Aftershokz Trekz Air Bone Conduction Headphones Leave Your Ears Exposed

Earbuds are your best option when out and about, but what about the times you need your ears exposed? Jogging near a street, for example, is a bad time to have earbuds packed in your ears, obscuring your ability to hear nearby cars. The solution? Aftershokz Trekz bone conduction 'headphones' that deliver music through your skull.

While ordinary earbuds and headphones pipe audio to your ear through air, bone conduction headphones transmit it through bone via small vibrations. Your ear canals are left free for listening, and though bone conduction technology isn't new, it has never been a major thing on the consumer market. Aftershokz may change that.

The Trekz Air, which are currently up for pre-order, are built to be lightweight with an ergonomic design tailored for comfort. The frontmost part of each end are placed directly in front of the wearer's ear, while the other portion of the neckband loops over and then fits behind the ear. According to Aftershokz, the Air model is 20-percent lighter than competing products.

One big problem with bone conduction technology is that the bass in audio delivered with this method is generally lacking. Aftershokz says that its Trekz Air model has better bass than before, and that it has 'resigned' bone conduction tech that offers up audio with an improved dynamic range.

The neckband is made out of titanium, and the overall design eliminates wires — there are no cords or cables at all, making it suitable for running and other activities where you move around a lot. The headset also has a button for controlling audio, including skipping, pausing, and playing. There's also volume adjustments and voice dial built-in.

The model is expected to start shipping in late September.