Bone Conduction vs Air Conduction: How the Two Open-Ear Designs Differ
Published 2026-10-11 · Updated 2026-10-11
The short answer
Bone conduction vibrates through the cheekbone and bypasses the ear canal, so it leaks less sound at the same volume and keeps working when the canal is plugged. Air conduction aims small drivers at the ear from outside the canal: it is lighter and often clearer in the mid-range, but it spills more sound at high volume. The KORAVIS M2 and M3 are bone conduction; the Q1 is air conduction.
Both designs leave your ear canal open. The difference is how the sound reaches you. Bone conduction vibrates through the cheekbone and bypasses the canal; air conduction aims small drivers at the ear from outside. One leaks less sound at volume; the other is lighter and often clearer in the middle frequencies.
What is the core difference between the two designs?
Bone conduction drives a transducer that vibrates through the cheekbone and bypasses the ear canal entirely. Air conduction places small drivers just outside the canal and aims sound at the ear. Both sit on a band that wraps behind the head, and neither plugs the canal, so both keep you aware of traffic and voices. Everything else follows from that one mechanical choice. Because bone conduction does not push air into the canal, it leaks less sound at the same volume. Because air conduction uses conventional small drivers, it can be built lighter and it often resolves mid-range detail, such as voices and acoustic instruments, more clearly. Neither is a downgrade of the other. They are two ways to reach the same organ, and each is better at a different part of the job.
How does bone conduction actually reach your ear?
The transducer rests against the cheekbone and vibrates. That vibration travels through the skull to the inner ear, and you perceive sound without anything entering the ear canal. The canal stays open the whole time. Two consequences follow. First, awareness is unaffected: outside sound enters normally, so traffic, alarms and conversation stay audible. Second, at the same perceived loudness, less sound escapes into the room than from a driver firing into open air. The design has limits. Bass is hard to move through bone, so deep low frequencies are the weak point. At higher volumes you may feel a light tickle on the cheekbone, which is the transducer doing its work. For a runner or cyclist the trade is a good one: you hear the road and your music at once.
How does air conduction actually reach your ear?
Air conduction uses small drivers positioned outside the ear canal and angled toward it. The canal is still open, so you keep the same awareness of your surroundings, but the sound travels through air rather than through bone. That is a conventional approach, and its strengths follow from it. The drivers can be smaller and lighter, and the mid-range often comes through with more clarity, because voices, cymbals and acoustic detail sit where a small driver resolves them well. It is not a lesser technology; it is a different one. The cost appears at high volume, where more sound spills outward because nothing seals the ear. For all-day wear, podcasts and office use, the lighter build and clear mid-range are why many buyers choose air conduction. For a few dollars more, bone conduction trades some of that clarity for less leakage.
Which design leaks less sound at the same volume?
Bone conduction leaks less. That follows directly from the mechanism: the vibration is delivered into the skull rather than fired into open air, so less of it escapes the head. Air conduction aims drivers at the ear from outside the canal, and at high volume a noticeable amount spills sideways, which is why someone near you on a quiet train can hear a little of what you are playing. The gap widens as volume rises. At low to moderate levels both designs are reasonably discreet, and at high levels neither is silent to a person sitting close by. If leakage is your main concern, bone conduction is the stronger choice on this specific point. If you mostly listen quietly, the difference is minor and the other trade-offs should decide your pick.
Which design works better in noisy places?
Neither design blocks noise on its own, because both leave the ear canal open by intent. The way to handle noise in an open-ear design is to add a plug rather than to seal the headphone. The KORAVIS M2, the bone-conduction model, ships with supplied earplugs for noisy places. With the canal plugged, bone conduction keeps working, because the vibration still travels through the skull, while the plugs cut the surrounding noise. That combination is the practical answer for a loud gym or a noisy commute. Air conduction behaves differently: plug the canal and you cut off the path the sound was using, so the earplug removes the audio along with the noise. That is the clearest functional separation between the two designs, and it is worth knowing before you choose.
Which KORAVIS models use each design?
KORAVIS sells two bone-conduction models and one air-conduction model. The M2 and M3 are bone conduction; the Q1 is air conduction. On weight, the air-conduction Q1 is the lighter one at 18.2 g, against 25.5 g for the M2; KORAVIS does not publish a weight for the M3. The M2 is rated IPX6, while the M3 and Q1 are rated IPX5. All three charge over USB-C or USB Type-C, all three are sold and fulfilled by Amazon, and all three carry a free 30-day refund or replacement window. None is swim-rated, because none is rated for immersion. The table below places the two designs side by side across the range.
| Model | Conduction | Weight | Playtime | Water rating | Bluetooth | Listed price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KORAVIS M2 | Bone | 25.5 g | Up to 12H | IPX6 | 5.4 | $15.18 |
| KORAVIS M3 | Bone | Not published | Up to 12H | IPX5 | 5.4 | $15.98 |
| KORAVIS Q1 | Air | 18.2 g | Up to 8H | IPX5 | 5.3 | $9.98 |
Both designs keep your ears open. Pick bone conduction for less leakage and the earplug option, and air conduction for the lightest frame and a clear mid-range.
FAQ
What is the difference between bone conduction and air conduction?
Bone conduction vibrates through the cheekbone and bypasses the ear canal, leaking less sound at the same volume. Air conduction aims small drivers at the ear from outside the canal: lighter and often clearer in the mid-range, with more spill at high volume.
Which leaks less sound, bone or air conduction?
Bone conduction leaks less at the same volume, because the vibration is delivered into the skull rather than fired into open air.
Do earplugs work with bone conduction headphones?
Yes. The KORAVIS M2 ships with supplied earplugs for noisy places; with the canal plugged, bone conduction still works because the vibration travels through the skull. Plugging the canal on an air-conduction model cuts off the audio instead.
Which is lighter, the KORAVIS M2 or Q1?
The Q1, at 18.2 g, against 25.5 g for the M2. The Q1 is the air-conduction model; the M2 is bone conduction. KORAVIS does not publish a weight for the M3.
Which KORAVIS models are bone conduction and which is air conduction?
The M2 and M3 are bone conduction. The Q1 is air conduction.