Aftershokz Headphones Provide Portable Listening while Preventing Hearing Loss

Photos courtesy of Aftershokz

Revolutionising the way we listen to portable devices

Based in East Syracuse New York, the AfterShokz company is helping to revolutionize the way we listen to music and prevent hearing loss with their patented bone conduction headphones.

These headphones don’t go in your ears at all and for that reason are called open-ear headphones.

The Technology

AfterShokz’s headphones wrap around the back of your head like old school devices, but instead of the ends going in your ear, they sit just in front of them against the skin on the sides of your face.

The technology works with the body’s normal hearing process, where sound travels through the eardrums and bones at the same time.

The device creates mini vibrations from your cheekbones to your inner ears. This action allows sound to travel to your inner ears and voilà, you hear music, shows, games or whatever you like.

The backstory

Founded in 2011, the technology for AfterShokz open-ear bone conduction headphones was initially developed for the military and law enforcement by Voxtech in 2001.

Since then they’ve developed a line of open-ear headphones and accessories that includes wireless and wired devices, along with carrying cases.

The company’s initial focus was on persons who are blind. They discovered that many of their clients, many due to age-related issues, were also experiencing hearing problems. The result is that AfterShokz’s exposure to Deaf communities is growing at a rapid pace.

Benefits of AfterShokz for hearing aid wearers

We asked AfterShokz if the sound quality of their devices is equal to traditional earbud or over-the-ear headphones.

According to their Accessibility Director “Yes, and perhaps exceptionally so. As our headphones do not rest on the ears, they do not interfere with hearing aids that may already be present. This is untrue of earbuds, which can’t coexist and over-the-ear headsets that introduce feedback. We have many clients who are hard-of-hearing who find they are able to use our headsets with their hearing aids, to their surprise and delight.”

5 Benefits of open-ear headphones using bone conduction technology

• First, the best benefit of wearing AfterShokz headphones is clearly the prevention of hearing loss.
• Listening to loud music using in-ear (i.e. earbuds), or over-ear (noise-cancelling) headphones at high volumes over long periods of time have been proven to cause hearing loss. It’s also the reason why more and more young people are experiencing hearing loss.
• Another plus of AfterShokz headphones is that you can still hear the world around you because your ears are…well…open. This is a safety feature that can help you stay alert in every situation.
• One other great feature is the ability to take calls via your device.
• Finally, AfterShokz headphones are Bluetooth-enabled, come in different colours, are available in two different sizes, are sweat resistant and are built with Titanium.

Click here to visit AfterShokz online and learn more about their bone conduction products.