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Bone Conduction Speakers: How They Work and Top Picks

Turn Anything Into a Speaker!

Bone Conduction Speakers

Do technology innovations in the audio space intrigue you? Are you head over heels for bone conduction headphones? Are you looking for innovative speakers for your home? Well, you’ll love what we’re about to tell you!

While performing our regular research to find innovative products in the audio world, we stumbled upon bone conduction speakers. Until now, we only knew about bone conduction headphones and were amazed to find these speakers!

In this post, we’ll discuss bone conduction speakers in detail. We’ll describe how they work, things you should consider while buying them, and more. We’ll also list and review some of the best bone conduction speakers on the market right now. Read further to know more.

Roundup of the Best Bone Conduction Speakers

Overall Best Bone Conduction SpeakerAnything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker
Best Portable Bone Conduction SpeakerVapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speaker
Bone Conduction Speaker With Best Battery LifeInossa Conduction Speaker

How Does a Bone Conduction Speaker Work?

First and foremost, it’s important to understand that bone conduction speakers do not work like bone conduction headphones. Therefore, you don’t need to wear them on your body. Simple and straight — they use the “bone conduction technology” to transmit sound through vibrations in solid objects instead of using air conduction.

Working of a Bone Conduction Speaker
Working of a Bone Conduction Speaker

Here’s a quick step-by-step breakdown of how bone conduction speakers work:

  • The bone conduction speaker is mounted on a solid object, such as furniture, bottle, door, helmet, and so on.
  • The audio source (smartphone, PC, audio player, etc.) sends audio signals to the bone conduction speaker.
  • The bone conduction speaker’s transducer converts audio signals into mechanical vibrations at specific frequencies per the audio signal’s waveform.
  • The vibrations produced by the speaker’s transducer are transferred to the object on which the speaker is mounted and travel through it while maintaining their frequency and wave form. 
  • These vibrations further propagate through the air and reach the listener’s ear as “perceived sound” as they are not in the surface’s direct contact. 

Things to Consider When Looking for a Bone Conduction Speakers

Here’s a quick checklist of top things to consider when buying bone conduction speakers:

Things to Consider When Looking for a Bone Conduction Speakers
Things to Consider When Looking for a Bone Conduction Speakers

1. Surface Compatibility

Bone conduction speakers work best with certain surfaces and materials that effectively transmit vibrations with minimal energy loss. These include:

  • Metals such as steel or aluminum as they conduct vibrations effectively
  • Dense and rigid plastics
  • Wood, depending on its density, moisture content and grain pattern
  • Glass
  • Dense ceramics

2. Vibration Clarity and Strength

Since bone conduction speakers transmit vibrations through solid surfaces, ensure you assess and evaluate the clarity and strength of the vibrations produced.

Look for speakers that provide clear and strong vibrations while maintaining sound quality and clarity.

3. Design

Bone conduction speakers are available in a wide range of designs for integration into different surfaces and objects. Therefore, ensure the design you choose is suitable for your intended integration. 

Some examples of bone conduction speaker designs are:

  • Furniture-based design, where speakers can be mounted on furniture, such as chairs, tables, headboards, and so on.
  • Wall-mounted design, where speakers can be directly mounted on walls or other vertical surfaces to deliver an immersive sound experience in a room.
  • Modular designs, where users can mount the speakers onto different materials and surfaces per their requirements. These speakers provide excellent adaptability and flexibility for diff situations. 
  • Underwater design, where speakers are specially designed for use in aquatic therapy environments or swimming pools. These speakers are typically waterproof or water-resistant.

4. Frequency Response

The frequency response of bone conduction speakers is somewhat different than that of traditional speakers due to the difference in sound transmission techniques. 

  • Bass: Bone conduction speakers come with weaker bass performance as low-frequency vibrations do not transmit through solid objects easily. In contrast, air conduction speakers can produce rich, deep bass by moving air more rapidly at low frequency. 
  • Treble: Bone conduction speakers also come with weaker treble response as they do not reproduce high frequency sound effectively. Solid objects and materials limit the transmission of high-frequency vibrations. In contrast, air conduction speakers can easily produce clear and crisp treble by moving air more rapidly at high frequency.

All in all, the frequency range of bone conduction speakers is narrower than traditional speakers. 

5. Your Sensitivity to Vibration

Some users are more sensitive to vibrations than others. Therefore, if you are also sensitive to vibrations, consider buying a bone conduction speaker with the option to adjust vibration intensity. 

6. Battery Life

Most bone conduction speakers are wireless and come with rechargeable batteries. Therefore, ensure you compare the battery performance of different bone conduction speakers on the market to choose one that best suits your requirements. 

Top 3 Bone Conduction Speaker Options on the Market

It’s time to check out the top 3 bone conduction speaks to choose from!

1. Anything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker

Overall Best Bone Conduction Speaker

  • Great sound performance
  • Durable and sturdy 
  • Eye-catching black matte finish
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Decent battery life; up to two hours in one charge
  • Excellent suction power
  • Value for money
  • Compatible with Android and iOS
  • Somewhat bulky
  • Comes with micro USB for charging
  • Not waterproof or water-resistant

Out of all the bone conduction speakers we evaluated, we found the Anything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker to be the best in terms of sound quality, durability, and value for money. 

We tested this speaker with multiple surfaces and objects (such as wooden tables, wooden doors, glass windows, steel utensils, etc.), and it worked pretty well in every situation. However, the thinner the surface, the better was this speaker’s overall sound performance. Therefore, it worked best with wood and plastic. In the case of wood, the sound traveled farther and we could clearly hear the music even in the adjoining rooms too. 

However, with wooden surfaces, the bass sounds slightly muddy. When placed on denser surfaces, the bass sounded balanced and less distorted. 

In terms of design, the Anything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker looks stylish with a black and silver finish. It comprises a suction cup at the bottom for mounting purposes. The suction worked really well on all smooth surfaces, irrespective of the material. Overall, the speaker’s design is durable and sturdy. However, the speaker is somewhat bulky which makes it less portable than the other options on our list. 

You can use this speaker with any Bluetooth device. It hardly took us a couple of minutes to set up the speaker with our audio device. Moreover, we did not experience any connectivity or latency issues while playing our favorite tracks. 

There are two things we did not like about this speaker. First, missing audio controls. You can only play/pause music or increase/decrease volume using your source device. Second, micro USB for recharging the speaker’s battery. We really wish this speaker had a USB-C port. Even though this speaker is less portable than the other speakers on our list, its fantastic sound performance compensates for the same.

Overall, the Anything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker is really impressive. In fact, you can use it as a small party speaker for small at-home parties. It provides great sound performance with almost all types of surfaces and materials. However, the thinner the surface, the better.

View on Amazon: Anything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker

2. Vapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speaker

Best Portable Bone Conduction Speaker

  • Great sound performance
  • Decent bass and treble
  • Stylish and durable
  • Available in multiple colors
  • Two speakers pair automatically when switched on
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Reliable Bluetooth connectivity
  • Excellent portability
  • Lightweight
  • Pocket-friendly price
  • FM radio functionality
  • Single button can be used for different functions
  • Decent battery life; up to two hours in one charge
  • Not waterproof or water-resistant

Even though most bone conduction speakers on our list are portable, we found the Vapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speaker: to be the “most portable.” After all, it has an approx. 1.6-inch diameter. Therefore, you can carry it wherever you go and mount it onto different surfaces per your requirements.

In terms of sound performance, this tiny speaker is a powerhouse of energy. It sounds incredible on thin surfaces, such as drywalls, wooden tables, plastics, and so on. You can install it on almost “anything,” even your mobile phone. 

Apart from its excellent portability and sound, we also loved this speaker’s metallic finish. It is available in three different colors: Black, Red and Silver. 

Connecting this speaker to our Bluetooth audio device was easy breezy. You can also enjoy true wireless (TWS) stereo sound experience with two Vapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speakers that pair automatically using Bluetooth. 

Overall, the Vapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speaker hardly disappointed us on any front. It sounds great, looks phenomenal, comes with excellent portability and is budget-friendly too. Another interesting feature of this speaker is FM radio. However, to use this feature, you need to insert the USB cable into the charging port as it functions as an FM radio antenna. You can also use the button on the speaker to control the volume or change FM radio stations. 

View on Amazon: Vapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speaker

3. Inossa Conduction Speaker

Bone Conduction Speaker With Best Battery Life

  • Great sound performance
  • Excellent battery life
  • Durable and sturdy
  • Budget-friendly price
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Provides reliable Bluetooth connectivity within a 10-feet range
  • Not waterproof or water-resistant

Out of all the bone conduction speakers we evaluated, the battery life of the Inossa Conduction Speaker impressed us. In a single charge, we could use the speaker for about five hours straight.

In terms of sound quality, this speaker sounds pretty good, especially on thin surfaces, such as plastic and wood. We tested the speaker by mounting it on a guitar, plastic box, wooden table, glass bottle, and so on. To our surprise, it sounded great on all surfaces, especially the guitar surface and plastic box. The bass and treble also sounded pretty decent on almost all the surfaces. 

The design is pretty similar to the Vapeonly Humbird Bone Conduction Speaker. It’s durable and sturdy. However, the speaker is not waterproof or water-resistant. Therefore, ensure you keep it away from water and other liquids.

Overall, the Inossa Conduction Speaker can be a great buy if good battery life is your top priority. The speaker comprises a 400 mAh battery, which works tirelessly to deliver exceptional sound performance. Also, this speaker is pretty budget-friendly. It was easy to set up and use; however, we experienced Bluetooth connectivity issues as we moved away from the speaker. Per our experience, the Bluetooth functionality works perfectly within a 10-feet distance.

View on Amazon: Inossa Conduction Speaker

Frequently Asked Questions About Bone Conduction Headphones

What surfaces or materials work best with bone conduction speakers?

Bone conduction speakers work best with materials that effectively transmit vibrations, such as wood, hard plastics, glass, ceramic and so on. However, the thickness of the material may determine the speaker’s performance. Thinner materials deliver better sound performance than thicker materials as they transmit sound vibrations more readily.

Can bone conduction speakers be used outdoors?

Yes, you can use bone conduction speakers outdoors. However, their sound performance may vary depending on the surface they are mounted on and the environment. Also, they sound better indoors as vibrations can dissipate quickly in open spaces. 

Can bone conduction speakers be used for surround sound systems?

Yes, you can use multiple bone conduction speakers on a common surface for a decent surround sound experience. However, it’s typically challenging to achieve surround sound with these speakers as they propagate sound using vibrations instead of air conduction.

Is there a risk of damage to objects or surfaces from bone conduction speakers?

The risk of damage to objects or surfaces from bone conduction speakers is typically minimum. However, ensure you properly attach the speakers to the surface to avoid any issues. Also, avoid mounting them onto thin and delicate glass surfaces such as aquariums as speakers with strong vibrations may lead to damage.

Can bone conduction speakers be used in cars or vehicles?

Yes, bone conduction speakers can be used inside cars or other vehicles. You can mount them onto the dashboard, steering wheel, doors, or headrests. However, the sound quality will depend on factors, such as the surface material, noise on the road, and so on. 

Final Words

Now that we have introduced you to bone conduction speakers (one of the most popular innovations in the audio space these days), we hope you are all geared up and excited to try them. 

Per our recommendation, consider investing in the Anything Speaker Mini Bluetooth Speaker. It comprises all the qualities you need in a speaker, starting from excellent sound quality to durability and versatility. Even though it is less portable than the other options on our list, it is worth giving a try. 

Also, if you’re more into headphones than speakers, don’t feel left out! Check out the best bone conduction headphones on the market

We hope you found our guide on bone conduction speakers useful. If you have any comments or questions, please share them in the comment section below.