ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Raycon bone-conducting headphones can be found now on the official web site for less than $70.
- They provide three sound profiles that can assist you get one of the best sound doable from the shape issue.
- The management buttons aren’t precisely the simplest to make use of if you’re being energetic.
I switched to bone-conducting headphones for train as a result of conventional earbuds simply cannot deal with the quantity of sweat I produce when working. Since that migration, I have not ruined a single pair of headphones. Though the sound produced by bone-conducting headphones is not almost what you may hear from conventional earbuds, water resistance and battery life take priority.
The Raycon bone-conducting headphones achieve each areas. With a worth properly under related headphones I’ve reviewed over time (at present on sale for $70 on Raycon’s web site), these are a surprisingly good discount.
Additionally: These headphones solved my greatest subject with listening to music whereas working
In case you’ve by no means used a pair of bone-conducting headphones, they could be a bit odd at first. you are listening to sound, however it’s primarily by means of the bones in your cranium. In truth, if, whereas sporting bone-conducting headphones, you insert earplugs into your ears (or your elbows… whichever), the sound turns into surprisingly extra dominant… and barely chilling if you notice the sound is being carried out by means of your bones.
In consequence, no bone-conducting headphones can sustain with the sound high quality produced by earbuds (even on the identical worth or much less). From my perspective, that is a positive trade-off as a result of the design and water resistance means I haven’t got to frequently purchase new train headphones.
So, how do the Raycons stand as much as the competitors?
The specs
- IP68 means they’ll resist sweat, mud, and rain, however can’t be submerged
- 13-hour battery life on a full cost at 50% quantity, whereas a 10-minute fast cost provides you 1 hour of battery life
- 60ms ultra-low-latency Bluetooth connections with multipoint connectivity
- Metal and rubber headband
- Three sound profiles – Bass, Balanced, and Pure Sound
As you may see, there’s not an in depth listing of specs to be discovered. I could not dig up the motive force dimension or kind, frequency response, and so forth.
Perhaps that is okay, as a result of with bone-conducting headphones, getting too explicit about specs can ship you down a rabbit gap that may bear no fruit. Briefly, the frequency response and driver dimension of such headphones are most likely not price writing residence about anyway.
My expertise
As with most Bluetooth units, connecting the Raycon bone-conducting headphones with my Pixel 9 Professional was a no brainer. Flip the headphones on, go to Settings > Related Gadgets, click on “Pair new gadget,” and faucet Pair when prompted.
As soon as the headphones have been linked, I fired up Spotify. I would already been listening to VOCE8’s Christmas album, so I continued to see how the headphones dealt with the fragile voicing. Unsurprisingly, the headphones weren’t able to a lot width within the soundscape — voices and devices sounded just about all in the identical place.
Additionally: These mid-range earbuds sound almost excellent out of the field – and are not by Beats or JBL
On the identical time, the sound was as clear as any bone-conducting headphones I’ve used. The Raycons stand out because of their three EQ profiles: Bass, Balanced, and Pure Sound. My ears hear these profiles like this:
- Bass — emphasis on the low finish
- Balanced Sound — a flat EQ curve
- Pure Sound — emphasis on the excessive finish
You’ll be able to swap between the profiles by double-pressing the center button on the best aspect of the headscarf. In case you’re listening to classical, choral music, or podcasts, your greatest wager is both Balanced or Pure. If you’re listening to rock, metallic, or pop, go together with Pure Sound. Hip Hop and rap are greatest paired with the Bass profile. After all, your mileage could fluctuate. I’d counsel switching between the sound profiles till you discover one which greatest matches the music you’re keen on.
The Raycon buttons aren’t the simplest to seek out when working.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
As with most bone-conducting headphones, the Raycons can solely get so loud. That is inherent within the design. To get round that, most bone-conducting headphones ship with a pair of earplugs. The Raycons don’t, however any kind of earplug will do, and if you insert them, you may discover you can hear no matter’s taking part in with significantly extra readability.
Sadly, I am unable to put on earplugs when working outside as a result of that defeats one of many functions of bone-conducting headphones — to have the ability to hear ambient sounds and stay secure from site visitors or different threats. When utilizing the Raycons on my rower or treadmill, I can insert a pair of earplugs, and all is properly. Earplugs usually are not vital when utilizing most of these headphones, however for those who discover the sound onerous to listen to, you would possibly want them. The Raycons haven’t got fairly the amount as different bone-conducting headphones I’ve examined, however they actually aren’t the worst.
Additionally: One of the vital immersive audio system I’ve examined will not be made by Sonos or JBL (and it is on sale)
Whereas working, I had bother discovering the best button on the Raycon bone-conducting headphones for skipping songs (the Quantity Up button). It is small, and it’s important to get your thumb in justs the best place earlier than double-pressing, or you possibly can change the sound profile (center button) or return (quantity down button). It should not, nevertheless, take you an excessive amount of to get used to the areas.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
All of it boils all the way down to this: In case you’re seeking to undertake bone-conducting headphones in your out of doors actions (when listening to ambient sounds or avoiding the harmful nature of sweat in opposition to digital units) and you do not have the funds for costlier fashions, the Raycon bone-conducting headphones are an important choice. You would pay twice the value for related headphones, solely to discover a slight enchancment in constancy.
The Raycon bone-conducting headphones are a steal for those who discover conventional earbuds can’t stand as much as the weather (together with your sweat) whereas exercising.
