Benjamin Levicek Nowadays, music surrounds us almost at every step. Whether you're relaxing, working, walking or going for a workout, you probably have your headphones on during at least one of these activities, playing your favorite songs or podcasts. However, it is not exactly safe to use headphones that completely cut you off from your surroundings in a public space, both when running and when walking. For this reason, headphones with Bone Conduction technology came to the market. The transducers rest on the cheekbones, through them the sound is transmitted to your ears, which are then exposed and thanks to this you can hear your surroundings perfectly. And just one of these headphones made it to our editorial office. If you are interested in how Philips handled its bone headphones, feel free to continue reading the following lines.
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Pavel Jelic Basic specifications
As always, we will first focus on an important aspect when choosing, the technical specifications. Given that Philips set the price tag relatively high, namely 3890 CZK, you already expect some quality for this money. And personally, I would say that there is practically nothing to criticize about the product on paper. The headphones will offer the latest Bluetooth 5.2, so you don't have to worry about a stable connection with iPhones and other newer phones. The frequency range from 160 Hz to 16 kHz would probably not excite passionate listeners, but be aware that neither Philips' bone headphones nor those from other brands really target this group. As for Bluetooth profiles, you will get A2DP, AVRCP and HFP. Although someone might be disappointed only by the outdated SBC codec, in the course of the review I will explain to you why, from my point of view, it would be completely unnecessary to use any higher quality one.
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The IP67 water and sweat resistance is sure to put a smile on the face of athletes, which means that the headphones can withstand light training, a challenging running marathon or light rain. In addition, if you fully charge their battery, the nine-hour endurance will not leave you wanting even during the most demanding sports performances or long hikes. Of course, the headphones also include a microphone, which ensures crystal-clear calls even when you have the product on your ears. With a weight of 35 grams, you hardly know that you have headphones on. The product is then charged with a USB-C cable, which is not entirely pleasing to iPhone owners, but otherwise it is a universal connector that will not offend even a die-hard Apple fan.
Philips really cared about the packaging and construction
As soon as the product arrives and you unpack it, you will find here, in addition to the headphones themselves, a USB-C/USB-A cable, a manual and a transport case. It is the ability to store the headphones that seems highly practical to me, after all, for example, when traveling, you would not be happy if the product were damaged in your backpack among your things.
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The processing is of very high quality
As for the construction, it is clear that the manufacturer provides you with enough comfort even during sharper impacts. The titanium that Philips used to make the headphones feels solid, and even though I handled the product fairly carefully, I don't think it will be affected by rougher handling. I also rate the wearing comfort positively. This is ensured on the one hand by the low weight, thanks to which, as I already mentioned, you practically do not feel the headphones on your head, but also by the bridge that connects the headphones. When worn, it rests on the back of the neck, so it will not hinder you in any way during sharp movements. So I have practically nothing to complain about, neither the packaging nor the construction.
Both pairing and control work exactly as you're used to
When you turn on the headphones, you will hear a sound signal and a voice informing you that they are on. After a longer press of the power button, the product switches to pairing mode, which you will hear after hearing a voice response. Both the initial pairing with the phone and tablet, as well as the reconnection, were always lightning fast. This is great news, but on the other hand, you shouldn't expect anything else from headphones for a price approaching the CZK 4 mark.
Intuitive control is also necessary for a pleasant user experience, and the product more or less fulfills this. You can play and pause music, switch tracks, change the volume of the content being played or receive and make phone calls directly on the headphones. However, I initially had quite a problem with the buttons themselves. After a few days, I got used to their location, but at least in the first few moments, you will definitely not be pleased with it.
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What about the sound?
If you say the term headphones in front of me, I will always tell you that the main thing is how they play. Everything else is then inferior. But this is not quite the case with a product of this type. Since the headphones rest on the cheekbone when worn, and the music is transmitted to your ears with the help of vibrations, no matter how hard the manufacturer tries, it will probably never achieve the same quality as in-ear headphones or even headphones. And it is this fact that needs to be taken into account when evaluating music.
If I had focused only on the sound delivery, I would not have been completely satisfied. Music is transmitted to your ears across the board. The bass is quite pronounced, but it sounds a little different and not quite natural. The middle positions are simply lost in certain passages of the songs, and the higher notes may seem suffocated to some, and I'm not even talking about the details that you practically won't hear here.
However, the advantage of Philips bone headphones, and any such product in general, is not in the accuracy of sound delivery, but in the fact that you perceive the music more like a backdrop, and at the same time you can perfectly hear your surroundings. Personally, I almost never wear headphones on a busy street. Since I am blind, I can only navigate by hearing, and for example, when crossing intersections, I would not be able to concentrate on cars passing by while playing music from other headphones. However, since the Philips product does not cover my ears at all, I was able to listen to music without it disturbing me while walking. At that moment, I didn't really want to immerse myself in music, I wasn't even bothered by the absence of a better codec. On the contrary, I was happy to be able to focus on my surroundings and at the same time enjoy my favorite songs as much as possible. Primarily, these headphones are intended for athletes who do not want to "close themselves off", which could endanger not only themselves, but also others.
I also positively evaluate the almost zero interference, even in the most noisy streets of Brno or Prague, the sound did not drop out. If you are used to talking on the phone with headphones, you don't have to worry about any complications - neither I nor the other party had a problem with intelligibility. If I were to briefly evaluate the usability in practice, the product meets exactly what you expect from bone headphones.
However, I would like to dwell on one fact that probably the owners of bone headphones already know. If you listen to more energetic songs, whether from the genre of pop music, rap or rock, you will enjoy the music. But the same cannot be said for calmer jazz or any serious music. You will practically not hear quieter songs and recordings in a busy environment, even an undemanding user will not choose bone headphones like the listening ones in a quiet environment. So if you are thinking about the product, think about what kind of music you like to listen to, because you may not be completely satisfied with less intense songs. Considering that these are headphones intended primarily for sports, you will of course not listen to jazz or similar genres.
It fulfills its purpose, but the target group is small
If you use bone headphones regularly and would like to reach for a new model, I can almost unreservedly recommend the product from Philips. Decent construction, sufficient battery life, fast pairing, reliable control and relatively good sound are exactly the reasons that can convince even indecisive buyers. But if you're looking for bone headphones and somehow don't know if they're meant for you, the answer isn't simple.
If you often do sports, move around in a busy city or need to perceive your surroundings while enjoying the sounds of your favorite music, there is no need to think twice, the invested money will pay off. However, if you like listening to music in peace and want to enjoy the songs in full sips, headphones simply will not do you a good service. However, I certainly do not want to condemn the product to rejection. I think that the target group of bone headphones is clearly defined, and I have no problem recommending Philips devices to them. Price 3 890 $ although it is not the lowest, you get more for your money than you would expect from such a product.
