The Bone Conduction Headphones are undoubtedly a valuable invention, with more good than bad. It directly transfers sound to the inner cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear, but this bone conduction brings sound leakage. So, Do Bone Conduction Headphones Leak Sound?
Since Bone Conduction headphones use vibrating drivers, there will be a small gap between the headphones and the skin caused by the transducers that emit sound waves.
Can other people hear your Aftershokz? There is no doubt that Bone Conduction Headphones have sound leakage. But this sound leakage differs from those of traditional headphones.
Sound leakage in traditional headphones is due to loud volume, but in Bone Conduction headphones, it is due to the distance between our skin and the headphones’ vibrating drivers. Let’s get into the details about the sound leakage of Bone Conduction Headphones.
Why do bone conduction headphones leak sound?
One of the bone conduction headphones’ pros and cons is sound leakage. It has been observed that Bone Conduction headphones leak sound due to the side transducers emitting sound waves. The headphones use vibrating drivers to make a sound. Due to the vibration of the headphones, there will be a small gap between the headphones and the skin.
In traditional headphones, you can reduce sound leakage by reducing the sound of music or voice. Similarly, sound leakage is reduced by lowering vibrations in bone-conduction headphones.
Are bone conduction headphones silent?
According to my experience with Shokz OpenMove, one of the top USB-c bone conduction headphones, they were not completely silent. Others could hear a bit when the volume was high and almost unable to hear when it was low. So, it is not silent, but the volume is not annoying for the surroundings.
How to Reduce the Sound Leakage of Bone Conduction?
Many think reducing the volume to reduce sound leakage is not the solution. So below, I will give you some tips you can follow to reduce the sound leakage from bone-conduction headphones.
Headset With Right Clamping Force / Adjust Clamping Force
If you want to listen to loud music, buy bone-conduction headphones that fit on your cheekbones. By doing this, when the drivers vibrate, there will be no gap between your skin and the vibrator, which will cause less sound leakage.
Buy a Headphone from Trusted Brands
You may or may not know the poor quality of bone-conduction headphones can significantly increase the amount of sound leakage. So don’t compromise on quality, and don’t fall for the fake Bone Conduction Headphones and buy from the legit brands.
Lower Down the Volume
The following essential tip I apply to my Aftershokz Aeropex is lowering the volume to the optimum level. It helps me a lot to lower the leakage.
Do Bone Conduction Headphones Make Noise?
While listening to music with bone-conduction headphones, the ear canal remains open, allowing the user to stay aware of their surroundings. I have been using Shokz Xtrainerz, and they have turned out to be my valuable investment as they keep me aware of the surroundings in the gym while keeping the leakage to a minimum.
Bone Conduction Headphones ASMR Compatibility
For people who experience ASMR, bone conduction is not the ideal choice as you can hear the surroundings and not correctly concentrate on the details. In addition, when there is a loud volume, you can observe the sound leakage due to sound waves.
Tidbit: An ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) is a sensation of happiness or calm when someone pays close attention to any stimuli or event.
Final Words
In the end, I would like to say that sound leakage occurs in every headphone despite bone conduction headphones or traditional headphones.
Moreover, I would like to mention that many companies manufacture bone-conduction headphones that are less prone to sound leakage. I think Aftershokz bone conduction headphones and other brands like Decoshoppin bone conduction headphones and Youthwhisper bone conduction headphones are less prone to sound leakage. I’m not explicitly promoting any Bone Conduction headphones, but these are at the forefront of bone-conduction headphones, and you can believe it.