Bringing more value to wearable technology is the key to making next-generation products more attractive. There are tons of great headphones and earphones out there, and this product category has not seen a lot of innovations in the past decades, except for 3D sound and a few unique designs such as the ORA X that combined headphones with smart glasses.
Customization is also one of the key ingredients to make wearable devices more desirable, without breaking the bank in the process.
A few days ago, I met Danny Aronson, CEO & Cofounder, MeQ, the company behind Even, the “first” earphones tuned to each user’s unique hearing. I have recently seen a similar technology at the HAX Demo Day, with the Nura headphones’ prototype, whose Kickstarter campaign rose over $830K, to date.
Even is very different from Nura because of its earphone form factor and the way it records your audio profile: you do not need a phone to set up your profile, by clicking one button on the volume controller you start the built-in virtual audio guide that tells you the step by step process to create it. The personal audio calibration labeled EarPrint technology by MeQ, can also be performed directly from Even’s website, using regular earphones.
The EarPrint technology measures your hearing by playing eight bits of music in each ear, and you will press the “Even” button each time you can hear them at the lowest volume. The software monitors at which volume level you can perceive each frequency, knowing that each person hears different frequencies at different thresholds.
The whole process takes a few minutes, and EarPrint‘s voice, a.k.a. Sarah, tells you exactly what to do, which a great user experience. I tried to listen to various music with my audio profile on and off, and the difference is significant. Even works very well for me since I do not hear bases so well, especially with the left hear, and EarPrint technology compensates wonderfully for that.
Even features a black and a white earphone, so users can easily recognize which one has to be placed in the right or the left ear, which is required to make the custom audio calibration work. The company recommends recalibrating Even every three to six months, as hearing may change over time.
Even is available today for $99 from the product’s website: http://geteven.co
Key features:
- Earphones with Even’s built-in EarPrint sound personalization
- High-quality, angle-resistant cables with color coding , white = left; black = right
- In-line controller with personalization, microphone and volume/play/pause button
- Silicone ear tips in three, interchangeable sizes (small, medium, large)
- Nylon case
- USB cable charger
- Battery life is roughly 9 hours