There seems to be a battle between the bone conduction headphone vs normal headphones. Here bone conduction headphone supporters claim that they are better than normal because the music directly reaches the inner ear without involving the ears whatsoever.
However, there are proponents of regular headphones who say this is not so, and either way, everyone should decide for themselves which one suits them best.
This article attempts to explain both sides of this ongoing debate between bone conduction headphone users and regular headphone supporters.
If you are here to learn about the difference between the bone conduction headphones vs normal then keep on reading.
In this article, you will not only learn about the basic working principle behind both headphones. But you’ll also learn about the benefits of both headphones, which will help you decide whether to use bone conduction headphones vs normal ones.
So let’s begin!
Contents
Working Principle of Bone Conduction Headphones
We can’t say much about bone conduction headphones without knowing the working principle behind it.
There are two types of headphones available today. These include bone-conduction headphones and regular old-fashioned earphones, which actually involve sticking something into your ears to play music.
Bone Conduction Headphone is a small gadget that plays music by transmitting vibrations through your skull instead of playing it into the ears.
These headphones are basically a two-piece system which includes the bone conduction unit and earpieces. The former sends out vibrations from compressed audio signals, which then travel to the cochlea through the skull.
The sound is transmitted as mechanical vibrations and can be heard without involving the ears. This is how it creates sound using your head.
Now that you know about the working principle of bone conduction headphones, let’s compare this with normal headphones to find out how they work.
Working Principle of Normal Headphones
Normal earphones work on the mechanism of conduction hearing.
In this method, the sound waves from the audio device travel through the air to reach the eardrums. The tympanic membrane (eardrum) vibrates and transmits these waves to three small bones in your middle ear.
It simultaneously causes movement of fluid within the cochlea which triggers chemical reactions and eventually leads to hearing.
This is how normal headphones work.
Although both the working mechanisms of bone conduction and normal headphones are different, their results are mostly similar.
That’s why both types of headphones give you a crisp sound quality. You can’t say that one is better than other because this totally depends on personal preference and choice.
Benefits of Bone Conduction Headphones
Bone conduction headphones are unique, and if you’re looking for one, you should go with bone conduction rather than normal.
The reason is simple. These headphones don’t stick into your ears to play music, so they can’t create any direct pressure on the ear drums or eardrums.
Hence, there is no chance of any kind of ear damage if you’re using bone conduction headphones. That’s why more and more people are finding the use of bone conduction headphones beneficial, especially for children.
Besides, these kinds of headphones can be used by swimmers as well because water doesn’t hamper its working mechanism at all.
If you’re looking for a good pair of bone conduction headphones, go check out this one from Panasonic.
Now when you know the benefits of using bone conduction headphones, let’s find out how normal earphones can benefit us?
Benefits of Normal Headphones
Normal headphones definitely have their set of pros that you can’t ignore at all.
One of the biggest advantages is you can use them with any audio device. Whether it is your smartphone, mp3 player or even your laptop, you can easily plug in normal earphones to play music. Besides, they are versatile and you can even use them while jogging or playing games.
That’s not all! Normal earphones aren’t a better choice for people who suffer from hearing disabilities.
For instance, if you’re going deaf, normal headphones will not help you hear music the way it is meant to be heard. Bone conduction headphones can provide that.
So basically normal headphones are beneficial for those with any kind of strong hearing impairment as well as those living in extremely loud environments.
Bone Conduction Headphone vs Normal Earphones: Side by Side Comparison
1. Is it Safe For Children To Use Bone Conduction Headphones?
Normal earphones are convenient, but they can cause serious damage if used by children or infants due to continuous exposure of loud music. However, this is not the case with bone conduction headphones.
Since these headphones don’t cover the ear canals, there is no chance for them to play loud music which may cause damage to their ears.
In fact, bone conduction headphones are considered a better choice for kids using listening devices. Because you can plug them in and let your child play audio from the device while not making any physical contact with the ear.
2. What About Sound Quality?
If you’re a music lover, you know how important it is to have high-quality sound when listening to any kind of music. Therefore, if you want a pair of headphones that gives good audio output, go for normal ones rather than bone conduction headphones because these don’t give you the same kind of audio quality.
3. Are Bone Conduction Headphones Wireless?
No, they are not. Like normal earphones, these kinds of headphones need to be plugged in before playing music. However, some models do come up with Bluetooth support which means you can still listen to your favorite songs wirelessly via a compatible device.
4. Which is More Popular?
Normal headphones are extremely common because of its benefits over bone conduction headphones like you can use them on any audio device, they are lightweight and even comes with Bluetooth support.
However, bone conduction headphones are still not as popular as normal earphones; but this does not mean that these aren’t good at all.
If you want to wear them under protective gear like a helmet or anything that covers your ears, bone conduction headphones are the best choice for you. Because there is no chance of damaging your eardrums while wearing them.
5. Which One Should I Buy?
Your choice depends on various factors like budget, usage, and compatibility. If you want a pair of headphones that is flexible, normal earphones are the best choice for you.
But if you’re going to use them under protective gear or with devices that don’t have Bluetooth functionality, then bone conduction headphones are your better option.
In a nutshell: Bone conduction beats normal headphones when it comes to using it under protective gear or when you’re in a high-noise environment. On the other hand, normal headphones are preferable when it comes to sound quality and compatibility with different kinds of devices.
Which One Has Noise Cancellation?
Bone conduction headphones and normal earphones both don’t have active noise cancellation like wireless Bluetooth headphones or ANC (active noise control) headsets.
Which One is Good For Gaming?
Normal earphones are your better choice if you’re playing games on a PC, but bone conduction headphones are preferable when it comes to playing games on a console or handheld device.
Which One is Good For Cycling?
Bone conduction headphones are the best option for you because they provide all the benefits of normal earphones plus being lightweight so it won’t put unnecessary strain on your neck while you’re cycling. Of course, if you want to cycle under the helmet, then normal earphones aren’t the perfect choice for you.
Which One is Good For Jogging?
Normal earphones are lightweight and also gives high-quality sound output, but bone conduction headphones give all of these benefits plus being suitable to use under a helmet while playing music from a compatible device.
So, if you want a pair of headphones that is lightweight, provides high-quality sound, and gives the benefit of using them under helmets/protective gear then bone conduction headphones are your perfect choice.
One more thing, bone conduction earphones are generally expensive than other earphone types.
Which One is Good For Gym?
Bone conduction headphones are the best choice because you can attach them to your ears under protective gears like helmets or anything that covers your ears.
You can even use them while doing cardio exercises or lifting weights because these don’t produce any kind of discomfort due to its lightweight design.
But normal earphones are not suitable for gym because you might feel pain in your ears after a short time of using it.
So Which One is Better?
It depends on your usage and budget! If you need a pair of high-quality headphones with excellent sound quality, then skip bone conduction ones because they don’t offer any superior sound quality than the normal headphones.
But if you have a tight budget and you want to buy a pair of high-quality headphones for an affordable price, then go with bone conduction headphones.
Final Words
Bone conduction headphones vs normal earphones is just a matter of how you’re going to use them. Because both have their own advantages if used in the right way.
However, if you really want a pair of lightweight headphones to benefit from using them under protective gear, then bone conduction ones are your better choice. Because normal earphones can sometimes cause pain when using them under protective gear such as a bike helmet etc.
That’s all, we hope you’ve enjoyed reading the article. If yes then please share it with your friends and family. Sharing it won’t cost you a dime but it will make someone’s day.
Thank you for reading!