The best bone conduction headphones are now the go-to option for many people, especially when exercising outdoors, because they don’t block the ear canal like in-ear buds, so you can stay aware of your environment.
A rival is about to hit the shelves, however, in the form of Audio-Technica’s updated ATH-CC500BT2 cartilage conduction headphones, which transmit sound through vibrations through your ear’s cartilage, rather than your cheekbones, which is how bone conduction headphones like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 work.
We can’t say whether cartilage conduction produces better sound quality than bone conduction until we test out the Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 headphones for ourselves, but the ATH-CC500BT2 will offer several big upgrades on the first version of Audio-Technica’s novel headphones.
Updates to the vibration drivers in the headphones should deliver improved sound quality, and the comfort and call clarity have also been upgraded. AI noise reduction is used to isolate your voice during calls, and you can choose between sound modes in the partner Audio-Technica Connect app.
These modes include an option that highlights voices for when you’re listening to podcasts or audiobooks, and a Limit Sound Leakage mode that should ensure those around you aren’t also hearing your audio, which will be handy if using the ATH-CC500BT2 headphones in the office.
The headphones are designed for exercise, too, which is where open headphones have proved the most useful in our experience. The IPX4 rating means they will resist sweat and rain, and the ear hook and band design means they should stay securely and comfortably in place during workouts.
Battery life is listed at an outstanding 20 hours, which far surpasses the battery life of any bone-conduction headphones we’ve tested, and a quick-charge feature nets you two hours of playback from just 10 minutes of charging.
The Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 headphones are available now in certain areas and cost £119 in the U.K. and €139 in Europe, with the U.S. price and availability still to be confirmed.
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