Nowadays the world has changed beyond all recognition. People always say that technology today is isolating us from the world around us. Well, I wouldn’t agree on that but at least from my point of view, headphones are.
 | Every day commute takes up about 2 hours of my time and during this time I wear my Bose QC20 active noise cancelling headphones listening to podcasts. The immersive experience those headphones provide is exceptional. But sometimes I would just gaze with my empty eyes at nothing, being completely unaware of what I was listening to and where I was. I was lost. I missed the hustle and bustle of the crowds, the birds tweeting, cars honking. I would rather immerse myself in that rather than this hollowness. It was a feeling of isolation, created by the very device I once yearned for. If only there were a device that could help out of it.VocalSkull bone conduction glasses is really my life saver. |
When I first wore it on my temples and listened to some music, it gave a weird feeling as if something was tapping repeatedly against two sides of my head. It’s not that I liked it but after I got used to it, I got to say I kind of enjoyed the feeling. Listening to what’s on your phone is no longer like isolating you from the entire world. I can feel my surroundings now, feeling even more alive. It’s like a blend of outside and inside noise, thus I won’t have to choose between listening to music and being aware of the environment.
Bone conduction is no new technology. Back in 1924, the famous scifi writer, Hugo Gernsback, registered the very first patent for a bone conduction listening device. In his article, Acoustic Apparatus, published by US Patent Office in 1923, he said:
| | I have constructed an instrument having relatively small bit pieces adapted to be gripped between the teeth and which are directly carried by the polar projections of a small electromagnet connected with a microphone or other suitable sound sensitive mechanism. |
| | Almost a century later, this device is tweaked to be pressed straight against your cheekbone, generating vibration thus delivering sound to your inner ear without the need to plug earbuds into your ear canal. |
I’ve heard various people talking about bone conduction technology during the past.”Not as advertised at all“, “basically two loud speakers“, “people around can hear everything“, “don’t sound as good as regular types” etc. It’s true that bone conduction has its downsides. But what VocalSkull has achieved in improving this technology has gone wildly beyond my expectation.
“The major disadvantages bone conduction was faced with were the relatively weak bass and sound leakage.”
Maybe it was true but with VocalSkull bone conduction glasses I don’t think it is the problem. I wear the headphone mainly during my everyday commuting and riding. In both scenarios the glasses work amazing. I can hear the rest of the world with it just like I normally do. Since this product keeps my ears open, I no longer need to worry about accident caused by hearing problems.
I’m not going to lie about it but there is some sound leakage when in quiet environment. The reason behind it is probably that sound delivery through bone requires more energy than through air so the vibration is increased. After all, sound is all about vibration. If you engage in your activities in noisy environment, that leakage should not be a problem at all. VocalSkull focuses their products on outdoor activities and for that field, this product truly lives up to their promise.