Headphone Firm Offers DIY Custom-Molded Earbuds in Kickstarter Project

Decibullz, a Fort Collins, Colorado-based headphone company, launched a Kickstarter campaign Tuesday for do-it-yourself molded wireless earbuds expected to sell for $179, with a target shipping date of May, CEO Kyle Kirkpatrick told us on a press tour in New York last week. The Kickstarter campaign started at an “early bird” price of $99 for 500 units of the Black Diamond earbuds, Kirkpatrick said. He demo'd the molding process, designed to create a tight, customized fit for each user, by softening the earbuds' housing with near-boiling water before fitting them in the ears. Users can perform "do-overs" if they want a better fit, he said. Kirkpatrick positioned the earbuds as less expensive options to Apple’s AirPods and to molded earphones in the market that sell for several hundred dollars and can take six-eight weeks for delivery. A digital audio pass-through button allows users to hear ambient noise and voice or to block out all external noise, he said. The earbuds have Bluetooth 5.0, said to enable a stronger connection than previous versions of Bluetooth, and a 50-foot range with the help of a laser direct structuring antenna, he said. Battery life is six hours for music playback and the supplied charging case can provide five charges before needing to refuel, said the CEO.