While we focus a lot on PC and gaming products, I do try to keep an eye out on a variety of different technologies. One of those technologies that we have seen pop up from time to time but has never made it into gaming products is bone conductive audio. A lot of you might remember the jawbone as an example but I also remember a company that I saw at CES back in 2013 called Aftershokz and their headsets for joggers. Well during the holidays as usual as I’m getting spammed with CES emails an email from Aftershokz caught my eye because they introduced a new gaming focused model called the Aftershokz Gamez. While im not a fan of the use of Z’s in the brand and model name I did want to check it out and see what the tech and the product was all about. After spending time with them today I’m going to sit down and go over how they performed so check it out.
Product Name: Aftershokz Gamez
Review Sample Provided by: Aftershokz
Written by: Wes
Pictures by: Wes
Amazon link: HERE
| Specifications | |
| Speaker type | bone conduction transducers |
| Frequency response | 20Hz~20KHz |
| Sensitivity | 100 +_ 3dB |
| Microphone | -40dB +_ 3dB |
| Bluetooth version | v4.0 |
| Compatible profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP |
| Wireless range | 33 ft (10m) |
| Battery | rechargeable lithium ion |
| Continuous play | 6 hours |
| Standby time | 10 days |
| Charge time | 2 hours |
| Weight | 1.45 oz (41g) |
Packaging
The games headset ships in a fairly unassuming white box. On the cover they have a photo of the headset. Up top is the Gamez and Aftershokz branding. Then down on the bottom they highlight that this is a wireless mobile gaming headset with the bluetooth logo. They also slipped in a badge that shows it uses bone conductive technology although I think it should be highlighted a little more. Around on the back they use a photo of a guy on the bus or subway that is on his tablet while using the Gamez. This gives us a better idea right away how they fit. The photo has a few things highlighted, specifically one that says feel the game, another that lets us know you can se six hours of game or talk time, then the third lets you know it is an openfit design for “awareness and comfort”. Down at the bottom they mention stereo sound and the dual noise canceling microphones. I kind of wish they would use this space to explain the headset a little more though.
There is a nice green ribbon that matched the headset that helps you open up the front. It is held closed with magnets so it opens up easily and it gives us a peak inside of the clear plastic to see the headset inside. The inside of the packaging has a stylized photo but again nothing explaining what the headset is or how it works, specifications wouldn’t be bad as well. The plastic is tapped closed and once opened you can slide the plastic tray that holds the headset out. Up under the tray is a box that holds the accessories as well.
So beyond the Gamez headset they do include a few things. First off you get a fold out carrying bag for the headset made out of a silky smooth microfiber. You also get a user manual and instructions on how to set the headset up. There is also a small warranty card with your serial number and information on how to register the headset to take advantage of the 2-year warranty. On top of the paperwork they also include a USB to micro USB charging cable and a small rubber attachment that you can use with the headset if you have a smaller head to help it fit tight. I have a huge head though so I doubt I will need that at all.
Photos and Features
Even at first glance you can tell right away that the Aftershockz are a little different. For starters they wrap around the back of your head, not over like most headsets. They are also a lot smaller than a normal headset. This is because of the lack of large earcups, infact they lack earcups all together. They are similar to a set of headband earbuds but again they lack the earbud. The design is a lot like a headband though. The Gamez model that we are looking at today is only available in this metallic green color. Personally I’m not a fan of the color at all, I do like a few of the brighter colors in some of Aftershokz other models though.
So you have a headband that wraps around the back of your head. Up on the front it is designed to hook over your ears to hold it in place and then the bone conductive pad actually goes around your ear and sits just in front of the flap of your ear. The band is all plastic and is very thin around the back. On the sides they have integrated the rechargeable batteries so there is a little more thickness in that area.
The right side of the headband also has the controls and the charging port on the underside. For controls you get volume up and down and a power button. The power button also doubles as the bluetooth connection button as well. In front of the power button is a small LED that can light up blue or red to indicate the status of the headband. Then in the middle of everything is of course the micro USB charging port. To help with the rain resistance the port does have a rubber flap that you have to pull back to get to the plug.
The bone conductive pads are just slightly smaller than a small on ear headphone pad. They have a rubber finish and are flexible with you touch them to help transmit the vibrations. They have one small point that is higher than the rest. Around they there are also vents where some music will come out. On the outside there is a small pinhole microphone to pick up ambient noise and then there is a microphone at the point closest to your mouth for voice communication. The right pad also has a button on the outside, this is a multifunction button. You can can start and stop your music, answer and end calls, redial the last number you called, use it to activate voice dialing, and more.
Performance and Comfort
For my testing I spent a little time using the Gamez with my phone, with my laptop, and on my main PC as well. This gave me enough time with the headset to get a better feel for their comfort and also for their audio performance.To start things off let’s touch on their overall comfort. First and foremost, they didn’t really fit my head completely, I don’t have a huge head but it is larger than most. The Gamez fit but I could have used a half inch of extra length in the band, the bone conductive pads pulled closer to my ears than I wanted and when I moved my head around they would pull even tighter. That said because of their light weight they were comfortable from the start, at least when I could keep them in the proper position. They got a little uncomfortable over time, similar to any headset that pushes on your ears. I think a larger size would have lessened that for me though. I had my wife test them for a while as well to get a second opinion, see how they fit her, and also to get a few photos of how they should properly sit. Her smaller head needed the included band to keep things snug.
For performance I was initially really impressed with the whole idea of the bone conductive audio. For one it allows you to keep your ears open so if you want to listen to music or game without it completely taking you out of the world around you it’s a good option. This is why Aftershokz are allowed in marathons where they normally don’t allow earbuds, because you can hear a car coming up on you. Once I got over the coolness of the technology I was able to really get a feel. For starters the headphones in normal use don’t have as much bass as a headphone with a cup might have. They are clear and crisp. Overall I would say they sound good, but not amazing. You are going to find earbuds that sound better but they did sound better than a cheap set of earbuds or cheap on ear headphones.
I did find it interesting though that if you plug your ears when listening to the Gamez that the sound quality improves greatly. I initially did it to find out how much sound was going through my bones, as it turns out it’s a lot. Closing your ears seems to have the same effect that having a headset or speaker with an enclosure does. This got me thinking, in a situation where you might not want to hear things like on a flight you could use earplugs and completely cut out the outside sounds and still listen to your music.
The built in microphone did its job well as well. It wasn’t a high end microphone but it was similar to the microphone on any of my normal headsets. It was obviously designed for phone use but it worked Just as well on my laptop for Skype and my PC for TeamSpeak. Speaking of that being a bluetooth device getting it connected to any of my devices was simple, I did have to read the instructions once to figure out how to put it into search mode. It worked with the Bluetooth on my PC just like my phone and laptop although I did learn that the bluetooth on my PC is a little weak with the antenna being on the back of the PC.
As for battery life Aftershokz suggested you will see about 6 hours of continuous use and10 days of standby. I think that is about spot on if you are listening to music, when using it for voice chat the battery life was a little better because it’s not always in use. 6 hours though is enough time for me to get tired of having the headband on my head and enough for any flights other than international. In those situations, a backup set of earbuds might not hurt. Charging takes about 2 hours so you don’t have to wait too long to have them back up and running. Having a Micro USB connection was also nice because it matched my phone and other android devices.
As far as taking them mobile they are light weight like I mentioned earlier but the size is also a big issue. Unless you wear them out they are too large to keep in your pockets and even for my laptop I found the design to be too thick to just drop in my bag. If the bone conductive pads would flip and lay flat, I wouldn’t have a problem keeping them in my laptop bag. So I see them getting used around the house, being packed for trips, and for when you are working out as well obviously where you might wear them out of the house.
Overall and Final Verdict
So were the Gamez all I expected them to be? Well the whole bone conductive technology is really cool. It opens up options for people who need to hear noise in the background and for people like me who have ears that get hot anytime they wear headphones. The performance was good, battery life was good, and for the most part they were comfortable. Being wireless they were easy to move around with and being bluetooth connection was easy. I did run into a problem with them being just slightly too small for my big head and that caused a few issues with them not staying in the proper place. I also found that they still get a little uncomfortable after a while, most likely because I’m not used to having something pressing on that area for an extended amount of time. I’m sure with more use I will get even more used to it. There was a little sound leakage as well, but less than a normal headset would have at the same volume. The other issue I had was with the overall portability of the headset. They don’t really fold up so using them on the go is basically limited to anytime you would leave with them already on your head or times like traveling where you might have a bag to put them in.
That said I’m having a hard time seeing how these are a gaming focused product. Frankly from what I can tell the Gamez model isn’t really any different than the Blue 2S other than the Gamez model is only available in one color where the Blue 2S has a few colorful options. I do think there is a little potential for these being a nice wireless headset for gaming on a gaming laptop but no more than a set of earbuds. That doesn’t make them a bad product at all, I just don’t see the need to make a gaming focused model without adding any gaming focused features. Also while I’m complaining let’s drop the Z is both the brand name and in the model name as well.
Not being a real gaming product and the product name aren’t the end of the world though. Frankly they don’t actually change what the Aftershokz Gamez is all about. It is a slightly gimmicky but cool headset that is perfect for activities that you need to hear outside noise, or when combined with a pair of earplugs a great headset for traveling. Although personally I would go with the Blue 2S to get a few more color options!
Live Pricing: HERE
