Review: AfterShokz Aeropex | Finally Good Enough?

AfterShokz Aeropex
AfterShokz Aeropex

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Top-notch build quality, comfort and fit but is it finally “good enough”?

If you haven’t tried a bone conduction headphones before, I implore you to try one if you ever have the chance. My first time was magical and the reaction was consistent with a couple of my friends.

Bone conduction headphones are one of those headphones that people love to bash. It falls under the “open-ear” category where you can wear it without blocking your ears. There are people, who wore them regularly, swear by it. There are also people who barely gave it a chance, dismissing it as a toy.

When AfterShokz released the AfterShokz Aeropex, we thought it will be a great idea to try out what the latest bone conduction technology has to offer and see if the old wives’ tale still stands.

You might be interested: Best Bone Conduction Headphones
Bottom Line

After using the Aeropex as my daily driver, I start to get the appeal. The build quality is great. The sound quality works well enough for me to get through my workouts. The comfort is top-notch. It kept my ears free from any physical intrusion.

What We Like 😍
  • Lightweight and comfortable
  • Snug fit – Doesn’t come loose during exercise
  • 8 hrs of continuous playback time
  • Great to use for workout like running
  • IP67
  • Water detection charging cable
What We Don't Like 🤢
  • Loud bass causes loud vibration which irritates the ear
  • Open-ear form factor becomes disruptive in a noisy environment
  • A “forward mids” sound signature limit the types of song that can be reproduced well.
  • Someone with longer hair might prevent the transducer from making full contact with the cheekbone

Packaging

AfterShokz shows their consumer savviness with a top-notch packaging. You flipped open the magnetic latch off the hard-case box and it reveals the bone conduction headphones. The accessories are found within a sealed box.

AfterShokz Aeropex's packaging
AfterShokz Aeropex’s packaging

List of accessories:

  • 2 proprietary cables
  • A pair of earplugs
  • A silicone pouch

Silicone pouch

The silicon pouch is a softcover pouch that you keep the Aeropex in. You slide the Aeropex (transducer first) in smoothly and the pouch cuddles the headphones nicely. The pouch is closed magnetically in a satisfying way.

AfterShokz Aeropex's silicone pouch
AfterShokz Aeropex’s silicone pouch

Water detection cables

The problem with proprietary cables is the cost of replacement. AfterShokz mitigates this by providing 2 cables out of the box.

The connector jack of the proprietary cable
The connector jack of the proprietary cable

However, these are no ordinary cables. They are able to detect moisture between the charging jack and warn its user when that happens.

Once it detects liquid residue, the headphones will flash blue and red while it vibrates and repeatedly emits “beeb” warning sounds.

Earplugs

The earplugs were a surprise for me. You would think that someone who buys an open-ear headphone, well.., wants to keep their ears open. But it must be there for a reason and I trust a company like AfterShokz to have done their due diligence in user research.

An open-ear headphones allow you to hear your surroundings clearly. But this actually comes with a caveat that I don’t see anyone had mentioned – the volume from the headphones cannot be overwhelmingly high. If it is, it will still drown out other sounds coming into your ear, counteracting the purpose of open-ear headphones.

Build Quality

As a veteran leader in the bone conduction headphones market, I expect AfterShokz to deliver great build quality. The Aeropex did not disappoint.

The matte rubber material was nice to touch and the weight is light without feeling cheap.

AfterShokz Aeropex with the provided earplugs
AfterShokz Aeropex with the provided earplugs

Comfort

The wireless bone conduction headphones sit comfortably between the cheek and ear, above the temporal region. The headband goes around the back of my head without touching my head. The clamping force kept the headphones snugly on my head without any discomfort while my ears are kept free and airy.

The transducer of the headphones send the vibration from the temporal bone into the cochlear
The transducer of the headphones send the vibration from the temporal bone into the cochlear

As my hair is getting rather long and unwieldy, I need to make sure it doesn’t get in the way and prevent the transducer from having full contact with the cheekbone.

Controls

There are two inline controls found on the headphones. The playback button is found on the left transducer while the power/volume button is found on the right underside of the headphones.

The power/volume button is found on the same side as the charging connector side.
The power/volume button is found on the same side as the charging connector side.

It takes a bit of practice to get used to the positioning of the controls.

Clicking on the power button (when there is no audio playing) will tell you the battery status which is a convenient feature.

Wireless Connection

  • Bluetooth Version: 5.0
  • Battery Life: 8hrs
  • Multi-point Connection: No

The wireless bone conduction uses Bluetooth V5.0 for its connectivity. The battery life is also pretty impressive with 8 hours of continuous playback time.

That is 2 more hours than their Titanium Air model and even lighter!

Sadly, there is no multi-point connection support for the Aeropex. I alternate my headphones usage between my laptop (when I’m at my workstation) and my phone (when I’m working out or out of the house). Having no such feature means that I have to manually cut off the Bluetooth connection from the first device before connecting it to another device.

I have no problem with the stability of the Bluetooth connection throughout my testing in quiet and active areas.

Sound Quality

After reading so many reviews online, it has lead me to believe that bone conduction headphones simply cannot cut it as a pair of decent music headphones.

My conclusion after the testing with the Aeropex – this is simply not true. You can enjoy your music on it, at least I did.

These are, of course, not audiophile-grade quality. Discard all the talks about sound staging, airiness, bass depth etc. Qualities that are usually associated with traditional headphones.

AfterShokz Aeropex
AfterShokz Aeropex

Sound conducted sound via bones simply cannot replicate the experience of conducting sound via air. Although you can’t fight physics, the limits can be pushed. The Aeropex can reportedly reproduce sound from 20Hz to 20KHz which is the full frequency range that a human ear can ear.

Not all bone conduction headphones can achieve that same frequency range. Check the specification carefully.

Overall

The overall sound signature has a forward mid-range. The vocals are clear but slightly colored. It works well with song genres like Pop, R&B, and Rap. Another myth that I dispelled was the bass or the lack of it.

The Aeropex can reproduce bass; quantity-wise but not depth-wise. To get a stronger bass effect, you have to increase the volume gain. This increases the vibration strength which leads to your cochlear receiving the bass effect. The bass is more on the boomy side.

I find my ears getting itchy when the vibration gets too strong.

As for treble-wise, Aeropex performs better in the lower treble than in the high treble. The higher treble sounds rolled-off.

So what does that say about the Aeropex sound quality, just based on critical listening? It is nowhere near audiophile quality.

But can I still enjoy my music on it while I run? Can I listen to my podcast clearly with it while I drive? That’s a definite yes.

After some research I tried out the new Aeropex – I was aware that the sound quality isn’t that great, but I was pleasantly surprised nevertheless. The audio is good enough for music while biking. – From Rainer
Enjoyment is subjective. If you have the chance to audition, I highly encourage you to try it before passing on the judgment.

For Running

A common usage of open-ear headphones is for workouts such as running or cycling, where you might want to be aware of your ambient surroundings. With an IP rating of IP67, the Aeropex is clearly made for exercising.

I’m more of a runner than a cyclist, so I took the Aeropex on a 5km (~3 miles) run.

You might be interested: Best Wireless Workout Headphones

Since the only thing keeping the headphones on your head is the two transducers, I was expecting the Aeropex to flop around during the run. However, that didn’t happen. Despite the sweatiness, the Aeropex stayed in place throughout my dynamic warm-ups and the run.

The open-ear form factor was useful but only to a certain extent. Hear me out.

I was running through a quiet road where there is occasional Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV) and cyclist sharing the same running path. This is where the open-ear concept works wonderfully. You can anticipate their movement while still enjoying what you are listening to.

But as I turned a corner into a lane with heavy road traffic, that’s where I found myself wishing I had brought out my Jabra Elite 65t instead.

The loud environment competed with my music from my ear’s attention, resulting in a disruptive experience. I had a brief flashback about the provided earplugs that I chucked aside. That would have come in handy.

AfterShokz Aeropex with the silicone pouch
AfterShokz Aeropex with the silicone pouch

Technical Specs

  • Driver: Bone conduction transducers
  • Frequency response: 20Hz~20KHz
  • Sensitivity: 105 ± 3dB
  • Microphone: -38dB ± 3dB
  • Bluetooth version: v5.0
  • Compatible profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP
  • Wireless range: 33 ft (10m)
  • Battery: lithium polymer
  • Continuous play: 8 hours
  • Standby time: 10 days
  • Charge time: 2 hours
  • Weight: 0.92 oz (26g)

Conclusion

After using the Aeropex as my daily driver, I start to get the appeal. The build quality is great. The sound quality works well enough for me to get through my workouts. The comfort is top-notch. It kept my ears free from any physical intrusion.

But there are plenty of situations where I wouldn’t want to be using it like on a noisy transit, running beside a noisy road, etc. For those situations, I prefer having my over-ear or in-ear headphones where it allows me to be in my blissfull little corner.

Ultimately, is the AfterShokz Headphones “good enough”? I wouldn’t say the Aeropex is anything groundbreaking from their previous models but it is certainly the best model now.

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💬 Conversation: 26 comments

  1. I enjoyed your review. As an old person I am not technically savvy, although l know my way around computers. Can I down load music from my cd’s to the headphone? Can I download music and store on the headphone? Do I need to take my smartphone with me to hear music when I walk. How many songs will the aftershocks hold.
    Thank you,
    Rick

    1. Hi Rick,

      The Aeropex is a headphone with no built-in MP3 players hence, you cannot put songs in it. The good news is that you can pair your smartphone with the Aeropex over Bluetooth and you can listen to music while you walk.

      Hope this helps!

      1. Hi Rick,
        It’s the XTRAINERZ, a different model of AfterShokz, that has the download capability from your Computer, instead of a Bluetooth source for music.

        So, there choice for what you want and need.
        Hope that helps,

        Steven

    2. The aftershokz headphones do NOT have storage space that would store audio files. You must sync the headphones with any devices that can store audio files AND use bluetooth technology to transmit those files to the headphones.

    3. Hey Rick! I hope I’m not too late. Headphones work the same now as they did upwards of 50 years ago. They only reproduce the sounds you want to hear from the device that is playing them.

      If you burn your CDs on an older mac using iTunes, you can move the mp3 files (other file formats are WAV OGG FLAC AIFF etc) and move them onto a bluetooth compatible mp3 player, smart phone, or other devices and pair the aeropex headphones to use them instead of tradition in-ear headphones.

      If you have any more questions on how to complete the individual steps or where to buy products, you may type single words into your search bar (google, bing, yahoo…) and google will give you everything in plain text. I wish you luck!

  2. They support multi-point connection. It has to be activated and the pairing process is slightly different but there is a description in the manual.

  3. This is a breakthrough technology.
    For its intention this technology is awesome, you missed a few key factors, such as people with hearing, disabilities, safety factors for those on bikes in traffic or running or suffering swimmers ear due to sweat.
    The fact you mention it isn’t quiet enough in a noisy environment is hopefully blatantly obvious to the open ear music enthusiast.

  4. I see you touched on this – multiple bluelink connections (and a how-to link). I’m interested in how your experience was with PC or laptop usage? I have over-ears which get very tiring to wear. I’m going to assume obviously more comfortable, but would like further feedback please. [I use audio PC for 4-6hrs a day – not gaming!!]

  5. The ear plugs are supplied for use in the noisy transport situations, like plane, for exemple, to cut the outside noises.

  6. Why do they seem to break where the ear loop goes from the
    narrow part to the wider part on the right ear just before the
    controls. I’m disabled and my 2 daughters have each have sent me new Titanium’s and I loved them and would wear them
    every day for a full charge. I’m in a handicap chair and watch
    movies, news, and listen to different audio books. I received the first pair I had on Christmas Dec, 2018.
    from my oldest daughter. Thats when I fell in love with them! Thats also the 1st pair that broke the way I described above in June, 2019.
    My middle daughter gave me my 2nd pair for my birthday.
    She sent it to me so I’d received it by Sept 5, 2019.
    They broke the same way in the same place on the 4th of
    July. This time I bought a new pair from Aftershokz so they
    could be replaced if they broke on me.
    See broken Aftershokz!

    https://freeimage.host/i/d85Ivp
    https://freeimage.host/i/d85TyN

    1. My 1st aftershokz broke in the same place too, I’m hoping the Aeropex model I received today doesn’t have the same fault

  7. Ola friend. I wonder if this headset would work well for reunited in the office, because I can not stand the traditional headphones anymore. Thank you.

  8. Is there a way I can turn off the “out of range warning beep” It drives me crazy if I walk to the other end of the house or if I leave my phone in the house and go outside.

  9. Im so glad these exist. People tend to think it is only a matter of choice, but if, like me, you have a medical condition where you can not cover your ear canal for longer periods of time without suffering from severe inflammation, it’s only the choice of these or not being able to use any headphones at all.

  10. I absolutely love these headphones. They are perfect if you ride a bike or run outside because your hearing isn’t obstructed by anything. I hear so clearly that I have to check and make sure that no one around me can hear as well.
    As for the microphone, perfect for making calls and talking without holding a phone. I highly recommend.
    They charge lasts a long time and they are so comfortable to wear. Nothing bothering your ears.

  11. Any wire will crystalize over time. Joints ( where to discrete components are joined will be a point of failure from flexing. We have a couple pairs which we like. Upon seeing a consistent breaking point. We will emplace and remove them carefully with both hands to reduce the chance of occurance.

  12. i have been experiencing problem when i connect my AS800 model with my MacBook Pro, the output volume (mic) keeps reducing until it mutes my voice altogether. I have raised this problem with the Aftershokz but they were unable to as they said that it has something to do with Apple Inc. They said if they release a newer update to their iOS then this problem should get addressed. I have had three updates from iOS thereafter but the problem persists.

    Is there anyone else who has experienced similar problem? If yes, how do you use this headphone for your meetings? Any help that anyone can provide as approaching Aftershokz has turned to be quite futile.

  13. Bought these as a replacement for my
    Trekzair when the microphone quality went after a few years. Love these but the Siri feature doesn’t work nearly as well which is a real shame.

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