www.aftershokz.com
www.aftershokz.co,uk
RRP.£74.95/$99.95
Listening to music on my runs! The one thing that I really need to keep me motivated, and the one thing that has caused me the most fuss over the years, with buds that just would not stay in my ears, wires that always get in the way, and death to headphones through sweat and rain.
One of my running colleagues received a pair of Aftershoks for Christmas and was delighted to receive the bluetooth version, intrigued I had a very quick go and was impressed at the sound quality after being dubious about how they would sound.
So decision made, give these a try and get a pair.
From the minute they drop through the door and you open the box, these just scream quality. a great high quality box just says "this is a quality item" and you cant wait to get them out and try them on.
so what do you get in the box!
A pair of reflective stickers for the back of you headset
USB charger cable
Size adjustment band
A nifty waterproof carry bag
So the reflective stickers, just add to the safety of these earphones, allowing the wearer to be seen at night. The USB cable feels like a quality cable, no risk of breakage there. I havent had cause to use the adjustment fit strap, as I find the headphones to be of quite a snug fit, and would only expect people with small head sizes to require the strap, ( I dont consider myself to have a physically big head). The carry bag is a nice touch for looking after your investment.
On a full charge the headphones last for up to 6 hours continuous play, with up to 10 days charge in standby. and full charge takes approximately 2 hours. So perfect for the average marathon/half marathon/10k runner or cyclist.
Now, Aftershokz claim these headphones to be sweat and water resistant, but they dont claim them to be waterproof! I must admit that I did actually manage to kill off my first pair of these in a particularly strenuous and very sweaty cycle turbo training session, I contacted Aftershokz and a new pair was in my hand 3 days later, great service Aftershokz! And as of yet months later and lots of sweaty sessions later there is no sign of these headphones failing. I have even had them out in heavy rain and they have worked fine for me.
So how do they work? The headphones use amazing technology, that guides mini vibrations though the cheek bones and conducts them directly to the inner. I was dubious about the quality of this before I tried them, but they really are clear and give a good sound. Ok so you dont get mega bass conduction but the sound quality is very clear and does have a great tone. The fact that these leave your ears open is a great feature, particularly for the cyclist or runner, as you really are aware of your surroundings, meaning you can hear traffic, or marshals in events. Surprisingly the vibrations are barely noticable and you do forget you have them on, however, heavy bass/loud volume can cause big vibrations which can be uncomfortable. There are built in equaliser options but I am barely able to notice any difference between them.
The headphones are really easy to set up, with all the controls placed neatly behind the ear, being bluetooth also means you dont have any fiddly wires to get in your way. I have paired the headphones, with iphone6, ipad, and older phone sony w995, no problems conecting to each and totally switchable between them all. The silver button on the photo above, is the button used to pause and play music, as well as using a double press to advance to the next track. The button is also used to accept and end phone calls, sound quality in calls is good, and reception at the other end is clear I am told. Unfortunately the button only allows skipping forward of songs, there is no backwards and also there is no fast forward/rewind function, but this doesnt detract from their appeal, after all you cant do this with a normal set of headphones can you!
I have predominantly used these headphones whilst out on training runs, or cycling with friends, and found these great for that purpose, I can listen to my music whilst holding a conversation with my running buddies. The fact that these are open ear means I am aware at all times of my surroundings, particularly when out on the road. The headphones even sit nicely under my cycle helmet.
Today I took the headphones to their first 10k event, the Great Manchester Run. To be honest the volume out in the big event wasnt great, Yes I could hear my music, but the sound from supporters, and band/radio DJs surrounding the route sometimes made it difficult to hear my music, effectively making mine just a background noise. If you like your music blasting to your ears in a big event like this, you may struggle here.
Would definitely recommend these headphones, they are the first headphones I have come across that dont require constant adjustment, they are comfortable and quite simply they do their job well, leaving you to concentrate on your activity whilst remaining safe.
Pros
sweat resistant
safety - surroundings awareness and reflective stickers
comfortable to wear
bluetooth- no wires
long lasting charge
easy setup and use
Cons
can be a little quiet in loud surroundings
not totally waterproof
can produce large vibration which can be uncomfortable
