There has definitely been the odd time when I cannot hear the output from the headphones because the ambient environment (ooh, get me) is too loud.

These are for when you don’t want to hear ambient sound – but at this point I wouldn’t choose to wear the Trekz Titanium due to the sound quality and the leakage. It’s still the same neckband-style look, but it’s significantly reduced the size of the arms that sit just in front of your ears. They also do seem to leak a lot less at more moderate volumes, though it’ll still be the case when you crank things up to the max.

Another difference between the OpenMove and other Shokz headsets is that its earpieces are equipped with magnets, which cause them to snap together neatly when you remove it.

If you're not sold on bone conduction headphones and simply need a way to listen to music as you run or workout, then take a look at the Beats PowerBeats Pro instead. Add a six-hour battery life and a rather loose neck-band that causes them to slip slightly when exercising, and the AfterShokz Titanium is left looking like a novelty product that needs some work.It's particularly impressive if you enjoy heavy music, which is far richer than with other bone conduction headphones. Initially I thought I might be self conscious wearing them – not so much out on the bike (head to toe Lycra forces you to suspend any sense of self respect) but when in a non-velo setting. Music is all about immersion, but does that have to mean completely cutting-off the listener from the outside world? My use is occasional, often over a few days and it doesn’t feel as if I’m always having to charge them. Sat in an office environment, I could hear all of the conversations and crunching of food from colleagues – for better or for worse.