If you are a technology geek then you must read this article. it is because in this guide we will explain the physics behind bone conduction vs air conduction.
We will also explain both terminologies used in headphones nowadays to make it easy for those who aren’t linked to physics and engineering.
So without any further ado, let’s get started.
Contents
Sound Transmission Through Bone Conduction
Bone conduction is the mechanism where sound bypasses the outer ear (or pinna) and tympanic membrane (eardrum), instead of directly stimulating the cochlea.
The reason bone conduction sounds different from air conduction is that bone conducts vibrations faster than it does sound, while air conducts slower than it transmits vibrations.
This is why bone conduction headphones are usually used for military, police, and sportspeople who need to remain aware of their surroundings at all times.
It has been seen that in most cases when sound is transmitted through the air or any gas (or medium) it reaches our eardrum with more intensity than the original source of vibration.
Whereas in bone conduction, sound transmitted through the cochlea is almost the same as the original source although it varies with different head structures.
The reason behind this phenomenon is that air, being a soft and compressible medium, absorbs more energy than hard surfaces like bones or teeth (in the case of a microphone).
So basically if you are looking for headphones that will not lose much energy during transmission, then bone conduction is the way to go.
Also, since in bone conduction headphones there is no direct transfer of sound through the eardrum and pinna, it’s totally safe for people who may suffer from a structural deformation in their outer ear and don’t want to miss out on their favorite music.
Now let’s move on to the second form of sound transmission, Air conduction headphones.
Sound Transmission Through Air Conduction
It is also known as normal conduction or through the ear canal.
In this mechanism, the sound waves are transmitted through the outer ear (or pinna) and eardrum, exactly in the same way as it happens when you are listening to music on your phone.
The benefit of using this method is that all of us can use headphones without any problem with our outer ear structure.
Although, if you are exposed to extremely loud noise then it may affect the structure of your ear and that is why you must be very careful.
Also, these headphones drivers use a dynamic speaker diaphragm and push and pull the surrounding air every time we receive a sound signal from the source through a wire.
So basically, air conduction devices have more power than bone conduction devices due to the fact that it works on driving more air.
That being said, if you are looking for headphones with more bass and less energy loss during the transmission then definitely go for air conduction headphones.
Now, let’s compare both types of headphones, bone conduction vs air conduction.
Bone Conduction Vs Air Conduction Comparison
Bone Conduction Headphones
As mentioned before, instead of passing vibration through the eardrum it uses your skull to conduct sound.
People usually use this type of headphones for two reasons, either they are suffering from an ear disease that affects their outer ear or they need awareness of their surroundings.
You will find that these types of headphones are mostly used by those people who have damaged their eardrums and need some help to hear from a distance.
Although, there has been an increasing demand for these headphones among other people as well.
Since our body is capable of transmitting vibrations faster through bone than it does air, you will find that the quality of sound in this type of headphones is much better than that of air conduction.
The reason behind this is that in bone conduction there is almost no loss of energy when it comes to transmission, only the direction changes and not much else.
However, since these headphones use an in-built speaker and a microphone (for detecting external noise) you will always have to carry a power source with you.
Also, these headphones are mainly used in noisy environments since they don’t do much when it comes to blocking external noise. Also, they cannot be compared to earbuds/earphones in terms of comfort and convenience.
Air Conduction Headphones
In this type of headphones, sound waves are transmitted through the ear canal and outer ear structures. People use this type of headphones for two reasons, either their ears are structurally deformed or they need to be aware of their surroundings due to certain reasons such as driving a car or cycling, etc.
You will also find that these types of headphones are mostly used by people under the age of 13 (for better hearing) and elderly people (due to their changing structure). There are also certain categories of people like the army, navy, etc. who use these headphones because they need awareness of their surroundings.
As compared with bone conduction headphones, these types of headphones have more limitations when it comes to sound quality due to the fact that it uses the eardrums to conduct sound instead of the whole skull.
Also, there is a huge loss of energy during transmission because our body parts are not built for conducting vibration. These types of headphones are also used by people who need to be aware of their surroundings and enjoy very good noise isolation capabilities.
Also, they can be used as a replacement for earbuds/earphones. Bone conduction headphones have a good bass response and quality whereas air conduction has more noise isolation capabilities but less bass-heavy sound.
If you are looking for headphones with a good bass response and a little bit of noise cancellation capabilities then go for bone conduction devices. However, if you are looking for a mixture of noise cancellation and a good bass response then go for air conduction headphones.
Conclusion
If we compare Bone Conduction vs Air Conduction then you’ll see a clear difference between both. The former uses vibrations of bones to transmit the sound from the source. While the latter uses air particles to transmit sound.
However, it should be kept in mind that both types of headphones have their own set of pros and cons. Therefore, it totally depends upon your needs and requirements when it comes to choosing a headphone.
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. For more interesting information related to Bone Conduction vs Air Conduction make sure to check out our other articles.