Aftershokz headphones deliver sound through cheeks rather than your ears

When you think of headphones, no matter what comes to mind, it's likely a set that fit inside or on top of your ears. There is another way however - headphones that transmit sound through your cheekbones using bone conduction. Initially developed for military use, we've seen a few examples of this technology before in headphones, waterproof MP3 players and even mobile phones and the latest to cross our desk - Aftershokz Bone Conduction Headphones - will be on show at CES next week.

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Aftershokz says the headphones produce "high fidelity, stereo quality sound, directly through the skull to the inner ear," but why would you want to wear headphone on your cheeks? If you're someone who sports headphones on a daily basis, then you're potentially damaging your eardrums over time by putting them that close to a source of sound. For those who use phones while running, biking or doing other things outside - wearing headphones prevents you from being able to hear what's going on around you. While it might be nice to block out the outside world, it's also unsafe and could ultimately lead to an injury.

The company's flagship set of headphones, the Aftershokz Sport, is currently one of the semifinalists in Last Gadget Standing at CES. The headphones will be available soon on the Aftershokz website for US$59.95.