Open-ear headphones vs. audio glasses
Bone conduction headphones send sound as vibrations through the bones of your head; open-ear headphones and audio glasses aim small speakers toward your ear without covering it. Either way your ear canal stays free, so you keep hearing traffic, coworkers and doorbells. The practical difference: bone conduction and open-ear headphones are audio-only accessories, while audio glasses, like OQON VISION (currently sold and shipped in Colombia), put music, calls, a camera and a voice assistant into something you already wear.
What do they have in common?
All three solve the same problem: listening to music, calls or podcasts without sealing anything inside your ear. Earbuds and over-ear headphones isolate you from noise, which is great on a plane and less great on a sidewalk.
With bone conduction or open-ear audio, your ear stays uncovered. According to SlashGear, bone conduction headphones send sound "via vibrations through bones in your head and jaw" and leave you able to hear your surroundings.
How does each one work?
Bone conduction. The transducers rest against your cheekbones or temples and vibrate. The vibration travels through bone to the inner ear.
Open-ear audio (headphones or glasses). Small speakers sit near your ear and aim sound at it, without entering the ear canal. There is no vibration through bone.
Neither protects you from loud volume. The same SlashGear article warns that bone conduction "won't protect you" from hearing loss if you play audio at high volume. Keep the level moderate and take breaks, whatever the technology.
Quick comparison
| Bone conduction | Open-ear headphones | Audio glasses | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you wear | A separate accessory | A separate accessory | Glasses you'd wear anyway |
| You hear your surroundings | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Noise isolation | None | None | None |
| What else it can do | Audio only | Audio only | Depends on the model: camera, voice assistant |
| If you wear prescription glasses | One more thing on your head | One more thing on your ear | The prescription goes in the same frame |
The trade-off to keep in mind: open designs don't isolate. On a loud street or a bus you'll turn the volume up, so ask yourself whether staying aware of your surroundings is what you actually want.
Which one should you pick?
Bone conduction or open-ear headphones make sense if:
- You want an audio-only accessory, mostly for exercise.
- You don't wear glasses.
- You don't mind carrying and charging one more device.
Audio glasses make sense if:
- You already wear glasses every day, sunglasses or prescription.
- You want hands-free music and calls without adding another object.
- You'd also use a camera and a voice assistant.
- You'd rather have one thing on your face than two.
How OQON VISION handles audio
OQON VISION is everyday glasses with Artificial Intelligence to capture, ask and get reminders hands-free. It is currently sold and shipped in Colombia. Its audio is open-ear and runs over Bluetooth, with nothing inside your ear.
- Music and volume: play, pause, skip and change the volume from the touch area on the temple: tap to play or pause, swipe to change the volume, and skip tracks.
- Calls: a short tap on the capture button answers a call.
- Assistant in your ear: optimized for Spanish, it also answers in your device's language and delivers reminders straight to your ear. It needs an OQON account, the OQON app open in the background and internet on your phone.
- Camera: one tap takes a photo; a double tap records video, and another tap stops it. An activity LED lights up whenever the camera is active and can't be turned off. Photos and video stay on the glasses until you tap Import in the OQON app, and capturing doesn't need internet.
- Built for daily use: IPX5, so they resist sweat and rain but are not submersible. They work with Android and iPhone and include clear and dark lenses.
- Prescription: compatible. Prescription lenses are fitted at partner opticians and sold separately. There are 10 partner opticians in Colombia.
The price is 350,000 COP at launch (list price 500,000 COP), paid upfront by card, Bre-B or PSE at oqonlabs.com.
What to check before you buy (any option)
- How it sounds at normal volume. Test it with your music in your usual environment, not just in a quiet room.
- How calls sound. People should hear you clearly, and you should understand them without cranking the volume.
- Fit with your own glasses. If you wear a prescription, make sure nothing presses or gets in the way.
- Sweat and rain resistance. Especially if you walk or train outdoors.
- Phone compatibility. It should work with your Android or iPhone.
- Returns and warranty. OQON VISION has a 30-day return with a 100% refund and a 30-day warranty against manufacturing defects, honored in Colombia.
To see what else audio glasses can do, read our guide to glasses with a camera and the affordable smart glasses breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, bone conduction or open-ear audio?
It depends on what you want. Bone conduction suits an audio-only accessory. Audio glasses suit people who already wear glasses and want music, calls and a voice assistant in one object.
Can I still hear what's around me with audio glasses?
Yes. Your ear stays uncovered. In very loud places you'll need to raise the volume, and at high volume it's wise to take breaks.
Do bone conduction headphones protect my hearing?
Not by themselves. Even when sound arrives as vibration, excessive volume is still a risk for your ears. Keep the volume moderate with any type of headphones.
Does OQON VISION work for music and calls?
Yes. It has open-ear Bluetooth audio: music, volume and calls. A short tap on the capture button answers a call.
Can I use them with a prescription?
OQON VISION is prescription compatible. Prescription lenses are fitted at partner opticians and sold separately.
Is there business pricing?
Yes. From 10 units there is volume pricing after a 15-minute call, and OQON builds custom apps for each company's use case. Write to info@oqonlabs.com.