Brit amplifier titan Orange Amplification took a page out of Marshall's book a few years back and entered the headphone space with the O Edition cans. Now the company has expanded its mobile music lineup with the O Bones, which employ bone conduction tech to deliver an open ear wireless listening experience.
Rather than pushing buds into the ear canal as you do with true wireless earphones, the soft rubber cushions of the latest wireless head gear from Orange rest on the facial bones just in front of the listener's ears for audio delivery.
Though Orange recognizes that the 16-mm driver capsules in the 32-g (1.1-oz) O Bones won't be a match for the kind of audio quality delivered by over-ear headphones, users are promised bass they can feel as well as hear, crystal clear mids and sharp, well-defined highs – all at a "surprisingly loud volume."
The unit connects to a music source over Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC codec support, a 180-mAh Li-ion battery offers up to eight hours of per-charge usage, and there's a microphone positioned behind the ear, which offers some protection against wind noise during calls or barking instructions for hands-free operation via Siri or Google Assistant running on a paired smartphone.
The company says that the water-resistant device is a good fit for folks who like to listen music while out and about but also like to be aware of what's going on around them, and not have to switch modes or remove the ear candy altogether to engage in conversations with friends. Musicians might also appreciate being able to listen backing tracks while also hearing themselves playing along.
The neckband design might seem a little old school in today's landscape of teeny tiny wireless buds, but Orange says that the "ergonomic shape secures a snug fit allowing the user great mobility without fear of the O Bones flying off their head."
The O Bones bone-conduction wireless headphones are on sale now for £79 (about US$100).
Product page: O Bones
