Progression keeps us alive

November 10

(This blog is contributed by earSHOTS founder James Bell-Booth)

We are at the dawn of a new day in earSHOTS journey and I'm itching to show the world what the team have achieved in the last two years.  We are relentlessly focused on the sound experience for high action sports and adventure.  It's inspiring seeing how athletes push for progression in their sports. It keeps it alive and engaging for people.  Since day one we have approached sport audio from a different perspective, putting the physical experience of earSHOTS when you wear them front and center.  The problems I faced when I was inspired to start earshots were ALL around how distracting it was when I was riding and running, having earphones that would fall out and require constant readjustment.  So that is where we started;  we would make an earphone you put on once, and never have to touch again.

As we get closer to a new milestone, it's super cool to look back on our progression...

Our journey started moulding magnets to an iPod to check if it could work

I remember my very first test, I borrowed an iPod shuffle off a mate and glued magnets to it.  I even had to wrap up the earphone cord and glue it so it didn't flap around. 

 

Lots of burnt fingers moulding with melted plastic beads at the kitchen table...

Hundreds of prototypes, thousands of hours on the trails.  I had no idea how to make an earphone, so I went out and bought plastic beads that you could pour boiling water over and then mould, although I always ended up with burnt fingers!

 

The guy at the model shop said...'here use this, it won't burn your hands'...stoked to find Epoxy!

 

We set up 3D printing in the garage

We eventually figured out some key design themes that would make earshots work.  Once we knew these we could mock up computer models and 3D print them for more testing prototypes.  My co-founder John started ripping apart MP3 players and making our own working prototypes.

 

We start to get a little flasher...

Once we nailed the ergonomics and magnetic system, we started to play with different control methods for the device

 

YESS!! We finally prototype bluetooth technology with magnets and there is ZERO impact on connectivity! 

 

Houston, we have lift off...finally, after 5 years we had our first earSHOTS to sell!

After 5 long years of hard work, from the kitchen table, to the trails, to the garage, to the trails, to the workshop, back to the trails and then to our manufacturing facility...we were finally underway.

 

And now...the next stage in our progression...

Since launching in April 2020, thousands of people are now running and riding with earSHOTS.  We have been loving hearing from people on what they love and what we can do better.  

We have been listening and taking all we can on board.

And we are about to respond to you all. 

ALL NEW EARSHOTS - Available for pre-order soon