While there a lot of headphones on the market these days, differences in sound quality aside, most of them are designed more or less the same: to go in or over the ears. But Audio Bone headphones take a truly innovative approach – transmitting music through the bones to the inner ear. For originality alone, these headphones are worth checking out.
BackGround
Back in the day, a partially deaf fellow named Ludwig van Beethoven attached a rod to his piano and clenched his teeth so he could “hear” the tiny vibrations from the music through his jawbone. The same concept serves as the basis for the Audio Bone headphones. Unlike conventional headphones and earbuds, the Audio Bone headphones offer what maker GameChanger Products refers to as “ear-free listening”. The Audio Bone plastic band goes around the back of the head and loops over the ears so that the phones sit in front of the ears (rather than on top or inside them). Instead of relying on the user’s eardrums to transmit sounds to the inner ear, Audio Bone headphones bypass the eardrum and deliver sound directly to the inner ear. And since there are no openings in the phones, the Audio Bone can be worn underwater with no ill effect. The headphones work with iPods, iPhones, MP3 players and CD players, and are available in black, blue, orange and white (special edition headphones in pink, lime, taupe and purple also are available at a higher cost).
LowDown
As a recreational cyclist who feels that the experience of riding is infinitely enhanced by music, I often get lectured by my girlfriend for biking with headphones. Her feeling is that since I can’t hear anything other than Eddie Vedder’s howl I have a significantly greater chance of being blindsided by another cyclist or, worse yet, a car. And she’s right. But that doesn’t stop me from risking life and limb for some tunage. Audio Bone headphones were designed with people like me in mind – people who like to work, jog, bike - even swim - and still listen to music. You can wear these headphones and remain aware of everything around you. Even cooler, you can actually stick your fingers in your ears and still hear the music playing in your head (something my girlfriend noted could make the headphones useful as a meditation tool). Oddly enough, the other major benefit of the Audio Bone headphones is they don’t require you to stick anything in your ears. Gone are the days of uncomfortable ear buds, which, with all the different shapes and sizes of ears, can’t possibly fit right on 50 percent of the population (or maybe it’s just me). Still, for all the design ingenuity, Audio Bone headphones do require users to sacrifice sound quality and volume. Even with my iPod Shuffle cranked up all the way, I had trouble hearing music while biking on a windy day. And, in general, Audio Bone sound muffled compared with traditional headphones.
WildCard
For me, Audio Bone headphones are the definition of innovative. They take a common problem (not being able to hear while listening to headphones) and solve it in a new and unconventional way. But because these headphones are atypical, it does take a while to adjust to them. The feeling of listening to music through the bone creates a somewhat strange sensation at first, and I had trouble getting the phones in the ideal spots in front of my ears. I also wanted the band to be in some way adjustable (and GameChanger does sell an adjustable Audio Bone model) but, as with the sound transmission, I got used to it. Surprisingly, such gripes about the initial discomfort and even the sub-par sound quality take nothing away from the novel design of this device. For the core audience I mentioned earlier – people who want to listen to music and still listen to the world – Audio Bone headphones offer an incredibly convenient solution. At $189 for the standard version and $219 for special edition or adjustable, the Audio Bone are on the higher end of headphone prices. But, then, there’s nothing else out there quite like them.
UpShot: Perfect for joggers, bikers and workers who want to keep their ears open and heads bobbing, the Audio Bone headphones make up for some sound-quality deficiencies with utility and design ingenuity.
Audio Bone headphones are currently available for purchase from the Audio Bone Web site (with a 30-day money back guarantee).
