Are bone-conduction headphones the perfect choice for cyclists? - An honest review of the AfterShokz Aeropex
Are bone-conduction headphones the perfect choice for cyclists?
At first, I was skeptic about the mere concept of having to exchange my current headphones - for at least 10 years now, I’ve been absolutely in love with the same old pair of (probably long outdated) in-ear Sennheiser CX300II. I was even willing to deal with annoying cables instead of switching to a decent pair of Bluetooth headphones.
One thing always bothered me about my beloved Sennheiser, though: Although I only wear them on one ear so I can hear the traffic on the other ear, they did not feel 100% safe enough to ride with. It turns out that AfterShokz had a great solution for my concern: Right before my trip to Los Angeles in November 2019, I was given a pair of brand new Aeropex headphones to try out.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are open-ear headphones with a patented bone-conduction technology. That way, your ears are free, and you can remain totally aware of your surroundings while you listen to music. The headphones come in several cool colors, like Blue Eclipse, Solar Red, Cosmic Black and Air Slate Grey. I received a pair in Solar Red, and I’m in love with the look.
They came with a silicone carrying case, which is magnetically closed and makes it super easy to transport the headphones. The box also included two earplugs with which you can block out outside noise (like on the bus or the airplane) and not one, but two magnetic charging cables. This is great in case you lose one - you save the trouble to order a completely new charger!
Alright, let me tell you more about how experienced the Aeropex over the last few months. All the views in this blog post are my own and honest opinion.
1.) Fit and Comfort
The headphones have Bluetooth 5.0, a wireless range of 33 feet and weigh only 26g. They sit between the cheek and the ear, above the temporal region, and the headband goes around the back of the head, but doesn’t touch it. It’s snug and doesn’t come loose during exercise, and you can move the headband somewhat around, depending on what kind of helmet, cycling cap or headband you wear.
Although the Aeropex are different from over-ear headphones like the Beats By Dre, I was worried that I would experience the same kind of pain that I felt after having headphones press on my head for too long. Luckily, I didn’t have any discomfort wearing them yet. The full wraparound titanium frame adapts to my head shape quite well and keeps my ears free.
The only thing that is a little bit tricky is using them with several other items: Helmet and cycling glasses - no problem at all. Helmet, cycling glasses AND headband in winter - very, very tricky. Let me say it like this: You can definitely make it work, but it’s a hit and miss. Sometimes everything falls into place and my items sit comfortably, sometimes you have to fumble around a lot. I recommend glasses first, Aeropex next and lastly, the headband! Got that tip from my friend Kat, thanks, girl!
2.) Waterproof
Although they’re not recommended for lap swimming, the IP67 rating makes the Aeropex fully sweat and waterproof. I wore them a couple of times in the rain and had no problem at all. I’d say they’re perfect for an intense workout and extreme weather. Microphone and charging cables both have a water detector and warn the user by flashing blue and repeatedly emitting warning sounds.
I’m still tempted to try them out under the shower because I love listening to music whenever I can. If I ever do, I’ll let you know how that goes.
3.) Sound Quality
I’m not an audio expert, so a lot of the following details are information that I found on the internet. The Aeropex has a frequency response of 20Hz~20KHz and a dual noise-canceling mic. The overall sound signature has a forward mid-range. It supposedly works well with genres like Pop, R&B and Rap. They can reproduce bass, but more quantity-wise than depth-wise. If you want a stronger bass, you’d have to increase the volume, which can influence your ability to hear your surroundings.
The AfterShokz website says that “the re-engineered technology delivers the widest dynamic stereo sound that bone-conduction can offer. Say hello to deeper bass, less vibration, and louder volume.” Obviously, you can’t expect audiophile-grade quality, because the sound that’s conducted via bones simply can’t reproduce the sound conducted via air. The Aeropex don’t sound like traditional headphones, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all.
So, what do I think about the sound of the Aeropex? It’s obviously not possible to compare them to my Sennheiser in-ear headphones, but I expected that and I’m absolutely fine with it. I do like the sound, though. And honestly - if you wanna have some serious bass AND still hear everything around you… now, that almost sounds like something out of this world, doesn’t it?
Wearing the Aeropex on a ride, I can listen to music and talk to Mitch at the same time, as long as the volume is not too loud. It gets trickier with the wind, though, but turning down the volume a bit works well for me. The buttons are easy to reach, too, as long as you don’t wear a headband or bulky winter gloves… or both.
Another thing I like is that they come with earplugs. If you combine headphones and earplugs, the sound becomes fuller and the noise is drowned out completely. It’s a fascinating technology.
As with everything: Enjoyment is subjective, so you gotta try for yourself. I’m definitely a fan!
4. Battery Life
Battery life is pretty long; it lasts for up to 8 hours of listening. Although I don’t wear them on every single ride, I only had to charge them two or three times since I received them, so that’s awesome. I mean, we all know those gadgets that you seemingly have to charge every other day. The Aeropex are luckily not among them.
The charge time is only two hours and it comes with a Lithium Polymer battery. The charger cable is a magnetic induction cable and, as mentioned before, detects water and warns the user accordingly.
5. Safety
Safety in traffic was one of the biggest factors for giving these kinds of headphones a shot. Yes, the sound experience might not be the same as with traditional headphones, but the mere fact that you can listen to music and hear all of your surroundings or talk to your partner while cycling makes these the perfect training accessory. As long as you don’t turn up the music too much, you can hear as good as everything.
It takes a bit of practice to adapt the music to the noise of the environment and it can be tricky to change the volume or stop a song on the buttons when you wear winter cycling gear (I’m looking at you, bulky winter gloves!). Still, it hasn’t been a big deal for me yet because I do all of that directly on my phone anyway.
The headphones also include a built-in mic. I haven’t tried it yet because I don’t take calls on rides, but I think it’s a very helpful and convenient feature in case there really is a call that’s important enough that I interrupt (or not interrupt!) my ride.
Conclusion: They’re worth the money!
After wearing the Aeropex on many of my rides, I can at least claim for myself that they are a worthy addition to my cycling gear. I’m not the kind of person who wants to have and try everything under the sun, so if I do try a product and continue to use it, you can be sure that it’s something I consider worth my time and effort. In my opinion, the AfterShokz Aeropex are the perfect cycling headphones, and I wouldn’t want to live without them anymore.
Do you have any questions about the Aeropex headphones or do you want to share your experience? Then leave a comment or write me on Instagram or Facebook!
Happy listening!