Hi,

Actually, these were developed (wired version first) for runners and joggers. The company never even considered that they'd be useful for blind folks, but once they were made aware of how exciting this was for us, they've really embraced our community. 

I have both an original wired set (which I bought when they first came out last year, yes I was excited about them), and I just got the BlueZ bluetooth ones about three weeks ago. I'm definitely a fan of these. While you won't get hi fi audio with thumping bass and super defined highs, you'll get generally good sound quality, certainly good enough, and excellent for spoken word or voice synthesizers or GPS. Music even sounds decent, considering the technology, and understanding the tradeoffs. There is some audio leakage, so people near you may hear your audio, something like an old '80's Walkman, but again, since these things sit in front of your ears, I can sort of understand that. I think these are a great option for any blind person, especially one who does any amount of traveling and needs to hear GPS or something like that.
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On May 17, 2013, at 5:11 AM, Kelvin Marsh <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> Just listened to a Podcast about the open ear bone conducting headphones
> from Aftershokz (note the spelling).  These were designed for the low vision
> wearer, and the concept is to give you a third ear.  The earpieces are worn
> in front of the ears, on the jaw bone, and this means your ears are not
> covered.  This is ideal if you are out and about and using talking
> applications such as GPS, wear hearing aids, and has all sorts of radio
> possibilities.  The wired versions are sold on Amazon, and the Bluetooth
> version is imminent on back order.  The reviews I've read have been mainly
> from sighted sports wearers, so they certainly have mainstream appeal too.
> 
> It looks like these were initially designed for smart phones, but I assume
> the wire versions plug into any 3.5mm socket, and I think there are
> Bluetooth interfaces available for rigs.  One of the wired versions also
> comes with a microphone, but I assume this only works for a smart phone.  I
> personally would prefer the Bluetooth version anyway, and it looks to be
> exactly what I'm looking for.
> 
> The Amazon reviews seem positive, and the main page for the Bluetooth
> headset is:
> 
> http://www.aftershokz.com/AfterShokz-Bluez-Open-Ear-Bluetooth-Headphones-p/a
> s330.htm 
> 
> The podcast where I learned of the headsets was on Applevis and is number
> 310.
> 
> I wonder if anyone else has tried these?
> 
> Best wishes, Kelvin Marsh - M0AID
> 
> Working to improve accessibility for radio amateurs with disabilities
> 
> www.active-elements.org
> 
> For accessibility evaluations of amateur equipment and MP3 manuals