Yes—air-tube headphones carry sound from speakers farther down the cable through hollow tubes to your ears. If you want that design in a wired headset for calls, start with EchoTubeZ Classic at $24.99 or AIRobic at $25.99 if a clothing clip and cable adjuster matter to you. The laboratory results below explain the separate question of what has been measured.
Smart & Safe makes and sells these headsets. Here is how the design works, the full set of electric-field readings from our 2012 test, and the results from the later BlueTubeZ test.
Prices are listed in USD and were checked October 15, 2026. Follow the product links for current prices and options.
What an air tube changes
A conventional wired earphone places a speaker in the earpiece. Our air-tube arrangement moves the speaker farther down the cable and carries sound through a hollow tube for the final part of the journey.
That gives you a specific feature to choose: an earpiece without a speaker or electrical audio wiring. EchoTubeZ and ProTubeZ also use magnets to hold the earpieces together when you wear them around your neck.
For a passive wired model, there is no headset battery to charge or Bluetooth pairing step. You connect it to a suitable audio socket or adapter and use its microphone for calls.
Which model should you choose?
| Your priority | Start here | Listed price | Reason to shortlist it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest price among these three wired models | EchoTubeZ Classic | $24.99 | 3.5 mm connection, microphone, call button and magnetic earpieces |
| Clothing clip and cable adjustment | AIRobic | $25.99 | Clip and adjuster, plus a microphone and call button |
| You prefer the ProTubeZ design shown on its product page | ProTubeZ | $29.99 | Another wired option with a microphone, call button and magnetic earpieces |
Our starting recommendation: choose EchoTubeZ for the lowest entry price. Choose AIRobic when the clip and adjuster are useful to your routine. Compare the product photos if you prefer ProTubeZ’s design; the available specifications do not establish an audio or RF performance upgrade for the extra cost.
Both EchoTubeZ and ProTubeZ list Pinch2Mute. It is not an exclusive ProTubeZ feature. For microphone privacy, use your calling app’s mute control; pinching a sound tube should not be treated as confirmation that the microphone is muted.
Prefer a wireless connection? BlueTubeZ places Bluetooth electronics in a neckband and uses tubes to deliver sound to the ears. As of the check date, it was unavailable to buy and its page described an upcoming generation.
What the laboratory reports show
2012: earlier wired air-tube headset
The November 2012 report measured five phones at positions labeled Base – 1cm and Earpiece, with the door open and closed. Below are all the electric-field readings in V/m for ringing and calling. The report also contains readings in µW/cm², which remain in the linked original; the tables here keep those different quantities separate.
During a call — V/m
| Phone | Door closed: Base – 1cm | Door closed: Earpiece | Door open: Base – 1cm | Door open: Earpiece |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 3GS | 40.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.5 |
| BlackBerry Bold 9000 | 40.3 | 2.1 | 6.3 | 0.6 |
| Nokia 2330 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 2.2 |
| LG VX-8300 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.8 |
| Samsung Galaxy S1 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 |
While ringing — V/m
| Phone | Door closed: Base – 1cm | Door closed: Earpiece | Door open: Base – 1cm | Door open: Earpiece |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple iPhone 3GS | 20.6 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| BlackBerry Bold 9000 | 28.9 | 2.4 | 9.8 | 2.4 |
| Nokia 2330 | 14.1 | 2.2 | 14.3 | 2.4 |
| LG VX-8300 | 10.3 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Samsung Galaxy S1 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.4 |
Source: 2012 report, pages 3–4. V/m means volts per meter, a measure of electric-field strength at the measurement point.
How to read the results: earpiece readings are lower in all the ringing comparisons and in eight of the ten call comparisons. The two exceptions are Nokia and LG with the door open. The measured relationship therefore changes with the setup.
2020: BlueTubeZ tested with a Samsung Note 8
Ordos Technologies report Y20SNS144TR, dated June 28, 2020, describes testing inside a semi-anechoic chamber. Its results distinguish the Bluetooth receiver from the earpiece:
| Operating state | Bluetooth receiver, V/m | Earpiece, V/m |
|---|---|---|
| Standby | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Ring | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Call | 1.4 | 0.4 |
The report separately lists a Phone reading of 4.8 V/m and an attenuation figure of 91.66%. That percentage corresponds approximately to comparing 0.4 with 4.8: (1 − 0.4 ÷ 4.8) × 100. The receiver-to-earpiece call comparison uses 1.4 and 0.4, so it is a different comparison.
Source: 2020 BlueTubeZ report, pages 1–2. These are results for the tested BlueTubeZ setup, not specifications for the upcoming generation or the three wired models above.
What these measurements help you understand
Together, the reports document field readings at particular locations under particular conditions. The comparison positions differ, and neither report supplies a matched test against conventional wired earphones. This limits what we can attribute specifically to the tubes. The 2012 copy also leaves the laboratory-location field blank and supplies no calibration certificate.
These are field measurements, not SAR or health-outcome studies. They do not establish a medical benefit. The practical reasons to choose a headset here are its construction, connection and features.
Will it connect to your phone?
EchoTubeZ, ProTubeZ and AIRobic use a 3.5 mm plug and include a microphone. A phone with USB-C needs a suitable USB-C-to-3.5 mm audio adapter; a phone with Lightning needs the corresponding Lightning adapter. For calls, the adapter must support microphone input as well as headphone audio.
Our headset comparison and connection guide explains each route and includes a five-step call check. Apple also documents the adapter types in its wired-headphone guide.
Make your shortlist
For an affordable first wired air-tube headset, view EchoTubeZ Classic. For a clip and cable adjuster, view AIRobic. Choose your connection route before ordering so the headset fits the way you take calls.
Common buying questions
How do they sound compared with conventional earbuds?
Fit and listening preferences matter. We have not published a controlled listening comparison that ranks these models against conventional earbuds. When trying a pair, check spoken audio, music you know and comfort at your usual listening level.
Does “air tube” mean the whole system is radiation-free?
The name describes how sound reaches the earpiece. The connected phone still operates, and Bluetooth air-tube models also have a wireless link.
Does the sports design guarantee sweat or water resistance?
A clip and adjuster describe fit features. Use a model’s stated water-resistance rating, if provided, when deciding whether it suits a particular activity.
To keep the speaker unit and its wiring away from your ear, see our air tube headphones.
