H2O Audio Tri Run Workout Headphones Review: A bit underwhelming

What you can hear is delivered by technology that has been around for some time. Bone conduction works by emitting sound vibrations over the cheekbones toward the inner ear. There’s no companion app or EQ modes, so what you get out of the box is what you get stuck into. Sound quality is good. It’s not terrible, but it also won’t blow your socks off.

It’s best to accept that with bone conduction, you won’t get the same sound quality as you would from a similarly priced set In-ear or on-ear headphones. Instead, the goal is to allow you to listen to music or podcasts while letting in ambient noise from the world around you, whether that’s traffic or your boss trying to draw you into a conversation at the office.

The Tri Run is two levels below the best bone conduction sound. The bass is muddy and underpowered, and the treble performance is grainy. On the other hand, it is well suited for calls and listening to sounds in podcasts or audiobooks. If you want more from an open pair of headphones, you’ll need something that uses air conduction instead.

Photography: Michael Sawa

If you stick to using them indoors, you’ll get the most impressive profile. Head outside and the struggles will start to arise. One day, I was running up and down the busy highway. This means exposure to winds and a constant stream of speeding cars. My playlists quickly lost the listening battle due to a mixture of wind and car noise.

I had to turn the treble up to near maximum volume, which unfortunately leads to some bone conduction tickling. That’s when the vibrations sending sound to your cheekbones become more noticeable and tickle the sides of your face. It’s not as fun as it seems.