Sony Electronics Unveils Off-Ear Earphones Designed for Runners and Athletes

Sony had a very strange presence at CES 2023 with almost no product announcements and an unusual booth with no audio products at all. Now, Sony Electronics announces a new bold earphone design that shows that the Japanese company is keeping busy and not afraid to experiment new concepts. The new WI-OE610 Float Run is a new attempt from Sony to perfect off-ear headphones, aimed to help runners with a comfortable design for a stress-free listening experience.

Multiple perspectives to inspire you in the new year. A Market Update on Bone Conduction Transducers, an article on the development of the Taction Transporter haptic transducer, and a valuable article by Hans W. Gierlich explaining an effective approach for testing structure-borne sound applied to in-ear developments. Andrew Bellavia writes about why the FDA’s OTC hearing aid rule could be quickly obsolete, Adam Levenson introduces the new Audio Foundry automotive audio development platform, and René Christensen makes its debut with audioXpress, writing about simulation techniques

Shokz, formerly AfterShokz and known for its patented bone conduction technology and open-ear headphones, announced OpenRun Pro Mini, a smaller version of Shokz’s most premium bone conduction sports headphones - OpenRun Pro. The reduced-size version of the boundary pushing open-ear headphones improves performance in a 0.83-inch shorter band, giving those with smaller head sizes and ear shapes a more comfortable and snug fit in a smaller titanium frame.

xMEMS Labs introduced Montara Pro, a MEMS microspeaker with an integrated solution that opens or closes the vent by sensor fusion input from the system DSP. This approach enables smart TWS earbuds and hearing aids that create best-of-both-worlds user experiences, combining the benefits of closed-fit (occluded) and open-fit earbuds. xMEMS is providing first demonstrations of Montara Pro this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at Venetian Suite 29-325.

Could Auricle have cracked the code of headphone isolation and hearing augmentation in an open-ear form-factor? Auricle, a company founded in 2018 and based in Denmark, identified the common problem of situational awareness or lack thereof when using headphones. In response, Auricle perfected bone conduction technology in a wireless design that still leaves the ear canal completely open. A platform with great potential for hearing augmentation, and a novel personal audio design that combines awareness, communication, hearing, and fun.

To reduce accidents in micro-mobility, Danish startup Circulr Sound Tech ApS, proposes introducing neckphones for modern lifestyles. The company's new take on neckbands is more akin to regular headphones which rest around the neck, instead of over the head and the ears, and use what Circulr defines as open-ear AI sound technology. The design combines elements from headphones, wearables and loudspeakers, allowing users to stay aware of the environment.

JLab Audio is determined to solve major issues consumers have in the wearables category with existing audio-integrated eyewear with the launch of its new JBuds Frames. Opposite to many existing product concepts already launched in the market of eyeglasses frames with built-in speakers, the San Diego, CA-based company decided to offer clip-on wireless speakers that can be added to any existing frames. The new JBuds Frames are also much more affordable.

Bose announced the new Bose Sport Open Earbuds — truly wireless earbuds that are optimized for sports, fitness and wellness — with a unique design that the Massachusetts company says, feels like "Nothing In Your Ears, Nothing Covering Them." This new "not in-ear" truly wireless design challenges perceptions, in a crowded space mainly competing to be smaller, smarter, and more discreet. But after the Sleepbuds and the Bose Frames, its seems clear that Bose is not afraid of taking risks.