If you happen to’re a runner or bicycle owner who desires to take pleasure in music on the go with out fully giving up spatial consciousness, then the Aftershokz Aeropex are a greatest purchase. Clear and clear audio high quality enhances an extended battery life with a snug, light-weight design.
Execs
- Top-of-the-line headphones for runners
- Clear and clear audio high quality
- Loads of battery life
Cons
- Basslines are missing on the Aeropex
- The connecting band juts out a good bit
Availability
- UKRRP: £149.95
- USARRP: $159.95
Key Options
-
Open-ear designFor spatial consciousness
-
Bone conductionTech performs music by vibrations
-
LightweightFrame weighing simply 23 grams
Introduction
A strong soundtrack is important to any exercise, however so is spatial consciousness – that is the place the modern Aftershokz Aeropex are available.
Aftershokz has been round for fairly a while now, providing a special kind of audio expertise that doesn’t hamper your skill to maintain tabs on all the pieces that’s taking place round you. The corporate’s philosophy revolves round using bone conduction expertise as a way of getting music to your ear canals with out blocking them outright.
The corporate has been creating this expertise with every new headset, and now the Aeropex stand as essentially the most premium sounding pair provided by Aftershokz. The query is – how do the Aeropex evaluate as a pair of exercise headphones in opposition to present flagships with extra conventional type elements? After a number of weeks of testing, I’m please to say that they maintain their very own after which some.
Design
- Tremendous light-weight at simply 23g
- Straightforward to put on for lengthy intervals of time
- The connecting band can sometimes get in the way in which
As you’ve most likely already noticed, the Aeropex don’t appear to be your typical pair of headphones. To ensure that the bone conduction expertise to work, the system has to relaxation above your ears to maintain all the pieces in place, however the low weight of simply 26 grams forestall the headphones from ever inflicting discomfort while worn.
The Aeropex may even (nearly) match into the palm of your hand, and with the included carry case you possibly can throw them right into a backpack and by no means have to fret about them taking over a lot house. Regardless of their small stature, the Aeropex have been designed with a rubberised shell that’s simply malleable to suit even the biggest of heads.
The issue right here is that so as to have a ‘one dimension matches all’ body, the bridge of the Aeropex juts out a good bit from the again of your head. For essentially the most half, this wasn’t a difficulty throughout use however every so often the bridge would get momentarily caught in my clothes if appeared up. It’s for that very same purpose that I wouldn’t suggest them for all exercises, as I additionally encountered the difficulty once I needed to lie down on a bench or yoga mat.
In the case of all the pieces else nevertheless, the Aeropex are about as sturdy as will be. I by no means discovered myself readjusting their positioning mid-run, permitting me to overlook that the Aeropex had been even there and simply deal with my efficiency as an alternative.
The management interface is pretty minimal compared to different headphones, as there’s solely three buttons in complete and no contact panel to talk of. There’s a big button on the entrance of the Aeropex to regulate playback and summon your sensible assistant of selection, whereas two smaller buttons below the right-hand aspect management quantity and energy.
For any kind of operating headphones, I’m a agency believer that bodily buttons are a lot simpler to make use of (contact panels and sweat are a nightmare mixture), and whereas the buttons on the Aeropex do have fairly a tactile really feel to them, I’d’ve appreciated to have seen extra controls on the system itself in order to keep away from assigning a number of actions to particular person buttons. There’s nothing worse than attempting to function timed/sequenced button presses when you’re operating.
Options
- Sustaining spatial consciousness is a key promote for runners
- Customers can take calls on the Aeropex with an included mic
- Sensible assistants will be summoned with an extended button press
Due to the open-ear part of the Aftershokz Aeropex, they’re noticeably extra feature-lite from a tech-perspective in comparison with the competitors, however that shouldn’t undermine the significance of their key promoting level – significantly because it’s purpose sufficient to personal a pair of Aeropex.
Whereas it’s at all times tempting to spend money on among the best wi-fi earbuds or greatest operating headphones with lively noise cancellation, doing so would ignore the accountable obligation on the a part of any runner (at both the leisure or athletic stage) to take care of an consciousness of their environment. On too many events, I’ve seen runners land themselves into doubtlessly harmful conditions as a result of their earbuds have carried out too good a job of blocking out the sounds of automobiles or passing bikes.
Having used the Aeropex now for a number of weeks, I don’t ever see myself going again to a devoted pair of over-ear headphones or earbuds because the larger understanding of my environment has allowed me to run with extra confidence. The health club is a special story as the continued radio station just about overpowered the Aeropex at most quantity ranges, however in relation to operating, the Aeropex are an important piece of package.
Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply that the Aeropex are fully bereft of sensible options. Quite the opposite, an extended press of the playback button will summon your sensible assistant of selection, supplying you with the possibility to pose queries or change to a selected observe with out taking out your telephone.
There’s additionally a built-in microphone so you possibly can take calls straight on the Aeropex. The mic high quality is much from excessive finish, however the individual on the opposite finish of the road will nonetheless be capable of decide up what you’re saying even with a level of background noise.
With an official IP67 score for water and sweat resistance, you received’t have to fret concerning the Aeropex battling the weather both, though if you happen to want an open-ear pair of headphones for swimming then you definitely’ll have to take a look at the Aftershokz Xtrainerz as an alternative.
Aftershokz claims that the Aeropex can final for as much as eight hours on a single cost, however in my testing I discovered that the headphones had been in a position to go fairly a bit past that. As an illustration, after six hours of music/podcast playback at a low-medium quantity, I nonetheless had roughly 75% left within the tank which had me completely impressed. When the Aeropex truly do want topping up, they’ll let you recognize through a useful audio notification.
Sound high quality
- Bone conduction expertise can create clear, spectacular sounds
- Vocals and rhythm come by brilliantly
- Basslines are missing, and bass-heavy songs aren’t at their greatest right here
Blame it on the truth that I had simply completed reviewing the disappointing Fauna Audio Glasses, however forward of testing the Aeropex, I used to be sceptical concerning the audio high quality of any pair of headphones that don’t provide an in-ear or over-ear expertise. Fortunately for me, it quickly grew to become very clear that no matter points Aftershokz had with earlier iterations such because the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium, the corporate had made large strides within the proficiency of bone conduction expertise since then.
The sound high quality produced by the Aeropex is so clear that it could possibly simply be in comparison with sure mid-range earbuds just like the LG FN6. Listening to a summertime hit like Vacation by Dizzee Rascal, the rhythm comes by clearly, because the vocals and mids are given equal consideration with out ever feeling in competitors with one another.
The Aeropex may also be loud sufficient to go well with most preferences, and I by no means discovered myself lacking elements of a tune on a run because of the common ambient noise of my native park. In an enormous boon to commuters, the Aeropex additionally lack any discernible sound leakage. Actually, the one time I used to be in a position to decide up on the Aeropex’s presence from afar was once they had been positioned in a quiet room – and even then, it was a light-weight hum at medium quantity.
The one letdown to be discovered on the Aeropex is in how the system conveys bass tones throughout playback. For essentially the most half, the bassline of any given tune will be heard, but it surely lacks any type of oomph to match the readability afforded to different layers. Because of this songs like Cardi B’s Bodak Yellow – which depends on a heavy bassline – doesn’t come throughout with the identical influence that may be discovered through a extra premium pair of headphones.
If you may get previous that minor transgression then I believe you’ll be impressed by what the Aeropex have to supply, not simply in sound high quality however in being a fantastic various to conventional headphones for any health fans.
