Bone head
Did you know that you
don't actually need your ears to hear music? True story... kinda. As
we found out a few years ago when reviewing this (okay) pair from Damson, bone-conducting headphones can work incredibly well and help
to keep you safe by leaving your lug-holes wide open to other sounds.
We revisit the world of ear-less tunes by reviewing the AfterShokzTrekz Air.
First up; wow, these
things are tiny and light. Whereas our previous experience of the
aforementioned Damson product wasn't overly positive in terms of
comfort, the AfterShokz Trekz Air are like wearing no headphones at all.
Flexible to an impressive degree, they sit over the top of your ears,
wrap around the back of your head, and use conduction pads that
lightly press against the top of your jaw, just in front of your ear
canals. Available in four colours, the controls and charging port
live just behind the right ear. Nice.
Obviously, the 'phones
connect via Bluetooth, and hooking up an array of devices took just a
few seconds each time – as well it should. Switching the headphones
on while wearing them initiates a gentle female voice welcoming you
to the product. That same voice will confirm when you're in pairing
mode, and then finally when you connect.
Most genres of music
sounded good on the AfterShokz Trekz Air, but like most other
bone-conductors we've used in the past, there always feels like a
degree of disconnect between the listener and the track. Everything
is clear and crisp, just not very personal, as if people passing you
by on the street, or those next to you on the bus or train, could
also hear it.
Of course,
bone-conduction is never going to be as immersive as over-ear
noise-cancelling headphones – that isn't the point. What is, is
that the wearer can still hear everything else going on around them,
while also hearing their tunes. This makes the AfterShokz Trekz Air excellent exercise headphones, and we tested them while out running
and also on long cycles.
The light weight and
slim, flexible profile really excels here, as you're hardly aware
they are there – even for people with larger heads, as we all seem
to be. The design means they stay put, even during impact-heavy runs,
yet they can also be worn with a bike helmet. Also, despite the
volume and power buttons being situated behind your ear, you can hit
play/pause, and answer calls, with an easy-to-find button on the
left conduction pad. Handy.
So, for everyday use,
perhaps not, and it is clear that AfterShokz has aimed the Trekz Air
squarely at sport users. However, although we appreciated them mostly
while working out, we discovered they managed very well as around the
house headphones; for when you want to listen to a spot of private
music, but still need to hear the kids screaming at each other. All
in all, great 'phones.
£149.95
Available from
www.amazon.co.uk
