Wearables

Orange lets mobile music lovers feel the vibes with O Bones headphones

Orange lets mobile music lovers feel the vibes with O Bones headphones
As the name suggest, the O Bones wireless headphones transmit audio to the wearer via bone conduction technology
As the name suggest, the O Bones wireless headphones transmit audio to the wearer via bone conduction technology
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As the name suggest, the O Bones wireless headphones transmit audio to the wearer via bone conduction technology
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As the name suggest, the O Bones wireless headphones transmit audio to the wearer via bone conduction technology
The O Bones wraparound wireless headphones feature a built-in battery that's reported good for up eight hours per charge, and feature 16-mm driver capsules for "surprisingly loud" audio delivery
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The O Bones wraparound wireless headphones feature a built-in battery that's reported good for up eight hours per charge, and feature 16-mm driver capsules for "surprisingly loud" audio delivery
The O Bones wireless headphones sport a wraparound design for a secure fit, and tip the scales at just 32 g
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The O Bones wireless headphones sport a wraparound design for a secure fit, and tip the scales at just 32 g
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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 O Bones wireless headphones sport a wraparound design for a secure fit, and tip the scales at just 32 g
The O Bones wireless headphones sport a wraparound design for a secure fit, and tip the scales at just 32 g

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

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1 comment
warmer
"users are promised bass they can feel as well as hear, crystal clear mids and sharp, well-defined highs "

Sure on the bass. But NO NO NO on the clear mids or sharp well defined highs. NO BONE CONDUCTIVE phones can get around the fact that you have a sheet of flesh absorbing the majority of your short wave oscillations. Ever put your head under water and listened to music? It's going to sound a lot like that, because YOU ARE MOSTLY WATER and every cell membrane that vibration passes through is going to diffuse the vibrations. I don't know why these keep coming out every 6 months with the same promises. IT ISN'T POSSIBLE to deliver on your claims. You can't do it. SORRY GUYS