Even launches $99 earphones that adjust to your hearing

When was the last time you bought a pair of earphones? How did you know which ones were the best? Was it based on brand name? Price? Or through a referral? Some people believe that choosing by brand can cause you to spend much more than you need to and that choosing by price doesn’t always get you the best quality. MeQ thinks that you shouldn’t have to break the bank for premium devices and so has launched its Even earphones, which contain technology to optimize sound based on how you personally hear.

Available for $99, the Even earphones are fine-tuned so that you’ll always have a great experience. Company CEO Danny Aronson explained that our hearing changes over time and that most products in the marketplace are built for an ideal persona. “The way to move forward in the audio industry is to develop headphones that take into account the fact that people hear differently,” he said.

Above: Even earphones

Image Credit: Even

Interestingly, Aronson suggests we think of earphones like we do glasses: Our eyesight changes, and we need new prescriptions nearly every two years. Likewise, the way we hear changes — and the company’s CEO should know, as he’s a classically trained composer with experience as a sound designer for commercial work. His cofounder, Ofer Raz, is the founder of fleet management service Greenroad.

Even earphones look like most others, but they contain the company’s EarPrint technology. When enabled, it will measure your hearing through an interactive process that adapts sound so it’s suitable for your ears. Think about it as a hearing test you might have taken in school or at the doctor’s office. You’ll be tested on eight frequencies, and within 90 seconds the system can adjust itself to your hearing.

Aronson is quick to disclaim that these earphones are not medical devices and that although they produce an audiogram file to map your hearing, it’s not something you can immediately access — though we’re told the company is developing a mobile app to make it more accessible.

Even isn’t stopping at earphones, either, as there are plans to establish a broader brand, along the lines of Bose, Seenheiser, Bests by Dre, and Monster. “We believe personalized sound is the future of the audio industry,” Aronson said, and you can imagine the technology being adapted to car stereos, televisions, and many other areas where audio is played.

These earphones are priced at $99 because Even doesn’t think that you should have to pay hundreds of dollars to get an amazing sound experience. They’re currently only available in the U.S., exclusively on the company’s website.