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- Aftershokz's Aeropex uses bone conduction technology, meaning the headphones sit outside the ear canal and vibrate to conduct audio into your ears.
- They're exceedingly comfortable and allow the wearer to hear everything around them, affording a level of safety to outdoor runs and bike rides.
- Despite the comfortable fit, the audio quality lacks, particularly in regards to low bass levels, and depends heavily on the shape of a wearer's ears.
- At $160, they aren't cheap but if you favor comfort over supreme sound quality, the Aeropex are a great pick for any runner or cyclist.
Runners have an absurd amount of options to choose from in regard to headphones. Many opt to go with wireless, Bluetooth-powered headphones to eliminate annoying and inconvenient cables — anything to improve the quality of their run.
More recently, a new kind of headphone technology called bone conduction has risen in popularity, with a manufacturer named Aftershokz leading the way. Bone conduction headphones sit outside the ear canal and offer comfort and convenience for those who aren't enamored with the feel and design of in-ear buds.
The company's newest set, the futuristic-sounding Aeropex, improves on previous iterations with a more lightweight, durable design that almost feels like you're wearing nothing at all. I loved
Design and specs
The Aeropex, as mentioned, are bone-conduction headphones, meaning they wrap around your ears with the actual audio driver sitting on the tragus. These styles of headphones vibrate when worn to deliver sound through your ear bones to your brain.
It's odd using these for the first time since they don't feature a traditional speaker — it certainly feels a bit remarkable at how it transmits the audio. The headphones themselves are a semi-ring shape that wraps around the back of your head. They're extremely lightweight and compact with a smooth, rubbery finish that could potentially cause friction on large heads or hairdos. Neither my girlfriend nor I had a problem with this, though.
Opposite the drivers, behind the ears, there are rectangular housings that hold the battery and the control buttons. These consist of a single, three-piece rocker with a power button and volume up and down. Behind the rocker, located on the bottom of one of these housings, is the charging port, which magnetizes to the charge cable (a proprietary connector, not Micro-USB) with no rubber flap to pry open.
There's also a small button you tap to play and pause or skip songs on the driver in front of the left ear. All the controls functioned flawlessly during my runs, with no sticky button syndrome or any frustration, though they do beep every time you press any button, which gets kind of annoying.
Wearing the Aeropex is a dream, too. You could seriously forget they're on your head if they're not playing music. They're incredibly lightweight and never became irritating or cumbersome over time -- a common issue for in-ear headphones, especially when running or working out.
The Aeropex uses Bluetooth 5.0 and they're advertised as being water- and-sweatproof with an IP67 rating. I never had any issues that would suggest otherwise; I did shower with them a few times but didn't submerge them at any point.
The package advertises eight hours of battery life, though I found them to last a little longer. The unique design does mean that there's no included charge case, so you'll need to throw them back on the charger when they die. It's about two hours from dead to a full charge.
The Aeropex doesn't feature any onboard storage either, so you'll need to run with your phone or (preferably) your smartwatch. There's also no dedicated Aftershokz app for adjusting audio output via an EQ or anything like that.
Performance
In terms of comfort and convenience, the Aeropex is exceptional. Unfortunately, they just don't sound all that great.
Bone conduction headphones are known for being light on bass and these are no exception. Instead of a boom or a thud, electronic and hip-hop tracks pop through these, preventing my workout playlist music from having a sense of depth. Of course, some of this is due to the fact that there's nothing in your ear canals, so you're hearing everything around you, muddying the audio picture.
To that end, the headphones come with a pair of memory-foam earplugs, which are supposed to block out other sounds and restore a fuller soundscape. In my experience, though, the earplugs just made everything muffled to the point that I wasn't even enjoying the music. This sort of defeated the purpose of the bone conduction headphones anyway.
I figured some of these issues may have been in relation to the shape of my ears -- mine stick out some -- so I had my girlfriend try them. She's not an audio stickler like me (and she loved them) but did note that the overall audio was a bit thin and lacked oomph — she had no more luck with the earplugs than I, too.
I think some people may have a more ideal ear shape (or head shape) for these, helping the driver housings to sit more flush on the tragus and deliver a more full sound. I fully recognize many people aren't as nitpicky as headphone reviewers when considering sound, and just want something comfortable, reliable, and functional. For those purposes, the Aeropex are excellent.
The bottom line
Overall, the Aeropex aren't great headphones but they are great running headphones. If you value the ability to hear your surroundings and you want a pair of comfortable, non-invasive headphones, these are a great pick.
If you're an audio priss like me, or you want the most bang for your buck in terms of features -- like onboard storage, a dedicated EQ app, or a mobile charge case -- you can find better value elsewhere.
- Should you buy these? If you want a comfortable pair of headphones that aren't as annoying as in-ear buds for working out and running, the Aeropex are an excellent choice. Just don't expect to be blown away by the audio quality.
- What are your alternatives? Aftershockx makes several styles of bone-conducting headphones, though the Aeropex is its newest and best pair. You could also opt for a pair of workout-specific in-ear headphones like Jabra's Elite Active 65t or the Beats Powerbeat Pro.
Pros: Comfortable fit, bone-conducting technology frees up your ears for bike rides or runs, eight hours of battery life should cover almost any workout
Cons: Doesn't offer the best sound quality, needs to be physically plugged in to charge (instead of coming with its own charge case), no onboard storage
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