Disrupted sleep due to a snoring partner is something all too familiar for many people, and has inspired a number of noise-canceling earbuds designed to enable a better night’s sleep. The latest solution to cross our desk is QuietOn Sleep, a set of earbuds designed by ex-Nokia engineers that use active noise cancelation with a focus on blocking low-frequency sounds.
Prototypes from Bose and crowdfunded efforts from startups such as the Sleepbuds are a couple of recent examples of snore-silencing earbuds. As a point of difference, the folks behind the QuietOn Sleep earbuds champion the ability of theirs to really home in on low-frequency sounds below 500 Hz, which they say regular earbuds are unable to block.
They developed the noise-canceling abilities after analyzing hundreds of tapes of snoring, along with other low-end noises like outside traffic and music coming through walls. The finished product is a set of active noise canceling earbuds that use a built-in speaker to emit a phase-shifted sound designed to drown out those audio irritations.
Designed it fit snugly inside the wearer’s ear, the buds are finished in soft foam cushion and, at a tap, will switch from “sleeping” to “hearing” mode that allows surrounding sounds to filter through.
When not in use, the earbuds can be placed inside a carrying case that doubles as a charging station. This connects to a wall outlet via micro USB and, when they’re positioned correctly inside, will fully charge the buds in around one hour to provide 20 hours of use.
The QuietOn buds were originally launched on Indiegogo in 2016, raising more than US$1 million in the process. The second generation QuietOn Sleep are 40 percent smaller than the originals and have also been warmly received, with more than $570,000 raised and the campaign now fully funded.
Pledges of $159 are still available, which will have a set of QuietOn Sleep buds sent your way in October 2018 if everything goes to plan. You can check out the pitch video below.
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