Toronto Star article from todayCustom-fit ear buds only you can wear
Jul 21, 2008 04:30 AM
Robert Cribb
arphones are among our most intimate pieces of personal technology.
Theywrap around our heads or slide into our auditory orifices in a mergingof human and machine designed to shut out the freaks, the noise, themumbling and allow for self-reflective immersion.
They are the official sponsor of me-time.
Itseems tech manufacturers have imagined just about every possiblepermutation of the rapidly expanding personal ear speaker phenomenon.
There'spricey, high-end technology that delivers a kind of sound quality thathas never before reached the 8-track, cassette tape-trained eardrums ofearlier generations.
Some models harness music from mid air,wirelessly capturing signals from the basement stereo to deliver theminto your ears out in the backyard. Still others boast sophisticatednoise-cancelling technology that drowns out airplane or traffic noisein order to produce a more pristine sound.
So, what's left to do here?
Well,a Canadian company has come up with a new twist: custom fitted ear budsthat fit snugly into your ear cavities to block out residual noise,stay put during morning jogs and deliver unadulterated sound.
Soundcageear buds ($199) are the creation of Sonomax Hearing Healthcare Inc., aMontreal-based firm that made its name in hearing protection forindustrial workers.
The intent of Soundcage is the very opposite – delivering sound into the eardrum using an airtight seal.
There is novelty in the concept.
Inabout 10 minutes, you can be fitted with ear buds that conform to theunique innards of your ear cavity so closely, they block out all butthe most deafening sounds.
It's like Ziplocking your ear buds to your head.
The Sonomax folks do this the same way they create custom earplugs for factory workers.
Aprofessional fitter places a membrane in each ear and then fills itwith silicone, which expands into the exact shape of your ear.
It cures within a couple of minutes and you've got yourself a pair of ear buds only you can wear.
That'sbecause the innards of the human ear are more unique than ourfingerprints, the experts say. There are vast differences in internaldesign even between ears attached to the same head.
Consider, then, the likelihood of any pair of generic ear buds fitting you well.
Withthe sound electronics inserted into the silicone membranes, you tuckeach bud into your ear, then make a quarter turn that locks them intoplace. Among the unique features of the human ear, it turns out, is acorkscrew-like quality that ensures a tight fit. You can actually feelthem snapping into place.
This can be a sticky process withoutsome lubrication. Soundcage comes with some ear lubricant to facilitatethe insertion. Some saliva also does the trick.
After you'refitted with the custom earbuds, the technician gives them a test usinga sound machine with two microphones inside and outside the ear thattest the "acoustic seal."
In my case, sealing was firm.
Andthe resulting sound was impressive. The electronics here, designed bySonomax and manufactured in Asia, aren't top of the line electronics.There is a subtle flimsiness to the hardware.
But the abilityof the membranes to block out peripheral noise and focus the ear on themusic is entrancing and overall sound quality is hauntingly pure.
Youwon't want to wear these in busy traffic or anywhere else where sensoryperception is required for safety. The Soundcage ear buds block noisebetter than any such ear-sound technology I've tried.
The mainproblem with a customized product for the mass market is figuring outdistribution. Because each pair requires a fitting, you can't just plopthem on to store shelves.
So, the company is now looking to dodeals with audiologists, hearing professionals and optical chains tooffer Soundcage fittings.
And the company has Bluetooth devices and hearing aids using the same technology on the horizon.
Personal listening devices are all about solitary social confinement.
Customization, then, seems like a logical next step.
Andit comes with the added benefit of being able to politely inform anyannoying iPod borrower that your customized ear buds simply won't fitthem.
Nice.
Robert Cribb can be reached at rcribb@thestar.ca.