Seriously, this product needs a name change. GameChanger Products this week announced its Audio Bone Headphones, which use the concept of bone conduction to deliver music to listeners instead of having the music go through the ear canal.
The idea is similar to the Outi headphones that I reviewed earlier this year [1]. The Audio Bone headphones [2] convert sound waves into vibrations that are "heard directly by the inner ear." The headphones are worn outside the listener's ears, so they can still hear ambient noises like traffic and conversations. The company claims that "university and scientific studies on Bone Conduction … indicate this form of listening is safer because it does not put stress on the ear drum."
The $189 headphones are aimed at runners, cyclists, office and construction workers – basically, anyone who wants to hear things around them but still listen to music. The headphones are waterproof, also, but that would likely mean you'd need a waterproof MP3 player case, too.
Having tried the Outi headphones, two things bothered me – first, the vibrations on my ear were really distracting (not sure if the Audio Bone vibrations on my skull would be more or less distracting), and I never felt I could get the volume loud enough to enjoy the music I was listening to.
Seriously, though, change the name of the product. "Audio Bone" is creepy.