00:00In this wearable tech-themed episode, I'll be breaking down bone conduction earbuds versus
00:05open ear earbuds, how both work, and some models we recommend. Technology is its own language,
00:11and I'm here to translate it. I'm Phil Rodriguez, and welcome back to Tech Translated.
00:20Let's start with bone conduction. Bone conduction is a type of wearable technology that converts
00:25sound waves into vibrations that travel directly through the cheekbones and jaw, aka the bones in
00:30your face, to the inner ear. Sound bypasses the eardrums using the skull as a conductor,
00:35vibrating to transmit sound to the cochlea, which then sends the signals to the brain.
00:40Think of it similarly to how you hear your own voice when you start to talk.
00:45Your ears stay completely open, but you still hear the audio clearly.
00:50But what does that mean for sound quality? Are bone conduction headphones actually good?
00:55Here's the honest answer. Yes, at specific things. They're great for running or biking outside,
01:02situations where you need awareness, or long wear without ear fatigue.
01:06Because your ears are open, you can hear cars, people, or anything around you. And that's the
01:11biggest advantage. But there are trade-offs. Sound quality isn't as rich as traditional headphones,
01:18bass is weaker, sometimes a little non-existent, and in loud environments it's hard to hear your
01:23audio clearly. So if you're looking for immersive music or deep sound, bone conduction headphones
01:29probably aren't your main headphones. Now let's talk open earbuds, because they're a little different,
01:36but they solve a similar problem. Instead of sending sound through your bones, they use small speakers
01:42that sit just outside your ear and direct sound towards it. You may also see it referred to as air
01:47conduction. With an open ear style design, nothing goes in your ear, yet it still produces mostly
01:53normal sounding audio. Think of it as a middle ground. You keep the awareness of bone conduction,
01:59but you get better sound quality. That's why open earbuds have emerged as a pretty major personal audio
02:06category. One of my favorite open earbuds are the Shox OpenFit Pro. Despite being open earbuds,
02:13they have noise reduction technology that works really well and they're super secure for activities.
02:19JBL also makes some solid hook style open earbuds like the Sense Pro and Endurance Zone. Then there's
02:25Soundcore's AeroFit, which is a more budget friendly option with a similar secure hook design. Clip-on
02:30open earbuds are very popular right now as well. Bose kind of put them on the map with the Bose
02:36Ultra
02:36open earbuds, but now we've got a ton of options like the Shox OpenDots One, Soundcore Aero Clip,
02:42JBL Soundgear Clips, and even Sony has the LinkBuds Clip. If you want to check any of these out,
02:49I'll link them in the description. Bone conduction remains popular among fitness enthusiasts, especially
02:55for people who do swimming. For example, Shox makes completely waterproof headphones. With that said,
03:02for the sake of sound quality, even brands like Shox are leaning more into open earbuds with air
03:07conduction. I think eventually, especially as some companies explore hybrid options, we'll see fewer
03:13straight up bone conduction headphones with the innovation in open earbuds being favored. But for
03:18right now, bone conduction is better if you want maximum awareness and a super lightweight, barely there
03:24feel. Open earbuds are better if you care more about sound quality without needing to sacrifice the
03:30ability to hear your surroundings. All right, we're trying something new with Tech Translated. It's pop
03:36quiz time to see if you were paying attention. Question one, true or false, bone conduction headphones
03:42send sound directly to your eardrums. False, they bypass your eardrums completely and your bones to get
03:49sound to your inner ears. Question two, what type of earbuds generally have better sound quality? I'll
03:56give it to you if you said open ear, but this was kind of a trick question. In-ear earbuds
04:00have the best
04:01sound quality. Question three, a scenario, you're running in a busy city with traffic all around you.
04:07What's the better pick, bone conduction or open earbuds? Bone conduction, maximum awareness, zero interference.
04:14So how'd you do? Be sure to let me know in the comments.
04:18Thanks for watching another episode of Tech Translated. If you learned something new,
04:23you should definitely leave a like and subscribe so you don't miss any other upcoming Tech Translated
04:27videos. As always, I'm Phil Rodriguez, this is Tom's Guide, and I will see you in the next video.
04:48I am Phil Rodriguez.
04:50If you are still in the next video, I will be looking for more quick information.
04:50Bye.
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