Aftershokz Trekz Air Review

TL;DR

Aftershokz headphones should be the short list for most suitable headphones for street runners. They sit on your jawbone and transmit sound into the head and ears via bone conduction. They provide decent audio quality without obstructing ear openings. Compared to conventional headphones, the provide significantly improved situational awareness and safety. The Trekz Air model is the lightest and most comfortable model available, albeit at a higher price than the Titanium, which have the same functionality.

 

Intro

I previously reviewed the Aftershokz Trekz Titanium bone conduction headphones last year. Since then, they have become my running “daily driver” headphones. The only time I opted to use a different model was during the winter, when a headband or balaclava interfered with the behind-the-head hoop of the Trekz.

In an urban running environment, bone conduction headphones make so much sense for situational awareness and safety. It also helps that they connected quickly and mostly dropout-free with whatever device I cared to use, whether it was a phone or a variety of different watches.

The Trekz Air is an updated and lightened version of the Titanium. Refer to my Titanium review for general comments about bone conduction and its suitability for running. At the time of this writing (Sept 2018) the Air retails for $149 USD / $189 CDN, which is considerably more than $99 USD / $129 CDN for the Titanium.

Hardware

Size Comparison: Air (L), Titanium (R)

The Air features a smaller and lighter design, which is a noticeable improvement for running, where weight and fit are paramount. The behind-the-neck band is much thinner. The behind-the-ear electronics module is significantly smaller, while the drivers themselves appear to be the same size. The fit has been adjusted such that the electronics make contact lower behind the ears, preventing the headphones from shifting to a near-vertical position like the Titanium did. It also prevents the back of the band from hitting the neck. I found that it would stay in whatever position I placed them in, even through the bouncing shocks of running.

The Airs don’t compress around the head as much, because of the lighter and smaller band. While it reduces the accoustic coupling with your head and lowers the sound quality, it improves the extended wear comfort. They don’t press the drivers on your cheekbones has much, which makes in a difference in those longer workouts.

Size comparison: Air (T), Titanium (B)

The wires that go over the ears are also smaller, which means it is less intrustive to eyewear that may be sharing that over-the-ear real estate on the side of your head.

The smaller and lighter electronics modules house a lower capacity battery, which now lasts for 6 hours. This is fine for most non-ultra runners, but may be short for cyclists who want all-day endurance. I was accustomed to charging the Titanium’s once every two weeks – these will need more frequent juice. For most, this is a good trade-off.

Tiny control buttons. Adjacent to a micro-USB port (covered) for scale.

The volume up and down buttons are quite small and placed immediately adjacent to each other. They are hard to tell apart and flat, with no tactile difference between them. It’s easy to press the wrong buttons. Giving them a unique shape, like a rocker switch, and moving them further apart will help with usability. None of the buttons provide a lot of tactile “clicky” feedback when pressed. As a result, it can be tricky to trigger a double-click on the multi-function button on the left driver.

The Titanium does not support the previous track function, and neither does the Air. I read on the Aftershokz Blog that this was  purposely omitted feature, in the name of simplicity. I disagree, as track navigation in both directions, is a necessary feature. Especially if you just want to repeat a track or go back in your playlist.

Fit: Air

Fit: Titanium

Summary

The Trekz Air delivers the full bone-conduction experience in a lighter and more comfortable package than prior models. For runners that need situational awareness, bone conduction, open ear headphones are the no-brainer choice. It is unfortunate that they cost so much more the Titanium, which is functionally extremely similar.

Pros

• Surprisingly decent audio quality
• Overall light weight means that stability is less of an issue
• More stable in different positions than the Titanium
• Thin ear-hooks mean it is less intrusive with eyewear
• Doesn’t cover the ears
• Reliable Bluetooth connectivity
• Likely to fit more people, since the fit is not dependent on ear-hole shape

Cons

• Headband is non-adjustable and only comes in one size. That said, it is designed to sit off-the-head and should fit most people
• Buttons are a little fiddly to use while running, espeically double-clicking
• More expensive than the Titanium, which is functionally equivalent