AfterShokz Aeropex Mini Review: A Reasonably Large Deal for One thing So Dinky

Precisely one lifetime previously, in July of 2019, I proclaimed my love for the AfterShokz Air bone conduction headphones. I’ve been the enlighten of them on nearly all workout routines—indoors or out—since then. Successfully, except now. The more fresh, more popular, and (only of all) smaller Aeropex Mini, which had been in the foundation announced at CES 2020, hang been on my cranium for the previous couple of weeks. And I take care of them even more.

What’s This “Mini” Industrial?

Even as you happen to’ve researched bone conduction headphones in the ideal miniature bit, you’ve seemingly heard in regards to the Aeropex by AfterShokz. Those hang been the de facto same old for the single bone conduction headphone since they had been released roughly one and one half of years previously. The Aeropex Mini are the identical headphones, apt smaller.

Successfully, the band is smaller. Deal with, that’s it—apt a half of-recede shorter band. The headphones themselves are the identical dimension. But the smaller band makes a better affect in total match than that you just can also build. I’m a bald dude so I don’t hang hair to have the additional field left by my AfterShokz Air, which makes the Aeropex Mini an infinite replacement for me. The match is design “tighter.”

Of direction, that you just can also be wondering what dimension you should gain. Appropriate news: AfterShokz has a files to let you figure that out. Even as you happen to’ve gotten a immense ol’ chubby head or quite a lot of hair, you doubtlessly desire the fat dimension. But in case you’ve gotten a smallerish head, no longer a quantity of hair, are a child, or desire a cosy match, the Mini is the jam.

Oh, there’s one rather about a minor distinction: the Aeropex Mini are only on hand in murky. The neatly-liked Aeropex are out there in red, gray, blue, and murky. That’s a bummer if you take care of colors and hang a small head, but hiya—can’t prefer ’em all.

In some other case, you gain a extinct and acquainted structure here: multifunction button (play/pause, resolution/hangup, elevate up Google Assistant, and more) on the left pad, quantity +/- and charging port on the genuine aspect in the inspire of the ear hook. That’s it. Not like most rather about a AfterShokz, which tag over USB of some diversity, the Aeropex uses a proprietary magnetic charger. I settle they went this path to gain a better seal and better IP ranking (IP67), but it absolutely can also impartial be an annoyance to some. Moral don’t lose the cable!

Frigid, So … Bone Conduction?

Whereas our sister space How-to Geek has a most ideal explainer on how bone conduction technology works, I’ll provide you with the like a flash and soiled. Most ceaselessly, they bypass the outer ear to pump sound as we narrate to the interior ear. How? Thru your cheekbone. Nearly take care of they’re the enlighten of bones to habits the sound.

It’s a cool, abnormal expertise, but it absolutely’s no longer jarring. It doesn’t settle any getting used to. But the enlighten of bone conduction headphones can also be in difference to the enlighten of any rather about a compose of headphones they don’t scamper on or in your ear. This has about a benefits, but mostly it doesn’t block your listening to, so you’ve gotten fat situational awareness.

That makes these huge any time you would possibly want to hear what’s happening around you—take care of for biking or running. Or any rather about a enlighten where you take care of to hang track or a podcast but mute need to have the selection to hear.

I on the total liken the enlighten of bone conduction headphones to being in the identical room with a having fun with TV. Even as you’re staring at it, it has your consideration and you focal point on the audio from the TV—but that you just can also mute hear rather about a issues. If somebody starts to discuss to you, the TV audio compose of drifts into the background so that you just can also focal point on that individual’s narrate. Bone conduction headphones enact now and again the identical thing. It’s amazing.

But Cam, How’s the Sound Quality?

I’m going to enable you to in on a miniature secret: bone conduction headphones don’t sound as genuine as earbuds or headphones. But that also doesn’t mean they sound tainted. And the Aeropex (Mini) sound better than any rather about a bone conduction headphones I’ve ever heard.

As I mentioned earlier, I wore the AfterShokz Air nearly every time I was once on the bike for neatly over a one year. The sound quality on these is dazzling—in the end, I’m more attracted to precisely having track for my workout routines than getting the single sound quality—but the Aeropex (Mini) is on a impartial right level. Where the Air can sound compose of muddy or muffled, the Aeropex sound alive—crisp and arresting. Verbalize.

Of direction, you would possibly want to withhold your expectations in check here—you’re no longer going to gain outlined low discontinue from a build of bone conduction, as an illustration. They’ve an inclination to be heavier on the midrange, which gives the broadest frequency coverage. You know, the most “bang for your buck” so that you just can discuss.

That mentioned, every build of AfterShokz also comes with a pair of earplugs, which dramatically adjustments the general audio expertise. The Aeropex Mini feature two EQ settings this capacity that—the default profile is designed for launch-ear enlighten, so it pumps as mighty bass into them as they’ll take care of. With earplugs in, alternatively, it sounds take care of pure mud. Switching over the rather about a EQ profile by pressing and holding each quantity buttons for three seconds dramatically cuts the bass in order that they sound better. But in fact that you just can also enlighten either EQ at any time while you take care of to hang. It’s all about what sounds better to you.

But that also brings up my biggest bother with the Aeropex (and Air, for that matter): in case you substitute between the 2 settings, the narrate response says “EQ modified” without a indication of which profile you’re on. I gave this a scamper on the Air over a one year previously, but I figured that AfterShokz had absolutely fixed this on the more fresh models. Nope. I desire it replied with “EQ 1” and “EQ 2” no longer lower than. In actuality, here is precisely how it works on the OpenMove—they’ve three audio profiles, and it declares every (same old, vocal booster, earplug mode) after they’re activated).

But, truth learn, I persistently enlighten my AfterShokz as launch-ear headphones, so I actually by no design change audio profiles. But that’s me—that you just can also impartial desire one pair of headphones for all uses and take care of the root of pairing earplugs with bone conduction. If that is the case, the OpenMove can also be a better replacement for you. Moral preserve in mind these are “standard of living” headphones, in order that they’re no longer as sturdy (IP55 vs. IP67) and don’t ideal as lengthy (6 hours vs. 8 hours of battery life).

Eventually, I desire to touch on call and conversation quality. I impartial as of late did a four and a half of hour indoor biking match the enlighten of TrainerRoad’s community workout routines feature (which supports video and audio), and the Aeropex Mini had been improbable. They sounded huge and everybody can also hear me completely. That’s an enormous prefer for anybody taking a peep for talk on the cell phone with out clogging their ears.

If cell phone calls and narrate chats are you foremost field, alternatively, that you just can also impartial be more attracted to the OpenComm, which looks to be equivalent to Aerpoex, but it absolutely aspects a enhance mic for better call quality.

Conclusion: The Ideal Bone Conduction Skills, Fully Smaller

The total time I had the Air, I only used them on the bike. But since I’ve been testing the Aeropex Mini, I fetch myself reaching for them reasonably on a each day foundation—each on the bike and off. I build on them across the home. I build on them while I’m working. I build on them to the store. I wore them while I was once walking around downtown taking pics for the iPhone 12 Mini review.

Sure, earbuds or neatly-liked headphones sound better. But the benefits of the Aeropex Mini outweigh the (only about a) cons. They’re gentle, ideal all day, are extremely overjoyed, and preserve out of my design. They’re quickly becoming my scamper-to headphones for nearly all uses.

That mentioned, I also build there’s a $160 tag of entry (they’re on sale for $125 on the time of writing) to gain a build of Aeropex or Aeropex Mini on your dome. Even as you happen to’re taking a peep for something to determine in and wish them to ideal all day, then they’re your only bet. And between the Aeropex or smaller Aeropex Mini, they’re on hand for a unfold of head sizes. But in case you’re mute no longer exclusively offered on the utility for your life, then something take care of the more affordable OpenMove can also impartial be a better replacement, despite only coming in one dimension.