Like your keys and your cellphone, it’s almost a force of habit to keep a pair of headphones on you at all times. Whether you’re silencing your coworkers' chatter at the office, or simply attempting to survive the daily commute, a great pair of headphones aren’t just appreciated—they’re damn near necessary. But while headphones are a part of most people’s day-to-day, the headphone industry itself hasn’t innovated much in the past few years. Over the ear headphones are a decades-old design. Plastic earbuds are easily lost, don’t stay in your ear, and might even be harming your sense of hearing. Wireless headphones are increasingly prevalent for consumers, but battery life, connectivity and reliability remain open questions for many options on the market.
Revolutionizing what we know about wireless headphones, Human’s new earphones are nothing like any Bluetooth headphones on the market. While most wireless headphones are bulky or come via easily-lost plastic earbuds, Human’s new product Sound is a completely fresh design. The headphones are wireless, encapsulate the ear, and leverage natural motion and touch to control the device’s experience. This makes wearing more secure and comfortable; say “adios” to over-the-head plastic bands or connecting cables. The device is controlled by “capacitive touch”—simply swipe to adjust volume, skip forward, take or reject a call, or change songs. The device turns on when you put them on, and automatically pauses when you take them off.
That’s not to imply that Human’s newest product are simply a pair of Bluetooth headphones. Sound earphones can do a variety of multi-function features that take headphones into the future. With “Social” mode, Human is making the headphone splitter obsolete. Connect multiple users and devices to the same audio source, sans wires. With “Amplify,” when you combine the two earphones together, the device functions as a loudspeaker. With the “Fade” feature, you can augment ambient noise, amplified or tuned out. These features all funnel back to the device’s design brief: a pair of contemporary headphones that are inspired by the natural processes of the human ear.
If that’s not enough, Human has plans to beta test with a select group of early-adopters additional functionalities: “Speak,” “Sleep” and “Active” mode. With “Speak,” Sound will have live language translation at a conversational level, already baked into the same device you use to listen to music with. With “Sleep,” the device is comfortable enough to wear to bed, and thus will have advanced sleep tracking capabilities. With “Active” mode, in and around the ear is an opportunity for next-level biometric and exercise data tracking and analysis.
For your own slice of this futuristic audio experience, head over to Human’s website to learn more and pre-order on IndieGogo. All that’s left is to tune in, turn up, and tune out.
