Headphones that use bone conduction technology

[mandy721]

I read about  AfterShokz  ( http://www.aftershokz.com) headphones a few days ago and immediately thought they might be great  for those dealing with single sided deafness.  They rely on bone conduction technology and don't sit in the ear - allowing outside sounds to be heard.
This review in Sound+Vision ( http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/blog/2012/02/27/aftershokz-aftershocks ) talks about  the utility of these headphones for people who wear hearing aids and what sounds like SSD.  I found many positive reviews online.

[rays]

Mandy,

My sister wrote that review. When I asked her about them she said, "They're not awesome, but they're okay, and especially if they'll work after the surgery, they might be a great option".

I'm a bit of an audiophile (it runs in my family) and for me the worst thing about the AN is the thought that I may never hear music in stereo. The thought of listening to Pink Floyd, Yes, ELP and Genesis with sound in one ear is depressing. I have my Middle Fossa surgery in one week. Hopefully I'll have some hearing left.

If I don't, I'm hoping the Aftershokz will give me a close resemblance to how the music sounded before.

Ray

[spgreenfield]

You may want to look in the discussion topic about earphones that let outside noise in...I just received my Aftershokz today - charged them and tried them on my mp3 player.  Of course it's not "enveloping" sound, but for those of us that either walk/jog and want to hear car noises - or those that work around the house listening to an mp3 player but no longer having the ability to put only one ear bud in they're great!  I could hear just fine - but it was a quiet environment too - will test outside, inside, etc.

Pam

[spgreenfield]

Wearing them a little more this morning.

These do NOT use full "bone conduction hearing" technology - it is really tissue conduction.  If it WAS bone conduction, I would be "hearing" from my AN ear - and the area right in front of the ear where you place the headphones is a direct connection to the ear.  You can try it yourself - run your finger up and down in front of your ear and it sounds very clear - just behind your cheekbone.  I have tried putting them on areas on my head that has bone and nothing is transmitting.  BUT I WILL say that I can also hear everything that's going on in the room around me as well.  It tickles a little bit on my AN ear since I don't have "sound" distracting my sensations.....I may end up seeing if my daughter likes them since she bicycles a lot and lives in NYC - but I still need to test them in a noisier environment though and see how the sound is there.

I will continue to report from here on out, but will be doing it under the original heading of earbuds/phones that let in outside noise....

Pam

[Archer]

I just got a set of Aftedrshokz and think they work great.  I have used them with my cellphone and with my iPad.  I hear both very clearly and still hear outside noise.  Great improvement over using earbuds or headphones with my SSD/poor hearing issues.  The biggest surprise is how well the mic works when I am using it with my cellphone.  My wife hears me speaking clearly with the mic clipped to my shirt in the middle of my chest.  FWIW, they seem like a good deal to me.

[sunfish]

This sounds like some useful technology - I do triathlon, and practice quite a bit on my road bike.  Fortunately, my AN is on my right side, so biking in the same direction as you drive a car, my good ear is nearest the traffic.  But I do like to listen to music while riding (not turned up too loud).  I'm going to check these out.