Suunto's new headphones have lastly made me recognize bone conduction

As an city runner, I've by no means given a lot thought to sporting noise-canceling headphones. Up to now, I've walked with my ears open, however I'd largely run in well-lit parks, the place my largest hazard was avoiding goose poop. It's totally different within the suburbs. Just lately, I used to be nearly run over by a Vary Rover going a minimum of 10 over the velocity restrict. I by no means heard it coming though my headphones had been on ambient mode.

That's why I've spent the final two months testing the $199 Suunto Wing and the $149 Suunto Sonic.

Each the Wing and Sonic are bone conduction headphones—a class that was lengthy dominated by Shokz (previously AfterShokz). The Sonic is the extra fundamental, entry-level machine, whereas the Wing provides a couple of additional thrives — particularly, LED lighting, a transportable energy financial institution, and head-motion controls. The Wing additionally has a barely higher IP67 water and mud resistance in comparison with the Sonic's IP55 score.

Bone conduction works by sending sound vibrations by way of the cheekbones as an alternative of touring by way of the air and into the ear canal. Some athletes swear by bone conduction as a result of it retains your ears open, which means you'll keep extra conscious of your environment in comparison with any clear mode. (As a bonus, it will possibly assist the listening to impaired hearken to audio.)

I've recognized all this for ages, however I'll admit it – I by no means cared a lot for bone conduction up to now. My outdated AfterShokz headphones weren't snug in any respect, however the true drawback was that I depend on bass playlists. And bone conduction? He's not the perfect at bass. Even so, practically being flattened by a dashing Vary Rover was pretty much as good a motive as any to provide the bone-headed drive one other attempt.

On the primary level, I used to be pleasantly shocked that the Sonic and Wing had been each snug to put on. My outdated AfterShokz headphones had a neckband that dug into my pores and skin, damage my little ears, and by no means sat properly. These headphones even have a wraparound design, however I didn't really feel any discomfort. The headphones had been secure and safe throughout my runs and walks. Moreover, the over-ear half was slim sufficient that it didn't trigger issues when sporting glasses or headbands—a problem I've had with different open-ear headphones just like the Bose Sport Open Earbuds.

The bass nonetheless isn't wonderful, however I used to be amazed at how a lot better it sounded on the Wing and Sonic in comparison with my first foray into bone conduction headphones. The raucous intro from Stray Children' “Megaverse” didn't sound as cool as it might have on the Beats Match Professional, but it surely was ok to maintain me pumped. After a couple of weeks, I ended noticing the distinction. (It helps that Suunto affords numerous sound profiles, together with an outer mode that enhances the bass a bit.)

However whereas the sound was higher than I anticipated, these are nonetheless bone conduction headphones, which suggests they're not nice in noisy environments. I hoped these would double as acceptable on a regular basis commuter headphones, however alas, listening to audiobooks or podcasts whereas on a loud subway or passing honking taxis was not a terrific expertise. I needed to flip up the amount, which in flip turned up the vibrations till the entrance tracks buzzed my face. Nor would these be the primary headphones I'd attain for if I had been to run a race with cheering crowds. It's a little bit of a let down contemplating the Suunto headsets are costlier at $149 and $199. For reference, Shokz's headphones vary from $80 to $180.

The value can be partly why, of the 2, I went for the cheaper Sonic extra usually. Not solely is the sound high quality the identical, however I wasn't bought on the Wing's additional options. The LED lights are neat, however I felt they had been exhausting to see on my hair. (Additionally, I didn't just like the Kylo Ren vibes of the Wing participant.) As for Wing's head motion controls, I might by no means get them to work reliably. It is best to have the ability to reply or finish calls, in addition to skip tracks, by both nodding or shaking your head. As a substitute, folks checked out me humorous as I ran previous, shaking my head furiously as a result of I needed to maneuver on to the subsequent tune.

The Wing didn't win me over with battery life both. Each gadgets have an estimated battery lifetime of 10 hours, however the Wing additionally has an influence financial institution that holds one other 20 hours of cost. That's good, however is it $50 extra? For me, not likely. I largely follow 30-45 minute runs three to 4 occasions per week. The Sonic lasts me a couple of month earlier than needing a cost. As for water resistance, the Sonic's IP55 is nice sufficient for sweat and getting caught within the rain, however the Wing's IP67 score isn't ok for the pool. (One other subject for swimmers — none have onboard storage and Bluetooth doesn't work underwater.)

Lastly, my private seek for a pair of open-ear coaching headphones to switch my Beats Match Professional continues. Don't get me unsuitable – my time testing the Sonic and Wing gave me a larger appreciation for bone conduction headphones and why so many individuals are clamoring for them (to the purpose the place I referred to as within the final Shokz to provide their one other bathe, too). I'm too hooked on the bass drop to say that my search ends right here.