The high-end model "Aeropex" that Shokz (formerly AfterShokz), the top manufacturer of bone conduction earphones, is proud of. I've been using this product since last year, and I think it's a wonderful item that can be said to be "the best thing I bought in 2021". The product is so light that you can forget to wear it and fall asleep, and it has high versatility that can be used both indoors and outdoors. expensive. In this article, I would like to talk specifically about its unabated appeal.
Bone conduction earphones are attractive because they do not block your ears, but there are also problems.
Bone conduction earphones are products that send vibrations through the bones and transmit sound to the inner ear without passing through the eardrum. Its appeal is that it does not block your ears. Earphones that are not bone conduction are worn in a shape that closes the ears, so any shape of earphones will block out the sound of the outside world to a greater or lesser extent. In that respect, this attraction that does not block outside sounds "at all" is unique to bone conduction.
If you walk outside with your ears covered with earphones, it will be difficult to hear the sounds of trains and cars, which is dangerous. However, with bone conduction earphones, you can listen to music with peace of mind while walking outdoors, and you can talk hands-free. Because of such convenience, I have been using bone conduction earphones for several years.
However, since the earphones vibrate while directly touching the temples, there is a peculiar itching, and in the case of a product where the pressure on the frame is too strong, the feeling of itching is promoted. I've used different bone conduction earphones so far, but this itching has been a long-standing problem.
I take a nap with it on.Like a "part of the body"
Aeropex, which I will introduce this time, has solved such a long-standing problem. As the name says "Aero", the fit of this product is like air, and it's light enough to forget the fact that it's attached. In my actual experience, I sometimes took a nap with it on. It is no exaggeration to say that it becomes a part of the body.
There are several factors that provide a comfortable fit. First of all, the mass is only 26g. According to the manufacturer, it has succeeded in reducing the size by 30% and the weight by 13% compared to the conventional model, and is described as "lighter than an egg". It's just my feeling, but it's lighter than an egg.
Another factor is the exquisite fit. Titanium is used as the material for Aeropex, but this frame has a perfect balance between stability when worn and no feeling of oppression.
And the small amount of vibration cannot be thrown away. As I wrote at the beginning, listening to music with bone conduction earphones causes a peculiar itching. However, this product greatly reduces it. It is stated on the product site that vibration is reduced compared to conventional products, but you can clearly experience less vibration. Of course, it would be a lie to say that there is no sense unique to bone conduction, but there is no annoyance during use.
The first time I touched this product was at a touch and try event at a certain electronics retail store. He tried it on and listened to it, and after checking the specs, decided to buy it immediately. It takes about 5 minutes from touching to going to the cash register. There are some evaluation points such as sound quality, but what fascinated me most was the feeling of wearing it. It was so comfortable to wear this product.
It also has sound leakage reduction, noise canceling microphone, and high waterproof performance.
Aeropex is also attractive because it has many functions that can be said to be the completed form of bone conduction earphones. I want to take a look at a part of it.
First is the reduction of sound leakage. According to the product site, sound leakage is reduced by 50% compared to the conventional model. Due to the structure of bone conduction earphones, sound tends to leak. However, with this product, sound leakage is suppressed to a level that is not so noticeable unless the surroundings are too quiet. For example, consideration may be given to lowering the volume when using it in an elevator.
Another thing I would like to talk about is the dual noise canceling microphone built into this product. Its performance is reliable enough to make a call even in the crowd, but it also cuts noise firmly. Thanks to this, this voice can be heard firmly to the other party without raising the voice. Since there is little sound leakage, the other party's voice does not echo around you.
This product was developed with sports and outdoor scenes in mind, but considering this call quality, it can be confidently recommended for web conferencing for people who work from home in a noisy environment.
Furthermore, this product has waterproof and dustproof performance equivalent to IP67. This standard means that it is not adversely affected by immersion in water and has the ability to prevent the ingress of dust. It doesn't correspond to swimming, but I'm grateful that it can be used safely in all scenes, mainly in sports and outdoors, without worrying about water. If it gets dirty, you can wash it completely.
The battery runs for 8 hours and is fully charged in 2 hours. I'd like to wear it for a long time because it's light to wear, so I'd be happy if the drive time was about 10 hours, but so far I'm not dissatisfied with this battery performance. In addition, when the switch is turned on, it will tell you the remaining battery level by voice such as "The battery is about half", so that point is kind.
Regarding the sound quality that I haven't touched on so far, it can be said that it is quite high for a bone conduction earphone. As for all bone conduction earphones, the bass range tends to be faint, but Aeropex produces the bass properly. However, the bass is especially strong! Not so much, so if you want to enjoy the sloppy bass, you may want to avoid the bone conduction earphones themselves.
The actual selling price of Aeropex, which has talked about its appeal so far, is 19,998 yen (tax included). It's not a cheap purchase, but I think it's worth it.
What is the difference from the entry model and business model?
From here, let's write a comparison with other models sold by Shokz. In addition to Aeropex, Shokz's bone conduction earphones come in a wide variety, including entry-level models that are half the price of Aeropex, and business models with built-in high-quality microphones. I would like to introduce you specifically.
First of all, the entry model "Openmove" (actual selling price is 9999 yen including tax). The bone conduction technology used is one generation earlier than Aeropex, the battery life is 6 hours, and the waterproof / dustproof standard is IP55, which is inferior to Aeropex in terms of specifications. When I actually used it, the feeling of wearing it did not change so much, but when playing music, there was itching due to the diaphragm, and I felt a difference from Aeropex in terms of comfort.
However, among Shokz's bone conduction earphones with products of around 20,000 yen, the low price of Openmove, which is less than 10,000 yen, stands out, and for those who are interested in Shokz's products but want to save money. Can be said to be the perfect model.
On the other hand, the business model "Opencomm" (actual price is 19,998 yen including tax) is a bone conduction headset specialized for calling. It has a long battery life and can talk for up to 16 hours on a single charge. Charging time is also 1 hour, which is half that of Aeropex. Of course, the microphone is better than the Aeropex one. It's a product for people who make intermittent calls at work.
In addition, more pointed models are also available. Although it is not possible to make calls, it is equipped with 4GB storage that can store up to 1200 songs, and it is a fully waterproof model "Xtrainerz" that supports swimming (actual price is 19,668 yen including tax) and a transmitter that can be connected to a TV. It is the "AS801-ABT01" (actual selling price: 26,268 yen) that comes with. In addition, while maintaining the basic performance of Aeropex, the maximum volume has been suppressed, and there is also a model for children "Aeropex Play" (actual price is 19,998 yen including tax) that is slightly reduced in size, so parents and children will be matched. Would be nice too.
As for how to choose, Aeropex is very excellent and has a high degree of perfection, so basically Aeropex should be the first choice for any purpose. So far, Aeropex is a great product. However, if you really want to use Openmove on a budget, and if you want to use bone conduction earphones for business, swimming, and TV applications, other models are an option.
A new high-end model crowdfunding is also underway
In addition, Shokz announced a new high-end model "Open Run Pro" along with Aeropex, and is currently selling it through crowdfunding. The price is 23,880 yen (tax included). OpenRun Pro is equipped with the latest bone conduction technology. It also outperforms Aeropex in many ways, including a 10-hour battery life and quick charging. However, it is not completely upward compatible because Aeropex has some advantages such as waterproof and dustproof performance of only IP55. As the product name says Run, it is a model that emphasizes use in the running scene.
Aeropex was a "completed form" that had the elements required for bone conduction earphones at a high level. In the future, as one of the fans, I look forward to the further evolution of the company's products, not to mention the OpenRun Pro whose release has been announced.
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