Audio-Technica's new cartilage conduction headphones turn your ears into speakers

What even is bone conduction anyway?. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Audio-Technica has today unveiled its brand new Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 cartilage conduction headphones. The second-generation of its cartilage conduction efforts, these headphones are a great alternative to the best bone conduction headphones on the market, trasmitting sound through the cartilage of the ear rather than the bones in your skull.

It's a nifty way to avoid some of the vibration complaints you might have had with the likes of Shokz, which we find to be an everpresent quirk of the existing bone conduction technology. Cartilage conduction turns your ears themselves into speakers, letting you hear music and calls all while keeping your ear canals free and open. Not only is this more hygienic than your average pair of workout headphones, it also leaves you free to stay in tune to your surroundings, keeping those runs and bike rides safer.

As you can see, they look a lot like bone conduction headphones, with a similar open-ear design and lightweight fit. They're made of titanium and silicone and weigh just 32 grams. Audio comes via AT's PAT.P vibration drivers and its Acoustic Pure Sound Stabilizer, which should eliminate the degradation in sound quality vibration normally delivers. A real highlight is the 20 hours of battery life from a single charge, with 10-minute quick charge offering up 120 minutes of playback.

Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. You can use them to take calls with a built-in microphone, and there's AI-powered noise reduction technology to make your voice clearer during calls and meetings. They're IPX4 water resistant, so immune to rain, splashes, and sweat, and can be paired to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. You'll also get compatibility with Siri, Google Assistant, and Audio-Technica's Connect app. Charging is delivered via USB-C.

The Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 headphones are available now from Audio-Technica.com, retailing at £119 / €139. Unfortunately, those of you in the US are out of luck, as the headphones won't be available there. AU prices are TBC. Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.