Bone conduction headphones are a kind of audio device that doesn’t really fit in everyone’s palette. It’s a unique kind of headphone that caters to a unique and well-specified individual preference. With this in mind, we are taking a closer look at the Naenka Runner Caller bone conduction wireless headphone in this article.
Naenka, as a brand, is truly dedicated to its passion for bringing innovation. Nothing can be far more true than the way they offer their list of bone-conduction headphones. We recently had the opportunity to look at one of their higher-end bone conduction model and it’s the Naenka Runner Diver. If you wish to learn more about them, visit their website at naenka.com. In this article, we will be taking a closer look at the Naenka Runner Caller.
Naenka Runner Caller Bone Conduction Headphones
Specification:
- 3 Physical Control Buttons
- CVC8.0 Noise-canceling Zoom Mic
- 225° rotatable and flexible boom
- Patented Bone Conduction Technology
- 35g Weight
- 200mAh Battery Capacity (9hrs talk time)
- Bluetooth 5.3
- IPX6 Water Resistance
Where to buy:
Accessories:
- Charging Cable
- Earplugs
Unboxing – Naenka Runner Caller Bone Conduction Headphones
Like most of Naenka’s headphone bone conduction, the packaging is of the same grade. Nothing special to mention other than what you would commonly see on any packaging. The product highlight, specifications, and a few key features.
Closer-Look Naenka Runner Caller Bone Conduction Headphones
On a closer look, the headphone appears to be designed for communication purposes. It’s roughly ideal for calls but more leaning towards people who are always on the go but communication is part of their everyday work.
The most notable feature is the inclusion of a boom microphone which we don’t usually see in bond conduction headphones. Clearly, this improves voice clarity but that’s something we can test later on. For now, let’s have a closer look at the functionality of the headphone.
Out of the box, it doesn’t support any TF card slots, it comes with a dedicated charging port similar to other Naenka bone conduction, dedicated navigation, and functionality control on the left side of the headphone. The 3 buttons you’ll find will allow you to perform various controls such as pause, play, power control, volume control, music navigation, phone call control, and voice assistant control.
The main key feature that separates this headphone from the rest is its focus on microphone technology. Out of the box, it comes equipped with noise-canceling technology of CVC 8.0. It also comes with foam for the microphone acting as a cover that can effectively eliminate ambient noise. Making calls more clear and more sound. Lastly, the microphone is 225° rotatable and flexible.
Performance Naenka Runner Caller Bone Conduction Headphones
In terms of ease of use, the headphone is definitely user-friendly. Might take you a couple of minutes to get the hang of it but over time, you won’t even notice that you are already a master. However, you will definitely need to consult the user manual. Despite being limited to 3 buttons, the functionality is overwhelming. You will find yourself asking how to do this, how to do that as you use the headphone, and it is mind-boggling that you can do so much functionality with just 3 buttons.
In terms of sound quality, the sound and clarity of the audio are excellent. Words and tones can be heard clearly. However, like most bone-conduction headphones, you will find a lack in the bass department. This is something to be expected with bone-conduction headphones since they do not have drivers that directly produce audio to your ears. Instead, the headphone relies on vibration to deliver the audio. So if you haven’t tried bond conduction yet, then you will find the experience anew. This may come as a surprise but bone conduction is ideally used with ear plugs to truly enjoy the experience.
When the volume is set to max, the vibration tends to become powerful. For me, it was becoming ticklish and I end up scratching my ear lobes from time to time. So it’s best to set the volume around mid to mid-high.
When it comes to size and comfort, the headphone clearly favors smaller head sizes. I have quite a large head for being a plus size so I find the microphone lacking the length to reach my mouth area.
For the microphone quality, we conducted a quick recording using the microphone of the Naenka Caller. The audio you will hear below will be the general audio quality of the microphone.
The audio quality of the microphone is surprisingly poor. However, this is because the microphone boom is not reaching my mouth area. Once I removed the headphone to put the microphone directly in front of my lips, the recording audio quality drastically improved. This ultimately indicates a problem in design and as we already stated above, the Naenka Caller favors small head sizes.
Final Thoughts…
Priced at $69.99, the Naenka Runner Caller is clearly designed for consumers who converse through calls as part of their daily lives and are always on the go. The competition in this price range is quite aggressive and Naeka pricing the caller at this price point is a bit tad. After using the headphone for quite some time now, I believe they should be priced lower. At $10 less, this will definitely be hard to resist if you’re in the market for bone-conduction headphones.
For its overall quality and performance, Naenka could definitely do better. The size and comfortability of use need improvement. The way it is designed right now seems to favor small head sizes which is a deal breaker for larger size individuals. The sound quality on the other hand is superb. It’s clear and crisp as long as you don’t expect headphone quality. Do remember that this is bone conduction and it heavily relies on vibration to deliver audio. Which ultimately results in poor bass points. Nonetheless, its audio quality is excellent for bone conduction. I just don’t like how ticklish the drivers are for me when the volume is set to max.
Last but not least is the microphone. This definitely can still be improved. Connectivity has no issues, quality has no issues, and durability has no issues. But when it comes to its main key feature, the boom flexible microphone, it’s a bit underwhelming. If listen to the audio recording above, that’s the quality of audio you will hear from me through calls and video conferences which is not acceptable. Additionally, I should not have the need to remove the headphone from my head just so I can speak clearly on the microphone. So it’s best to keep in mind the size of the headphone and who it caters for.