Earsies launches analog headset for retro lovers
Today, San Francisco based Earsies are proud to announce the launch of OldEars 327, the first true retro headset.
It has taken several years of prototyping and mostly copying the headset released by Koss in the 60s, to come up with an original retro look. The headset comes complete with a metal frame, covered in old withered leather.
Founder Arun Bozo says, “the market today is flooded with several options for headsets. All of them have great quality.” What he noticed, however, is that there is too much emphasis on sound quality but not enough on the looks, particularly the vintage designs. The idea struck him one day when he was on a walk and noticed a pair of old 60s ripped headphones, lying by the side of the garbage. “It was like a eureka moment!”, says Mr. Bozo!
The company has painstakingly managed to cut the leather in several places to get the authentic retro look. Picking the right blade for the cuts was very important as the amount of witheredness would heavily determine the look of the headphones. In its initial stages, OldEars invested heavily in finding the ideal blade angle to cut the leather for the old vintage look. It was very important that the blades sourced were fairtrade and OldEars worked directly with the blade farmers in Australia to ensure that they were treated and paid fairly.
One common concern with current bluetooth headsets is connection dropping which can be quite frustrating. OldEars 327 brilliantly eliminates this by using a wired connection. The wire used is also rusty in parts to emulate the old retro feel.
The other issue which a lot of competitors have is “noise cancellation”. This can be quite dangerous, especially when crossing busy highways. When listening with OldEars 327 however, one cannot help but notice how every single outside ambient noise is audible. It almost seems like the outside noise is amplified more than the music. Mr. Bozo says that having the interruption of outside noises, like traffic, wind, babies crying, people farting, etc.. makes you appreciate the music more. He has already been contacted by some record companies who want to mix their audio to specific OldEars standards. “You can happily have a conversation with your friends while wearing the headphones on full volume”, says Mr. Bozo. None of our competitors can make that claim!
When asked if he kept the first models of OldEars, Arun said no, as he personally much prefers the sound quality of Sennheiser.
OldEars are now available online and at major retail outlets for $1,356. A limited extra-old edition with mold stains is available for $5,000.
