Hello there audiofellas

Today I want to bring to your attention one bold and in my opinion quite succesfull and exciting project

- the Nuraphone -

wireless/wired adaptive headphones with Nura’s patented in & over architecture.

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It is rare that a mundane field such as closed headphones gets a new entry with completely new concept in terms of design, features and technologies incorporated. With somehow lucky startup during their Kickstarter campaign (that begin in 2016) they got over 1.8 million dollars in backup which makes them the most successful Kickstarter campaign in Australia.
Hiding behind names like Sonic Moulding™ and inova™ are technologies incorporating at least three different patents of their own and a bunch of silicon and know-how.
What makes them so unique (rather than the fact that they are a hybrid between ear-buds and closed headphones)? When you put them for the first time and connect them to your phone through their app, they make an acoustic scan of your ears and cochlea response and make a personal hearing profile that than is applied in the headphones internal software.

But lets begin with the basics:
Nuraphone can be used as wireless (Bluetooth aptX HD codec) or wired via USB-A, USB-C, Lightening or analog input.
They come packed in a black magnetic protective hard case that looks and feels really sturdy and fancy.
The shells are made out of anodized aluminum with silicone ear-cups and cushions and metal frame. All this, combined with the somehow hefty weight (329g) makes them feel stable and durable to some abuse.
When putted on for the first time, a kind female voice greets you and guides you through the rather simple setup process.

So I went on and skeptically calibrated them. Than I played one of my favorite tunes.
The difference was simply mindblowing. I have had my share of dealing with headphones. Never have I heard my music with such a clarity and detail! The dual-speaker design together with the personalized profile brought me a sound without any phase distortion (even on shamelessly loud levels), clear and deep bass, crispy but mellow highs and well focused mids. On top of that I'm experiencing way less listing fatigue even on loud levels. I have these for a week now and I am still listing to my playlists, discovering new sounds and harmonies in tracks I believed I knew like the palm of my hand.

It's all about the Bass
With the "Immersive mode" you can control the amount of bass you hear that goes from mild enhancement to a skull-shaking level (keeping clarity and detail at the same time) where you start hearing the sound through your skull bone structure.

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In addition there are two touch buttons on both sides of the cups that can be set to different functions (one of them being turning on and off the bass enhancement).

Despite the unorthodox design they feel good up to a point where I'm almost forgetting I'm having them on my head/ears. That being said this is not the type of phone you want to listen with only one cup on. The double membrane sound insulation and the soft silicone cups fit comfortably on your ears and dont induce sweating/steaming up.

The only drawbacks I found are the somehow quirky app and the fact that there is no way (currently on Android) to observe the level of the battery.

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nuraphone

Unboxed

1. nuraphone
2. USB-A charging cable
3. Magnetic locking protective case

Tech Specs
Dimensions 190 x 170 x 88 mm
Weight 329 g
Connectivity Bluetooth aptX HD, Universal Wired (Lightning, USB-C, micro-USB, analog)
DAC 24-bit, 48000 Hz
Battery Lithium Ion Battery, Up to 20 hours
Noise Isolation Dual passive
Materials High grade stainless, aluminium cups, hypoallergenic silicon pads
Voice External microphones for calls

Need more info?
Visit the Nuraphone site


As a new owner I got a discount link for sharing with friends (hence I am sharing it here), that gives 20% off the official price ($399).
The benefit for me is that if 6 people complete a purchase though the link (each getting 20% off), I will receive a second pair of nuraphones. This affiliate program also applies to all new and future new owners.
PM me for the link if anyone wants to jump on these.

 

Last edited: Apr 3, 2018

I wonder what this could do for a hearing impaired person?

 

Went onto the website to check them out and was impressed.

Right up until i read the terms of their 30 day returns.

I have to pay for the return shipping costs, ok i can understand that but theres no mention of where i have to return them too, if its australia thats gonna cost a small fortune, especially since you only have 7 days to get it back to them, so its air freight only, lol.

Not only that but from their returns policy:"Shipping and handling charges, plus taxes such as customs and VAT are not refundable".

Vat is £58.17 and keeping that is just theft as no other company i have ever dealt with has kept the vat on anything i have ever had to return.

Headphones may be good but the company seems decidedly not good.

 

Well, they say that for now they cant guarantee that it will work and still:

I do believe however that this technology will help to improve the quality of life for the hearing-impaired in the future.

 

Last edited: Apr 4, 2018

I wonder if they are flat for production and mixing/mastering! I'd get them in no time.

 

yes send me the link pls

 

Can you create / save / use different profiles for different people / users? Easily? Or is it just a one-time thing? Also, is it mail order only =( cos that's gonna be a colossal pain...

 

I asked the quite responsive support about frequency curve. They said they can't give me one. Being a dual driver cans, they do cover frequencies beyond hearing spectrum on both ends. I'm currently mixing/mastering one of my tracks with them, after that I will play that on my monitors to check the result. I'm sure that using reference track will yield very good results.
For now I can tell you that I am hearing way too much with them...

 

Last edited: Apr 6, 2018

Yes, yes and yes (although you have only 3 slots available ). Right now the app needs more work as is the firmware. You can change profiles only through the app and only if you are connected to the internet. The automatic recognition of who is wearing them and the battery level marker works only on iPhone for now. All these are getting solved pretty quickly though so I'm not worried about them.

 

Way too much as in its "really good" or "it's coloured"? What about stereo stage/image?

 

Way too much as in way too much details... I discover alot of phase and time align mistakes on my mixes. The clarity is stunning.. No coloring (as much as I can tell). The stereo image well directed, spacious and accurate. Because of the bass separation and the closed design the sound can be perceived as a bit closed in the beginning, but my ears got adjusted to that pretty quickly and now I dont feel this anymore.. I hear the different instruments well staged.

 

Last edited: Apr 6, 2018