The Aftershohz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Sports Headphones with Microphone review by Martyn Dix.

I have been a keen weekend cyclist for around 10 years now and for all of that time I have used BT ‘in ear’ earphones of different makes.

However this is (quite rightly) frowned upon by most as you cannot hear all that is going on around you. I had a near miss a week or so back, and although it wasn’t my fault, it wasn’t helped by the fact I wasn’t fully aware of my suroundings.

Then after a buying trip to my local Bike shop, I found they were selling ‘Bone Conductive Headphones’. The make they had in stock was the Aftershokx Trekz Titanium although there are a few other brands available too.

Key Features

– Bone conduction technology delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to hear ambient sounds
– Titanium wraparound headband is lightweight and flexible for durability and portability
– OpenFit™ design ensures maximum situational awareness and comfort during long-term wear
– PremiumPitch+™ guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass
– Wireless Bluetooth® 4.1 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing
– LeakSlayer™ technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage
– IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture, from workouts to wicked weather
– Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge
– EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go
– Dual noise canceling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech
– Audrey Says™ voice prompts guide users through power, pair, play and talk
– Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
– Sensitivity: 100 ± 3dB
– Microphone: -40dB ± 3dB
– Bluetooth version: v4.1
– Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
– Wireless range: 33 ft (10m)
– Battery: rechargeable lithium ion, Continuous play: 6 hours,Standby time: 10 days
– Charge in: 1.5 hours
– Weight: 1.27 oz (36g)

Research seemed to say that this make was the best, so I paid the £110 which seems to be the average price.

One week on and the odd feeling of being able to hear Podcasts AND the normal sounds around me has become normal. It did take me a few hours to get used to the feeling of the headset being worn as it sort of clamps around the back of the head with the bone condutive speaker part sitting just forward of the ear.

BT pairing was as easy as any other headphone I have used, and so far I have not had any drop outs or disconnections in one weeks heavy use.

Battery life is well up to what is claimed of 6 hours Music + Calls.
There is the usual BT controls for taking calls and skipping music etc via the button on the left speaker.

Volume controls are by two buttons on the underside of the right battery case. They too have extra control functions if pressed in different ways.

Comfort is fine. They do take some getting used to but after the 1st few hours I had a job to remember they were on my head esspecialy as you dont loose all sounds around you.

Sound quality is obviously not HiFi but for voice calls and listening to podcasts they are fine. I spend long hours taking and making voice calls and no one said they knoticed a great difference in hearing me.

Music is ‘okay’ not fantasic but fine for back ground listening while out and about. If they are at full volume there is a thump thump on the bones in your head that they sit on. This is rather annoying and a discomfort. There are two equalising settings which are there to allow for adjusting the sound should you wish to use them in an area such as a plane or train and earplugs are supplied for you to use. This effectivly turns them into ‘in ear’ type listening headphones. This is not something I would personaly use them for but the option is offered.

The box comes with a usb to mini usb charge lead and full easy to understand instructions. So if you work in an office, run, cycle or require to be able to hear whats going on around you then these are great.

They are not a gimic and need to be tried out properly before dismissing them. Helpfully most stockists have a purpose demo display where you can try wearing them out.

I would definitely recommend them and at £110 they are a bit pricey for some, but they are very well made with a serious quality feel to them. They come in two sizes Adult and Child. As the unit is flexable it should always fit.

Go and try them out. I found them for sale at a Motorway services phone accesories shop for the same price which I guess is because you are no longer allowed to use ‘in ear’ phones while driving.If anyone wishes to ask me any questions then contact Gavin to pass on.

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My thanks to Martyn Dix for his review on the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headphones.

For more information and the latest pricing on Amazon – click HERE.

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