ORA introduce the world's first graphene headphones
20/06/2017
Hardware > Headphones
We've all heard about graphene, the so-called wonder material', discovered in 2004. However, in the intervening 13 years, we haven't seen any significant products take advantage of the material's extraordinary properties. That's until the GrapheneQ Headphones from Montreal-based company ORA.
While the headphones themselves have initially been targeted at consumers and hi-fi enthusiasts, these wired/wireless headphones have properties that would work equally well in the studio for mixing and mastering. The company claim that these headphones offer the smoothest frequency responses recorded, zero distortion, and crystal clear resolution across the entire audio range. Even top recording engineer and inventor George Massenburg has given them the thumbs up.
As a trained audio engineer I have dedicated my life to the study and practice of accuracy in sound reproduction, said Co-Founder Robert-Eric Gaskell. After completing their PhDs, Robert-Eric and his brother Peter worked together designing and building audio equipment with ribbon mic makers AEA. Robert-Eric continues, It became clear to us that graphene had the ideal mechanical characteristics for loudspeakers and microphones. We patented the idea and wrote a paper for the Audio Engineering Society on the use of graphene in ribbon microphones. Shortly thereafter we were approached by a technology incubator and assembled a team to explore its potential.
The result was the development of GrapheneQ, a proprietary nanocomposite formulation consisting of 95% graphene. The process actually uses flakes of graphene oxide that are bonded together to make a multi-layer material. Speaker membranes made with this material display a rare combination of high stiffness and low density, claim ORA, which translates to acoustic qualities on par with the highest performing materials on the market at a significantly reduced cost. In theory, this means fewer and less pronounced resonant peaks, minimal breakup at higher frequencies, better stereo imaging and all-round improved efficiency.
Digital processes (DSP) have become a band-aid for masking the limitations of audio technology, said Co-Founder Ari Pinkas. While DSP is a powerful tool, improving the fundamental technology is a far superior approach.
GrapheneQ Headphones feature GrapheneQ membranes which ORA allege provides excellent tonality and superior dampening, high efficiency drivers for extended battery life, touchpad controls to skip songs, control volume and answer calls, a built-in electret microphone for hands-free calling, and ear-shaped design optimised for fit and ergonomics.
Richard King, a 14-time Grammy award-winning recording engineer is sold on them: there's a tightness to the low end that's impressive, it's really fast... I cant wait to hear a loudspeaker implementation!
ORA are now running a Kickstarter campaign from June 20 to July 20, 2017. For a full rundown of the pledge levels visit the Kickstarter page. At the time of writing, they had already raised $109,000 of their $135,000 goal. You can currently get ORA GrapheneQ headphones for $199 USD with prices increasing to $499 USD after the campaign finishes. But be quick, as certain backing options have already sold out.
Don't expect these headphones to be the only product from ORA, though. They are already in talks wth some of the biggest names in tech about providing miniature speakers for phones, laptops and tablets. This is not only because they consume less power, but also because they can allegedly produce four times the output of other speakers of the same size.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/413314819/ora-the-worlds-first-graphene-hea...
LINK: | http://www.soundonsound.com/news/ora-introduce-worlds-first-graphene-h... |
See more stories from soundonsound |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
15/05/2024
The CW Gets Rights to 11 PAC-12 Football Games
BURBANK, Calif. The CW Network has announced it will be the broadcast home for 11 Pac-12 football games featuring Oregon State and Washington State during the u...
15/05/2024
Nielsen: Disney Is Top Media Distributor with 11.5% of TV Usage
NEW YORK Disney has landed on top of Nielsens newly launched Media Distributor Gauge, which offers its first cross-platform view of total TV consumption across ...
15/05/2024
Max Sets a May 21 Streaming Debut for 'Dune: Part Two
Warner Bros. Discoverys Max streaming services has finally set a launch date for Dune: Part Two with the announcement that the film will begin streaming on Thur...
15/05/2024
FCC Establishes Spectrum Steering Team
WASHINGTON, D.C. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced the establishment of the Spectrum Steering Team that will lead the FCC's efforts to develo...
15/05/2024
Gary Heelas joins TSL as principal engineer
TSL said the appointment marks a strategic enhancement in the companys commitment to focusing on UK and US-designed and manufactured solutions By Jenny Priestl...
15/05/2024
Is Sony about to pull out of its bid for Paramount?
Sony and Apollo may decide to acquire Shari Redstone's National Amusements, which is the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global By Jenny Priestley P...
15/05/2024
Presteigne Broadcast Hire enters administration
The company appointed administrators yesterday (May 14th) By Jenny Priestley Published: May 15, 2024 The company appointed administrators yesterday (May 1...
15/05/2024
Matrox Video Demos at InfoComm 2024 Will Showcase New AVo...
Technology innovator Matrox Video today announced that the company will highlight its leading AV-over-IP (AVoIP) technologies including the brand-new, next-g...
15/05/2024
RMi Amplifies Connectivity and Clarity at Major 2024 Musi...
Riedel Communications today announced its pivotal role in bringing unparalleled audio clarity and connectivity to one of the U.S.'s biggest 2024 music and a...
15/05/2024
Chyron Unveils Significant Updates to Chyron LIVE Cloud P...
Chyron today released a series of significant updates to its Chyron LIVE cloud-native live production platform that were demonstrated at the 2024 NAB Show in La...
15/05/2024
VisualOn to Showcase Revolutionary Optimizer Content-Awar...
VisualOn, a leader in video software technology, is set to unveil its groundbreaking Optimizer suite at Broadcast Asia 2024. The unveiling will take place in th...
15/05/2024
StreamVue announce exclusive parnership with DigiBox
StreamVue, one of the global leaders in IPTV and digital signage solutions is excited to announce an exclusive distribution partnership with DigiBox, one of the...
15/05/2024
Vega Project Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow for XR Studio in Hilton Tokyo
Vega Project Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow for XR Studio in Hilton Tokyo Brie Clayton May 14, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design announced today that...
15/05/2024
Chaos Releases V-Ray 6 Benchmark
Chaos Releases V-Ray 6 Benchmark Brie Clayton May 14, 2024 0 Comments Popular Rendering Benchmark Brings Back CPU/GPU Stats in a Minute; New Benchmark...
15/05/2024
Rose City Futsal Sets New Standard for Community Sports Venues with AI-Automated Sports Production & Streaming Solution
Rose City Futsal Sets New Standard for Community Sports Venues with AI-Automated...
15/05/2024
That Station Artist Notes Series Returns This Summer
Artist Notes is back! Join That Station this summer for the conversation and concert series where you get to hear an artist on stage to not only play music, but...
15/05/2024
Assembling Disney's Upfront: It Takes More Than Magic (Video)
A lot goes into making The Walt Disney Co.'s upfront presentation....
15/05/2024
Madhive Names Premion Founder Jim Wilson President
Madhive, which provides technology for local connected TV advertising, said that it named Jim Wilson as president....
15/05/2024
Amazon Prime Video Swings With Nicholas Cage Spider-Man Series
At its first upfront presentation to advertisers, Amazon Prime Video announced new series and renewed some of its hits....
15/05/2024
Nielsen Crowns Disney in New Ranking of Media Distributors
Nielsen released a new ranking of companies in the media distribution business, including broadcast, cable and streaming, and The Walt Disney Co. was at the top...
15/05/2024
Latin Culture Is Key at TelevisaUnivision Upfront
TelevisaUnivision told advertisers at its upfront presentation Tuesday about more ways they can connect with Latin culture, including through music and live eve...
14/05/2024
Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Stephen Maing, the Co-Director of Union
By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...
14/05/2024
The Making of The Fall Guy
The feature film The Fall Guy marks the latest collaboration between director David Leitch and cinematographer Jonathan Sela, ASC. Sela describes the movie as ...
14/05/2024
Aerojet Rocketdyne to be Propulsion Provider for the Next Generation Interceptor
Notional render of Lockheed Martins Next Generation Interceptor. Credit: Lockheed Martin...
14/05/2024
5 Misconceptions About Satellite Imagery, Part 2
Access to commercial satellite imagery has become increasingly democratized. Students, startups, researchers and casual enthusiasts are leveraging satellite dat...
14/05/2024
Grass Valley Equips Fujairah TV with Advanced Live Production Technology
Montreal, Canada - May 14, 2024 - Grass Valley, a leader in live production solutions, proudly announces its collaboration with Fujairah TV, a prominent broadca...
14/05/2024
OpenVault Harnesses Generative AI to Improve Broadband Networks
JERSEY CITY, N.J. & COLOGNE, Germany OpenVault has released new details about how it is leveraging the power of Generative AI to significantly and securely expa...
14/05/2024
Comcast Plans Peacock, Netflix, Apple TV+ Streaming Bundle
Comcast is planning to begin offering a new streaming bundle of Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ sometime later this month at a vastly reduced price, Comcast ch...
14/05/2024
Chyron Releases Enhancements For LIVE Cloud Production Platform
MELVILLE, N.Y. Chyron has released a series of updates for its LIVE cloud-native production platform....
14/05/2024
CueScript announces passing of founder Brian Larter
Larter co-founded CueScript with Michael Accardi in 2014 By Jenny Priestley Published: May 14, 2024 Updated: May 15, 2024 Larter co-founded CueScript wi...
14/05/2024
EMG Gravity Media Showcases its Combined Live Broadcast E...
EMG / Gravity Media, will be sharing the Group's knowledge and expertise at The Media Production & Technology Show (MPTS), held on 15th and 16th May in Lond...
14/05/2024
Glensound highlights the latest in networked audio at Bro...
Glensound, industry leader in high quality audio systems, is showcasing the latest additions to its extensive portfolio of networked audio products at Broadcast...
14/05/2024
Spotlight on UK Media Tech Vendors at BroadcastAsia
The GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland pavilion at BroadcastAsia 2024 (stand 6I1-5, Singapore Expo, 29 31 May) puts a group of innovative and dynamic media te...
14/05/2024
LOGIC and video processing specialist Comprimato announce...
LOGIC media solutions and video processing specialist Comprimato have entered a partnership aimed at simplifying workflows in the IP- and cloud-based production...
14/05/2024
Relo Metrics Makes a Major Debut at Cannes Lions Internat...
Relo Metrics (formerly GumGum Sports), the leading AI-powered sponsorship analytics platform for real-time data decisions, has today announced its participation...
14/05/2024
Lightware at Infocomm 2024 - Its Time to Double Down on U...
Lightware Visual Engineering, a leading manufacturer of connectivity solutions for the professional integrated systems market, announced it will showcase a rang...
14/05/2024
Calrec Craft Interview - Aston Fearon Sound Supervisor
Tell us about your path to professional audio. How did you get started and what drew you to the field and technical nature of being an audio professional? As ...
14/05/2024
Fox Details 2024-2025 Schedule Before Upfront Presentation
Fox will share its 2024-2025 schedule at its upfront presentation May 13 in New York, with new shows such as Denis Leary single-cam comedy Going Dutch and the J...
14/05/2024
NBCUniversal Upfront Features Jimmy Fallon, Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, Kelly Clarkson
The NBCUniversal upfront presentation kicked off at New York's Radio City Mu...
14/05/2024
NBCUniversal Stakes Claim To the Future of Advertising (Upfronts)
At a time when many are questioning the value of television advertising, NBCUniversal declared that it has more to offer than newcomers like Amazon, Netflix and...
14/05/2024
Fox Upfront Presentation Offers a Little Jon Hamm, a Little More Tom Brady, a Little More Gordon Ramsay
Fox's upfront presentation, at The Manhattan Center Monday, May 13, kicked o...
14/05/2024
Broadcast Nets Show Gains in Ad Impressions Despite Strikes, iSpot Study Finds
Despite strikes that wiped out original programming last season and a narrative about viewers streaming more and watching less linear TV, the big broadcast netw...
14/05/2024
Opinion: Why it's important to give broadcast engineers support in the move to IP
Ed Calverley, manager at large, SMPTE UK, discusses how organisations can help t...
14/05/2024
Sphere completes HOLOPLOT acquisition
HOLOPLOTs proprietary technology enables precise and digital control of sound propagation and localisation to deliver targeted, consistent and immersive audio, ...
14/05/2024
TVBEurope appoints Jenny Priestley as content director
Matthew Corrigan has also recently joined the TVBEurope editorial team as content writer By TVBEurope Staff Published: May 14, 2024 Matthew Corrigan has a...
14/05/2024
Gary Heelas Joins TSL as Principal Engineer
LOS ANGELES Gary Heelas has joined TSL as principal engineer in the company's U.S. office, the company announced....
14/05/2024
Gray Television Inks AAPB Deal for Summer Baseball
ATLANTA Gray Television Inc. has announced an agreement to bring select American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) games to free, over-the-air local t...
14/05/2024
Adsmovil Expands Nuestra.TV Distribution
MIAMI, Fla. Adsmovil has expanded access to its free, ad-supported, streaming TV service, Nuestra.TV to include Apple TV, Android TV, Smart TVs, Android media p...