AfterShokz with their patented technology that conducts sound though the bones in the cheek into your inner ear has an update of the headphones that we looked at a couple of years back. The new version called Trekz Titanium just came to market after an Indiegogo campaign that raised over $650,000, and continue to claim to be the safest way to listen to music, since their method of sound transmission leaves the ears open to hear what is going on around you. And to boot, the new Trekz update drops the wires of previous iterations and gets a better, more finished look overall. Take a closer look and see how they work after the break…
AfterShokz just delivered the new headphones to 5,000 crowdfunders in over 90 countries, and now is ready to ship out to new buyers. AfterShokz calls the them the safest sport headphones on the market, and in some states the only legal way to listen to music out on the road. We take that to mean that at least some US state bans on using headphones or earbuds don’t apply to them because of their alternative sound transmission method.
Like their previous headphones, the Trekz Titanium use bone conduction tech to transmit audio waves to the inner ears via the skull, bypassing the eardrums entirely. The bone conducting transmitters (transducers, technically) sit in front of your ear against your cheekbones, leaving your ear canal unobstructed. This allows you to still hear everything around you while your music beams its way into your skull. That sounds a little weird, but it’s pretty much how AfterShokz describes it themselves.
We’ve not yet tried them, but after having a look at our recent roundup of more conventional headphones for cycling, it’s clear there is room for improvement. Getting the earphones out of our ears is probably the first step to both safety and comfort while we are exercising, so this really does look like a solid option. While they will set you back as much as the most costly out of that test, if the deliver as promised they are probably worth it for those who need a soundtrack for their rides.
The new 36g Trekz Ti connect to your smart devices with Bluetooth (1.0 so they will work with even older devices), and can be used to make and receive phone calls as well. Bone conduction had been know for poor bass performance, but these use a PremiumPitch+ tech that claims to deliver a better dynamic range. The their LeakSlayer tech is said to nearly eliminate sound leakage, meaning the sound all goes into your head and not into the ears of people around you.
The new Trekz Titanium sport headphones are now available for $130, shipping direct from their website. The Titanium name itself also comes from a light titanium frame that forms the backbone of the headphones, keeping them strong but flexible. Run time of the sweat resistant (IP55) earphones is for 6hrs of either music or calls, with a 1.5hr charge time via microUSB.
