So I'm starting to think I should change my address to Best Buy's I have spent so much time there of late. I am a gear junkie and I have acquired 3 laptops and 2 sets of new headphones. I am not saying I'm picky, I prefer the term, particular lol. This post is all about headphones though and one brand in particular, AfterShokz.
I should start by saying I have a very hard time finding headphones that fit me correctly that stay in place. I have some over the ear from Sony that I love when I can be tethered to my music via laptop or my phone. For those times when I want to go for a run or hit the gym I want something without a cord. I want something sweat resistant and comfortable. All things I have finally found via the AfterShok Trekz Titanium. As of writing this there is a new version out that I hope to get my hands on to review as well.
So what makes these so different? Well to start off, they don't go in your ears at all! What? Headphones that are not glued inside your ear canal? These offer a different technology that has intrigued me for some time. So after picking up a set of Jaybird wireless headphones that wouldn't stay put, I pulled the trigger. They deliver your music, podcast, or audio book to you via Bone Conducting Technology. They set over your ears and against your head in between your temple and ear. Since they are not jammed inside of your head, I have found I can wear them for hours at a time! I think my favorite feature is how you can FEEL your audio. It takes a little getting used to but I am digging it! I have found the battery life to be great and I'm getting very close to the 6 hours the company promises. They do have a button on the left that is easy to reach and serves many purposes so your not always grabbing your device to pause or skip tracks. The volume/ power on and off buttons are on the right side and very easy to get to and use as well.
BOKEH!!!
I have also really grown to love the fact that you can listen to your audio, whatever that may be, and still hear your surroundings. For example, 2 days ago while sitting in a coffee shop editing a session for a client, I could listen to my podcast by Wolf and Iron and still hear the conversations around me. I could also here when my order was called out, all without disturbing anyone around me. These fit super tight and at times a little too tight for me but I also have a head like a melon but the benefit of that is, they will not bounce off. If I'm running, I can hear traffic around me or know if a rabid dog wants to make me his lunch. Don't let me fool you, I'm not an avid runner by any means but trust the design of these headphones to alert me those scenarios. Speaking of, maybe you love your audio but are really location observant and extremely cautious as the world is a horrible place some days, these let you be alert of sirens and alarms because they are not blocking out the world around you. If you prefer noise canceling headphones, they do include a set of ear plugs with the device. I found them to be too generic and easily lost, but a cool experiment is to crank them up and just plug your ears with your fingers. They get loud fast! I haven't used them much for talking on the phone ( I despise talking on the phone ) but the first time and only time, they didn't perform as well as I would have liked. I was told I sounded like I was in a tunnel. I will experiment further before making a harsh call on that feature.
Magic 8 Ball
The magic 8 ball says "Heck yea you need to try these" LOL
Thank you for checking out my review, I hope you found it helpful to some degree. I was not asked or indorsed by anyone and these are my honest opinions on this product. Please let me know what you think below in the comments. All images taken by me using my faithful Fuji Film Xpro2 and XF90mm lens!