Thanko bone-conducting headphones

Thanko has released a new pair of bone-conduction headphones, the Vonia EZ-4200Ps. While shaped like conventional sets, the 4200Ps don't actually rest on the ears, but rather the nearby areas of the skull. This stimulates the auditory nerves directly, providing equivalent sound without risking damage to the eardrums. Users should also be better able to hear surrounding ambient noise, which can be important in environments such as traffic or a subway. Each channel produces 30mW of power. Sales of the 4200Ps begin today, at a price of 9,800 yen ($81).