There’s a drastic change in the headphones technology and it is evolving them day by day. However, the question arises, do bone conduction headphones work for deaf?
Yes, bone conduction headphones work for people with hearing problems. It is because these headphones use a completely different model for sound transmission. These headphones don’t use typical earphones and speakers, it uses the natural process of bone conduction.
That’s not all, let’s take a closer look at the technology used in these headphones and learn why they should work for deaf people. In addition to this, we will also explain whether they are safe for normal healthy people or not.
So without any further ado, let’s get started
Contents
Bone Conduction Technology
The sound transmitting technology behind these headphones is known as Bone Conduction Technology. This technique transmits sound waves to the inner ear through skull bones that connect to the ear. However, this technology has been used in other devices as well.
In the year 2013, a well-known company named Oticon combined bone conduction technology with a hearing aid as an alternative for conventional earphones and speaker systems. It has been said that this technology will help people to hear clearly in extreme noise environments.
Moreover, another startup company named Aftershokz used this technology for producing wireless headsets. These headsets also come in the type of headphones and are used by millions of people around the world.
Who Can Use Bone Conduction Headphones?
Now, you must be thinking that bone conduction technology is only useful to deaf people, but it is not true. There are still many benefits of this kind of headphones for people who have normal hearing.
It’s not like bone conduction headphones are only limited to deaf people only. In fact, these headphones come in handy during different sports. It is because they rest on the cheekbone and will let you focus completely on the game.
In contrast to the traditional headphones that press against your eardrums, bone conduction headphones transmit sound through cheekbones.
A person with normal hearing can use these headphones for enjoying music while running or riding a bicycle. However, there are some limitations to this technology.
Limitations of Bone Conduction Headphones
Though these bone conduction headphones work perfectly to people with normal hearing, it is not good when the surrounding noise is too much. This technique doesn’t work in extreme conditions like very noisy areas or underwater.
However, this technology has its own benefits, but you cannot use bone conduction headphones in every situation. It mostly depends on your surroundings and the purpose of using these headphones.
A few months ago, U.S Army Research Office said that they are trying to use bone conduction technology in order to improve the situational awareness of soldiers by combining it with military communication radios.
After all, it can be concluded that “bone conduction headphones work for deaf people” because these headphones directly transmit sound through skull bones which conduct sound better than eardrums.
However, these headphones are not perfect in every situation because there are still some limitations associated with bone conduction technology.
So, it’s better to consider the purpose before buying the best bone conduction headphones for yourself.
What Are The Benefits of Bone Conduction Headphones?
Bone conduction headphones have a lot more to offer than what you can imagine. It is because these headphones use specialized technology that reduces the effects of noise pollution and enhances your listening experience.
Here are some of the benefits you can get from bone conduction technology in headphones.
Reduces The Effects of Noise Pollution
Bone conduction headphones are highly effective in reducing environmental noise by 20 dB(A). This means you can use these headphones in crowded places without any problem.
It’s because these headphones reduce surrounding noise and let you focus on your music or sound completely.
Many people who are new to this technology might turn up the volume in order to get rid of outside noise. However, you should never do that while using bone conduction headphones.
By increasing the volume, you can damage your ears and it is way more harmful than surrounding noise. So, always try to use these headphones at a moderate volume level.
Enhances Listening Experience
Listening to music or any other thing can become a lot more delightful if fine details are available. And, bone conduction technology is the best option for this purpose.
If you put on headphones and go near the sea/ocean side, or take an airplane trip, then everything including high and low-frequency sounds fades away. This happens because the sound waves from headphones cannot go through solid objects.
So, In order to get rid of this kind of trouble, bone conduction technology comes in handy because it will make your listening experience much more pleasant.
Some people claim that because these headphones don’t have a seal around your ear, it is not possible to get the same sound quality in bone conduction headphones.
But, they are wrong! As per tests, you can reach up to 98% of ambient noise reduction when using bone conduction headphones correctly.
Easy To Wear
Another main benefit of using bone conduction headphones is that it is very easy to wear. You can easily put on these headphones by wearing once or repositioning the speakers over your temporal bones.
Even you also don’t need to insert any kind of electronic devices like earbuds, muffs, etc in order to use this technology. And, bone conduction headphones are totally hands-free.
These types of headphones are also lightweight and many people believe that wearing bone conduction headphones doesn’t affect their body balance at all. That is one of the main reasons why these types of headphones are perfect for runners, cyclists, skiers, etc.
If you don’t like earphones or muffs inside your ear, then these types of headphones can be a perfect opportunity.
What Makes Bone Conduction Different Than Normal Headphones?
As per recent research, it has been revealed that using normal headphones for too long can cause some serious problems in your ears.
These types of problems include hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in your ear), and at the same time, you can even damage your skin cells.
In fact, many people use headphones for a long time without knowing how harmful it can be to their body. So, they should immediately stop using these types of headphones because long-term usage is not safe at all.
So, what do you need to do to avoid the negative effects of normal headphones? The best option is bone conduction headphones because it can provide you a lot more benefits than normal headphones.
As per tests, you will see that people who use these types of bone conduction headphones for a long time never complain about any kind of negative effect like ringing in their ears or having any kind of infections in the ear canal.
That is why these types of headphones are considered much more beneficial than normal or traditional headphones.
Last Minute Thoughts
Do Bone Conduction Headphones Work for Deaf? Of course, yes! Bone conduction headphones work for deaf people. But remember one thing; they are not hearing aids.
They are used to make the sound waves reach your inner ear by bypassing or avoiding the outer part of ears. You can use them on both healthy and damaged parts of your ears.
According to deaf people who use these headphones, bone conduction headphones are better than hearing aids.
But if you recently become deaf and want to use some effective way to recover your hearing power, then first visit some ear specialist who can suggest you the best treatment.