How to Choose Headphones/Earbuds-7: Bone Conduction vs Air Conduction @ Open Ear

When smart phone and tablet PC become more and more popular, everybody needs at least one set headphones or earbuds, no matter Bluetooth wireless or wired, to enjoy music/podcast everywhere or take a hand-free calling. For most people, it’s still a big challenge to choose the proper headphones/earbuds for his applications? After reading this series of articles prepared by Audiovance, you can make smart choice better than before.

Open Ear Headphones

Open-ear headphones are becoming increasingly popular due to their unique design, which allows users to hear ambient noise while listening to music. Unlike other traditional headphones, open-ear headphones don't cover the ears or block the ear canals, making them ideal for outdoor walking, running or other activities and situations, where situational awareness is important for user’s safety. Open-ear Air Conduction Headphones have more advantages including lightweight, ultra-comfort fit, secure fit, etc.

Comparing to over ear, on ear, in ear headphones, open-ear headphones see following characters.

• Advantages: (1) safer for outdoor activities, (2) better for hearing protection, (3) lightweight, (4) comfort fit, (5) secure fit
• Disadvantages: (1) not providing immersive listening, (2) no noise isolation.

In a word, for those who care more about safety, hearing protection, long time comfort and secure fit, caring not too much about immersive listening and noise isolation, open ear headphones are their best choice.

Two Types of Open Ear Headphones: Bone Conduction vs Air Conduction

As open ear headphones, both air conduction and bone conduction can listen to music or make phone calls without blocking the ear canal, making it ideal for people who need to stay aware of their surroundings. At the same time, with ear hooks, both of them provide secure fit.

Air Conduction Open Ear Headphones

• Mechanism

Air conduction is the most common method of sound transmission. When sound waves travel through the air, they enter the outer ear and travel down the ear canal, causing the eardrum to vibrate. This vibration is then transmitted to the three tiny bones in the middle ear, which in turn transmit the sound to the inner ear. The inner ear is filled with fluid and contains tiny hair cells that convert the vibrations into electrical signals that are sent to the brain via the auditory nerve.

• Advantages comparing to bone conduction

Better sound: with traditional sound transmission method, air conduction open-ear headphones provide clear sound as usual. Bone conduction headphones may lose some details with vague sound.

More comfortable: Air conduction open-ear headphones are lightweight, sitting on ears gently. Bone conduction headphones need to press the skull bone with force, they will lead to uncomfortable vibration on cheek when volume become louder.

Bone Conduction Open Ear Headphones

• Mechanism

Bone conduction, on the other hand, works by transmitting sound waves through the bones of the skull directly to the inner ear, bypassing the eardrum and the middle ear entirely. Bone conduction technology has been around for decades and was first used to help people with hearing loss.

• Advantages comparing to air conduction

For people with hearing loss: If people’s hearing loss comes from eardrum or middle ear, bone conduction headphones are helpful because they transmit sound waves directly to the inner ear.

For swimming waterproof: It’s easy for bone conduction headphones to be designed as IPX7/X8 waterproof level, which can be used in swimming.

In conclusion, both bone conduction and air conduction have their unique advantages and applications in open-ear headphones. Both of them have secure fit and awareness of ambient sound, good for outdoor walking or running. If you are looking for long time comfort and better sound, air conduction will be your better choice. If you are looking for better waterproof and aids of hearing loss, bone conduction will be better.

If you're interested in exploring Audiovance's diverse range of headphones, you can check out the following places for an exciting shopping experience:

Visit Audiovance Homepage: http://www.Audiovance.com

Visit Audiovance Amazon Store: https://www.amazon.com/audiovance