[Drtonyt]

I have searched the forum and can't find any threads on these so I thought I would start one..
 
Here are the OwnPhones..
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ownphones/ownphones-the-worlds-first-custom-fit-3d-printed-e
 
They are on a Kickstarter campaign and look to be pretty good? What do you all think?
 
They use a propriety 3d scanning app to take a scan of your ears then they 3d print your own custom Bluetooth IEM's for under $200!
 
I think these look incredible and are feature full.. And are also meant to have pretty good sound equipment in them too.
 
I particularly like the soundscaping/realworld update feature where they use the inbuilt mic to filter the outside noise and only provide you with real world "updates" like if you are at a train station and you are listening to music etc and an announcement comes over the PA system, the volume will drop on the IEM's and will only let the announcement through? How do they do it? I say magic! lol
 
 
Anyway. What do you all think? Also, is there anything even close to these on the market for the price point.. Or even at all? As these seem to be exactly what I have always been looking for.. A cableless bluetooth CIEM with a microphone.. That is literally all I have ever wanted in an IEM.

 

[linglingjr]

Molding (err printing) a CIEM out of scans done by a phone app?  "Complex algorithms" I wouldn't expect any where near the seal or comfort you get from actual CIEMs.  I doubt SQ would be a priority but it's a cool idea and looks like it'd be nice for working out with.  All those custom anc profiles and integration look interesting as well, that being said you're going to be paying for all of the R&D of not only the IEM but also all the software and customization so 12 girls can have feathers growing out of their ears!
 
I'll stay tuned and see where it goes for sure but it's not anything I'd jump on.

 

[Drtonyt]

You can also send them a properly done ear impressions if you want instead of using the app.
 
They are also using Balanced Armature. They actually say that sound quality is their TOP priority. Everything else is just "extras"
 
 
EDIT: They also say they are getting their sound equipment from one of the "top 3 leaders" in the IEM industry. 
 
The RRP is US$399 when they go to retail. So they aren't exactly "cheap gimmicky" IEM's. For the KS campaign though they are $199.
 
Here are the specs as they are now. 
 
 
Speakers Impedance 16 Ohm; Sensitivity 100.5dB SPL /mW at 1kHz; Frequency Response 20-20000 Hz; Total Harmonic Distortion  <3% (1KHz, 1mW)

Bluetooth 4.0, CRS chip with aptX.

Integrated Microphone, MEMS omnidirectional, Sensitivity -40 dB +3/-3 dB  (1KHz, 0dB = 1V/Pa)

Full compatibility with Iphone 4S and up, Androids phones with LE hardware, Windows Phones with LE hardware.

Battery life: 5-6 hours play time; 4-5 hours play time using advanced soundscaping; 140 hours standby. 

Charging port: Micro USB  

Charging time: 1.5 hours.

1 Year Warranty.

 

 

 

 

[bowei006]

In my opinion, this probably will be a crappy product.

A video of your ear taken by yourself with the front facing camera (let's face it, this is what the majority are going to be doing) is not going to make a reliable mold. There is a reason why we go to Audiologists to get them done with silicolne.

Next. It seems like they are only using one armature driver. These drivers are known for sucking at pulling double/extra duty with frequencies. It seems like they want one armature driver to push the entire spectrum.

Next is the weight and design. They are putting a battery, circuit board, outer layer with LED, and allowing for weighty custom designs on the outside. This isn't a problem for a legit CIEM as molds extend deep into the ear. But these molds are made from a surface video of your ear that a caffinated intern/worker then quickly makes a 3D model of before he prints it out as he quickly moves onto the next guys. The tip can't possibly extend deep into your ear due to this like most CIEMs. A way they can combat this...is to not use a lot of filling. A lot of CIEM shells are 'filled' in a way. I guess they could leave these relatively hollow. who knows.

Overall. I think the idea is good and that it will, LIKE MOST products that are innovative, suck but pave the way for the future market to allow for greater improvements on them.

I have no expectations of quality from this. I expect them to suck. But you can't get to a space shuttle without letting the world know that wooden structures with a propeller fan can lift off the ground. And this is what I expect this product to be.

 

[Drtonyt]

  In my opinion, this probably will be a crappy product.

A video of your ear taken by yourself with the front facing camera (let's face it, this is what the majority are going to be doing) is not going to make a reliable mold. There is a reason why we go to Audiologists to get them done with silicolne.

Next. It seems like they are only using one armature driver. These drivers are known for sucking at pulling double/extra duty with frequencies. It seems like they want one armature driver to push the entire spectrum.

Next is the weight and design. They are putting a battery, circuit board, outer layer with LED, and allowing for weighty custom designs on the outside. This isn't a problem for a legit CIEM as molds extend deep into the ear. But these molds are made from a surface video of your ear that a caffinated intern/worker then quickly makes a 3D model of before he prints it out as he quickly moves onto the next guys. The tip can't possibly extend deep into your ear due to this like most CIEMs. A way they can combat this...is to not use a lot of filling. A lot of CIEM shells are 'filled' in a way. I guess they could leave these relatively hollow. who knows.

Overall. I think the idea is good and that it will, LIKE MOST products that are innovative, suck but pave the way for the future market to allow for greater improvements on them.

I have no expectations of quality from this. I expect them to suck. But you can't get to a space shuttle without letting the world know that wooden structures with a propeller fan can lift off the ground. And this is what I expect this product to be.

 
You can send them ear impressions as well. I think of these as "CIEM's for the masses" so do you think most people are going to take the time to go get their impression's done properly? Or would they prefer just getting their phone and "scanning" their ear? These obviously aren't for people looking for the TOTL CIEM's (that's what I have a pair of miracles for). They are for people that don't really want to spend $1000 (or never would!) on a pair of ear bud's. I am sure that alot of people on the campaign are spending the most they have ever spent for a pair of ear buds in their life!
 
As you said, these are more like a Wright Brothers first flight.. Pioneers you could say (lol!) But as I said this is pretty much all I have ever wanted. A pair of CIEM's, that have cableless bluetooth, have a micophone and can stream music/etc from my device/phone for under $200!
I won't be using these as my top tier, music listening headphones. Instead they will be more like a better quality dual ear bluetooth headset that is in CIEM form. And for that, I suspect, they will do their job better than any I have had previously.
 
Can you suggest any other cableless, truly in ear headphones with a mic? And for under $200? Because if you can point me in that direction as I would much prefer to have them now then wait for a KS campaign. But if you can't then there you go, nothing like these exist and for one, I cannot wait!

 

[davidcotton]

There's the Dash that you may be interested in but it is an extra $100. 

 

[Drtonyt]

  There's the Dash that you may be interested in but it is an extra $100. 

Yeah I know about those. If you are looking at retail prices these are actually $100 cheaper than the ownphones @$399.
 
I missed out on that KS by a few days. Second of all they aren't CIEM's and don't have the same sort of tech like the sound scaping. 
 
**From the site**
The Smart Fit incorporates SoundScaping with a more advanced digital signal processor to give you the power over what you hear and what you don’t.  
•    Environmental Sound Level – You choose how much of the world comes in – seal it off completely, or a combination of your music and the sounds of the street around you. 

•    Real World Notifications – Need to hear an alarm clock, or a train announcement, or a friend’s voice? You can configure specific sounds to be heard right from our mobile app. 

 

I don't think people actually understand what sort of tech goes into something like this? For a program/device to be able to tell the difference between background noise and say a train announcement, or a person's voice, and to only let that particular sound through?? That is incredible and it's a leap forward. No other product is able to do that?

 

[skipwilly]

  I don't think people actually understand what sort of tech goes into something like this? For a program/device to be able to tell the difference between background noise and say a train announcement, or a person's voice, and to only let that particular sound through?? That is incredible and it's a leap forward. No other product is able to do that?

 
To be fair though, we don't exactly know how well their soundscaping will work. It could be phenomenally designed or it could be bare minimum just so they can say they have that feature. I too would like to think that this could be good, but we won't really know till they first ship and people get their hands on them.
 

  Next. It seems like they are only using one armature driver. These drivers are known for sucking at pulling double/extra duty with frequencies. It seems like they want one armature driver to push the entire spectrum.

Next is the weight and design. They are putting a battery, circuit board, outer layer with LED, and allowing for weighty custom designs on the outside. This isn't a problem for a legit CIEM as molds extend deep into the ear. But these molds are made from a surface video of your ear that a caffinated intern/worker then quickly makes a 3D model of before he prints it out as he quickly moves onto the next guys. The tip can't possibly extend deep into your ear due to this like most CIEMs. A way they can combat this...is to not use a lot of filling. A lot of CIEM shells are 'filled' in a way. I guess they could leave these relatively hollow. who knows.

 
You bring up a good point about that weight issue. That is definitely something to think about that I didn't even consider.
 
 
 
As far as drivers, I emailed them about the drivers. This is their response:

1. Hi,
   
   I don't think it was explicitly stated in the post so I figured I would ask to clarify. How many drivers are these in-ears expected to be? I'm assuming based on your specs that it is only one, but I wanted to make sure. And why aren't you guys able to give definitive specifications if you already have working prototypes?
   
   Also, how would refunds work if the in-ears don't fit well or if I am unsatisfied with the performance of them?
   
   
   
   
   
2. OwnPhones
   Aug 9, 2014
   
   Report Spam
   
   Hey, 
   There are two drivers. Our working prototype using a few different configuration and we waiting to see what will be our order size before we making a decision. 
   See our FAQ for the return policy. 
   Thanks!
   
   
   
   
   

 
I'd like to be optimistic about these in-ears, but I'm just not sure. Maybe I'll wait till after they come out and some hand-on reviews about them are available.

 

[Drtonyt]

I'd like to be optimistic about these in-ears, but I'm just not sure. Maybe I'll wait till after they come out and some hand-on reviews about them are available.

 
 
Well I am one of the first in line so next year when they ship expect my review.

 

[skipwilly]

   
 
Well I am one of the first in line so next year when they ship expect my review.

Nice! I will definitely be on the lookout for that

 

[cjp87]

Anyone else thinking about these? I'm hesitant to drop $150/$220 on something like hifi headphones without knowing the quality or sound signature, and waiting until April might be a long wait. But the tech and allure of dual-driver CIEMs is pretty tempting. And the new charging case is pretty nifty.
 
Most expensive phones I've purchased were Shure 840s, and paying in that range for an unknown isn't comfortable to me.

 

[Drtonyt]

As i have said before.. $200 for a wireless 2xBA ciem is incredible. And with the stretch goals they currently have they are just getting better. The only problem I have too is the long wait time.. And more times than not kick-started campaigns aren't on schedule.. So in reality you are probably looking at may.. Which is almost a year.

 

[Sinocelt]

More than a year has passed. Any news?

 

[skipwilly]

More than a year has passed. Any news?

Apparently the Kickstarter went up in flames. They ran out of money and haven’t delivered any products. Here’s a link to a copy of their last update. http://reddit.com/r/kickstarter/comments/3qzehr/kickstarter_ownphones_3d_printed_bluetooth/
I’m pretty glad now that I didn’t end up backing this.

 

[Sinocelt]

Yikes! Ugly. Thanks for the link.