This is my first review, so please bear with me if I'm not particularly clear.
1) This is a headphones that takes time to appreciate
2) 1/2 star for the sound quality, 4&1/2 star for getting me stoned.
3) To get stoned/de-stress with this headphones, scroll to the bottom part of my review
Testing it where it shouldn't be in
I've been struggling to try my best to find as much Pros to this headphones/earphones/bone-conduction-phones and after using it for a good month, it sits on my work desk all the time. Yes you heard me right, because I could hear my colleagues talking to me while listening to my favorite tunes. Initially they weren't impressed but after proving to them that I could listen to music while conversing with them casually, one of them bought a pair too. In the office environment it works fine, except when I go to areas with heavy machineries (injection moulding, generator), out for lunch, in the streets and virtually anywhere with an average db above 70db. (70db isn't noisy at all, cars passing by while walking on the streets is enough to mask the music completely)
Testing it where it was built to be in
And now they claim that these are build for sports... Yes and no... It stays so well on your ear/jaw/bone you just cant shake it off, even while headbanging. On the other hand, the same 'anywhere above 70db is a nono' applies... i.e: gym, near traffic, playground. The box with the mic slaps around your shirt because it's too short to be tucked into your pants, and it's to bulky to not swing around while you're exercising so i had to attach it to a wrist band snug up to by biceps with my phone because the cable is too short.
With all those said, while conversing with others, it's a very weird sensation where you could actually hear rather clearly what the other person is saying but having trouble understanding the sentence. Especially when you are listening to music with vocals, turns out our brain isn't built to the level it could isolate words coming from the bone and your companion. After all those testing in places that is rather 'noisy' I have to say this headphones works well when you jog in a very quiet park, and if you aren't mugged by then you could easily enjoy the music in a well insulated car, you'll have to skip public transport as those proved to be too noisy as well.
I do have to add that the sensation wasn't worth the price tag but it really is something very difficult to replicate without one of these bone-conduction-phones. Personally for the comical part of the times I have it on, it does felt that I did bought a little quaint gem.
Testing in a quiet environment at only 33db (my iphone only manage to register that low)
Tried on a Magnum Go-Vibe and immediately flunked out!, the boost was so much that you can see the 'orange mounted driver' begging for mercy. (No gain, No bass boost)
Tried it as is connected to my phone and here are the point form of how it scores;
Lower & Mid Bass - Nil!
Upper Bass - only at the right angle (when fitted, pull the reflector up towards your scull, and when the orange driver reach your tragus, that's the loudest the bass could be)
Lower, Mid, Upper Mids - Muddy, Dull & Hollow
Lower, Mid Hi - Clear but smeared
Hi Hi - Nil!
Soundstage - My bones aren't as well tuned as my ears... I couldn't identify what soundstage it has... Open yet closed but laid-back yet forward.
Sound Signature - Tinny and Sweet. I wanted to compare it with other drivers: W4, EQ5 & EX1000 but Shokz does not sound anything similar to those drivers, it has it's own unique sound signature that even after trying and testing for a whole month, it's hard to point it's similarities.
* Note - The sound leaks when the volume is reasonably high
How to get stoned/very relaxed with this headphones
Here is a more detailed explanation of the signature (cant find the words in the sound glossary) - Choose a song with a lot of bass (electronica, I used Skrillex - In For The Kill (La Roux) a dubstep song) Pump the volume until you can feel the driver bass vibrating (about 80db), close your eyes and to relax, within seconds you could literally feel your bone vibrating, hair in your ears vibrates, and throat starts producing a lot of saliva. In a matter of minutes your heart starts pumping faster and so is your breathing, Nose starts vibrating and so is your temples (not migraine or headache but a weird sensation). After another minute or two, your eyes will start twitching as well. And after listening to the whole song, remove headphones and you'll be stoned for approximately 10~15 minutes.
Warning - choose a song less than 4 minutes ( I vomited after 6 minutes)
With that said... I haven't tried any other headphones/IEM's that could make me stoned for 10~15 minutes...
1) This is a headphones that takes time to appreciate
2) 1/2 star for the sound quality, 4&1/2 star for getting me stoned.
3) To get stoned/de-stress with this headphones, scroll to the bottom part of my review
Testing it where it shouldn't be in
I've been struggling to try my best to find as much Pros to this headphones/earphones/bone-conduction-phones and after using it for a good month, it sits on my work desk all the time. Yes you heard me right, because I could hear my colleagues talking to me while listening to my favorite tunes. Initially they weren't impressed but after proving to them that I could listen to music while conversing with them casually, one of them bought a pair too. In the office environment it works fine, except when I go to areas with heavy machineries (injection moulding, generator), out for lunch, in the streets and virtually anywhere with an average db above 70db. (70db isn't noisy at all, cars passing by while walking on the streets is enough to mask the music completely)
Testing it where it was built to be in
And now they claim that these are build for sports... Yes and no... It stays so well on your ear/jaw/bone you just cant shake it off, even while headbanging. On the other hand, the same 'anywhere above 70db is a nono' applies... i.e: gym, near traffic, playground. The box with the mic slaps around your shirt because it's too short to be tucked into your pants, and it's to bulky to not swing around while you're exercising so i had to attach it to a wrist band snug up to by biceps with my phone because the cable is too short.
With all those said, while conversing with others, it's a very weird sensation where you could actually hear rather clearly what the other person is saying but having trouble understanding the sentence. Especially when you are listening to music with vocals, turns out our brain isn't built to the level it could isolate words coming from the bone and your companion. After all those testing in places that is rather 'noisy' I have to say this headphones works well when you jog in a very quiet park, and if you aren't mugged by then you could easily enjoy the music in a well insulated car, you'll have to skip public transport as those proved to be too noisy as well.
I do have to add that the sensation wasn't worth the price tag but it really is something very difficult to replicate without one of these bone-conduction-phones. Personally for the comical part of the times I have it on, it does felt that I did bought a little quaint gem.
Testing in a quiet environment at only 33db (my iphone only manage to register that low)
Tried on a Magnum Go-Vibe and immediately flunked out!, the boost was so much that you can see the 'orange mounted driver' begging for mercy. (No gain, No bass boost)
Tried it as is connected to my phone and here are the point form of how it scores;
Lower & Mid Bass - Nil!
Upper Bass - only at the right angle (when fitted, pull the reflector up towards your scull, and when the orange driver reach your tragus, that's the loudest the bass could be)
Lower, Mid, Upper Mids - Muddy, Dull & Hollow
Lower, Mid Hi - Clear but smeared
Hi Hi - Nil!
Soundstage - My bones aren't as well tuned as my ears... I couldn't identify what soundstage it has... Open yet closed but laid-back yet forward.
Sound Signature - Tinny and Sweet. I wanted to compare it with other drivers: W4, EQ5 & EX1000 but Shokz does not sound anything similar to those drivers, it has it's own unique sound signature that even after trying and testing for a whole month, it's hard to point it's similarities.
* Note - The sound leaks when the volume is reasonably high
How to get stoned/very relaxed with this headphones
Here is a more detailed explanation of the signature (cant find the words in the sound glossary) - Choose a song with a lot of bass (electronica, I used Skrillex - In For The Kill (La Roux) a dubstep song) Pump the volume until you can feel the driver bass vibrating (about 80db), close your eyes and to relax, within seconds you could literally feel your bone vibrating, hair in your ears vibrates, and throat starts producing a lot of saliva. In a matter of minutes your heart starts pumping faster and so is your breathing, Nose starts vibrating and so is your temples (not migraine or headache but a weird sensation). After another minute or two, your eyes will start twitching as well. And after listening to the whole song, remove headphones and you'll be stoned for approximately 10~15 minutes.
Warning - choose a song less than 4 minutes ( I vomited after 6 minutes)
With that said... I haven't tried any other headphones/IEM's that could make me stoned for 10~15 minutes...
