As my injury hell continues, it's been a great chance to catch up on product reviews on the blog.
Today's review is for the AfterShokz Sportz M2 open ear sport headphones.
Where these headphones differ to what we are all used to, is that the ear piece sits in front of the ear rather than in the ear. The benefit here is that as well as listening to your music while exercising you can also hear everything going on around you also, oncoming traffic etc. So can everyone on my commute to work on the canal path, GO AND BUY THESE NOW!!! It's so frustrating trying to pass people on the narrow path whether I'm cycling or running and they are plugged into their own little world without a care or thought to anyone around them!!!.....Sorry, moan over back to the review!
So how does this all work I hear you ask? Well the headphones use bone conduction technology. The sound transfers to the inner ear via through the cheekbone rather than through the ear. Clever stuff!
Does it work? Yep, perfectly. The sound is good enough; ok its not at the very top end of sound quality, but plenty good enough while exercising and at the same time you are aware of everything going on around you.
As well as lightweight, most importantly they are sweat and water resistant, and feature an on/off switch, volume control, an in-line mic, a micro USB charging port (yes they need to be charged once in a while, the only downside) and a 3.5mm gold plated standard connector that fits most smart phones and tablets. It also comes with a water repellent storage box and a lifetime warranty.
The head-strap sits around and behind the head which is comfortable and although I shouldn't of with my injured ankle; when I did sneak out for a short run to try the headphones they stayed in place nicely.
£69.95 seems to be the RRP on most sites, and I would recommend to anyone who exercises outdoors. I wouldn't recommend for using at home, as they do bleed quite a lot of sound, so a little annoying for anyone sitting near you.
These look decent but not a patch on FX Sport's VR1 headphones. Wire free with built in mp3 and 8GB memory. Top sound quality with over the ear fit for an adjustable, secure fit. They even have a personal trainer built in with pre prepared workouts which you can download from their website(fx-sport.co.uk). I got a pair at gadget show live earlier this year and if you like music when you are training, you have to check these out.
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