The AfterShokz Aeropex are Bluetooth bone conduction headphones. Due to their unique design, which uses vibrations instead of speakers to produce sound, they don't go on or inside the ear in any way, and the earbuds simply rest on your temples. Due to this, they don't block any ambient noise, making them a good choice if you like to always have background music or podcasts playing while still being able to carry on conversations, or if you run outdoors and want to stay aware of your surroundings. Overall, they're a unique pair of headphones that won't be for everyone, but for specific uses, they may be exactly what you're looking for.
The AfterShokz Aeropex aren't recommended for mixed usage. Due to the unique design of these headphones, they may not be for everyone. Their recorded sound frequency results aren't good, though in real-world scenarios they should sound better. Most people should find them comfortable, but don't block background noise. These are good if you want to always have music or podcasts playing while still being able to communicate with those around you.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are bad for neutral sound. Since they have no speakers and produce sound via vibrations, our testing rig was unable to properly chart their frequency performance. Therefore real-world usage should likely produce better results than our scores show. That being said, they produce sound uniquely and aren't ideal for people looking for accurately produced sound.
The AfterShokz Aeropex aren't recommended for commuting or travel since they don't block outside sound. This is by design, however, and they may be good if you want to be able to hear music or podcasts while still staying aware of your surroundings. On the upside, they're quite comfortable, and you likely won't notice them even on long flights.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are pretty good for sports. They have a comfortable and lightweight design which feels just like wearing a pair of glasses, and put no pressure on the ear. They're extremely breathable since they don't go in or cover the ear, meaning you won't sweat more than usual. They're also good for running outdoors as you'll be able to stay aware of your surroundings.
The AfterShokz Aeropex aren't ideal for office use since they don't block out any background noise and leak at higher volumes. That being said, if you work in an office where you need to always be able to communicate, but want to have background music at a quiet volume, they'll likely be a great choice.
The AfterShokz Aeropex aren't good for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only headphones, meaning they won't connect to PS4 or Xbox One, and they have high latency.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are Bluetooth-only headphones that can't be used wired for gaming.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are disappointing for phone calls due to their mediocre microphone performance. They also don't block out any background noise, meaning it may be hard for you to hear the person you're speaking to if you're in a loud environment.
The AfterShokz Aeropex have a unique style that looks similar to other models by the company but are unlike most other headphones on the market. Unlike traditional earbuds, these headphones don't go into your ear, but instead sit on top of your temples. They have a headband that goes around the back of your head, and ear-hooks to help keep the headphones on your ears.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are very lightweight and are quite comfortable. Due to their design, they're far less noticeable on your ears than traditional over-ear or on-ear headphones. They apply a bit of pressure where your ears meet your head, though they're better than previous versions, which feels similar to wearing a pair of glasses. The headband sticks out less on the back of the head than the AfterShokz Trekz Air, but it still may get snagged on hoods or sweaters. Since you feel audio through vibrations, bass-heavy genres like dubstep may get irritating after long listening sessions, though this likely won't be an issue with other genres or podcasts.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's controls are great, and a big improvement over the AfterShokz Trekz Air. Two small buttons are positioned just behind your right ear that are used for volume up/down, power on/off, pairing, and to check your battery level when not listening to music. There's also a button on the left earbud for play/pause, track skip, and access the voice assistant. Overall, the buttons are easy-to-use and provide good feedback, and the volume control gives you audio cues.
The AfterShokz Aeropex don't sit inside, on, or around your ears, so there's no trapped heat. In our tests, the recorded temperature difference was so low that it was below the margin of error for our testing rig. This makes these a good choice for sports, as they won't cause you to sweat more than usual.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are decently portable. They aren't that bulky, though their rigid headband means they can't be folded into a more compact format. They're portable enough to slide into a bag or larger pockets in sports pants or shorts, but won't fit in most jean pockets. On the upside, they come with a small soft case to protect them and to help with traveling, but it does add a bit of bulk.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's build quality is good, and they don't feel like they'd get too damaged from a few accidental drops or bumps. They're made of a silicone material and are rated IP67 for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Unfortunately, the headband is thin and is likely the weakest point, though it's quite flexible.
Since the AfterShokz Aeropex have no speakers and use vibration to produce sound, our testing rig is unable to accurately record these results. Therefore, our frequency response graph doesn't portray the actual sound as it would be perceived by your ear. Overall, the sound produced by these headphones is better suited for most vocal-centric content, like podcasts or audiobooks. However, they'll still likely be decent for most genres of music, and provide surprisingly decent bass response, though they won't give you the same kind of thumping bass as traditional headphones.
Due to these headphones' unique design, their frequency response consistency is poor and different users may experience different sound profiles depending on how the headphones fit on the head. You'll probably have to adjust the headphones on your head to get the best possible sound reproduction.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's bass isn't very accurate. However, these bone conduction headphones produce sound via vibrations, which is why they have such a low score in our measurements. They do transmit an average amount of tactile bass through the temples, but even their tactile bass isn't very extended, and won't produce low-bass accurately. Overall, they should be able to provide a decent amount of kick for instruments but are lacking in very low-bass that you'd hear in dubstep or EDM.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's mid-range accuracy isn't at all accurate. Unlike the AfterShokz Trekz Air, which used speakers to produce mid and treble ranges, the Aeropex rely on vibration for all frequency ranges, making them difficult to accurately measure with our current testing rig. Therefore, these results likely won't match what you'd hear in real-world usage. In quiet environments, you should get decent performance from the mid-range and be able to hear leads and vocals in good detail. Unfortunately, in louder situations like on a subway, the mid-range tends to get lost and you'll likely only 'hear' the tactile bass vibrations, and some harsher and sharp treble frequencies.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's treble-range accuracy isn't at all accurate. Unlike the AfterShokz Trekz Air, which used speakers to produce mid and treble ranges, the Aeropex rely on vibration for all frequency ranges, making them difficult to accurately measure with our current testing rig. Therefore, these results likely won't match what you'd hear in real-world usage. In actual listening, their treble range is decently well-balanced, though it may sound slightly sharp and piercing on sibilants (S and T sounds) at higher volumes.
Since these headphones produce sound via vibrations and don't have any speakers, our testing rig is unable to properly measure their frequency response. That being said, in real-world usage, there's a peak in high-treble that causes cymbals and sibilants (S and T sounds) to sound sharp and piercing.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's imaging is bad. It's worth noting that since these headphones have no speakers and use vibration to produce sound, our testing rig is unable to accurately record these results. Therefore, our results here likely won't correlate to real-world situations.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's measured soundstage is inadequate. It's worth noting, however, that since these headphones produce their sound via vibrations and not speakers, our testing rig is unable to accurately measure them. In real-world usage, the headphones are very open since they sit outside of the ear.
By design, the AfterShokz Aeropex's noise isolation performance is very bad. This's because these headphones don't sit in or cover your ears, and instead provide audio while still allowing all outside sounds in. This makes them great if you want to hear background music while still carrying on conversations or staying aware of your surroundings, like during a jog outside.
Note: AfterShokz includes a pair of foam earplugs designed to use with these headphones while on planes or commuting. While we haven't tested with them in, this will undoubtedly improve the isolation performance and help create a somewhat more typical headphone listening experience.
While the recorded level of leakage on the AfterShokz Aeropex is disappointing, in the real world it depends on your usage. If you listen to your music at a quiet enough volume to still carry on conversations with people, they likely won't be able to hear what you're listening to. On the other hand, if you want to listen to music loud to block out background noises, they leak quite a bit and may bother those around you.
Recorded or transmitted speech from the AfterShokz Aeropex is decent. While the person you're speaking to on the phone should be able to understand you, your voice may sound fairly muffled and lacking in brightness and detail.
The AfterShokz Aeropex's battery is decent at just under 13 hours from a single charge. This is a lot longer than the 8 hours that is advertised and should likely last you a few days without needing to be charged. Unfortunately, unlike previous models, they no longer charge via micro-USB and now use a proprietary charging cable, which means you can't borrow a cable from a friend if your headphones die. Luckily, they provide you with two charging cables in the box.
These headphones don't have a dedicated companion app for customization options.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are Bluetooth wireless headphones. They support multi-device pairing, meaning you can connect them to both your phone and laptop at the same time to easily switch between the two, which is nice. Unfortunately, like most Bluetooth headphones, they have rather high latency, so they aren't recommended for watching videos, though this may not be noticeable to everyone.
These headphones are Bluetooth-only.
These are Bluetooth-only wireless headphones that aren't compatible with PS4. They're able to connect to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, but aren't recommended for gaming due to their high latency.
The AfterShokz Aeropex are decent sports headphones with a unique design that uses bone conduction as opposed to speakers to produce sound. Their build is comfortable and stable enough for most sports but might need a few adjustments from time to time. They're designed for outdoor use so you can have background music while running or cycling and still be aware of your surroundings. They're very unique headphones, and their bone conduction style makes them different from most other sports headphones we've tested. See our recommendations for the best headphones for working out, the best wireless earbuds for running, and the best Bluetooth earbuds.
The AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction are an upgrade over the AfterShokz Trekz Air Bone Conduction. They're both bone conduction headphones, but the Aeropex have a much better control scheme, a longer battery life, and are rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. On the other hand, the Trekz Air use a standard micro-USB charging cable as opposed to the Aeropex's proprietary cable.
The AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction and the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are very different headphones. While the Apple are more traditional truly wireless in-ears, the AfterShokz use bone conduction to create sound and don't actually go inside your ears. The AfterShokz are a good choice if you want to be able to hear your music but still stay aware of your surroundings. Meanwhile, the Apple have a great ANC feature and are excellent for blocking out background sound.
The Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless are the more traditional truly wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphones compared to the AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction. The Bose do a much better job at blocking out background noise and will deliver a more traditional sound as they don't use bone conduction. The AfterShokz, on the other hand, will be more comfortable if you don't like the fit of in-ears, have much better controls and don't block any external noise if you want to stay aware of your surroundings.
While the Plantronics BackBeat Fit Wireless and the AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction look similar, the Plantronics have a more traditional earbud design that goes inside of your ear. The AfterShokz, however, are more comfortable, have better controls, and a better battery life. On the other hand, the Plantronics will block out much more ambient noise and will deliver more traditional sound reproduction, as they aren't bone conduction headphones.
The Apple AirPods 2 Truly Wireless 2019 are the more traditional truly wireless earbud headphones compared to the AfterShokz Aeropex Bone Conduction. While the Apple don't go deep into the ear canal, they still enter the ear more than the AfterShokz, which simply sit on your temples. The AfterShokz have much better controls, a much longer single battery charge, and an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. The Apple, on the other hand, are much more portable thanks to their truly wireless design and charging case.