When out and about it is nice being able to listen to audio on the go but it is also nice, being able to do it without hindering one of the most precious senses, the hearing! So strong this sentiment has resonated, that has caused headphone companies to come up with nifty ways such as ambient sound mode that lets outside sound to pass through into the ear canal while listening to music.
Ambient noise technology uses microphones to pickup outside noise and while it works, nothing beats the natural hearing of human ears, which is why bone conduction headphones such as the AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 are tough to beat when it comes to enabling awareness of you surroundings as they let your ears do the work they were created for.
 The AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 provide a safe way to carry out day-to-day activities, including swimming as they feature waterproof resistance. The Aeropex are completely sealed, making them totally resistant to dust and water ingress; hence their IP67 waterproof rating, which means the AfterShokz Aeropex can be submerged up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes.
The AfterShokz Aeropex have the same IP67 rating as the iPhone 8, iPhone X and Google Pixel 2, which means you can take the Aeropex swimming to a lake or running under pouring rain without issues. That said, you won't be able to take them to a saline body of water like an ocean. This is because IP waterproof ratings are tested with freshwater (i.e. rainwater) and not seawater, which can affect the performance of a device because of the ionizing effect of salt. The IP waterproof rating and seawater problem also applies to any electronic device with waterproof rating, including all smartphones.
The AfterShokz Aeropex have the highest rating you can get for dust proofing, which is IP6; hence the Aeropex IP67 rating offers more protection than the similar IPX7 rating, which has no dust protection rating.
Being bone conduction, the AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 speaker drivers don't have moving cones like most speakers do. In fact, many bone conduction transducers don't even produce an audible sound unless they are pressed against a surface. The Aeropex transducers are naturally pressed against the enclosures, which then propagate the sound waves internally through your cheekbones.
The AfterShokz Aeropex bone conduction headphones are built-in slightly different to most bone conduction headphones as the Aeropex transducers sit on your cheeks at a slight angle away from the cheekbones rather than flush on the cheekbone. The angle minimizes the tickle effect so you can listen at slightly higher volume (70%) without the tingling sensation distracting you. Considering the angling of the transducers and open design, one might expect a lot of leakage but, surprisingly the sound leakage is unnoticeable even in a quiet room.
The AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 transducers have good sensitivity (105±3 decibels), allowing them to deliver loud enough volume as long as the surroundings aren't too overly loud. The audio quality is good, favoring slightly more the midrange which makes the Aeropex AS800 perfect for vocal-based audio listening. Better bass response and better overall audio quality can be achieved by inserting the included earplugs, which are customary with most bone conduction headphones.
The Aeropex AS800 have an around-the-ear hook design so, the snake-like band section loops around the top of the ears, helping to keep a vey secure fit. More secure than you will anticipate.
The weight of the Aeropex AS800 bone conduction headphones, quite literary, rests on top of your ears, which is why most bone conduction headphones aren't all that comfortable. The Aeropex AS800 are the lightest (26 grams) on the market right now and are super comfortable, thanks to the titanium frame and smaller traducers. The metal frame does make the neck band stiffer and non-malleable.
Functionality-wise, the Aeropex AS800 have similar functionality to a normal pair of bluetooth headphones so, you pair them to any bluetooth device like a smartphone. The user control buttons include a volume up/power button and a volume down button located next to the charging port.
There dual microphones integrated in the AfterShokz Aeropex AS800, both of which are located on the same headphone as the volume buttons. The mics have good pick-up sensitivity and amplification for the person to hear you at the other end clearly.
There is also another user button located on the front side of the other headphone, which is multi-functional and controls a total of nine functions, which are a lot of functions to keep track of because they are controlled via a series of clicks and button holds. There is a learning curve but, after a while you eventually remember the sequence.
The volume buttons on the AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 are also multi-functional and control a total of six functions, some of which they share such as mute and EQ, which are activated by holding down both volume buttons during a call and while playing audio respectively.
Each button press function is accompanied by either a voice prompt or a "beeb" prompt to let you know your desired function has been applied.
The AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 battery life is rated at up to 8 hours, which can be achieved when connected to a bluetooth 5.0 device and with volume level set to 50%. This is because the Aeropex AS800 also integrates a bluetooth 5.0 chip that delivers better power consumption that the previous bluetooth versions.
Bluetooth connection is stable within a 10 meter range and you can connect the Aeropex AS800 to two different devices at the same time, thanks to multipoint pairing support, which is a feature you don't get with most headphones but, it really makes life easier because you can toggle from one device to another without having to disconnect and pair every time.
The 145mAh lithium polymer battery takes 2 hours to charge and you are visually alerted by the led turning color (led turns blue) when the AfterShokz Aeropex AS800 are fully charged, which is a nice useful feature to have since many headphones don't include it. Once the battery is fully charged, the battery will hold charge for up to 240 hours (approx. 10 days standby).
The AfterShokz Aeropex recharge via standard USB-A connection but, the Aeropex headphones use a 2-pin magnetic charging connection; hence you cannot use a standard mobile phone USB cable, which would have been more convenient. That said, because you can actually take the Aeropex swimming under water, the 2-pin charging connection actually makes sense because it works better than having a USB port with a rubber cover, which would eventually break off and let in water.
There is no rubber cover, protecting the 2-pin magnetic port. In fact, the Aeropex AS800 integrate a nifty "moisture detection" feature to alert you if the charging port is wet. If the charging port is wet, the Aeropex AS800 smart electronics will sense it and trigger the transducers to "beeb", as well as trigger the led to flash red and blue to visually warn you.
A 2 year limited warranty is included with the AfterShokz Aeropex but, it has to be activated by using the included warranty card. A snazzy silicone rubber holster with magnetic closure is also included.