How Bone Conduction Headphones Work: The Science Behind the Sound

Bone conduction technology was first utilized by Beethoven to compose music even after he lost his hearing abilities and today its widely employed in devices used during activities such, as running or swimming to ensure that ambient sounds can be heard around you as a safety measure without obstructing the ear canal and potentially causing infections while also being especially beneficial for individuals, with hearing impairments by bypassing ear components that may not be functioning correctly.

In a sense headphones convert waves into mechanical vibrations using transducers. These vibrations then travel through your bones to the cochlea, where they are translated into sound, by nerves. This alternative method is particularly useful in scenarios such, as communication, where standard air based transmission methodsre not as efficient.

However, a drawback is that the sound may not be as full or engaging, as what you would get from in ear or, over ear headphones.​

The nature of the bone-conduction method causes some signal loss, especially in the lower frequency range, resulting in less bass and a generally less detailed sound experience. Additionally, since the headphones don’t seal off the ear canal, they don't provide noise isolation