Aftershokz Wireless Trekz Titanium Bone Conduction Headphones Review

Introduction

In ear and over ear headphones are great, and they certainly have their applications, but they’re not always ideal. In ear headphones can fall out when you’re being active, and they also block out a lot of ambient noise, which can make them dangerous when you’re out riding your bike or going for a jog. The same is true of over ear headphones, and they’re often too bulky for sporty activities too. On top of that, any wired headphones come with their own sets of problems, the cable snags, rubs on your clothing and much more. The Trekz Titanium look set to fix all of these problems.

The Trekz are completely wireless, rechargeable, come with Bluetooth connectivity, they hook over your ears to keep them in place, and most importantly of all, the do not go in your ears! They use bone conduction technology, which allows you to hear the audio yet keep your ears free to hear your surroundings, making them ideal for sports and a whole range of activities.

“The lightweight and comfortable Trekz Titanium wireless stereo headphones are the safest alternative to traditional sport headphones and earbuds. Bone conduction technology, an open ear design and a suite of convenient features deliver premium music play and crystal clear calling without compromise. Designed with athletes in mind, Trekz Titanium are sweatproof, secure, and will allow you to hear your surroundings – no matter where life takes you.”

They’re not cheap at £109.99, but in terms of features, you certainly get what you’re paying for. They’re water and dust proof to an IP55 rating, have powerful bone conduction drivers, a durable and lightweight design, EQ features, dual noise cancelling microphones, and more!

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Features

Bone conduction technology delivers music through your cheekbones, ensuring ears remain completely open to hear ambient sounds
Titanium wraparound headband is lightweight and flexible for durability and portability
OpenFit™ design ensures maximum situational awareness and comfort during long-term wear
PremiumPitch+™ guarantees a premium audio experience, including wide dynamic range and rich bass
Wireless Bluetooth® 4.1 connectivity and convenient multipoint pairing
LeakSlayer™ technology significantly reduces natural sound leakage
IP55 certified to repel sweat, dust and moisture, from workouts to wicked weather
Enjoy six hours of continuous music + calls on a single charge
EQ presets boost bass and reduce vibration on the go
Dual noise cancelling microphones exclude surrounding noise, effectively enhancing speech
Audrey Says™ voice prompts guide users through power, pair, play and talk
Hassle-free 2-year warranty

Specifications

Speaker type: bone conduction transducers
Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
Sensitivity: 100 ± 3dB
Microphone: -40dB ± 3dB
Bluetooth version: v4.1
Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
Wireless range: 33 ft (10m)
Battery: rechargeable lithium ion
Continuous play: 6 hours
Standby time: 10 days
Charge in: 1.5 hours
Weight: 1.27 oz (36g)

Packaging and Accessories

The Treks come in a nicely designed box, with a clear front that allows you to see the full design of the headset. As you can see, they’re pretty compact!

Around the back, a quick run down of features such as the PremiumPitch+ sound, titanium frame, and the Bone Conduction hardware.

In the box, you’ll find a USB charging cable, grips, ear buds for when you do want to block out your surrounding, such as on a long-haul flight perhaps? A protective carry pouch, and all the usual documentation.

A Closer Look

First impressions of the Trekz are very good, the unit is fairly lightweight and feels flexible yet surprisingly strong too, you can really bend it and throw it around and it feels like it won’t be a problem, which is good if you’re using them for active sports. The build quality is what you would expect from a premium product, and I love the titanium band, which comes with a soft touch rubber finish so that it feels pleasant on your skin.

On one side, you’ll find a USB input and two controls, which can be used to control your Bluetooth media, volume, etc. The actual driver units are kinda square looking, and rather than going on your ears, they sit just in front of your ears, but don’t worry, they have some softer padding and grips to keep them comfortable too.

The controls are nicely located so that you can tweak settings without having to take the device off.

There are microphones built right into the headset, which help the headset deliver their noise cancelling feature, helping ensure you get the clearest audio possible.

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The hooked design of the ear mounts is designed to sit over your ears much like you would with a pair of glasses, but they go right over the front of your ears, so they’re sure to stay locked firmly in place even if you’re jumping around a lot.

There’s another bulky looking section on the other side, which no doubt houses some of the wireless tech and some of the batteries, and it also ensure the headset is perfectly balanced so it doesn’t lean down on one side.

The band keep the drivers held comfortably on the side of your head, and is designed to go around the back of your head just above your neck line, so you can easily wear them with a helmet; handy if you’re on a bike or skateboard and need to use protective gear.