H2O Audio Tri 2 Pro

Okay, we have in-ear, on-ear, near ear, over ear, between ear, nowhere near ear, the list goes on. There are just so many different ways to make mini speakers and pop them up and around the ear. So, what left is there to do? Bigger drivers, smaller drivers, bigger anti noise cancellation, smaller noise cancellation, pass through, open acoustic... Wires or no wires, will the next wireless headset will be one made using Morse code or smoke signals? How do we keep changing things up?

Enter bone conduction. Most people haven't really heard of it before, but it's a technology where sound vibrations pass through the bones and into the ear, rather than directly into the ear canal. And it's a completely different experience. I'm repeating a nice description from a previous review here at Gamereactor, one not even written by myself:

"Bone conduction means that the devices are first and foremost quite open, so they don't have to go into your ears as such, but sit just above, on the left side of the ear opening. The whole device then vibrates, and it's the vibrations against your skull that create the sound".

So, headsets have been made in the past, as seen in this article, from which I have also copied the explanation for bone conduction. However, this is a niche, as they are typically made for swimmers and athletes, and not everyone likes the special feeling of having vibrations sent through your bones while listening to Avril Lavigne and running five kilometres. An imaginary situation, yes.

On the other hand, there is definitely the advantage of having this kind of sound transmission because you can hear everything going on around you. The ear canal is completely unobstructed and even when it's at its loudest, you can still hear everything going on outside and have a relatively normal conversation with your surroundings - as normal as it gets if you're talking to your six-year-old kid while getting Metallica pumped directly into your skull.

So, what's the advantage of this over all others? Well, first of all, the price is below the price of all other headsets, and while the previously reviewed bone conduction headsets are aimed specifically at either runners or swimmers, this is a complete package for everyone. This means you can pay for it without having to have many different ones and you get a premium headset. The other thing about it is all the conditions it can be used in. There's vibration and you definitely have to get used to that. But it's a pretty special thing that you can hear everything that's going on around you while you're doing everything else. I've worn them in the office, at family events, and while my kids have been shouting at me - and it's a huge advantage to be able to hear.

I've tried it with a Motorola and a Samsung Galaxy, and for some reason the microphone wasn't very loud when it was on the Motorola... I suspect it's me who messed up the settings, but the microphone worked fine on the Samsung, so I conclude there's nothing to complain about there. However, it's still low and doesn't have anti-noise cancellation. But the music plays perfectly.

And then we come to what I actually primarily use it for now. Yes, I've been out swimming with them, and with the internal playlist it's brilliant because I never lose bluetooth connection as I'm not dependent on it. But I set it up with an EPOS B20 table microphone, and connected with Bluetooth to the computer, while using an AceZone A-Rise for computer audio. The effect is amazing. All communication is direct and fluid and it in no way affects my experience of the computer sound. It feels (and actually is) as if the two sounds are separated because they come in through two channels.

At the same time, it also makes communication less difficult because it's on its own. And I've also used it with the phone connected to the H2O, which also provides a separation, but I've had to add an external microphone because the A-Spire covers the H2O's own microphone, as the headset is not exactly made for this. I imagine there might be a headset manufacturer that builds it directly into, for example, an AceZone headset or something of similar quality, so you can use the microphone that way.

And that's where we are: The H2O Pro Tri is an excellent headset that really brings quality, comfort and some innovation to the table for a very reasonable price. Its closest competitor in my opinion is the Shockz Openrun Pro, but at almost twice the price, you definitely get so much more for your money that the investment for an external microphone, for example, is easily overlooked. One small drawback is that you have to buy the charging case separately, but you can live without it as this headset comes with its own case, which is light and elegant, but without charging.

And if you choose to be an innovative gamer, this is something you simply have to try: H2O headset, external microphone and a state of the art gaming headset. Everyone has tried gaming with in-ears and headsets on the outside. This feels like the next level to me.

The short of it is that bone conduction technology is now so advanced that we can easily use it in everyday life. It offers the advantage of getting the sound through vibration, but it takes some getting used to. And it may not be for everyone, because it's a special sensation. But the advantage of being able to wear, for example, two headsets that don't interfere with each other is pretty massive if you do it in a gaming context, and in any context where you want two separate channels of sound that can be summarised in your ear. And when the quality is so high and the price is about the same as a train ticket these days, I think it's definitely worth a try. The closest competitors don't come close to the quality or durability or, for that matter, waterproofness of this one. The microphone quality could be better, but on the other hand, the built-in MP3 player is really nice. This headset is for listening to things while you're playing sports - any sport.

If the microphone was superb and the carrying case was built into the price, this would be a 10 out of 10, but everything else is geared up to the max, so definitely a solid 9/10. It's simply something to try!