A song that spontaneously popped into my mind when receiving the big black box showcasing silver letters… AfterShokz! “I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it”. This tiny treasure chest contained the one and only AfterShokz Aeropex, the sensational (I hope so) successor of the AfterShokz Air. According to AfterShokz the Aeropex is the result of a long journey of enhancements, innovations, user review analyses and testing. Better sound quality, less sound leakage, lower weight, better wearing comfort… are a few of the enhancement areas AfterShokz is proudly presenting to all of us. So as usual… time to test these bone conduction headphones. Time to test if AfterShokz can make up to their vast array of promises. For this review I decided to compare the two models I currently have in my possession: the AfterShokz Air and the AfterShokz Aeropex.

First up the AfterShokz Air: By designing the Air, AfterShokz managed to develop a bone conduction headphones which goes the extra mile. If you are only looking for excellent sound quality, we would suggest to go for a classic headphones. In all other cases the AfterShokz Air is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. Especially for people who prioritise their safety and who also want to listen to good quality music.  This is for sure the best headphones on the market for those looking for safe headphones that don’t cover the ears.

The standout features for the AfterShokz Air include:

• Bone conduction technology (also known as temporal bone conduction) provides music by transmitting vibrations through your jaw bones and by keeping your ears free so you can hear ambient noise.
• 20% lighter than its competitors
• OpenFit assures maximal perception of the environment and maximal comfort when wearing your bone conduction headphones for a longer period of time.
• Premium pitch guarantees an optimal audio experience, including a large dynamic range and a full bass.
• Bluetooth v 4.2 Connection and convenient multi point pairing
• IP55 certified to protect your headphones against sweat, dust and rain. The ideal bone conduction headphones for both work-outs and for use in bad weather circumstances.
• Enjoy 6 hours of continuous music and phone calls with a single charge
• EQ presets provides an excellent bass and also reduces the vibration during use.
• Noise cancelling microphones improve communication during phone calls by filtering away the ambient noise.
• Audrey Says Voice Control informs the user about the battery life, pairing and much more.
• 2 year Warranty

Now for the AfterShokz Aeropex: When taking the AfterShokz Aeropex out of the box, I immediately noticed the transducers which were rounded off. The Air has cube-like transducers. The new design has also no LeakSlayer holes anymore. It makes the Aeropex look a bit simpler but at the same time cooler, more streamlined and trendier.  The frame itself is similar to the Air one, except for the charging area.

Putting the AfterShokz Aeropex on the palm of my hand I was amazed by the weight. Aeropex is 30% smaller and 15% lighter… weighing only 26 grams. Putting them on my head, I experienced an incredible feeling of comfort. Stable and with a high wearing comfort.

Battery Life

I have tested them during a running event for 8 hours in a row. Albeit the battery is smaller in size than before, the Aeropex transducer is more powerful and yet consuming less power. It also uses a new chip to reduce Bluetooth energy consumption. AfterShokz therefore promised an 8-hour playback time. My AfterShokz Aeropex was able to continuously play music 8 hours and 40 minutes. Test succeeded and promise fulfilled.

Sound quality

Wow, the sound is crystal clear and no vibrations noticed on the Aeropex. I recall two criticisms some people expressed using previous models: lack of bass and tiny vibrations. Since bass is causing vibrations, AfterShokz limited the bass to reduce the vibrations to a comfortable level. Since I am used wearing different types of bone conduction headphones it was the first thing I noticed when wearing the AfterShokz Aeropex: it has more bass but less vibration. I dived deep into the Aeropex innovations and found a remarkable transducer enhancement. AfterShokz has changed the position of the transducers (the parts that transmits the actual vibrations/sound).

Summary

These headphones go hand in glove with your bike helmet. At no point did they feel or bumped into the back of the helmet. I am also always wearing cycling glasses with straight legs and they didn’t interfere with the wearing comfort. Once again AfterShokz managed to develop an extremely stable device. It sits on the head and stays on the head without moving an inch. Even when trail running or cycling cobbled streets.

I thought to put the specifications in an easy to read table and highlight the bits I thought important.

Conclusion

So far though I am impressed and happily surprised by both these versions of headphones. Are they worth the money? We do believe so since the security aspect, which has always been the first and main bone conduction focus, is now merged with a clear high-quality aspect. Sound and comfort have clearly become additional core areas of focus.

The AfterShokz Aeropex might be the more expensive version of the the two but the good bone conduction headphones are worth their money, as quality wise the AfterShokz Aeropex excels. Up to you if you want good bone conduction headphones and pay less or brilliant headphones and pay more.

P.S.: AfterShokz is currently the only bone conduction headphones brand offering 2 years of warranty. An important plus we believe.

Where to buy: 

Amazon purchase link:https://dwz.cn/ALc51JYD

Official web:https://aftershokz.co.uk/