Startup HelloEar is crowdfunding the Arc earphones that are custom fitted to fit snuggly in your ears. The hello ear earphones are ergonomically designed and made for use with all types of activities including sports, work or just pleasure. HelloEar Arc ear phones are made of soft silica to maximize comfort and reduce ear pain.
HelloEar earphones stay securely in the ears because they use a z-lock design that is compatible with the human ear s-type form. Like many headphones, the Hello earphones work with both Bluetooth and 3.5mm jacks. Superior sound quality is produced by Denmark Sonion balanced armature drivers.
In order to customize the earphones for each individual, HelloEar has crowdfunding backers take a picture of a coin placed next to their ear. Using this picture and their special algorithms, HelloEar is able to fully customize its earphones for every individual. These earphones are designed to last a lifetime because human ears do not change shape once they are older than ten years.
Since most earphones only come in one size, or limited to small, medium and large, they don’t fit 70% of the population properly. HelloEar created a database of custom ear sizes and identified the 5 key ear traits that meet the needs of 99% of the population. Using these characteristics they are able to match ears with their 36 different earphone shapes.
To date HelloEar Arc has raised $186,392 through a Kickstarter crowdfunding effort for its earphones. The Hello Ear startup began raising funds on November 28, 2016 and made its fundraising goal of $50,000 on Decmeber 8, 2016. Hello Ear has stretch goals that include a new black and white version for raising $150,000 in funding, a lighting version of Arc earphones for a $250,000 raise and a charging case for reaching $500,000 in crowdfunding.
HelloEar crafted reward tiers for its crowdfunding supporters, like:
- Super early bird that includes 1 pair of HelloEars Arc earphones for $69
- Bluetooth version of Hello earphones for $99
- HelloEar Arc package that includes earphones, Bluetooth adapter, earphone case and USB charging cable for $109
- 2 Arc earphones and 2 cases for $129
- 10 sets of earphones and accessories for $939
HelloEar is headquatered in Seattle, Washington and was started up by two Engineers, Chen Yu and Wei Zhou, in 2014.
Other Manufacturers of Custom Fit Earphones and Earbuds
In addition to HelloEar, there are other companies that offers custom fitted earphones or earbuds. Here is a sample list of other custom earphone manufacturers:
| Earphone Name | Description | Retail Price |
| OwnPhones Fit | 3D printed earphones based on an ear scan using the company’s app. | $249 |
| Decibullz custom earphones | Molded to the ears by placing in hot water and then snapping them onto the earphones. | $59.99 |
| Revols custom fit earphones | Custom fit is achieved by molding earphone tips to ears using an app. | $300 |
| Earsound Customs | Personally fitted by visiting office of an Earsound professional fitter. | $149 |
| Snugs custom-fit earphones | Ear impression completed at fitting center and then 3D imprint is made at earphone factory. | N/A |
Crowdfunding Earphones and Other Hearing Devices
Entrepreneurs looking to obtain funding for earphones, earbuds and headphones are increasingly turning to crowdfunding on sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Millions of dollars have been raised on these platforms to fund these tech startups. For instance, Axent headphones and Dash earphones have each raised $3.4 million through their respective crowdfunding campaigns for these types of devices.
You can learn more at Crowdfunding Headphones, Earphones and Earbuds and how developers are trying to differentiate their offerings. While some promise better fit, like HelloEar, others are designed to help people sleep better (Kokoon EEG Headphones) or provide an optimal audio experience (Nura Headphones).
Recent Comments