and search engines for product info, specs, reviews, etc. to create a shortlist of likely candidates, as I knew this is the type of product I wanted.
There are many much….much cheaper options for Bone Conduction headphones on Amazon, but nearly all of the videos or reviews I found from reputable publications, etc. pointed me towards AfterShokz.
I then when through their range, and eventually, thanks to a timely birthday ended up taking the plunge with the Aeropex.
I’ve now tested these at home, for music and calls, and out on the road when cycling, and I’m nothing less than blown away by how perfect these are as a solution to the problem of taking music out with me and still being aware of my surroundings!
No, these don’t have the depth of sound of the Bose ones I have.
No, these aren’t as isolating as the Jabra’s
No, I won’t be able to sleep in these ones, like I can my little Sennheiser’s.
But that’s all fine by me, these hit my requirement absolutely spot on, I couldn’t be happier.
On the bike there is still wind noise – well I think that would happen with any headphones to be honest. But it isn’t any more intrusive than if you weren’t wearing the Aeropex, the headphones don’t make it any worse.
They are light, comfortable, stable (in terms of Bluetooth connectivity), and have a decent battery life (better than the Jabra’s I have if I don’t have the little charging case with me!)
I’m already ‘smitten’ with these AfterShokz Aeropex. If you’re looking to meet a similar requirement to mine, then take the plunge! Yes they’re a little pricier than others but you pay for what you get. A well built, cleverly designed, reliable device (something I’ll test over time incidentally, but they do have a 2 year warranty – I’ve registered mine!)
Buy with confidence, and enjoy listening to music in a whole new, innovative, way!
I am an avid researcher when it comes to buying products, I’m almost keen on music, and have a broad and eclectic taste so value buying the right product for the right situation. I have some Bose overear headphones for at home immersive listening, some Jabra Active Elite 65t for when I’m out walking the dog or just want to listen when moving, and some tiny Sennheiser in ear buds for when I need help sleeping. So I have no particular brand affiliation or loyalty – is what I’m saying in a long winded way!
I tried the Jabra’s when I was riding but didn’t like the lack of awareness of my surroundings despite the HearThrough being maxed. Plus was nervous of losing one on a trail somewhere, so I began researching (again).
That’s when I found Bone Conduction headphones. I dug deeper and trawled YouTube and search engines for product info, specs, reviews, etc. to create a shortlist of likely candidates, as I knew this is the type of product I wanted.
There are many much….much cheaper options for Bone Conduction headphones on Amazon, but nearly all of the videos or reviews I found from reputable publications, etc. pointed me towards AfterShokz.
I then when through their range, and eventually, thanks to a timely birthday ended up taking the plunge with the Aeropex.
I’ve now tested these at home, for music and calls, and out on the road when cycling, and I’m nothing less than blown away by how perfect these are as a solution to the problem of taking music out with me and still being aware of my surroundings!
No, these don’t have the depth of sound of the Bose ones I have.
No, these aren’t as isolating as the Jabra’s
No, I won’t be able to sleep in these ones, like I can my little Sennheiser’s.
But that’s all fine by me, these hit my requirement absolutely spot on, I couldn’t be happier.
On the bike there is still wind noise – well I think that would happen with any headphones to be honest. But it isn’t any more intrusive than if you weren’t wearing the Aeropex, the headphones don’t make it any worse.
They are light, comfortable, stable (in terms of Bluetooth connectivity), and have a decent battery life (better than the Jabra’s I have if I don’t have the little charging case with me!)
I’m already ‘smitten’ with these AfterShokz Aeropex. If you’re looking to meet a similar requirement to mine, then take the plunge! Yes they’re a little pricier than others but you pay for what you get. A well built, cleverly designed, reliable device (something I’ll test over time incidentally, but they do have a 2 year warranty – I’ve registered mine!)
Buy with confidence, and enjoy listening to music in a whole new, innovative, way!
Pros:
1- I can do chores around the house but still be able to hear my kid if he needs me or easily stop to talk without taking them off.
2- they are light
3- the sound is great! (For bone conduction) Im not interested in hearing every minute detail of a song, just need music and books to get me through these Covid days. I imagine they’d be great for office use.
4- no ear fatigue
5- Bluetooth connection is excellent
6- excellent for cycling- fits with helmet and glasses
Cons-
1- slight pressure behind my right ear (easily fixed by placing headphone on top of my ponytail
2- if walking outside and traffic is super loud or wind is super loud- audio seems to fade and you have to turn volume up (however I didn’t find this to be the case when cycling)
Pros:
1- I can do chores around the house but still be able to hear my kid if he needs me or easily stop to talk without taking them off.
2- they are light
3- the sound is great! (For bone conduction) Im not interested in hearing every minute detail of a song, just need music and books to get me through these Covid days. I imagine they’d be great for office use.
4- no ear fatigue
5- Bluetooth connection is excellent
6- excellent for cycling- fits with helmet and glasses
Cons-
1- slight pressure behind my right ear (easily fixed by placing headphone on top of my ponytail
2- if walking outside and traffic is super loud or wind is super loud- audio seems to fade and you have to turn volume up (however I didn’t find this to be the case when cycling)
I was sceptical at first but after testing my friends pair I was convinced! Now I love them and can’t take them off! They’re comfortable to wear and great for wearing in the gym or doing sports, I don’t have to worry about any ear buds falling out. The sound quality is what really surprised me! Ok, so you have to wear the foam ear buds to really experience noise cancellation but I don’t really care for that. Especially if I’m at work and need to speak with colleagues- I can listen to music and speak to colleagues without having to lower the volume. The quality of build is good, they feel durable, volume and call control is easy to use. The only gripe I have with these is the vibration on high volume, it gets a bit tiresome on the jaw but that’s ok, just don’t listen to music on high volume!
To provide some context, the headphones I’m used to listening to music on include e.g. the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless (3), AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM3.
These headphones are phenomenal. Like other reviews have stated, there is of course a noticeable dip in sound quality – especially on the lower mids / low end / bass. However, they are perfectly good to use and by no means comparable to the cheap headphones as some others have stated. The high mids and highs have decent fidelity – and don’t forget, these are to be used whilst running / cycling, not in a studio / quiet listening atmosphere.
I’ve cycled a few times on these and honestly, the volume doesn’t even need to be maxed out to have a good experience. Cars and traffic come through (which is the main point of these types of headphones) and your music just surrounds the atmosphere – as if it’s coming from a radio on the side of your bike.
I personally prefer keeping the volume fairly low in order to focus properly on the road, but you’d easily be able to listen to music at max volume safely.
I thoroughly recommend these to anyone – decent sound and fantastic performance for what they’re intended to be used for. Buy – you won’t regret.
These headphones, however, don’t shut out the traffic sounds or road-noise, you can easily speak to someone around you with them playing and the sound is fairly good (8/10) I would say, they are easy to control and quick to connect to my phones Bluetooth, I’ve even been using them a lot as my main headphones when I go out for a walk or a quick run to the store.
(Battery charge) The battery lasts a long time and charge fairly quickly so (10/10) there.
(Noise cancellation) They won’t do much good on aeroplanes or on the underground/metro except if you use earplugs with them, then they work really well (tried & tested on London Underground), I guess that’s why there’s 1x set of earplugs in the pack 😉
Bottom line… I love these and don’t seem to leave home without them anymore.
Bought these specifically for use when riding my bike, so I can listen to music, navigation instructions as well as hearing cars, people and external noises. The do this job perfectly. Are so comfortable, I almost forget I have them on. I do not have any ‘tickle’ as some do.
The control button on the left node is a bit convoluted and doesn’t always do what it us meant to do, but once you get used to pushing the button 3 times for one thing and once or twice for the other it’s ok.
Battery life seems fantastic… I haven’t run out of power yet, so don’t actually know. Charging is very simple and the magnetic connector is very cool.
Music quality is ok – I don’t think you’d use these to specifically Listen to music as the mid-range is almost indiscernible and there is very little base to speak of. That said for audio books, podcasts et al these are just perfect.
The only negative for me, as someone who has a lot of devices is the convoluted way you need to Bluetooth connect to a device. You have to turn the headphones off, hold for 5 seconds then hope that the device you want picks it up. Sometimes if you have your iPhone and iPad in range the other will connect – annoying.
Apart from this relatively small annoyance these are great and I suspect the tech will improve over the years.
I really like these headphones. The simple fact of not having anything in your ears means it’s not uncomfortable wearing them for long periods, with the addition of standard ear plugs you can decide when you want to block out the world. Walking in the street is great as you’re aware of your surroundings you can have a conversation without necessarily pausing the music. The bone conduction system is amazing and still works all around the ear (I wore them over the top of my head so I could lay on the couch listening. The controls work incredibly well, and don’t suffer from the need for teenage gamer like speed to skip and go back a track. They are so comfortable I forget I’m wearing them meaning I walk around looking like an extra from a low budget sci-fi movie.
My only gripe is the bass, there is a way to change the equaliser but it only has two settings and my older ears have a problem differentiating between the two. Using ear plugs adds more depth to the sound but at the cost of a muffled like sound. I’m not an audiophile so it’s not a big problem and the convenience of the bone conductor system outweighs any problem I have with some sound quality. Overall really pleased with my purchase.
I bought these for home working and for on the bike.
Home working = excellent. Great battery life, sound quality is good, connectivity is excellent (dropped x2 and that might have been my fault in about 60hours talk time)
Bicycle = really pleasantly surprised. I read a few reviews say due to wind noise, you can’t hear and the fit with helmet straps and sunglasses wasn’t good. Fit is brilliant, no issues with either of my helmets or 3 sunglasses, so if there is an issue, it must be head/ear location. Wind noise is a potential issue but at a steady 20 mile an hour, I can hear fine. It gets complicated with head winds. Cycling into a head means sometimes I can be going slowly and not hear clearly. But a tail wind can have the opposite effect. The song also plays a part. Some are louder or at a pitch that is clearer for me. I have found it to be a revelation and the big thing is you can still hear traffic behind you. I tried a pod cast and that wasn’t so good, but that was into a headwind
In summary, just bowled over at how good they are but u shouldn’t expect to be able to hear everything all the time
These started by giving me what i can only describe as a migraine… However i have used them a few times now and it would seem that my brain has adjusted. This was tested when i took them on an hour bike ride over 15 miles on Sunday. The sound quality for music is good, and i can fully hear everything going in a round me, important when on the road.
The sound quality for phone calls started very “tinny”, but has improved and have had a god few conversations when walking the dog.
I would recommend them, i needed something that was waterproof as my iPod Pros are not. They are comfy fitting, the battery is good, hooked up easy with the iPhone X Max, only thing is “Hey Siri” doesnt seem to work on them. Have only given one star on noise cancellation as if they cancelled the noise it would be daft as these are designed to hear other things at the same time.
These are witchcraft as i you can listen to music crystal clear AND hear the tv crystal clear at the exact same time.
I am really really pleased with these headphones. They are perfect for when I am on the bike and need to keep an ear out for traffic and other hazards. It is very impressive how good the sound is overall even though it is using pure bone conducting audio. No the quality will not be as good as dedicated headphones but that’s not the point. They give the wearer the ability to hear clear sound whilst also being aware of the surrounding environment, something you can’t do with in ear or over ear headphones. There is no “noise cancelling” feature, don’t know why that is an option I can rate it on since it’s not in the feature set of the device at all, kind of defeats the purpose. If you wanted to block out outside noise and just use them like a regular pair of earphones you can do this by wearing foam earplugs.
Only 3 days in – the make and quality of the product seems first-class and nice packaging. Can’t comment yet on how long they last (comes with a 2 year warranty). Also supplied with a robust silicone bag which I really like to keep them safe. These don’t sound like your Bose over ears and don’t think they will, the bass is not the same and as they’re not in your ears it can’t be, but you can hear the music really well and the midrange response is spot on so great for vocals and superb for podcasts and talking/books etc. This is the compromise for being able to hear your environment and for me when I’m cycling or out walking the dog there isn’t a better and more comfortable earphone or headphone, and I’ve tried a few! I have my Bose when I want some thumping bass and noise-cancelling earphones when I’m stuck on a train and want to block out the world, so these are an ideal addition to earphone/headphone solutions. Highly recommend, so long as you know what you’ll get, the difference in sound compared to normal headphones/earphones -but if you need to hear outside as well, fully recommend this very clever solution.
I have had a pair of Trekz Air for over 12 months, but managed to damage them whilst hedge trimming (don’t ask!).
I originally took the plunge and purchased those, which I use mainly for running, having broken so many wired pairs and spent lots on replacements. I was sceptical about the bone conducting technology but having made the purchase, I discovered that they work brilliantly and the sound and build quality is great. It’s true that if you want hi-fi sound, then these are not the best product, but for running, it means I can still hear what’s going on around me, and they are exactly what I need to keep me going. I listen mainly to music, but have used them for radio and podcasts too. I find that in-ear headphones fall out of my ears and don’t like the fact that you can hear your breathing and heart pumping; the Trekz product allows me to enjoy my music whilst not being in a ‘bubble’ from the outside world. The fit is great and I often forget they are on my head.
So… having broken my favourite headset, there really was no competition and I decided to purchase another pair of Trekz. I must admit to being swayed by the offer of improved sound quality from the Aeropex, and certainly, having only had them for a couple of days, I reckon it is better and gives a more enjoyable exeperience.
Would I recommend them? – Yes, definately, they are a great headset.
I wanted a pair of bone conducting headphones to use while cycling. I wanted to be able to listen to podcasts or music whilst still being able to hear traffic noise around me. I’ve had these headphones for a few weeks now and have used them on my mountain bike and road bike. The sound quality for me is excellent. I’m no audiophile but I’ve really enjoyed using them and have certainly made solo training rides more enjoyable. The only time I’ve struggled with podcast dialogue is in particularly windy conditions or long downhills where the wind noise can drown out elements of the dialogue. In these cases I’ve just paused the podcast until the descent has finished and resume it. Listening to music is less of a problem with wind noise. I’ve found I’m still able to hear approaching traffic and general ambient noise clearly. These headphones are a great product and I’d be happy to recommend for cycling.
I am also an over the ear hearing aid user as well as glasses, its a little bit of getting use to and positioning, i found one side fitted better but i always find this but after 2 days its no problem. I have never been able to wear headphones but saw this technology a few years ago and have been watching it advance, with this virus going around i didnt want to keep handling my phone also i wanted to have private conversation with people again, well at least people only hearing part of the conversation. The other thing im a wheelchair user and having your phone on display isn’t the most ideal thing.
I went for the more expensive as it houses the advance tech and very pleased i did they are awesome my Mum has said its the first time she has heard me clear on the phone for a long time and the same with me, also i was forever missing calls because i couldn’t hear the phone ring this has stopped this.
I have marked the section “for working out” with a top mark as i didnt want it to let the 100% marked low as it didnt deserve it.
My only thing is it wants some sort of measurement or even 2 or 3 different size made as they feel a little large around the neck area but i couldnt go for a child size as i need the size over the ear to sit on the correct place of the bone to get the best out of them.
One awesome product.
Sound quality not great compared to other ‘normal’ earphones but this is, apparently, as good as it gets for bone conduction headphones. Main problem for me is a tinny sound/lack of bass. This is despite experimenting with their position as much as is practical. Given it’s supposed to be an improved model I can only imagine what it was like in earlier models. Even 25 non-ear canal devices sound a lot better to me, and I’m not a ‘bass junkie’.
Having said all that, they really ARE good for jogging etc. as, as AfterShokz promote, they don’t fall off or out and you can hear what’s around you, even if they are somewhat drowned out by passing traffic. “Better safe than sorry” as they say, and I have some near misses with noise cancelling alternatives. I think my brain normalises the poor sound pretty quickly, actually, and by the middle of a run I’m thinking they do sound better than nothing – “ok’ish” given their benefits.
Perhaps the earplugs supplied would be better being “leaky” to allow most but not all external noise in?
So… a keeper for me on balance. Just.
I was born with no ear canal in my right ear. Unfortunately several surgeries was not able to fix it, so 43 years of not being able to hear with it is something I’ve only ever known. I’ve tried other cheaper makes of bone headphones but have never been good enough to make a difference. These Aeropex headphones are a Godsend. For the first time, I’m now able to make out words and other sounds that only my left ear has been compensating for all these years. Don’t get me wrong, my hearing is still impaired between the two ears but I’ll take 20% improvement than having nothing at all, you can’t put a price on that. Took some getting used to as my brain was getting confused with these new sounds and made me a little unbalanced but that settled after a few hours use. Thanks Aftershokz, I don’t think you’ll ever know how happy these have made me.
After using my Aeropex daily since purchasing I would say they are a generally excellent product I would recommend to anyone who As someone that does not like in-ear headphones or larger over-ear ones when outside.
I have been interested in bone conduction technology for a number of years and AfterShokz in particular. I was fortunate to be able to borrow the previous model from a friend who uses them for running and based on their performance bought the latest Aeropex model for myself. Glad I did as they are a noticeable step up on the older technology. Sound quality is great and they make an ideal headset for calls as well as listening to music. There are only two caveats people should be aware of both related to the nature of the bone conduction technology.
First, bass levels are diminished compared to traditional in-ear or over-ear headphones so if deep bass is a deal breaker then these are not the headphone for you. Second, playback can be washed out by ambient noise because there is nothing blocking your ear canal… I see this as part of the appeal of the technology, that I am aware of my surroundings when listening to music during my commute to work or a run in the evening.
It is also worth noting the magnetic charging cable is a great addition over a standard USB plug and the battery life is an acceptable 5-6 hours of continuous playback. The unit is also rain proof (to a degree) and has survived the occasional downpour when I was caught without a coat or umbrella.
After using my Aeropex daily since purchasing I would say they are a generally excellent product I would recommend to anyone who As someone that does not like in-ear headphones or larger over-ear ones when outside.
I have been interested in bone conduction technology for a number of years and AfterShokz in particular. I was fortunate to be able to borrow the previous model from a friend who uses them for running and based on their performance bought the latest Aeropex model for myself. Glad I did as they are a noticeable step up on the older technology. Sound quality is great and they make an ideal headset for calls as well as listening to music. There are only two caveats people should be aware of both related to the nature of the bone conduction technology.
First, bass levels are diminished compared to traditional in-ear or over-ear headphones so if deep bass is a deal breaker then these are not the headphone for you. Second, playback can be washed out by ambient noise because there is nothing blocking your ear canal… I see this as part of the appeal of the technology, that I am aware of my surroundings when listening to music during my commute to work or a run in the evening.
It is also worth noting the magnetic charging cable is a great addition over a standard USB plug and the battery life is an acceptable 5-6 hours of continuous playback. The unit is also rain proof (to a degree) and has survived the occasional downpour when I was caught without a coat or umbrella.
After using my Aeropex daily since purchasing I would say they are a generally excellent product I would recommend to anyone who As someone that does not like in-ear headphones or larger over-ear ones when outside.
I have been interested in bone conduction technology for a number of years and AfterShokz in particular. I was fortunate to be able to borrow the previous model from a friend who uses them for running and based on their performance bought the latest Aeropex model for myself. Glad I did as they are a noticeable step up on the older technology. Sound quality is great and they make an ideal headset for calls as well as listening to music. There are only two caveats people should be aware of both related to the nature of the bone conduction technology.
First, bass levels are diminished compared to traditional in-ear or over-ear headphones so if deep bass is a deal breaker then these are not the headphone for you. Second, playback can be washed out by ambient noise because there is nothing blocking your ear canal… I see this as part of the appeal of the technology, that I am aware of my surroundings when listening to music during my commute to work or a run in the evening.
It is also worth noting the magnetic charging cable is a great addition over a standard USB plug and the battery life is an acceptable 5-6 hours of continuous playback. The unit is also rain proof (to a degree) and has survived the occasional downpour when I was caught without a coat or umbrella.
First, some plusses. They’re very comfortable and very secure: airpods are just as comfortable but I’ve had them pop out a couple of times during exercise. The bluetooth is better than airpods at holding a signal. I haven’t swum in them but they’re apparently waterproof and I have no problem believing that. Oh, and It’s a matter of personal taste, but I think that they look good.
Now the not-so-good. The Aeropex are quiet … I find that the last quarter of the volume range of my phone just doesn’t add any gain, as though your bone can only conduct a finite amount of sound, so if you’re looking for enveloping sound, look elsewhere. Also, while there is something miraculous about hearing music without having your ears covered, the sound quality is not good: although I find that they are good enough to enjoy my music, I don’t think it would be going too far too suggest that these have the worst sound of any headphones (or earbuds) I’ve ever used!
Part of the concept of the Aeropex is that you can hear what’s going on around you and – paradoxically, given what I’ve said about the volume – this isn’t entirely correct. True, you don’t have the sense of being stoppered up in closed-backed headphones, but you certainly lose a lot of your perception of environmental sound. It’s probably safer to say that if you’re running or cycling, these give you a better chance of hearing an approaching car than any other headphone you could choose. But they don’t mitigate the risk entirely.
So with the Aeropex you’re laying down serious money for something that compromises a lot in order to provide an equivocal benefit: how am I giving these four stars rather than three or lower? Essentially, it boils down to the fact that if you want to exercise, these are the best headphones you can get. They are incredibly practical, have decent battery life on a single charge, sound “good enough” for the purpose and give you some sense of your environment.
If you want a single pair of headphones that does everything, I can’t recommend these: at best, they are a second pair. But if you need something that does what they do, buy them, you’ll love them. Personally I’d buy them again without hesitation.
[Update April 2021: Since writing this review I have bought a set for my wife as well and she is very happy with them as well. I regularly use mine for long telephone calls, where they are hugely convenient.]
First, some plusses. They’re very comfortable and very secure: airpods are just as comfortable but I’ve had them pop out a couple of times during exercise. The bluetooth is better than airpods at holding a signal. I haven’t swum in them but they’re apparently waterproof and I have no problem believing that. Oh, and It’s a matter of personal taste, but I think that they look good.
Now the not-so-good. The Aeropex are quiet … I find that the last quarter of the volume range of my phone just doesn’t add any gain, as though your bone can only conduct a finite amount of sound, so if you’re looking for enveloping sound, look elsewhere. Also, while there is something miraculous about hearing music without having your ears covered, the sound quality is not good: although I find that they are good enough to enjoy my music, I don’t think it would be going too far too suggest that these have the worst sound of any headphones (or earbuds) I’ve ever used!
Part of the concept of the Aeropex is that you can hear what’s going on around you and – paradoxically, given what I’ve said about the volume – this isn’t entirely correct. True, you don’t have the sense of being stoppered up in closed-backed headphones, but you certainly lose a lot of your perception of environmental sound. It’s probably safer to say that if you’re running or cycling, these give you a better chance of hearing an approaching car than any other headphone you could choose. But they don’t mitigate the risk entirely.
So with the Aeropex you’re laying down serious money for something that compromises a lot in order to provide an equivocal benefit: how am I giving these four stars rather than three or lower? Essentially, it boils down to the fact that if you want to exercise, these are the best headphones you can get. They are incredibly practical, have decent battery life on a single charge, sound “good enough” for the purpose and give you some sense of your environment.
If you want a single pair of headphones that does everything, I can’t recommend these: at best, they are a second pair. But if you need something that does what they do, buy them, you’ll love them. Personally I’d buy them again without hesitation.
[Update April 2021: Since writing this review I have bought a set for my wife as well and she is very happy with them as well. I regularly use mine for long telephone calls, where they are hugely convenient.]
I purchased this headset as a replacement for my old Trekz Titanium. I loved that headset and my colleagues very quickly got used to the fact they could talk to me still while I was listening to my own music.
I had to replace it due to wear and tear, as it used to get chucked into my rucksack without any case to protect it.
Straight out the box these new Aeropex have a fantastic silicone rubber case, which although not rugged, is enough to make you think twice about how you put the headset away.
Sound quality is better than the Trekz Titanium, a little more bass, or warmth to the sound; that is not to say these are any comparison to standard headphones for tracks with heavy bass sound, but these aren’t designed with the audiophile in mind.
Personally I have found these are great for listening to quiet Classical music while I’m working, and I’m still able to hold conversations with colleagues; and also take business calls without having to pick up the phone, being able to use the computer whilst talking is a massive bonus.
Outside of work, these are very comfortable whilst running, and you can still hear everything going on around you.
I have found you get used to listening to music through these after only a short time; and you can crank up the volume plenty, unlike the old Trekz Titanium, you don’t get as much vibration from higher volume.
Like the old headset, you can use the multifunction button to voice dial for phone calls, and with an Android device you can use voice commands to select music in Spotify, I’d imagine other such commands work as well, but I’ve only used for Spotify so far.
To summarise, these are fantastic for listening to music whilst working in an office, round the house or when you’re out and about; but you are still aware of your surroundings and able to hold conversations with people.
You also have seamless transition from listening to music to making Phone calls.
I purchased this headset as a replacement for my old Trekz Titanium. I loved that headset and my colleagues very quickly got used to the fact they could talk to me still while I was listening to my own music.
I had to replace it due to wear and tear, as it used to get chucked into my rucksack without any case to protect it.
Straight out the box these new Aeropex have a fantastic silicone rubber case, which although not rugged, is enough to make you think twice about how you put the headset away.
Sound quality is better than the Trekz Titanium, a little more bass, or warmth to the sound; that is not to say these are any comparison to standard headphones for tracks with heavy bass sound, but these aren’t designed with the audiophile in mind.
Personally I have found these are great for listening to quiet Classical music while I’m working, and I’m still able to hold conversations with colleagues; and also take business calls without having to pick up the phone, being able to use the computer whilst talking is a massive bonus.
Outside of work, these are very comfortable whilst running, and you can still hear everything going on around you.
I have found you get used to listening to music through these after only a short time; and you can crank up the volume plenty, unlike the old Trekz Titanium, you don’t get as much vibration from higher volume.
Like the old headset, you can use the multifunction button to voice dial for phone calls, and with an Android device you can use voice commands to select music in Spotify, I’d imagine other such commands work as well, but I’ve only used for Spotify so far.
To summarise, these are fantastic for listening to music whilst working in an office, round the house or when you’re out and about; but you are still aware of your surroundings and able to hold conversations with people.
You also have seamless transition from listening to music to making Phone calls.
I’ve been using these pretty heavily over the last few weeks and I’m really impressed with them. I have other sports headphones for running but specifically wanted something to use when cycling whilst allowing me to hear other road/trail users.
My concerns before buying:
will they be comfortable?
Will I be able to wear sunglasses?
Will they interfere with my cycling helmet?
How will they sound?
After 250miles (ish) of cycling and running these are my thoughts:
Yes they are very comfortable. I ran a half marathon distance this morning and did not need to adjust them once. They are so lightweight and comfortable that I forgot I was wearing them. The same cannot be said for any of my in-ear headphones.
They do not interfere with sunglasses at all. I usually wear an old pair of ray ban wayfarers which are pretty chunky and rest on the tops of my ears. The aftershokz do not interfere with them in the slightest.
They cause no issues when worn with a cycling helmet.
The sound quality is okay. Not bad but not great. It’s the biggest trade off in this type of design but I feel it’s definitely out weighed by the benefits. For podcasts and audiobooks they are perfect. For music you will lose a lot of bass and they will not sounds anywhere near as full as ‘proper’ headphones but once you get used to it the sound is not unpleasant. At home I use a nice set of AKG open backed headphones with a dedicated headphone amp and on the go I use some closed back over ear compact AKGs with my phone. They both sound excellent and these do not but I’d still choose them over any of my other ‘workout’ headphones (wired sennheiser buds) every single time.
They also have been very useful for conference calls when working from home .
I was a bit unsure about taking a chance on something that might sound a bit ‘meh’ for a relatively high price but I’m very happy with them and hope to get plenty more use out of them in the future.
I don’t normally bother writing reviews but these headphones were so impressive I felt I had to! I have been jogging (in the city) for many years. I have never used headphones or buds, etc. because I felt uncomfortable not being able to hear people, cars and other city life around me. But these don’t go on or in your ear – I can hear that ambient noise and my music! The sound is excellent. They are very light. And my two kids were very impressed with how it works/looks. For me they are a game changer. I can now exercise whilst listening to podcasts or music if I want. However, i still love my Sony noise cancelling headphones for shutting out all noise in some scenarios (eg. train or plane). If you jog/exercise and want to listen to music I would really recommend them. Oh, forgot to mention the free bumbag that comes with it. It is well made and a good alternative to putting your phone and keys on an arm band.
Have had numerous, blue-tooth, USB connected headphones which I use for communication at work. Be it Lotus Notes Sametime, Skype, Cell Phones, Zoom. The one problem I encounter, be it with buds or wired earpieces there is always that feeling of isolation, living in a bubble, removed from your surroundings. Its almost an unreal feeling. Plus the buds, headphones irritate your ears, no matter how good the quality after several hours working . Lets face it if you were meant to have your ears covered you would be born with button down ears!! The Areopex give that off the ear feeling. I can hear my surroundings, have that feeling of being connected both to my environment and my digital word. Perfect balance. Light weight, to be honest I have stepped into the shower not realizing I still had them on (thank goodness they are waterproof). Cell phone, Zoom etc is all very good, the spoken voice is very clear. Music etc is good, as good as I need, I do not have them too loud or too soft. I have only felt the sensation of the vibration on the jaw bone when my cell phone rings. Tried them for gaming, very good, they will never beat the immersed feeling with a good set up powerful head phones, but if my wife asks me a question at least I can answer in the knowledge that I got the question right! Aesthetically cannot fault them, the magnetic charger is a master stroke. Buttons easy to feel and adjust when required, no fumbling. Being able to multipoint pair devices is a god send, cell phone and Laptop hooked up and ready to use.
Would not hesitate in recommending
Birthday gift for the girlfriend who listens to podcasts a LOT, it would be fair to say she loves the headphones. She doesn’t like mine because it drowns out all surrounding sound and she wanted to hear if someone called on her, hear a car coming outside or if the dog was out of sight and barking. The sound is clear, at least for the spoken word and she uses it so much it gets a nightly recharge like her phone!
I thought I’d try it out myself to see if it’s worth a pair for myself but, as an audiophile, I won’t be making that purchase. It’s fine for the spoken word and for classical music but anything with a base is reduced to a tinny version and the whole sound range seem to shift up the scale because the base simply isn’t there. Saying that, we both find them very comfortable to wear, both getting to a point where we forget we were wearing them and, given her very extended use of them, has only complained once that her ears were getting a little tired of wearing them and that was after about four days of use sufficient to drain the batteries (around 6-8 hours a day).
I bought these to wear whilst cycling, I wanted music and to be able to hear what was happening around me. Unfortunately having your ears open to outside sound does mean that the sound quality is compromised, particularly when moving at speed, so if your a sound purist these probably aren’t for you. If your OK with your music just sounding OK, these are great! They’re lightweight, fit under a cycling helmet and around glasses, easy to pair and easy to operate. So far I’ve only used them for a 90minute ride, they performed well using spotify for music and a cycling app to give updates, both were quite clear. They’re quite expensive, but they seem to be well engineered and manufactured and are comfortable to the point of you forgetting you have them on.
Short version: best exercise headphones I’ve ever used. No downsides.
Sound Quality: I’d never used bone-conduction headphones before and from talking to people that have had them, they said not to expect much from the sound and that they can be quite “leaky” (i.e. other people around you can hear them). Not the case with these. The sound quality is fantastic for what they are. Obviously they’re not the same as a set of Sony XM cans but then I don’t want to wear a big set of cans when I go running (I go running to make my cans smaller). As others have said, if you turn them up really loud, then they vibrate against your head. Also, if you turn up other headphones really loud, you hurt your ears. So, top tip. Don’t turn things up really loud and put them next to your ears.
Connectivity: I’ve returned far too many bluetooth headphones recently due to dropped connections as soon as I’m near any kind of radio source, especially bad on the tube or on the street when there’s a lot of traffic. I took these for a 5k today during my allotted daily exercise and they didn’t cut out once, even though there was a hell of a lot of traffic out when I was running by a road. They do pair with multiple devices but I found that when I paired them with my laptop for a video call and then went for a run, they were really unhappy to be disconnected from my laptop and kept beeping so I turned around and disconnected them again. I’m not planning on using these as a work headset, so that’s not a big issue for me.
Little bits: The set I got came with a ‘sport belt’ which is big enough to fit my Pixel 2XL and a set of house keys. It’s surprisingly good quality so I think I’ll keep using it rather than an armband for my phone. The headphones use a proprietary magnetic charging cable and I was dreading having to shell out a probably 20 for a second cable for work (if I am ever allowed back) but it turns out there are 2 cables in the box. They also come with a soft silicone case with a magnetic clasp. All of the packaging is recyclable and of the kind of quality that stops you from regretting shelling out 150 for a set of exercise headphones.
Lastly, while I was only planning on using these for running/cycling/fighting the hordes in tesco car park, I’m so impressed with the sound that I just use them all day. The fact that your ears aren’t covered is fantastic, but it takes a while to get used to because you can hear what people are saying clearly, but it’s confusing because your brain thinks “Why are they talking so quietly, obviously there’s a banging tune playing right now?!”
Short version: best exercise headphones I’ve ever used. No downsides.
Sound Quality: I’d never used bone-conduction headphones before and from talking to people that have had them, they said not to expect much from the sound and that they can be quite “leaky” (i.e. other people around you can hear them). Not the case with these. The sound quality is fantastic for what they are. Obviously they’re not the same as a set of Sony XM cans but then I don’t want to wear a big set of cans when I go running (I go running to make my cans smaller). As others have said, if you turn them up really loud, then they vibrate against your head. Also, if you turn up other headphones really loud, you hurt your ears. So, top tip. Don’t turn things up really loud and put them next to your ears.
Connectivity: I’ve returned far too many bluetooth headphones recently due to dropped connections as soon as I’m near any kind of radio source, especially bad on the tube or on the street when there’s a lot of traffic. I took these for a 5k today during my allotted daily exercise and they didn’t cut out once, even though there was a hell of a lot of traffic out when I was running by a road. They do pair with multiple devices but I found that when I paired them with my laptop for a video call and then went for a run, they were really unhappy to be disconnected from my laptop and kept beeping so I turned around and disconnected them again. I’m not planning on using these as a work headset, so that’s not a big issue for me.
Little bits: The set I got came with a ‘sport belt’ which is big enough to fit my Pixel 2XL and a set of house keys. It’s surprisingly good quality so I think I’ll keep using it rather than an armband for my phone. The headphones use a proprietary magnetic charging cable and I was dreading having to shell out a probably 20 for a second cable for work (if I am ever allowed back) but it turns out there are 2 cables in the box. They also come with a soft silicone case with a magnetic clasp. All of the packaging is recyclable and of the kind of quality that stops you from regretting shelling out 150 for a set of exercise headphones.
Lastly, while I was only planning on using these for running/cycling/fighting the hordes in tesco car park, I’m so impressed with the sound that I just use them all day. The fact that your ears aren’t covered is fantastic, but it takes a while to get used to because you can hear what people are saying clearly, but it’s confusing because your brain thinks “Why are they talking so quietly, obviously there’s a banging tune playing right now?!”
I also use them for work and the microphone is exceptional, great sound quality again.
The fit is comfortable, can easily wear them all day without noticing.
The controls are also superb. Reliable button presses for play, pause, rewind, fast forward, volume etc. make them extremely easy to deal with and leave your phone alone.
Recommending these to anyone that will listen!
My wife has the previous Trekz Mini version and compared to these the Aeropex are considerably slimmer and lighter. Having said that not sure there’s an 80 difference between the two as Trekz are still excelle
Good: First of all I’d say comfort, they really fit well on my rather big head 🙂 also flawless contact when jogging. Great office headphones. Multipoint connection is brilliant I can listen to podcast from phone and use for PC tele-conferencing without reconnecting. Bluetooth headset phone operation for phone is flawless, great microphone noise cancellation too, useful battery check, ability to mute during call is great too, overall pretty good control functions. I am fine with sound quality which is better then I expected for open ear, the reported vibration in high volume is reproducible but not a problem I dont listen so loud anyway, with earplugs you get more conventional experience but the open-ear is the whole point of this headset, so you can interact with environment. Battery seems excellent get me through 12h of fairly frequent use at low volume.
Minor gripes: in multipoint loosing one of connections (walking away from computer brings in annoying alarm need power off/on to ignore), the beeps on key presses are too loud when wearing with earplugs
I was a bit sceptical about these headphones. However, following a recent trip to Norway where I tried them out I was taken aback as to how good these things actually are. I tried the older generation of these phones and they were damned good, but these are even better. It’s a bit strange to be able to hear sounds around you whilst still enjoying your music and the sound quality is excellent. I roller ski on roads sometimes and it’s never good to have a car go past your close and fast. Even worse when you haven’t heard it approach, so it would be easy to have stepped into its path. These therefore are a godsend. The sound quality and connectivity is excellent. Battery life is excellent as well. The only initial niggle is the slight pressure of the band around your head when you first put them on. Having said that the sensation is not oppressive and soon fades into the background. Great work guys.
I don’t often write reviews, but if like me you try to decide by wading through the pros and cons it can be difficult to decide whether to buy or not. So to help you I thought that I would give my opinion for a change. I bought mine for solo running, but I wanted to be connected to the outside world, I was willing to compromise a little on sound quality for safety. I was pleasantly surprised. Sound quality is better than I expected, just a little loss of bass. You still have to pay attention to the outside world, so pay attention to the volume setting. The real surprise, was how comfortable the headphones are, I have on occasion forgotten that I have them on. Battery life so far has not been an issue but I do like to keep everything charged and ready to go, no charging cable issues. No problems with pairing to iPhone or Mighty. I have worn them at the same time with sunglasse, again no issues. I haven’t used them with the ear plugs provided, this was not the point for me. The ear plugs may be useful on a windy day. I lent them to my wife………and have now had to purchase a second pair. The only negative was the lack of a sturdy case, which I have purchased separately. I don’t tend to touch the buttons whilst running, but can imagine that this may be difficult whilst on the move. All in all very satisfied.
However, I’m very picky when it comes to my work environment and I was a bit cheesed off with the new rule. So I bought these as a compromise.
These… Headphones?… Grant me the ability to work efficiently, block out the usual (and sometimes off-putting) office sounds (something that one single earphone could not do), while simultaneously allowing me to address people if they came over for work related discussions.
However, one thing to note are that these are bone conduction. Not miracle workers. For what they are, they’re great sound quality. But, they won’t replace your headphones, or indeed some earphones in terms of sound quality. Especially when it comes to sound leakage, as bone conduction can be notoriously bad for it at medium to high volumes.
What they lack in sound quality (which they’re still pretty okay at) they make up in function. I’ll be honest. These have largely replaced most of my listening devices with a few exceptions (mainly situations where I prefer a more isolated listening experience).
The battery life lasts a while. I haven’t tested it to the claimed max usage, but I haven’t had them randomly die on me during the working day. So if you’re sensible with battery charging intervals, you’ll be fine.
In the box, you’ll can a silicon case, two magnetic plug charging cables, a waist pouch for your phone and keys (for running and cycling), and a little plastic box containing what I assume to be reusable ear plugs. Maybe they’re just one use. I don’t know.
I must admit, I wasn’t expecting the running pouch or earplugs and the pouch in particular has seen a substantial amount of use and has thus far held up pretty well.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with these and I certainly feel like I’ve got my money’s worth out of them, so I’ll be keeping an eager eye on this brand in the future.
However, I’m very picky when it comes to my work environment and I was a bit cheesed off with the new rule. So I bought these as a compromise.
These… Headphones?… Grant me the ability to work efficiently, block out the usual (and sometimes off-putting) office sounds (something that one single earphone could not do), while simultaneously allowing me to address people if they came over for work related discussions.
However, one thing to note are that these are bone conduction. Not miracle workers. For what they are, they’re great sound quality. But, they won’t replace your headphones, or indeed some earphones in terms of sound quality. Especially when it comes to sound leakage, as bone conduction can be notoriously bad for it at medium to high volumes.
What they lack in sound quality (which they’re still pretty okay at) they make up in function. I’ll be honest. These have largely replaced most of my listening devices with a few exceptions (mainly situations where I prefer a more isolated listening experience).
The battery life lasts a while. I haven’t tested it to the claimed max usage, but I haven’t had them randomly die on me during the working day. So if you’re sensible with battery charging intervals, you’ll be fine.
In the box, you’ll can a silicon case, two magnetic plug charging cables, a waist pouch for your phone and keys (for running and cycling), and a little plastic box containing what I assume to be reusable ear plugs. Maybe they’re just one use. I don’t know.
I must admit, I wasn’t expecting the running pouch or earplugs and the pouch in particular has seen a substantial amount of use and has thus far held up pretty well.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with these and I certainly feel like I’ve got my money’s worth out of them, so I’ll be keeping an eager eye on this brand in the future.
However, I’m very picky when it comes to my work environment and I was a bit cheesed off with the new rule. So I bought these as a compromise.
These… Headphones?… Grant me the ability to work efficiently, block out the usual (and sometimes off-putting) office sounds (something that one single earphone could not do), while simultaneously allowing me to address people if they came over for work related discussions.
However, one thing to note are that these are bone conduction. Not miracle workers. For what they are, they’re great sound quality. But, they won’t replace your headphones, or indeed some earphones in terms of sound quality. Especially when it comes to sound leakage, as bone conduction can be notoriously bad for it at medium to high volumes.
What they lack in sound quality (which they’re still pretty okay at) they make up in function. I’ll be honest. These have largely replaced most of my listening devices with a few exceptions (mainly situations where I prefer a more isolated listening experience).
The battery life lasts a while. I haven’t tested it to the claimed max usage, but I haven’t had them randomly die on me during the working day. So if you’re sensible with battery charging intervals, you’ll be fine.
In the box, you’ll can a silicon case, two magnetic plug charging cables, a waist pouch for your phone and keys (for running and cycling), and a little plastic box containing what I assume to be reusable ear plugs. Maybe they’re just one use. I don’t know.
I must admit, I wasn’t expecting the running pouch or earplugs and the pouch in particular has seen a substantial amount of use and has thus far held up pretty well.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with these and I certainly feel like I’ve got my money’s worth out of them, so I’ll be keeping an eager eye on this brand in the future.
However, I’m very picky when it comes to my work environment and I was a bit cheesed off with the new rule. So I bought these as a compromise.
These… Headphones?… Grant me the ability to work efficiently, block out the usual (and sometimes off-putting) office sounds (something that one single earphone could not do), while simultaneously allowing me to address people if they came over for work related discussions.
However, one thing to note are that these are bone conduction. Not miracle workers. For what they are, they’re great sound quality. But, they won’t replace your headphones, or indeed some earphones in terms of sound quality. Especially when it comes to sound leakage, as bone conduction can be notoriously bad for it at medium to high volumes.
What they lack in sound quality (which they’re still pretty okay at) they make up in function. I’ll be honest. These have largely replaced most of my listening devices with a few exceptions (mainly situations where I prefer a more isolated listening experience).
The battery life lasts a while. I haven’t tested it to the claimed max usage, but I haven’t had them randomly die on me during the working day. So if you’re sensible with battery charging intervals, you’ll be fine.
In the box, you’ll can a silicon case, two magnetic plug charging cables, a waist pouch for your phone and keys (for running and cycling), and a little plastic box containing what I assume to be reusable ear plugs. Maybe they’re just one use. I don’t know.
I must admit, I wasn’t expecting the running pouch or earplugs and the pouch in particular has seen a substantial amount of use and has thus far held up pretty well.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with these and I certainly feel like I’ve got my money’s worth out of them, so I’ll be keeping an eager eye on this brand in the future.
A work colleague lent me theirs and I was instantly converted. I already have a considerable range of audio devices, and each has their niche, but the Aeropex are my go to favourite most of the time. Examples.. It has transformed hands free/conference calls. The Aeropex is so light, I can wear it all day and have forgotten to take it off before now. I use it to listen to pod casts / radio on country walks without feeling disconnected from the environment as my ears are still open. Also use it when gardening/DIY as they have no trailing cables and water p;roof. The button on the side is super easy to pause audio, answer the phone.
There are a couple of areas it is worth noting though.
There is NO noise cancellation, which can be a positive or a negative! Your ears are completely open/uncovered.
The sound quality is perfectly fine for voice, and casual music listening, but is not audiophile quality.
The head band stands off the back of your head. This makes it a problem wearing a hood (so I wear a hat), and also can get in the way if you are resting your head back on a sofa.
People worry about sound leakage disturbing other people, but I think it would have to be an incredibly sensitive person, in a very quiet environment to even notice anything, let alone complain (at normal listening levels).
As I said at the start, these are my go to earphone. Rarely without them far away.
I love these headphones. The important thing to remember is that these are different to over ear and in ear headphones. That may sound an obvious statement to make however when reading reviews I found the less than 5 star reviews has a common tone and that was that when compared to other over ears and in ears they weren’t as good. To me it is like comparing different types of screwdrivers, yes they all turn a screw but which one is best for the job.
A few scenarios where these headphones have excelled for me and why-
Running, hear traffic.
Watching my iPad whilst looking after my baby. You can hear the crys. Now we all know Bose sound cancelling headphones would be up their with the best but I like to be aware of everything for obvious reasons.
You can have music and still have a conversation. You can’t do this with other types. It’s like your own background music if you turn the music down and you can focus on the conversation whilst still listening to music. A bit like in a restaurant.
Phone conversations are great quality as well.
The headset fits great and feels well made and premium and sound quality is great.
Great product for people who want to still be aware of he world around them.
I got these a month ago and I’ve done several training runs and a half marathon in them already. They have endured a lot of sweat and and a lot of rain with no issues at all. The bluetooth connection is very good, they always pair very quickly and the charge time is perfect as i will be extending to full and ultra marathon training shortly. As far as sound goes, they are never going to match isolating ear buds in the same price range, but that is not what you buy this model for. The sound quality is good enough to be enjoyable and you can still hold conversations and hear traffic and dogs. They are very comfortable, I don’t even notice them even after a couple of hours. The volume is fine, even for spoken word podcasts. One criticism would be that they suffer a bit if you are next to a busy, wet road and as you need to have them at full volume to combat the noise and the safety feature will cut out after a short period. My only only other gripe would be the extraordinary amount of packaging that they come with. Lots of plastic coated boxes, a pouch and running belt. The pouch and belt are fine but tbh I think it would be better to take them out and make the packaging simpler and knock 30 off the price. Overall I am very, very pleased with these!
I bought these headphones to use at the gym as I seem unable to find any that will stay in place and not fall out of my ears when working out. These stay in place, I think the sound is good but if you’re looking for for a brilliant audio experience, these aren’t for you as they do exactly what they’re made for; allow you to hear music/audio whilst being totally aware of the sounds in your surroundings. They don’t move when leaning down whilst I’m doing yoga but I do find that when I’m on my back, the neckband means that they move forward a little but I can still hear what I need to. I haven’t had them very long so I cannot comment on battery life yet. All in all great sports headphones but for the price, I would have thought the manufacturer would have included a hard case as the soft one will not prevent damage to the rather expensive headphones and they seem to be squashed into it. I have now purchased a hard case from a different manufacturer as I want to ensure my headphones last as long as possible without damage.
After running a half marathon the other day with some normal noise isolation headphones, I decided that I wanted to change the way I ran with music. Don’t get me wrong, my soundbuds have done me well, but while you can cleanse your eardrums with loud music, you also totally drown out the sounds around you – cars, cheering, birds, my lungs.
I read a lot of reviews on these and tried out some earlier models from friends. I initially wasn’t impressed, but after trying out the latest model and watching too many YouTube vids, I took a punt on these and I’m super happy.
They’re lightweight, hold a decent charge and sound pretty good too. As they essentially turn the bone matter in your head into a speaker, you’re never going to get those deep bass notes, but the sound is decent. More importantly, they offer a great compromise for being able to enjoy my music and audiobooks while hear what’s going on around me. I’m really pleased that I forked out on these.
I’ve waited a little while to give a review to give these a fair assessment. These little HEADphones are brilliant! The idea of sound transmission through the skull is simply genius! And they work pretty well at it too. I’ve a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones which are great for blocking out sound, but these are great for adding “elevator music” to everyday situations that might sound a little dull. In a noisy environment it’s a struggle to concentrate on what you are hearing if you need to, like with spoken audio. Turning up the volume does help but the vibrations on the side of the head could be a little wearisome. It works seamlessly with both my phone and work laptop which is great. It even paused a Youtube video playing on the laptop when a phone call came in so all I had to do was answer the call on the headset! That did impress me. I’ve used them at a gym doing exercise and they are so small and light you barely notice them. Perhaps not the best 150 spent in my life, but it is some pretty cool tech and I’m delighted with them. Well done AfterShokz.
These are *much* better. I can have them on relatively quietly and can still hear them very clearly. It is their clarity that is most striking. And because I don’t have them up loud, I can easily hear traffic sounds around me (and can judge their direction because both ears are hearing them).
Considering how they work, the sound quality is breath-taking – far better than I expected. They are no substitute for a good quality set of earphones/earbuds. I won’t be giving up my Bose Soundsports for these. In particular, they are missing quite a bit of bass, but they are way more than good enough for what they are intended for and I find I don’t miss the bass when I’m riding my bike.
Two people I know who have rather poor hearing have tried mine and have immediately ordered pairs for themselves because they find that the bone-conduction mechanism that these use seems “bypass” the part of the ear that is causing the hearing difficulty. I understand (from reading the AfterShoks website) that this won’t work for everyone, but they do seem to be transformative for some.
They’re not perfect. There is no auto power-off. There are two EQ settings that you can switch between, but – as far as I can tell – it is just an option to pull out even more bass than they already lose). An app allowing the frequency response to be tweaked would be nice. They also have a proprietary charging cable that attaches to them magnetically (to a standard USB-A plug at the other end). In fairness, they do supply two cables, so you’re not completely sunk if you lose one. Standard Micro-USB or USB-C would have been nicer, though, and several phone manufacturers with standard connectors are touting water-resistance, so it should have been do-able. But these are minor enough complaints (more deserving of docking half a star rather than a full star).
They are far from cheap, but are are by far and away the best headphones I have found for use when cycling. There is absolutely no comparison between the experience of using these and the experience of using only one of even the best pair of earbuds. I’m unlikely to use them much in situations where I don’t need to hear my surroundings: I’ll still use my regular earbuds when I’m out walking the dog or want to immerse myself into whatever I’m listening to. But for their intended purpose, I’m very happy with them.
These are *much* better. I can have them on relatively quietly and can still hear them very clearly. It is their clarity that is most striking. And because I don’t have them up loud, I can easily hear traffic sounds around me (and can judge their direction because both ears are hearing them).
Considering how they work, the sound quality is breath-taking – far better than I expected. They are no substitute for a good quality set of earphones/earbuds. I won’t be giving up my Bose Soundsports for these. In particular, they are missing quite a bit of bass, but they are way more than good enough for what they are intended for and I find I don’t miss the bass when I’m riding my bike.
Two people I know who have rather poor hearing have tried mine and have immediately ordered pairs for themselves because they find that the bone-conduction mechanism that these use seems “bypass” the part of the ear that is causing the hearing difficulty. I understand (from reading the AfterShoks website) that this won’t work for everyone, but they do seem to be transformative for some.
They’re not perfect. There is no auto power-off. There are two EQ settings that you can switch between, but – as far as I can tell – it is just an option to pull out even more bass than they already lose). An app allowing the frequency response to be tweaked would be nice. They also have a proprietary charging cable that attaches to them magnetically (to a standard USB-A plug at the other end). In fairness, they do supply two cables, so you’re not completely sunk if you lose one. Standard Micro-USB or USB-C would have been nicer, though, and several phone manufacturers with standard connectors are touting water-resistance, so it should have been do-able. But these are minor enough complaints (more deserving of docking half a star rather than a full star).
They are far from cheap, but are are by far and away the best headphones I have found for use when cycling. There is absolutely no comparison between the experience of using these and the experience of using only one of even the best pair of earbuds. I’m unlikely to use them much in situations where I don’t need to hear my surroundings: I’ll still use my regular earbuds when I’m out walking the dog or want to immerse myself into whatever I’m listening to. But for their intended purpose, I’m very happy with them.
These are *much* better. I can have them on relatively quietly and can still hear them very clearly. It is their clarity that is most striking. And because I don’t have them up loud, I can easily hear traffic sounds around me (and can judge their direction because both ears are hearing them).
Considering how they work, the sound quality is breath-taking – far better than I expected. They are no substitute for a good quality set of earphones/earbuds. I won’t be giving up my Bose Soundsports for these. In particular, they are missing quite a bit of bass, but they are way more than good enough for what they are intended for and I find I don’t miss the bass when I’m riding my bike.
Two people I know who have rather poor hearing have tried mine and have immediately ordered pairs for themselves because they find that the bone-conduction mechanism that these use seems “bypass” the part of the ear that is causing the hearing difficulty. I understand (from reading the AfterShoks website) that this won’t work for everyone, but they do seem to be transformative for some.
They’re not perfect. There is no auto power-off. There are two EQ settings that you can switch between, but – as far as I can tell – it is just an option to pull out even more bass than they already lose). An app allowing the frequency response to be tweaked would be nice. They also have a proprietary charging cable that attaches to them magnetically (to a standard USB-A plug at the other end). In fairness, they do supply two cables, so you’re not completely sunk if you lose one. Standard Micro-USB or USB-C would have been nicer, though, and several phone manufacturers with standard connectors are touting water-resistance, so it should have been do-able. But these are minor enough complaints (more deserving of docking half a star rather than a full star).
They are far from cheap, but are are by far and away the best headphones I have found for use when cycling. There is absolutely no comparison between the experience of using these and the experience of using only one of even the best pair of earbuds. I’m unlikely to use them much in situations where I don’t need to hear my surroundings: I’ll still use my regular earbuds when I’m out walking the dog or want to immerse myself into whatever I’m listening to. But for their intended purpose, I’m very happy with them.
Great bone conductive headphones. Have owned Titanium model before, and have to say these sound and feel better. Although the soft case is good, I will more than likely get a hard case as my last set broke when the left arm snapped after something hit it. They are not cheap, so protection is important for me. Have not used them for calls yet, so not sure how good the mic and noise cancellation is yet compared to my last set. These headphones always spark interest from friends who have not used bone conduction before. They all say they will stop using ear bud models and change to these. They are great for sports use, in the office or cycling etc. As the ear is open, they are not suitable for noisy environments. I have fully closed noise cancelling headphones for those situations. I love the weight of these. You could forget you have them on at times. The sound is very clear. I would advise anyone to try these out. You will like them for sure !
I put the Aeropex on at a stand in a local shop and was blown away! I tried to order via the local shop but they couldnt get them in time for my christmas travel plans. I ordered them form Amazon and they came in 2 days!
Firstly they packaging really has that wow factor so if its a gift for someone they are going to love just opening them! The Aeropex themselves are fantastic, like nothing ive ever seen or heard before. I have always had problems with getting traditional earphones staying in my ears, especially when doing something active. ive tried them all even the ones that hang on your ear but they still pop out. not an issue with the Aeropex, they are sooo light and stay in place no matter what, some of my colleagues tried to head bag them off but were unsuccessful! I wore them all day and the battery was excellent. The sound quality too was fantastic. as they dont go into the ear canal i gave them to alot of my intrigued colleagues to try and they were blown away! Aftershokz, expect lots of orders from where i live and work lol
Im delighted with them!
The first thing is that these are so light you really will forget you have them on. The sound quality is very good. I’ve got some Bose headphones of I really want to listen to music and these are never going to compete with those. If you want that sort of quality then these aren’t the right product but that’s not the fault of their fault; it’s not what they’re built for.
The bass is still pretty good and I can wind the volume up to a level far greater than I find comfortable. I’ve asked if my voice is clear on a couple of calls and there’s no problem there either.
So far, I can’t find anything really to complain about. I guess the only small thing is the bleed. I had them on listening to some music and my other half could hear it from about a metre away. I had a set of in ear ones that I bought specifically for watching films on the train as they had almost zero bleed. They were less than a tenner and they worked better than these in that respect.
It is a bit weird being able to hear music and people talking but then I suppose ill get used to that. For that, they definitely hit the mark.
The first thing is that these are so light you really will forget you have them on. The sound quality is very good. I’ve got some Bose headphones of I really want to listen to music and these are never going to compete with those. If you want that sort of quality then these aren’t the right product but that’s not the fault of their fault; it’s not what they’re built for.
The bass is still pretty good and I can wind the volume up to a level far greater than I find comfortable. I’ve asked if my voice is clear on a couple of calls and there’s no problem there either.
So far, I can’t find anything really to complain about. I guess the only small thing is the bleed. I had them on listening to some music and my other half could hear it from about a metre away. I had a set of in ear ones that I bought specifically for watching films on the train as they had almost zero bleed. They were less than a tenner and they worked better than these in that respect.
It is a bit weird being able to hear music and people talking but then I suppose ill get used to that. For that, they definitely hit the mark.
These headphones are superb. I gave them 5 stars for sound quality as well, because I knew what I bought. You cannot compare them to normal headphones and if you do, you should be looking at something else or you might need something else for a different use-case. For sound quality most mid priced or cheap in ear headphones would sound better, but for bone conduction headphones, they do sound much better than I expected.
They are really lite, they are loud enough to listen to my audio books to some loud areas, they have really good microphones and I have successfully used them for phone calls & meetings as well.
These headphones changed my life. I have quadrupled the number of Audiobooks that I listened to since I have bought them. You can actually forget them on your head. It’s like getting an implant. Press a button to talk to someone without reaching your phone, listen to audiobooks, podcasts and occasionally music.
Oh, and I forgot. I used them successfully while doing sports(really good grip, never felt they would come off), while taking a shower, etc.
OK these are my 6th or 7th Aftershocks. I started 7 years ago (?) on Kickstarter… that pair still works. These are great light and easy to use. Genius power connector. Clearly the problem I had with other versions that would just stop working is I sweat a tremendous amount… I also wear these for 3-5 hours a day. If you are brutal with gear these may not be for you. On the other hand not sure what you will use (having tried half a dozen other brands over the years)? I love having my ears open to the world while rocking out to my favorite tune. I also no longer bother my wife at night when I am listening to these and she is trying to sleep. With traditional headsets she always asked me to turn them down. Waterproof. Yes I have gone under water with these and they still work great. The issue is that bluetooth signal does not go under water. And along the surface of the pool the bluetooth radio wave is absorbed by the water ripples… hey wave against wave… water wins. BUT I will now be able to sweat my ass off and still have these things work. The switches are much improved and I am still contemplating if the sound is better. If you are looking for serious base (from your juvenile “thump, thump” music) then maybe you should look at something else. Podcasts and old Rolling Stones songs sound great. AND the customer service is great. Not sure what the negative reviews here about service is all about. These guys respond in 24 hours… as they always have over the years. What are your other choices… Lightest, great batter life, great sound… similar price to others… and now waterproof.
But then the point was well-made that when out on the road, running or cycling, its much safer to be able to hear that car horn BEFORE said vehicle actually hits you – especially when crossing roads on a run. I was concerned that the cost of finding out if these headphones would suit me might result in an expensive (149) white-elephant but I took the plunge when these new aeropex headphones came out (black – gave up waiting for the red!) with great reviews over earlier models – and wow, I am a convert! I love em! So light and conformable, I wear them ALL the time in the day (much to my partners annoyance) as they interact with the phone so well for taking calls and the music (or radio or news) is there – with no sound leakage – in the background when I want it wandering around shops, work – anytime!
I liken this bone conduction (rather than ear) more to like ‘listening to the radio on the background’ so you are near fully interacting with the world around you if you want or need to. The sound quality and clarity for me is great and I have to admit I’ve heard some favourite tracks in a new way … so much so I’m beginning to wonder if my normal ear-canal hearing has been damaged over the years with all the loud rock music, which cheek-bone conduction now delivers spot-on! (Maybe I should get them checked out? I read these use the same technology that deaf hearing aids employ!).
Volume up and down touch of once ear. Pause music and/or take a call touching the other. All very simple. Charge lasts for ages. Can run in the rain or whilst sweating profusely – normally ruins my other headphones in the long run which either fall apart or stop working in one or both ears.
Let’s be clear – these headphones are fantastic but AS WELL as already having a pair of SONY noise-cancelling Sony WH-1000X M3 for times when I want a cut-off isolated loud music or movie experience or where I want the drone of the flight engines kept out. These are expensive for an ‘as well as’ pair of headphones and would be no use as your ONLY pair …. but then the whole point of these ‘open’ headphones is the opposite of noise- cancelling ones …. and who wears their expensive audiophile headphones at the gym anyway? … horses for courses!
I’m sorely tempted to try the version that you can actually swim in with 2G music loaded on rather than delivered via Bluetooth: swimming lengths really is so boring a bit of music would definitely be a godsend!
I am concerned that I’ve read reports on facebook reviews saying the buttons (on/off volume) stop working after several months, but I’m hoping that’s rare and won’t apply to me: with a two year warranty I’m assuming that, even if it does, I will be covered!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND – ESP IF PRICE COMES DOWN
I have been looking for a good pair of sports headphones for years. My main activities are running and cycling (road), and I’ve mostly used sporty versions of the normal in-ear type of headphones up to now. The main issues with them have been the headphones moving around, the poor sound quality, the wires being in the way, and particularly wind noise whilst cycling.
These Aeropex headphones solve all of the problems. They are properly light in weight – much lighter than I thought they would be. Once they’re on your head (see image), the weight is carried on top of yours ears, but it’s barely noticeable. The brace around the back doesn’t touch your head, (although I guess it might get in the way if you have long hair), it’s just there to add a little tension to hold the speakers to the side of your head. They’re very comfortable, and I’ve had no problems with any movement from them whilst running or cycling, even when wet (they are fully waterproof – you can apparently even use them for swimming, although I haven’t tried this!!).
The sound quality is great – again much better than I thought they would be. Because they use bone conduction technology the bass isn’t as good as in-ear headphones, but it’s definitely not as bad as some reviews (especially of the previous model) will have you believe. Once I start listening, I don’t notice the lack of bass any more. Also worth mentioning that I think the sound quality actually improves with a little perspiration during exercise, as it seems to improve the contact/seal between the face of the speaker and your skin.
Battery life is also amazing. They are genuinely good for many hours of listening between charges – at least what they claim, if not more. Not sure if this will deteriorate over time – will have to see…
Finally, the best thing is that these are an open-ear design, so you can hear the world around you. Perfect for cycling – much reduced wind noise versus in ear headphones, and can hear traffic as well as if you werent using headphones at all.
Very durable, and come with a nice rubber pouch to protect them when you throw them in your gym bag. In short, I can’t recommend them enough. Worth every penny in my opinion.
I have been looking for a good pair of sports headphones for years. My main activities are running and cycling (road), and I’ve mostly used sporty versions of the normal in-ear type of headphones up to now. The main issues with them have been the headphones moving around, the poor sound quality, the wires being in the way, and particularly wind noise whilst cycling.
These Aeropex headphones solve all of the problems. They are properly light in weight – much lighter than I thought they would be. Once they’re on your head (see image), the weight is carried on top of yours ears, but it’s barely noticeable. The brace around the back doesn’t touch your head, (although I guess it might get in the way if you have long hair), it’s just there to add a little tension to hold the speakers to the side of your head. They’re very comfortable, and I’ve had no problems with any movement from them whilst running or cycling, even when wet (they are fully waterproof – you can apparently even use them for swimming, although I haven’t tried this!!).
The sound quality is great – again much better than I thought they would be. Because they use bone conduction technology the bass isn’t as good as in-ear headphones, but it’s definitely not as bad as some reviews (especially of the previous model) will have you believe. Once I start listening, I don’t notice the lack of bass any more. Also worth mentioning that I think the sound quality actually improves with a little perspiration during exercise, as it seems to improve the contact/seal between the face of the speaker and your skin.
Battery life is also amazing. They are genuinely good for many hours of listening between charges – at least what they claim, if not more. Not sure if this will deteriorate over time – will have to see…
Finally, the best thing is that these are an open-ear design, so you can hear the world around you. Perfect for cycling – much reduced wind noise versus in ear headphones, and can hear traffic as well as if you werent using headphones at all.
Very durable, and come with a nice rubber pouch to protect them when you throw them in your gym bag. In short, I can’t recommend them enough. Worth every penny in my opinion.
I have been looking for a good pair of sports headphones for years. My main activities are running and cycling (road), and I’ve mostly used sporty versions of the normal in-ear type of headphones up to now. The main issues with them have been the headphones moving around, the poor sound quality, the wires being in the way, and particularly wind noise whilst cycling.
These Aeropex headphones solve all of the problems. They are properly light in weight – much lighter than I thought they would be. Once they’re on your head (see image), the weight is carried on top of yours ears, but it’s barely noticeable. The brace around the back doesn’t touch your head, (although I guess it might get in the way if you have long hair), it’s just there to add a little tension to hold the speakers to the side of your head. They’re very comfortable, and I’ve had no problems with any movement from them whilst running or cycling, even when wet (they are fully waterproof – you can apparently even use them for swimming, although I haven’t tried this!!).
The sound quality is great – again much better than I thought they would be. Because they use bone conduction technology the bass isn’t as good as in-ear headphones, but it’s definitely not as bad as some reviews (especially of the previous model) will have you believe. Once I start listening, I don’t notice the lack of bass any more. Also worth mentioning that I think the sound quality actually improves with a little perspiration during exercise, as it seems to improve the contact/seal between the face of the speaker and your skin.
Battery life is also amazing. They are genuinely good for many hours of listening between charges – at least what they claim, if not more. Not sure if this will deteriorate over time – will have to see…
Finally, the best thing is that these are an open-ear design, so you can hear the world around you. Perfect for cycling – much reduced wind noise versus in ear headphones, and can hear traffic as well as if you werent using headphones at all.
Very durable, and come with a nice rubber pouch to protect them when you throw them in your gym bag. In short, I can’t recommend them enough. Worth every penny in my opinion.
Comfort: So, I don’t exercise with these headphones, I use them to relax. Sleeping in earbuds can be painful, but these sit outside the ears and are very flat. They don’t dislodge or shift around when I toss and turn. I forget I’m even wearing them. They are exceptionally light and robustly made.
Sound: It’s not great for music. They don’t have the full rich sound of earbuds unless you also wear earplugs, then they are comparable. Without noise isolation, the sound is a bit tinnie. As I use them primarily for audiobooks and TV this doesn’t matter. Having only partial hearing, they bypass the eardrum and for the first time in a year, I have even stereo sound.
I can hear the rest of the world around me (I have to, I’m a mom), which is the point. But, personally, I can’t have them on and hold a conversation with someone else at the same time. And the sound level all the way up does not drown out my partner’s snoring (sorry Dave.)
Battery: Says 8 hours but I have worn them two 8 hour nights in a row before having to recharge. They are really excellent and I have been wearing them every night for a couple of months now and the battery life is the same.
Waterproof: I have worn these in the bath and submerged my head several times. There is a millisecond blip when the charging contacts touch the water but that’s it. They sound even clearer underwater.
Ultimately, they look almost like Gelfling “princess” circlets so there may be an incident with some gold paint and cosplay in the future.
I purchased this product because I wanted a ‘safe’ pair of headphones to cycle with – allowing in max ambient noise. And I can say that they are awesome in this aspect. I was concerned sound quality may be poor – but was pleasantly surprised that it’s pretty good (mostly EDM-style tunes so far). I listen to at around the 6 or 7 level, at which there is no discernible tingle/buzz. Although go any higher and you will start to feel. I can’t say I have tested the call-receiving functionality so can’t comment on that. They fit really well – no issues combining with sunnies plus cycling helmet (which I was concerned could be a problem). I also now use at gym – so convenient and hassle-free. Whilst not cheap – they have become indispensable and since they seem to be the only such product – I guess they can command their premium price. Plus all the finishes and quality are superb. I would highly recommend – especially if you want for ‘safe’ listening where you need to hear outside noise.
Then I tried them.
They are not going to be returned.
The Aeropex are everything Aftershokz say they are, and more. The ultimate audio quality isn’t up to a decent pair of closed cup over-ears but it’s blooming good, and the rest of it is peerless.
Then I tried them.
They are not going to be returned.
The Aeropex are everything Aftershokz say they are, and more. The ultimate audio quality isn’t up to a decent pair of closed cup over-ears but it’s blooming good, and the rest of it is peerless.
Riding a mountain or gravel bike in the countryside is always a pleasure, but when I wanted to have a training ride always felt that I had to sacrifice something if I was to train hard yet still be aware of things going on around me. Earplugs would isolate me from my surroundings so that the only thing I’d be aware of was my heartrate and the music.
Wearing the Aftershokz I can now hear the birds sing in the trees, or a river running down the side of the track. Importantly I can hear how the bike is moving beneath me, and best of all I can say hi to anyone else I meet in the countryside without them realising that I’m listening to my music.
The sound quality is good and I have never felt the need to have the volume high in order to be able to focus on the music. The headphones just sit there without the need to adjust them. For me they’ve been a great investment that will keep me motivated when perhaps I wouldn’t have wanted train quite as much.
My first foray into bone conducting headphones, and i’m quite pleased.
The sound has come a long way since I tried out a friends set of aftershocks several years ago. That could be down to advances in Bluetooth, but it could just as easily be down to updates the the BC technology.
They will never be bass rich, but realistically I don’t want booming bass when i’m wearing these (usually on my bike), it would totally defeat the object of them by making outside noises difficult to hear.
On the whole they are quite comfortable. I’ve only experienced some mild discomfort once, Sympathy for the devil by the stones came on shuffle and the right hand side felt like it was tapping the side of my head. It’s repeatable so is likely down to the specific beat and frequencies of that track.
The one thing I have been disappointed with is the mic, I’ve made a couple of test calls to my voicemail and I’m hardly audible at all.
So, if you want these for listening to stuff without impacting your awareness of what’s going on around you, then they are just the ticket, if you want to make regular calls with them, then i’d be prepared to switch to our handset.
After a while, anything you put in your ear becomes unconfortable and in my case sweaty. Hearting your own heartbeat out of time with the song you are listening to can often ruin your fave tunes, not to mention the hazards of not being able to hear whats around you while on the move.
Enter Aftershokz…. I’d be lieing if i said this was my first experience with the company, as i previously backed a kickstarter for a pair of bone conducting sunglasses, but you cant wear sunglasses in the rain and this isnt a review of those so….
These bone conducting headphones are very comfortable to wear and sit infront of your ear leaving it open so you can still hear the world around you. They are a sealed unit, apart from a small pin hole for a microphone and completely waterproof, ideal for the british summer.
Noise bleed is no worse than from any other pair of earphones and infact i had to turn them right up for anyone around me to hear anything from them at all.
Sound quality is good, though missing the bass you would get from in ear buds, but then that is to be expected somewhat as the technology behind how you hear it is completely different.
Battery life is incredibly good and the little magnetic charging point is simple to connect (magnetically duh) though if you lose the cable you will have to go to aftershokz for a replacement, fortunately the item does ship with 2 cables, just incase…
Total game changer for me when it comes to music while i’m running. Cant see me wearing them in the gym on a dreadmill, but that only happens in winter when the weather is bad, suppose i’ll have to keep my ear buds just for that then…..
After a while, anything you put in your ear becomes unconfortable and in my case sweaty. Hearting your own heartbeat out of time with the song you are listening to can often ruin your fave tunes, not to mention the hazards of not being able to hear whats around you while on the move.
Enter Aftershokz…. I’d be lieing if i said this was my first experience with the company, as i previously backed a kickstarter for a pair of bone conducting sunglasses, but you cant wear sunglasses in the rain and this isnt a review of those so….
These bone conducting headphones are very comfortable to wear and sit infront of your ear leaving it open so you can still hear the world around you. They are a sealed unit, apart from a small pin hole for a microphone and completely waterproof, ideal for the british summer.
Noise bleed is no worse than from any other pair of earphones and infact i had to turn them right up for anyone around me to hear anything from them at all.
Sound quality is good, though missing the bass you would get from in ear buds, but then that is to be expected somewhat as the technology behind how you hear it is completely different.
Battery life is incredibly good and the little magnetic charging point is simple to connect (magnetically duh) though if you lose the cable you will have to go to aftershokz for a replacement, fortunately the item does ship with 2 cables, just incase…
Total game changer for me when it comes to music while i’m running. Cant see me wearing them in the gym on a dreadmill, but that only happens in winter when the weather is bad, suppose i’ll have to keep my ear buds just for that then…..
So when I first found them, I thought Hmm this must be a gimmick!! I tried to go to shops so I could try them out but no one had them on stands, I watched loads of reviews with a pinch of salt although some were truthful in the end.
These are great if you a runner they light, you can hear traffic, cars , bikes behind you or when you crossing roads. They fit really well and are super light in the gym they awesome as well.
If you looking for Dr Dre quality you not going to get it from these. They are not bad but if a big truck or bus comes passed you you lose sound until it passes, but that is what these are bought for they are not bought for perfect sound in your ear while you run or heavy base they are bought for practicality so you can hear traffic etc while running.
There is very little sound leakiness on these, although if turned up full there is some but it is really not intrusive to other people. I am truly happy with them overall
The headphones are a minor technological miracle.You’ll swear that you are hearing with your ears, but you are just fooling yourself. Now sound quality is good, but don’t expect the perfection of some expensive over-ear headphones, it just can’t work like that, but then these are for when you are running (or playing with your Bicycle if that’s what you are into), so the noise of the world will always outweigh and lack of perfection in the reproduction anyway.
The fit and comfort level is by far the best of any sports headphones I have ever had, they are extremely light and stay securely on you head regardless of what you are doing (Unless you are Sky Driving perhaps?).
Sources with a lot of bass, including spoken word audio books can sometimes “tickle” your face where the conductors are, but it is very slight and you just learn to ignore it.
In summary, these may be a little pricey, but they are well worth the cash if you are a runner of any kind or do one of those other sports that I’ve heard of like caber tossing, three-legged race, egg and spoon racing or sack racing. Maybe even cycling?
Have bought Titanium/Air and Aeropex in last 3 weeks….I know their primary 99% aim is sports-based usage, but here is a unique take/usage review…
The Great
Perfect invisible fit now…due to ergonomics + lighter weight
+2 hours battery life @ 8 hours total
Super super simple proprietary magnetic charger
100% waterproof
The Not So Great
Loss of mids “fullness/body” and forwardness vs Air..more V-shaped signature (+bass/+treble) now, than mids focused…
SBS codec, not Apt-X LL (low latency)
***Bought for my mother for TV : unusual usage but it works..finally !***
Definitely more refined SPOKEN audio image than titanium and Air…extended bass and treble…voices have a pin-pointed focus now floating immediately around the head…however for music, its become a tad sterile vs Air which I own and use every day for biking. I know full well voice ranges are in the mids, but this control comes at a loss of musical immersiveness.
As stated, regarding usage for TV/netflix… I managed to pair these up to a SBC/Apt-X Apt-X LL transmitter as my mother’s main focus is voice clarity later at night, with the TV, without disturbing neighbours .
As the Aeropex receive only in old school ‘SBC bluetooth’ and not ‘Apt-X LL’, there was a latency issue for voices syncing up on a Hisense 55-inch TV on Netflix, but I managed to sync that delay with the TVs deeper Optical-out lip sync settings….
Aftershokz would be advised to impliment Apt-X LL in the next model, to get lip sync 100% right for spoken word, as they can expand their market beyond sport for hard-of-hearing/deaf TV use etc…it will also improve the SQ micro-detail across the frequency range vs making them ‘V-shaped’ now in Aeropex.
Final Verdict 4/5 – as previous Air have a better fullness to the mids/more fun presentation for music…but for comfort/charging ease and fit..they have superceded the previous models 100%.
I love these headphones. they are so much more comfortable than the Trekz, and unfortunately I can’t speak to the attributes of the Trekz Air as I have never owned them.
The Aeropex fit perfectly around the ear and are so light that you wouldn’t notice them there. Comfortable with sunglasses and/or a cycle helmet. Paired with a Garmin Fenix 5 Plus is no trouble so far. I will update after more frequent use.
On a side-note I have had occasion to use Aftershokz customer services before and I found them nothing but helpful. Kudos for that.
I love these headphones. they are so much more comfortable than the Trekz, and unfortunately I can’t speak to the attributes of the Trekz Air as I have never owned them.
The Aeropex fit perfectly around the ear and are so light that you wouldn’t notice them there. Comfortable with sunglasses and/or a cycle helmet. Paired with a Garmin Fenix 5 Plus is no trouble so far. I will update after more frequent use.
On a side-note I have had occasion to use Aftershokz customer services before and I found them nothing but helpful. Kudos for that.
I thought the Air model was good and enjoyed them for my running, working out in the gym cardio or weights and now the cycle ride to work.
The new Aero model is far far superior then the Air, the sound is much clearer and sounds more meaty. Plus the base has been improved, which is great as when training I always listen to Spotify Run N Base 170-175 BPM and the Aero’s make the play list sound great.
Like others reviews on here I even forget I still have these on due to there light weight and even walked into the shower with them on, thankfully they are IP67 so after a oh crap moment I then relaxed remembering IP67 .
I’m waiting for the other colours to come out and I’ll be buying my wife a pair now for when she hits the gym.
Overall these headphones are Fantastic and they do last the 8 hours, I made sure I didnt charge to find out.
Everyone I show these headphones to there reply is mostly WOW Amazing, these are from others who are using all different brands from airpods, bose etc.
They are the make and model and are going to look into them so just me showing people how great they are I reckon 10 friends and people in the gym have gone and ordered them and others added to their birthday or christmas wish list!
Well done Aftershokz keep up the good work!!
I highly recommended this. I cant recommend it higher. Maybe you just want to listen to music at work but still hear your surrondings. Maybe you have kids and you want to listen to podcasts while you pay attention to them. Maybe you’re into sports and you want a lightweight solution that also lets you stay safe and hear your surroundings. It fits all of those. I use these more than my various headphones because I often forget the aftershokz are still on. Walk through life with your own personal soundtrack. It’s a weird sensation to hear the world and music at the same time, but it’s a worthwhile experience. My only hopes now are that aftershokz will master the bone conduction sunglass headset game.
2 weeks into the hottest marathon training season I’ve ever coached, and this headset is still performing flawlessly! My group has been running in temperatures ranging from 31C to 36C (which typically feels like 39C to 42C due to humidity), and despite sweating so much that we all look like we just jumped in a swimming pool, my Aeropex has continued to work perfectly! I’m very surprised it’s still not available to purchase within the US, but glad I took the chance and purchased it from Amazon’s UK storefront.
UPDATE 3/7/19:
I’ve used these on 7 super sweaty summer runs so far and they’re holding up great! By this point my Titanium headset would’ve fried. I’ve made sure the headset is completely dry each time I’ve charged it so far, so I’ve not tested the moisture warning system to know how it works. I honestly don’t intend to test this feature though if I can avoid it.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I’ll be updating this review over the next month or so as needed, but currently I’ll say this is the best headset Aftershokz has made to date. I’m a marathon runner/coach and I tend to sweat a lot during training and races. Aftershokz has replaced my Trekz Air five times now due to sweat damage, so when they announced a fully waterproof headset, I was very intrigued. I’ve run with my Aeropex once so far and I performed flawlessly. The general design looks much more waterproof than previous models, as the only hole visible in the body is the microphone. The switch to a magnetic charging connection is probably the best improvement, as it eliminates the the easiest way to short out the Air or Titanium headsets. I also give Aftershokz a ton of credit for sending 2 charging cables, since it’s a proprietary connection that you can’t easily buy outside of contacting their support team. I assume replacement cables will also be available on their storefront eventually, but that is currently not the case.
TL/DR: The Aeropex is a full improvement in all aspects over their previous Bluetooth models. I’m looking forward to hopefully updating this review with good performance reports over the next month as a break it in properly during my upcoming training season.
I am not their main target customer. I use these in the office primarily with the intended occasional bike ride at the weekends (still yet to try this). I wanted to be able to listen to music but still hear the conversations going on around me in case I need to join in, or simply if someone wants to ask me a question and they can just say my name without doing a wavy dance to try and get my attention. For this they work exactly as intended.
I also take several calls throughout the day and the quality is excellent. I can hear people loud and clear and I have been told that I come across very clear with the quality on par with most headsets. Watching films seems to have audio in sync and sounds great.
I also have these connected to my laptop at the same time and can seamlessly switch between my phone and laptop.
Battery wise I am still amazed. I have not timed it yet myself, but I have no issues getting through a full day of music listening and calls with the odd pauses throughout the day.
Comfort is really really good and most of the time I forget that I am actually wearing them. I do have the music at a normal volume (not so loud that I cant hear my surroundings) so the vibrations into my jaw are not too harsh which I think also helps with reducing fatigue. But I pretty much have this on my head for a solid 10 hours to put it into perspective.
Sound quality is going to be very subjective. They are not your normal headphones and therefore will not be as good BUT they are far from average. Yes the bass response is not as good but Im not listening to loud heavy dance tracks and for the most part I forget that the bass is lacking. Music still sounds nicely rounded and pleasant to listen to.
If I was to find fault it would be with the vibrations on louder volumes. It cant really be helped, but the vibrations are a weird sensation and fatigue does set in much quicker. There is also a confirmation beep for things like volume up which is unnecessarily loud and makes me want to use my phone volume instead of the headset buttons.
Other than that I couldn’t recommend enough if the use case fits you.
—update—-
Tried these on a ride and work exactly as you would expect. The helmet straps aren’t an issue and the rear band sits low enough to not interfere with the rear helmet strap (at least on my normal helmet)
Still very happy and they have been glued to my head all day everyday at the moment.
I am not their main target customer. I use these in the office primarily with the intended occasional bike ride at the weekends (still yet to try this). I wanted to be able to listen to music but still hear the conversations going on around me in case I need to join in, or simply if someone wants to ask me a question and they can just say my name without doing a wavy dance to try and get my attention. For this they work exactly as intended.
I also take several calls throughout the day and the quality is excellent. I can hear people loud and clear and I have been told that I come across very clear with the quality on par with most headsets. Watching films seems to have audio in sync and sounds great.
I also have these connected to my laptop at the same time and can seamlessly switch between my phone and laptop.
Battery wise I am still amazed. I have not timed it yet myself, but I have no issues getting through a full day of music listening and calls with the odd pauses throughout the day.
Comfort is really really good and most of the time I forget that I am actually wearing them. I do have the music at a normal volume (not so loud that I cant hear my surroundings) so the vibrations into my jaw are not too harsh which I think also helps with reducing fatigue. But I pretty much have this on my head for a solid 10 hours to put it into perspective.
Sound quality is going to be very subjective. They are not your normal headphones and therefore will not be as good BUT they are far from average. Yes the bass response is not as good but Im not listening to loud heavy dance tracks and for the most part I forget that the bass is lacking. Music still sounds nicely rounded and pleasant to listen to.
If I was to find fault it would be with the vibrations on louder volumes. It cant really be helped, but the vibrations are a weird sensation and fatigue does set in much quicker. There is also a confirmation beep for things like volume up which is unnecessarily loud and makes me want to use my phone volume instead of the headset buttons.
Other than that I couldn’t recommend enough if the use case fits you.
—update—-
Tried these on a ride and work exactly as you would expect. The helmet straps aren’t an issue and the rear band sits low enough to not interfere with the rear helmet strap (at least on my normal helmet)
Still very happy and they have been glued to my head all day everyday at the moment.
Used them in the wet, with no problems.
Sound quality is really good, not as good as over the ear headphones, but this is due to the ear still being able to hear outside noise (which is kid of the idea)
Would recommend.
I am not their main target customer. I use these in the office primarily with the intended occasional bike ride at the weekends (still yet to try this). I wanted to be able to listen to music but still hear the conversations going on around me in case I need to join in, or simply if someone wants to ask me a question and they can just say my name without doing a wavy dance to try and get my attention. For this they work exactly as intended.
I also take several calls throughout the day and the quality is excellent. I can hear people loud and clear and I have been told that I come across very clear with the quality on par with most headsets. Watching films seems to have audio in sync and sounds great.
I also have these connected to my laptop at the same time and can seamlessly switch between my phone and laptop.
Battery wise I am still amazed. I have not timed it yet myself, but I have no issues getting through a full day of music listening and calls with the odd pauses throughout the day.
Comfort is really really good and most of the time I forget that I am actually wearing them. I do have the music at a normal volume (not so loud that I cant hear my surroundings) so the vibrations into my jaw are not too harsh which I think also helps with reducing fatigue. But I pretty much have this on my head for a solid 10 hours to put it into perspective.
Sound quality is going to be very subjective. They are not your normal headphones and therefore will not be as good BUT they are far from average. Yes the bass response is not as good but Im not listening to loud heavy dance tracks and for the most part I forget that the bass is lacking. Music still sounds nicely rounded and pleasant to listen to.
If I was to find fault it would be with the vibrations on louder volumes. It cant really be helped, but the vibrations are a weird sensation and fatigue does set in much quicker. There is also a confirmation beep for things like volume up which is unnecessarily loud and makes me want to use my phone volume instead of the headset buttons.
Other than that I couldn’t recommend enough if the use case fits you.
—update—-
Tried these on a ride and work exactly as you would expect. The helmet straps aren’t an issue and the rear band sits low enough to not interfere with the rear helmet strap (at least on my normal helmet)
Still very happy and they have been glued to my head all day everyday at the moment.