Review – Listening to music can make exercise more bearable. Witness the huge protective shell market for sweat-proof armbands, protective shells and earphones. Listening to music while running, cycling, or otherwise exposed to environmental hazards (ie cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles) may impair your situational awareness. Aftershokz is a company that specializes in bone conduction headphones, and it offers a variety of products that can alleviate these dangers. The latest product is AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone conduction MP3 swimming earphones evaluation-make your underwater world full of sound. This is a set of headphones, including memory and controls with a built-in MP3 player. I was sent to test the Black Diamond color scheme, which is a dark base color with white speckled accents. (They also have sapphires.)
What is it?
AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone conduction MP3 swimming earphones are bone conduction earphones with onboard sound file storage and playback functions.
What’s in the box?
- AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone conduction MP3 swimming earphones
- Silicone Storage Box
- USB-A charger/transmission harness
- Waterproof earplugs
Hardware specifications
- 8 hours battery life
- IP68 waterproof
- Comfortable under the swimming cap
- 4 GB MP3 storage
- Support MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC and FLAC
The charging/transmission harness is stuck on one of the temple pads
Design and features
AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone conduction MP3 swimming earphones are coated with rubber material, completely sealed, waterproof and dustproof. The only unrubbed surface is the contact that connects to the charger/transmission harness. If you have never used a bone conduction hearing aid before, you may be a little shocked: the sound pad is located right in front of your ear canal and hangs on your ear for stability. They do not enter your ear canal at all, so when you listen to music, your environmental awareness will only slightly weaken. Unless your volume is loud, other noises, conversations, etc. can be heard.
Volume, playback, and other functions are all controlled by a set of buttons that are grouped around the metal contacts connected to the charger.
Although Aftershokz’s other products have Bluetooth connectivity, these products do not-they can only play files uploaded to the device via the included USB-A cable. Like other waterproof devices I have used, sealing them and using them underwater prevents them from being used as typical Bluetooth headsets. (If you need a Bluetooth connection instead of being waterproof, I highly recommend their OpenComm Bluetooth headset-I bought a unit with personal funds in January After they were reviewed here. At the time I was working at home and they were very useful for my eight-hour shift telephone support. )
set up
The setup is very simple. Plug the headset into the harness, plug the USB plug into the computer, and drag the compatible file into the “Xtrainerz” drive shown.
Performance
The sound is very good when riding a bicycle and generally working in the house and yard. I am glad that my music will not be interrupted by mileage notifications or other notifications, while still receiving these notifications on my iPhone.
Although the sound of the AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone conduction MP3 swimming headphones is clear and full, the bass response is muted compared to external speakers or even over-ear headphones for obvious reasons. However, if you can live without deafening bass, then you will enjoy this experience as well as any other in-ear or on-ear products. In order to obtain a good bass response, there must be flowing air, which requires a woofer of a certain size.
Due to the timing changes brought about by the pandemic, I am currently not a member of the swimming pool, so I cannot test these during swimming like the last waterproof headset I tested. I hope the restrictions will be relaxed in the New Year. For me, the schedule is not so busy so that I can return to my normal lap time. If this happens, if there are any eye-catching items, I will definitely go back and update this review with performance. I didn’t expect it, but no one expected the global pandemic and shipping crisis, did they?
what do I like
- Improve the safety of cycling, running and other outdoor sports
- Full fidelity sound
What will i change
- I hope I can connect it to my Audible account
- I would also like to use it in Apple Music
Final thoughts
We are an audio-saturated culture. From the radio in our car to the Muzak in every store, to the petrol pump that plays music-it’s everywhere. This continuous barrage of personalization is something we have been doing since the first Sony Walkman was shipped. We need more equipment to have this ability when we swim and do other active sports than you can get with the earbuds of the latest daily driving mobile phone. AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone conduction MP3 swimming headphones, by providing onboard storage and complete IP68 protection level, it is an excellent product at a very competitive price. However, with our transition from tapes, CDs, and iPods, we switched to streaming services. Even though I can download files from Apple Music to my device, these files cannot be dragged to Xtrainerz. Only the files I ripped from the CD or purchased online can be converted to the correct format and installed. Although this has a huge impact on ease of use, at this point many of us still haveRip, mix, burn“Days. But I don’t think this will last long. If there is some way to get files through existing subscription services more easily, I’ll find the device more useful. As it is, it’s still great, but mine Listening options are a bit limited, without a lot of work.
Price: $149.99
Where to buy: Company online shop with Amazon
source: The sample of this product is made by aftershock.
