I've been using a pair from shokz for cycling and while they offer better quality sound than your average sub $80 pair, the technology generally has similar gripes for me. I find they're really good for anything dialogue heavy (like the aforementioned audiobooks and podcasts) or music you already like and have listened to before. The plus side though is it leaves my ears open so I'm far more situationally aware on my commute to work.
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Just want to second all of these points. I’ve been using aftershokz for a couple years now, mainly for podcasts. They really do work great for dialog, but the audio isn’t “rich” at all. The number one feature is open ears. You may not hear what someone says to you over your audio, but you’ll at least know someone said something.
Exactly, its the awareness factor I'm most excited about.
I have the latest gen LG Earpods and the transparency mode works decently, its just majorly funky. Maybe higher end earbuds have better implementations, but nothing can beat just literally nit obstructing your ear canal.
Good to hear! Agree on the commute situation. Went biking a few times today and they worked well for dialogue content. Lost a lot of the soundstage at higher speeds, but generally okay for what I want.
Im nervous of others around me hearing my content though 😬
I've found that unless you're getting to the point that you're feeling them buzz on your temples you're usually pretty good, but YMMV.
I wanted a pair of BoneFonz in 1980.
Holy shit that's crazy. I guess with all tech, progress is iterative. Instead of my whole jelly torso mass jiggling to produce sound its just my fatass skull doing the heavy lifting.
What a blast from the past.