The Difference Between Bone Conduction Headphones and Earplugs

Bone-conduction headphones have revolutionized the audio playback industry. The innovations enabled by this technology not only bring considerable health benefits to users but also allow the hearing impaired to enjoy music like everyone else.

However, bone conduction headphones aren't everyone's go-to playback device, and there's a lot of debate about how they compare to over-the-ear headphones. In this article, we'll look at how bone-conduction headphones differ from traditional earbuds.

Bone conduction headphones are usually better for people who need headphones with little to no pressure on the ear canal. These people include the hard of hearing, the elderly, and anyone with an ear-related condition such as tinnitus.

On the other hand, earbuds tend to be the more popular choice among consumers who want reliable sound quality and performance. In-ear headphones offer a more isolated listening experience than bone-conduction headphones, making them more suitable for audiophiles, sound engineers, musicians, and other intensive music listeners.

Bone conduction headphones work by emitting vibrations instead of regular sound signals. These headphones mainly consist of a two-piece assembly that rests on the ear. The frontal part is placed on the side of the user's head where the jawbone and the ear meet. This frontal part converts incoming signals into vibrations, which travel through the skull and are received by the cochlea inside the ear.

Essentially, bone conduction headphones turn the human skull into a speaker without putting extra strain on the inner bones and muscles of the ear. Our auditory nerves sense these vibrational emissions in a similar way to traditional headphones and transmit them to the brain in the same way.

The main purpose of bone conduction headphones is to provide humans with a robust, reliable means of innate audio playback without causing the injuries of regular headphones.

Traditional headphones and earbuds work by emitting sound from small speakers placed inside the ear. The space between this speaker and your inner ear is very sensitive and can easily be damaged if the speaker gets too loud.

Most headphone manufacturers exceed the recommended maximum volume levels so that they can compete with each other. Many headphone users also tend to ignore volume safety warnings on their audio playback devices. Bone conduction headphones reduce the risk of hearing loss or damage from audio playback levels that are too high.

Some people with medically diagnosed hearing loss can now listen to audio playback using bone conduction technology.

Bone conduction headphones bypass any defects in the ear canal and send audio directly to the user's brain via the auditory nerve.

Certain music listeners may not be able to use traditional headphones due to the environmental conditions of their chosen activity. A good example of these users is swimmers.

Water often flows through the ear canal when swimming, seriously interfering with the audio playback provided by the earbuds.

However, since bone conduction headphones are placed against the human skull, water does not affect the quality of the sound they play. 

Musicians always use headphones for playback and monitoring.

A common problem with using earbuds for monitoring during live performances is that they create a spatial separation between the audience and the performance space.

Bone conduction headphones allow musicians to receive audio playback while still being able to hear the room they are performing in, giving them a clearer image and sound quality in which to perform.

Children may be particularly prone to hearing loss at an early age if they are exposed to excessive noise levels.

Like other developing parts of their bodies, extra care needs to be taken to protect their ears as they grow.

Bone conduction headphones prevent high volume levels from reaching children's ears, meaning they can use audio playback devices without being monitored.

Headphones are superior to bone-conduction headphones in terms of immersive sound quality for audio playback. Unfortunately, bone-conduction headphones don't offer the same stereo imaging as traditional earbuds.

This falloff makes them a second choice for anyone wanting to experience full-range surround sounds, such as gamers or moviegoers.

While traditional earbuds can cause damage if handled at unsafe levels, some users are used to and love how well the earbuds fit on their heads.

Traditional earbuds and headphones are noise canceling because they work by directly blocking the ear canal.

Bone conduction headphones still keep the ear canal open while working, which leaves room for external noise to interfere with audio playback.

Bone conduction headphones are an inevitable innovation. They offer the benefit of providing audio playback to a wider range of users than traditional earbuds.

Bone conduction provides reliable audio playback for the elderly and hearing impaired, an advantage that air-conduction headphones cannot provide.

Users of traditional earbuds may find it difficult to adapt to bone-conduction headphones, but there is no denying the health and safety advantages they offer.

Bone conduction headphones do not put direct pressure on the ear canal and are much safer to use than traditional earplugs.

Traditional headphones may still be the audio playback method of choice for those who need powerful, precise sound. These users may include musicians, producers, mixing engineers, and even gamers and moviegoers.

Overall, bone conduction headphones still need some minor improvements in performance ergonomics before they can fully compete with traditional headphones. Bone conduction headphones are also generally more expensive than traditional earbuds, making them less accessible to the general public.

Bone conduction headphones are perfect for anyone who wants a passive listening experience without the risk of hearing loss or injury. If functional safety is your top priority when considering headphones, bone conduction models are an excellent choice for you.

The above briefly introduces the difference between bone-conduction headphones and earplugs. If you want to buy headphones, please contact us.

JUNYE is a professional custom earphone manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience. We provide one-stop service, design-development-production and shipping. With more than 400 employees and 60,000 square meters of factory buildings, it specializes in OEM/ODM. We have our own mold center and the whole industry chain: hardware, injection molding, wire, cushion, assembly, packaging. It has 8 production lines, including two professional TWS lines. We manufacture each part in-house to ensure quality and on-time delivery.