There were so many great products to see at CE Week that it was hard to give some of them more than a passing glance. I didn’t get to the Phazon booth until the end of the expo, which is too bad because this is one product that deserved a little extra attention. The Phazon earbuds are, according to their developers, the world’s first one-size-fits-all wireless earbuds—guaranteed not to fall out, with only one size and no inserts.
Phazon was started by Chris Houle, who was unsatisfied with the current state of personal audio, especially the way that athletes struggle with the wires. He then gathered an incredible team, composed of two engineers and one industrial designer.
Chris Houle, Phazon Co-founder and CEO
“We believe that every product needs to be as simple as possible,” says Houle. “With the Phazon earbuds, you don’t need an app or different inserts to have a comfortable experience. It’s ready to wear once you have it.”
Phazon earbuds are particularly well-suited for athletes or anyone engaging in physical activities where cords would get in the way. The earbuds work with Bluetooth and come with an attractive charging case that can be attached to a keychain. They are fully sealed and water resistant, making them ideal for water sports.
The benefits of the Phazon earbuds include:
- Truly wireless sound: No more tangled wires, “cord pull” or limited range of motion. While the earbuds have no wires at all, you can still be assured of a constant connection.
- One-size-fits-all: The Phazon team tested the earbuds on over 500 random people, all who reported a 100% comfortable fit. While everyone has a different earlobe, we all share the same inner core pattern, and Phazon’s patent pending form factor and simple twist motion assure a comfortable and secure fit for everyone.
- No inserts required: Inserts (such as plastic and foam) tend to fall out in an active environment. Phazon earbuds allow you to work out, ski and even swim without worrying that your earbuds might fall out.
- Fully waterproof: Swimming with headphones obviously doesn’t work – or it didn’t until now. Thanks to Phazon’s waterproof design, swimmers can now enjoy music in the pool.
- Color availability: Phazon earbuds come in a variety of bright colors including crimson, lush (green), perse (purple), graphite, ashen, midnight and sunset.
Phazon earbuds also include top-notch speakers from, according to the team, “a well known audio company,” plus audio controls right on the earbuds. High energy density lithium ion batteries ensure up to six hours of continuous play, and quality audio allows for up to 30 meters of transmission. These earbuds are smart, too. If you misplace your Phazons, you can find them with an app on your smartphone. To play, pause and skip tracks, you just have to tap the earbuds, and holding them for three seconds turns them on or off.
And what role did 3D printing contribute to creating this unique product? Extensive prototyping was required to get just the right fit and finish. According to Phazon, it took a lot of trial and error to come up with a stylish, functional product.
“We made that possible by incorporating 2 special features. First, we managed to test hundreds of 3D printed prototypes to perfect the form factor. Second, we found an innovative way to lock the earbuds in the ear. We call this technique “Spin Secured”. By doing the motion represented just above, the earbuds are tightly anchored in the ear. It basically works like a twist capsule you see on bottles – when it’s locked, there is no way it’s going to fall out.”
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- Initial 2D sketches
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- First batch of 3D printed prototypes
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- Advanced prototypes
The charging case for the earbuds also has a cutting edge, modern design. It holds at least three extra charges for the earbuds and there is even a convenient keychain hole on top so you can easily carry it with you. You can charge the case with the included micro USB. You can see a demonstration of the 3D printed prototype charging case in the video below:
Phazon won Best in Show at CE Week 2016. The Phazon wireless earbuds had a successful Indiegogo campaign in January 2016; they were 1818% funded, raising over $1.8 million. Phazon is currently accepting pre-orders on Indiegogo for as low as $179 (retail price: $199), with shipment expected for Indiegogo backers in November 2016.
Below is the a promo video for the Phazon wireless earbuds:
