Naenka Runner Pro headphones are aimed at active users
Naenka Bone Conduction Runner Pro Open Ear Wireless Headphone.
The Naenka Runner Pro is a new take on Bluetooth headphones for me. This isn’t to say bone conduction headphones are something new but I’ve never had the opportunity to test them until I received a pair a few weeks ago.
The Runner Pro is clearly aimed at those who live active lives and like jogging, cycling and even swimming.
The Runner Pro doesn’t look like a standard set of headphones with no visible speaker, ear cups and in fact, they don’t go in or over your ear openings. The concept seems a little strange but is well-founded in science. Each side features a loop that rests on your ears. At the end of these loops are elliptical shaped pads that contain the speakers while the other end of the loop has a rectangular-shaped area. The latter contains the battery and internal components of the headset.
Both sides are connected with a larger loop and the entire headset is wrapped in a matte silicone material apart from the four brass pins on the inside of the right side. The connecting loop rests on the back of your neck.
The pins are used in conjunction with the supplied proprietary cable which is used for charging and data transfer. This connects via two magnets on the cable side to the pins. There are three buttons on the underside of the right for volume up and down as well as a power/multifunction button.
One of the key features of the Runner Pro is that it is IPX8 water-resistant. This means you can wear them swimming and they even come with a pair of earplugs to improve performance while in the water. They are fine for casual swimming but I wouldn’t recommend diving off a pier with them on.
The Runner Pro has two audio modes that you can switch between by double-pressing the power button. The first is Bluetooth streaming mode for playing audio directly from your phone, watch or any other device and the second is to play music stored on the internal 8GB of memory. According to Naenka, you can store up to 1,500 tunes but it does support most audio formats so the amount you can store will depend on the format and quality.
Transferring music to the Runner Pro is a simple process of connecting it to your PC with the supplied cable and then dragging and dropping your files (MP3, WMA, APE or FLAC) in Windows Explorer.
The control scheme is easy to use — there’s no faffing around with touch controls. Putting it into pairing mode is done by pressing and holding the volume up (+) button until you see the LED flash blue and red. Apart from controlling the volume you can control skipping a track, back or forward with a double-press on the - or + buttons. The multifunction power button is used to play/pause as well as switch between Bluetooth and internal playback modes.
With a single press to answer a call or a double press to decline a call, the power button also controls call functionality.
To activate your voice assistant, press and hold the power button for one second, or just say the appropriate keyword.
Comfort is exceptional since there’s no hardware in or on your ears. That being said, I did find the vibrations from the earpads a little annoying while sitting listening to music. This isn’t noticeable when running, cycling or doing other energetic activities.
I can’t say I was blown away by the sound quality of the Runner Pro which isn’t surprising considering the technology. That being said, they provide good detail, solid bass and an excellent wide-open stereo soundstage. The biggest plus over standard headphones is that the Runner Pro allow you to clearly hear the sounds around you which is important for your own safety.
The Naenka Runner Pro are not for those who like to sit at home and listen to music or want to block out the sounds of life around them. However, they are an excellent choice for those who need a comfortable headset that makes them feel safe while running or cycling.
The added bonus of being able to store your own music means you don’t need to bring your phone with you. You also get full waterproofing, excellent controls and up to seven hours of music playback.
Available for €110 now from Naenka
