Headphone and earplug specialist Flare Audio has launched a new in-ear device that claims to remove ear distortions and consequently make music sound more immersive through headphones and speakers and at gigs.
This “world’s first” device is called Immerse and has been designed to improve the audio experience of any headphone or speaker regardless of their calibre.
The logic behind this bold claim? Flare Audio’s research claims that our ear internals naturally distort sound by at least 20 per cent due to their shell-like shape, and therefore sound quality decreases inside a shell as it resonates. We’re familiar with such ‘HRTF’ (head-related transfer function), which basically refers to how ears receive sound from a sound source – how it naturally disperses when it reaches the head and travels towards the ear canals – and hi-fi manufacturers have created digital filters in their DACs and what-not to try to overcome this.
Flare Audio’s solution, however, happens inside the ear. “The biggest issue isn’t in tracks, it’s not in speakers, it’s in our ears,” says Flare co-founder and inventor Davies Roberts. By changing the internal geometry of ear canals by using acoustic reflectors designed to keep sound waves distortion-free as they enter the ears (via Flare’s Mirror Image Sound tech), Immerse works to remove the effects created by HRTF.
“Ears have not evolved to listen to music, they have evolved to alert us to threats,” says Roberts. “Our natural ear distortions massively affect the sound we hear and unless we address this root cause, sound quality and sonic immersion will never advance. The reason it’s taken so long to solve this issue is because our brains constantly process out our ear distortions, which masks this massive loss in detail. It’s taken us 17 years of working with sound and investigating the human ear to identify where things were going wrong, and this has led us to develop the technology inside Immerse.”
The result is, according to Flare Audio, “the most detailed and immersive sound you can imagine”. Intriguing. You will supposedly hear “every element with unbelievable pinpoint accuracy, noticeable to a far higher degree than our ears could ever naturally perceive.”
Flare Audio says it has worked with producers and sound engineers for this product, and Immerse certainly has some fans in the music industry.
Dave Eringa, producer and mixer for the Manic Street Preachers and Idlewild, said: “Listen to one minute of your favourite mix with Immerse, then take them out and prepare for your jaw to hit the floor. Immerse is going to be a game changer for the recording industry.”
“The difference is as subtle as a flying mallet,” said Steev Toth, tour manager of Kiss, while Flood (aka Mark Ellis), producer of U2, Nine Inch Nails and PJ Harvey, said: “At the age of 64, I’ve finally heard the true sound of music.” And if you wanted Stephen Fry's reaction (because why wouldn't you?), you can see his recorded demo on Flare Audio's website – "astonishing," he says, and seemingly not with the spot-on sarcasm he reads Snape's lines with on the Harry Potter audiobooks.
The two prototypes available now, in limited quantities before production versions land next year, are designed for specific scenarios. The Immerse Headphone model is, as you might guess, designed to be worn under over-ear headphones, while the Immerse Stereo prototype is designed to be used in an open sound environment such as a hi-fi room, studio or concert. Both variants cost £59.95 each.
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