RealLoud is the world's first and only patented in-ear technology that safely delivers a louder, more spacious and richer sound - all while minimizing the risk of hearing loss from personal listening devices.
Audio legend Stephen D. Ambrose has brought many ground breaking in-ear innovations to market. He invented the in-ear monitors that are used by professional musicians on stages around the world. He’s worked closely with artists like Stevie Wonder, Rush, Simon and Garfunkel, Kiss, and Diana Ross to develop his professional audio products. And today, he’s ready to help bring another innovation to market.
Why? Because too many teens, young adults and professional musicians suffer from hearing loss. In fact, the proportion of teens with mild or worse hearing loss has increased 77% since the 1990s. And there are studies that have shown the hearing loss is due to earbud use.
Introducing RealLoud, the world’s first and only patented audio technology that safely delivers a louder, more spacious and richer sound while minimizing the risk of hearing loss. The technology features a secondary eardrum that absorbs the harmful pneumatic pressures produced by earbuds and provides a much safer listening experience. It delivers sound the way it was always meant to be heard. With RealLoud, bass sounds deeper, midrange is clearer and highs sound richer than ever.
Together with 1964Ears, we are bringing this cutting-edge technology to Kickstarter featured in four amazingly innovative 1964|ADEL product lines of earphones and in-ear monitors.
By supporting our campaign today, you can help stop hearing loss and experience the most incredible sounding earphones at the same time!
Fact: Earbuds cause hearing loss
Stephen discovered that when the ear canal is sealed by an earbud, the speaker vibrations create acoustic pressure. In the confined space of the closed ear canal, these become harmful amplified pneumatic pressures and cause the eardrum to move with an amplitude thousands of times greater than normal. Tiny muscles around the eardrum then tighten prematurely to reduce movement and deaden the sound. This then creates a need for the earbuds to be louder. The more the volume increases, the more the eardrum tightens. And so on. And so on.
40 million Americans suffer from hearing loss. For 10 million Americans, the hearing loss is noise induced, not reversible and permanent.
Stephen found a way to break the cycle. It’s called RealLoud Technology and it’ll change the way you hear music. This technology adds a second eardrum into all the ADEL earphones and 1964|ADEL in-ear monitors. This second eardrum takes the punishment of the pneumatic pressure caused by sound in the ear canal, and delivers clear, crisp sound that’s unlike anything you’ve ever heard. And it’s not louder noise coming from your earbuds. Actually, with RealLoud, it’s quieter – often operating at 1/10th the amplified in-ear power levels of traditional listening devices (per studies conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center). And by not prematurely tightening in-ear muscles, which can dramatically compress the volume, loud sounds actually sound louder and require less overall volume levels.
The results from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center study show that using RealLoud Technology allows listeners to enjoy Enhanced Loudness Perception (lower volumes sound significantly louder and better over conventional devices). This provides them a louder yet safer, high fidelity listening experience at greatly reduced power levels (1/4 to 1/16th typical levels) with no perceived loss in volume.
And don't just take our word on this amazing technology. Once people started hearing about what we were doing, they had a hard time keeping quiet. We competed for the Wall Street Journal Startup of the Year award, and out of 500 entries and five months, we finished in the top 5. Autodesk named us the 2013 Inventor of the Year. We were a 1776 International Challenge Cup Finalist and we presented test results in 2013 to the international Acoustic Congress in Montreal, and in 2012 to the American Audiology Society.
We have additional endorsements from: United Healthcare, NSF, NIH, SeboTek, 1964Ears, Vanderbilt Medical Center and Starkey.
ADEL Ambient™ In-Ear phones
These are the pinnacle of spacious, immersive earphone sound and accurate ambient sound never before achieved with traditional in-earphone design. They utilize large ADEL membranes and cutting edge in-ear design to eliminate harmful pneumatic pressures and maximize audio fidelity. By replicating the external ear’s natural shape and strategically arranging the miniature speakers, they allow external sounds to be delivered to the ear without restriction or degradation. Designed for those who demand exceptional audio while keeping connection to the outside world.
The ADEL Ambient 2 offers an affordable, safe listening experience. Powered by 2 drivers, they bring a full, immersive sound to your music and the ambient ports help you stay connected to the outside world.
The ADEL Ambient 4 features 4 drivers and delivers a safe and pure accurate listening experience. These deliver a spacious and immersive sound, and also help you stay connected to the outside world.
The ADEL Ambient 8 offers more bass response while delivering a spacious, immersive sound. Powered by 8 drivers, these earbuds let you listen safely while also helping you stay connected to the outside world.
The ADEL Ambient 12 is a stage and studio quality in earphone, and is super powered by 12 drivers. This is the jewel of the Ambient line and delivers the most fantastic sound you have ever heard. Plus, they help you safely get the most from your music while also helping you stay connected to the outside world.
ADEL Control™ In-Ear Buds
The ADEL Control™ In-Ear Buds are multi-purpose earphones based on a modular ADEL design. By allowing you to rotate and adjust the ambience level, in-ear impedance and bass response, they can be tuned to your exact tastes and needs. Unlike traditional in-earphone designs, the ADEL Control™ features front and back large ADEL membranes. These membranes absorb harmful pneumatic pressures and allow you to accurately match the impedance of your eardrums to the high fidelity and extremely fast moving coil speakers. This results in a clear and spacious sound presentation and a safer listening experience. The ADEL Control™ can also be used as ear protection in loud environments.
The 1964|ADEL U-Series
This is a universal-fit version of the successful 1964EARS V-line of custom molded in-ear monitors (IEM) with the revolutionary RealLoud™ technology. Unlike conventional IEM designs, the included ADEL™ membranes eliminate the harmful pneumatic pressures caused by the movement of speakers. This achieves amazing audio clarity and transient response, and also dramatically reduces the "boom" from your own voice. U-Series are the world’s first IEM with a "real-time" variably adjustable ambient port and bass control. Designed for professional stage, audiophile and recreational use.
The 1964|ADEL U-Series 4 features quad drivers, 1 high, 1 mid and two low, to deliver amazing low-end frequencies as well as a real-time, variably adjustable ambient port so you can let in as much of the outside world as you want. This is ideal for drummers or bass players in the studio or on the stage.
In the 1964|ADEL U-Series 5, you’ll benefit from 5 drivers, 2 high, 2 mid and 1 low. This creates something that we call an “out-of-head” sound-stage presentation and it’s designed to let you hear your music or your mix exactly as it was intended. Also, the real-time, variably adjusted ambient port lets in as much of the outside world as you want.
In the 1964|ADEL U-Series 6, you’ll get six drivers, 2 high, 2 mid and 2 low for a very balanced listening experience. This is our, “Hear it all” model and let’s you hear every instrument completely. This is ideal for professional stage or audiophile use and it offers a real-time, variably adjustable ambient port so you can let as much of the outside world in as you want.
The 1964|ADEL U-Series 8 is our premium model that produces a smooth sound and enhanced bass from its 8 drivers, 2 high, 2 mid and 4 low. These are designed for professional stage and studio professionals, or audiophiles and offer enhanced bass and natural frequency response. The real-time, variably adjustable ambient port helps you control how much of the outside world you hear.
The 1964|ADEL A-Series Custom In-Ear Monitors
Designed for the professional musician and the most discerning listener, these are handcrafted from ear impressions to precisely fit your ear. The 1964|ADEL Custom IEMs are designed with RealLoud™ and ADEL™ technologies, which eliminate harmful pneumatic pressures and dramatically enhance the listening experience. The result is a dynamically louder, more spacious sound with reduced risk of hearing damage. They also feature a "real-time" variably adjustable ambient port and bass control. The 1964|ADEL custom IEMs are noise canceling and are designed to work well with a wide range of personal audio devices as well as all wired and wireless monitor systems.
The 1964|ADEL A10 Custom will be hand-made from your ear impressions for the perfect custom fit and offers a true, custom listening experience. Featuring 10 drivers, 4 high, 4 mid and 2 low, these offer neutral bass, luscious mids and a silky, smooth top end. They’re ideal for professional studio and stage professionals, and audiophiles who want to bring recordings to life. Available in 32 colors*
The 1964|ADEL A12 Custom is the pinnacle of professional audio reproduction and is hand-made from your ear impressions for that perfect custom fit. It offers an unmatched listening experience with deep controlled bass and features 12 drivers, 4 high, 4 mid and 4 low which deliver remarkable clarity and immersive sound with impeccable spacial imaging. These are ideal for the stage or studio professionals or audiophiles who want maximum sound quality. Available in 32 colors*
*Other customizations possible. Backers will be given link to customize.
Overview of Product Features
Want to compare all of the product models?
Use the compare feature at www.1964adel.com
What the press are saying:
Popular Mechanics: “. . . the difference was striking.”
1776 Challenge Cup News: “Few People Will Ever Revolutionize An Industry. Asius Technologies’ Founder Has Done It Twice,”
PC & Tech Authority: “Apple 'very interested' in bubble earbuds that won't damage your ears,”
Denver Channel 9 News:“. . . promises to change the earbud and headset market,”
Advance Healthcare Network: “Asius Develops Earpieces to Crank Up Volume With Safety!”
Science & Enterprise: “Cause of Headphone, Hearing Aid Fatigue Diagnosed.”
Wall Street Journal:“Asius's Mission: Making the Quiet Audible. Startup's Devices Help the Hearing-Impaired, Others Listen to Low-Volume Sounds.”
Reader’s Digest: "27 Ideas that Make Your Life Better. Asius Technologies - Making music sound clearer at a lower volume."
Stretch Goal #1 - $350,000
Inline 3-Button Microphone
Life is on the go. Transform your 1964ADEL Earphones into a mobile phone headset by adding an inline 3-button microphone and volume control. This state-of-the-art accessory also gives you the added convenience of accepting calls and skipping tracks to find your favorite music without reaching for your pocket. Please note that this feature is designed primarily for Apple devices but the microphone function can be used on Android devices as well.
This feature is optional, and you can choose to have a cable without the 3-button microphone.
Stretch Goal #2 - $450,000
Charcoal Black Color for U-Series Products
You can have the choice of Charcoal Black color with your purchase of any of the U-Series products. The perfect discrete low profile look for your high end earphones.
Stretch Goal #3 - $600,000
Custom Designed Earphone Case
Protect your earphones with this new compact and easy to use carrying case. This ergonomically designed case is lightweight & airtight but built with a protective shell to safeguard your favorite 1964|ADEL earphones from impact or pressure. This design addresses the shortcomings of conventional cases such as, size, functionality and efficiency in storing and removing your high-end earphones. The case will also feature a pressure release valve. When the stretch goal is reached, all 1964|ADEL earphones will be shipped in this custom designed case.
Please share our Kickstarter campaign with your friends to help reach this stretch goal!
Revolutionary Audio Technology:
From our research conducted in real-time on a live eardrum, fully sealed in-ear speakers typically create ear drum motions which are thousands of times greater than normal. This significantly degrades fidelity, produces audio fatigue and contributes greatly to the more than 70% increased risk of hearing loss medically documented for personal listening devices.
RealLoud Technology solves this through bio-mimicry. Bio-mimicry is a form of technology which improves physical conditions by duplicating nature, or in this case, by reconstructing the actual physiology and functioning of the human ear.
This graphic below of the technology displays the mechanics described above:
Protecting your hearing by providing a secondary eardrum to take the pounding:
There are reflexive muscles in your middle ear that tighten your eardrum whenever sounds become loud enough to damage your hearing. This can turn your volume down as much as 50 or 100 times without telling you. When triggered prematurely by in-ear speaker motions, this reflex can cause you to turn your volume up even higher, thereby subjecting your ears to even greater and more harmful sound pressure levels. As can be seen in the video, the RealLoud Technology uses bio-mimicry to provide a second, more compliant eardrum which adjustably absorbs this harmful pounding instead of allowing it to traumatize your own eardrum into prematurely triggering this reflex. Result: lower volumes sound louder and better.
Relieving harmful in-ear speaker pressures by providing a secondary and adjustable external Eustachian Tube:
Another physiological functioning of the human ear deals with in-ear pressure: when subjected to too much pressure, your eardrum becomes uncomfortable and your hearing becomes degraded and more difficult. “Popping your ears” by swallowing or adjusting the pressure by holding your nose and blowing opens the Eustachian tube (the channel that leads to the middle ear cavity behind your eardrum) and equalizes the pressure. This gets rid of the discomfort and allows you to hear normally again. Because in-ear speakers can generate enormous pressures, the technology again employs bio-mimicry and provides you with a secondary Eustachian Tube which adjustably releases these artificial in-ear speaker pressures, thereby allowing you to hear more normally. This reduces audio fatigue - and like popping your ears - significantly increases fidelity.
Stephen began his music career at the early age of 13, and one day was recording a song in a studio next door to Johnny Cash. He was invited to listen and was amazed by how fantastic Johnny’s voice sounded over headphones. He was so impressed with that sound he decided to try to re-create it by modifying swimmer’s earplugs with tiny speakers and clay... this was the beginnings of his in-ear monitor.
Through his career, Stephen continued to perfect the design while touring with many top performers. He then introduced his first professional in-ear monitor in 1976, working closely with John Nady (Rock Hall of Fame inventor of the wireless guitar) to make them wireless. They became an immediate hit with studio percussionists such as Joe Pocaroand and Larry Bunker, who were scoring hundreds of movies, including ET and Star Trek. Soon everyone in the whole 90-piece orchestra was trying out and using his in-ear monitors, including such renowned conductors as Mark Snow, John Williams and Lalo Schifrin.
As can be seen in the BAM article below by David Zimmer (authorized biographer of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young), by the early 1980’s, Ambrose had already introduced his in-ear monitors to such legends as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Tim Weisberg, Joni Mitchell, Herb Albert, Jim Messina, John McLaughlin and Doc Severson to name a few.
This invention was a huge success with many of the top performers using them as it greatly improved the ear’s sensitivity as well as the fidelity of IEMs. Stephen was the sole source of in-ear monitor technology and products for many years.
Development History, Production and Fullfilment Plan:
• 2006 to 2010: Research and Scientific discoveries reveal how the eardrum responds to sound.
• 2011: National Science Foundation sponsored proof of concept earbud study completed, Feasibility of secondary eardrum innovation demonstrated.
• 2012: National Institutes of Health sponsored proof of concept completed, Proof of concept devices demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show, Acoustic design of secondary eardrum completed, RealLoud technology Patents granted.
• 2013: Vanderbilt testing proves that lower volumes sound much louder with RealLoud technology. Extensive customer validation of RealLoud Technology completed during Wall Street Journal Start up of the Year competition.
• May 2014: ADEL Control™ earbud design complete using Autodesk CAD
• April 2014: ADEL Control™ ear tip complete
• August 2014: 1964 Ears & Asius Technologies form 1964 | ADEL
• September 2014:ADEL Ambient™ design complete using Autodesk CAD
• October 2014: 1964ADEL prototype designs completed
• November 2014: Kick Starter Project launches, Stage / Studio Professional In-Ear Monitors prototyping complete.
• December 2014: Initiate production of Stage / Studio Professional In-Ear Monitors.
• January 2015: Begin delivery of Stage / Studio Professional In-Ear Monitors, Lifestyle earphones prototyping complete, factory visits at up to 3 manufacturing candidates
• February 2015: Final prototype testing and refinements, 1964 Ears completes manufacturability test of Lifestyle earphones and Universal IEM, binding quote received from selected manufacturer.
• March 2015: Pilot production of Lifestyle earphones and Universal IEM project manager assigned to factory on site, regulatory certification completed
• April 2015: Start of manufacturing, first article produced, pilot production begins
• May 2015: Begin delivery of Lifestyle earphones and Universal In-Ear Monitors.
Why we need your
So far, the work that we’ve done on RealLoud technology and ADEL earphones has been in laboratories and building working models. Research grants from The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation helped us turn our discoveries into prototypes.
Now, we’re ready to take the next step and get these great products out of our labs and into your ears. And we need your help to make this happen. Your funds will help us make your music, and everything else, sound just as good years from now as they do today. Your funds will help end the hearing damage caused by earbuds and other personal listening devices found on the market today. Your funds will help the world hear everything they way it should be heard. Your funds will help everyone hear RealLoud!
The 1964ADEL team:
Asius Technologies traces its roots to its founder’s invention of the first In-Ear Monitor. We believe that when you challenge all the assumptions, do all the research and refuse to compromise, you can define a new standard for those who don’t need to be told what sounds or feels right. You know it when you hear it. 1964Ears realized the potential of combining these discoveries and innovations with their reputation for providing the best audio performance and value to the world’s most demanding customers – professional musicians. Together with 1964Ears, we will deliver in-ear monitors and earphones that not only sound amazingly better, but conserve hearing so that listeners will always fully enjoy their music - and in the safest way possible.
Risks and challenges
Although Stephen Ambrose invented the in-ear monitor and has proven the technology, the challenge will be to transition from prototype to production. That is why he is partnering with 1964Ears. As a designer and manufacturer of in-ear monitors, 1964 Ears provides “Made in USA” earphone manufacturing expertise and access to the highest quality audio component suppliers.Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
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