Mark Andreychuk has always believed 3D printing could be used to craft high-quality products at an affordable cost. That was the idea behind his original head (amame) headphones: a DIY kit people buy to produce custom headphones printed at home on their 3D printers. Head(amame) kits cost from $55 to $130, plus the cost of filament, depending on the style and driver you choose. Now the company is upping the ante with its new Head(amame) Pro headphones.
Existing Head(amame) kits can produce an impressive set of headphones, but a lot of the final quality rides on your 3D printer and your ability to produce and assemble the parts. A skilled maker with a Markforged Mark Two and carbon fiber reinforced Onxy filament might just create a better set of headphones than someone with an Ender 3 and a roll of cheap PETG.
And so the head(amame) Pro was born.
(Image credit: Head(amame))
Andreychuk teamed up with Brian Hayden of Capra Audio, who was an early head (amame) backer, to create the ultimate 3D-printed headphones. The Pro is a feather-light, open-backed style headphone, with glass drivers and a Kevlar-reinforced chassis. These are not a DIY kit; they are professionally 3D-printed by Pantheon Designs on industrial FDM machines.
The glass diaphragm, thinner than a human hair, provides an excellent base for tuning with unparalleled rigidity and damping. This revolutionary technology is found on only a few other headphones that cost over $1500. Head(amame) Pro are launching on Kickstarter starting at $319 for early bird backers.
(Image credit: Head(amame))
These over-ear headphones are extremely light, weighing just 280 grams. They have velour-wrapped memory foam earpads and a breathable comfort strap. They do not require an amp and can be plugged right into a phone, laptop, or game controller.
Even though the Pro model isn’t a DIY kit, the headphones are still fully 3D-printed. That keeps costs down, since the company doesn’t need expensive injection molds. The parts are made on Patheon’s HS-Pro machines using ASA-Kevlar filament. Backers will receive the model files for the Pro, making the headphones completely repairable for years to come, if you have access to a 3D printer. You can also purchase replacement parts directly from Head(amame).
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