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Bone Conduction Headphones

Soleil

Well-Known Member
Has anyone tried these before? They're basically regular headphones, except instead of speakers putting sound into your ears, they have pads that send the sound directly into your head bones (and thence on to the ear bones, and thence to your brain) using vibrations. Maybe some people don't like things in their ears, or literally can't put anything in there (like me), or maybe you don't like things covering your ears for whatever reason. If that's the case, these may work better than traditional headphones, since they don't cover the ears at all.
They're fairly recent (though my old hearing aids that I got back in 1989 worked exactly the same way) so I was wondering if anyone else had tried them yet.

I recently bought some $25 bone conduction headphones to wear at work, and they work alright. A little quiet, but apparently some models have volume amplifiers. And wearing them for too long can give me a little bit of a headache because of how they squeeze my head (my old hearing aids had the same problem).
The main problem- and I don't know whether this is typical, or just because of my relatively cheap model- is the bass, and low-pitch sounds. They really vibrate, so when some of the guys at work speak, I can really feel them. And it was awful with music; not only can I hear the music, but now I can feel the bass and the drums, and it was just too much sensory input, I guess.
Maybe the more expensive models can mitigate that part, I don't know.
 
They're fairly recent (though my old hearing aids that I got back in 1989 worked exactly the same way)...
I haven't tried them, but they are not new. I remember seeing them in the late 1970s[?].
I recall that there was a lollipop that worked on the same principle, in the 1990s.
Sound Bites Lollipops (1998)
 
I wouldn't want to try those. Bone conduction is something I wish I could reduce or control and even eliminate as needed.
 
Has anyone tried these before? They're basically regular headphones, except instead of speakers putting sound into your ears, they have pads that send the sound directly into your head bones (and thence on to the ear bones, and thence to your brain) using vibrations. Maybe some people don't like things in their ears, or literally can't put anything in there (like me), or maybe you don't like things covering your ears for whatever reason. If that's the case, these may work better than traditional headphones, since they don't cover the ears at all.
They're fairly recent (though my old hearing aids that I got back in 1989 worked exactly the same way) so I was wondering if anyone else had tried them yet.

I recently bought some $25 bone conduction headphones to wear at work, and they work alright. A little quiet, but apparently some models have volume amplifiers. And wearing them for too long can give me a little bit of a headache because of how they squeeze my head (my old hearing aids had the same problem).
The main problem- and I don't know whether this is typical, or just because of my relatively cheap model- is the bass, and low-pitch sounds. They really vibrate, so when some of the guys at work speak, I can really feel them. And it was awful with music; not only can I hear the music, but now I can feel the bass and the drums, and it was just too much sensory input, I guess.
Maybe the more expensive models can mitigate that part, I don't know.
Didn't even know they existed but they might help with left ear damage!
 
Seems like a gimmick that would likely appeal to only a minimal share of the market.

Easier just to use a small mobile device, radio or MP3 player with an external speaker that can fit in one's pocket. Particularly if one must be aware of external sounds around them or they have an aversion to anything inside or covering the outsides of their ears. But then the very notion of sacrificing sound quality for head comfort is a "no-go" for me anyways. No matter how cheap or expensive they may be. The curse of being an audiophile. ;)

The best bone conduction headphones 2022

https://www.amazon.com/Shokz-OpenRun-Pro-Conduction-Built/dp/B09BVXT8TJ
 
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Back in the 80s Sharper Image sold a radio that played through your clavicle. "The Bone Phone". It had full fm and am tuning. I always wanted to try it.

I wonder if osteoporosis would change the "sound"?

Found it!
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/09/bone-fone-the-terror/279474/


I could only imagine the products liability claims from people misusing such technology. :p

Imagine how many people used to misuse a vacuum cleaner and have the nerve to litigate over it....:rolleyes:

But I digress....:oops:
 
Speaking of bone induced sound. Have you ever gone to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned? My dentist used this ultrasonic cleaning wand and as soon as the tip of that thing makes contact with my teeth. It's like my whole skull is screaming with this super high pitch sound. I dread this thing every time I go to the dentist.
 
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full
(Skull...?)
Fix it..
 
Didn't even know they existed but they might help with left ear damage!
Maybe? Depends on how it's damaged, but I think that as long as the inner ear works, these should work too.

Seems like a gimmick that would likely appeal to only a minimal share of the market.
I mean, they appeal to me. But only because of a fairly uncommon condition, so yeah.
But I think they're marketed as keeping your ears free, so you can hear the music without blocking out your surroundings (like traffic, or people calling your name).

Back in the 80s Sharper Image sold a radio that played through your clavicle. "The Bone Phone". It had full fm and am tuning. I always wanted to try it.
The thought of my clavicle vibrating makes me kind of uncomfortable, but I'm gonna try that with my headphones (I don't expect it to work well, but who knows?). I did spend some time trying out my old hearing aids on various other parts of my head (mostly my teeth and forehead) and they worked there, too.

Speaking of bone induced sound. Have you ever gone to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned? My dentist used this ultrasonic cleaning wand and as soon as the tip of that thing makes contact with my teeth. It's like my whole skull is screaming with this super high pitch sound. I dread this thing every time I go to the dentist.
Yes I have... ow.
 

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