Is it possible to listen to music through your finger: myths and facts about bone conduction of sound

Bone conduction of sound is a normal phenomenon for our body, but few people have heard about it and understand what we are talking about. Let's figure out what kind of biological miracle it is and how it can make our lives easier.

Simplistically, our auditory system is divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle and the inner. When we hear someone else's speech or music, we perceive sound with the help of air conduction — it passes through the external auditory canal to the middle, and then to the inner ear.

With bone conduction, the sound converted into vibration bypasses the outer passage and the middle one, going directly to the inner ear.

There is nothing new in this method of sound transmission, but bone conduction has not always been public knowledge. Until the last decade, this method was used exclusively in medicine, since with certain pathologies, bone conduction was the only way for a person to hear sounds. A historical example of the use of bone conduction is the work of the "deaf" Beethoven, who applied special discharge tubes to the instrument and to the bones of the skull.

The science. For example, when studying the underwater world, scuba divers use this type of sound transmission to communicate with the surface. This is due to the structure of the suits and the fact that such speakers lend themselves well to sealing.

Army. Headsets with bone conduction of sound do not cover the ears: you can receive commands, but at the same time react to ambient sounds.

Amateur sports and tourism. The reasons are the same — headsets with bone conduction allow you to hear more: both the sounds of music and everything that happens around, due to the fact that the ears remain open for air conduction. This allows you to protect yourself from external dangers and at the same time maintain constant communication with other participants of the tournament, race or hiking trip.

No, bone conduction of sound is a biological ability of the body, and the perception of sounds in this way will not "boil" your brain and will not cause any harm to the bones of the skull. It's easy to check: plug your ears, say something - you can hear yourself perfectly. From the first days of life, we perceive the sound of our own voice through the bones — we use the bone conduction of sound.

The first to discover bone conduction for ordinary users was Google. In the first version of Google Glass, there was a speaker built into the shackle, which provided sound transmission in this way. Today, headsets that allow you to "hear more" have become more accessible and they are really used to listen to music or audiobooks. The international company Aftershokz produces a range of headphones, whose work is based on the bone conduction of sound.

Now there are four main models in the line: the flagship novelty Aftershokz Trekz Air, Aftershokz Trekz Titanium, Aftershokz Bluez 2S and the Sportz model. All models except Sportz are wireless.

The main value of Aftershokz is security. Whether it's a regular walk or jog, cycling or driving: the user listens to music, can answer a call, but at the same time does not lose the ability to respond to ambient sounds.

Yes, the sound insulation of such headsets is not complete. If you are in a quiet room and listening to music at maximum volume, then others will unwittingly overhear your playlist. But if you consider that headphones are mainly designed for sports and safe driving, then sound insulation is the last thing you should pay attention to.

At the same time, each model has its own features that make headsets convenient for certain situations. For example, the wired model Aftershokz Sportz Titanium is presented both in modification with and without a microphone. It is slightly inferior in sound to other models, but it compares favorably with the price — half the price of wireless devices. The headset is convenient to use for older people who face a gradual deterioration of hearing.

Aftershokz Bluez 2S is considered a sports model — it is a wireless headset with a plastic headband. At the same time, with the same success as during jogging, it can be used while driving a car instead of a mobile headset in order to be less distracted and more closely monitor the situation on the road.

Light Aftershokz Trekz Titanium — the main sound and impenetrable sealing in the line. They are suitable for all sports except swimming and do not require a particularly careful attitude.

In the Aftershokz Trekz Air, unlike other headsets based on bone conduction, vibrations are not felt at high volume, which until today was an integral part of bone sound transmission. Another plus of headphones is a microphone with high—quality sound transmission. Trekz Air works up to 8 hours without recharging.

Among people who practice medicine or served in the army under contract, bone conduction and such headsets are not news. And civilians who just want to safely listen to music and talk on the phone should go to the Medgadgets store — the official distributor of Aftershokz in Russia.

The perception of sound will really be different from what you are used to hearing in ordinary headphones. This is due to incomplete isolation - because of this, the sound is slightly "scattered". On the other hand, this way of perception protects the eardrums. They are, believe me, much more fragile than bones.

Another difference is in the bass. The speaker in Aftershokz headsets is a metal plate that converts sound into vibrations or vibrations. That is, you do not hear deep bass, but feel it. This is similar to the sensations that a person experiences during a concert — vibrations are transmitted tactilely and you feel a slight tremor. In headphones, the effect will be similar, but several times weaker.