Rock Jaw Audio’s online shop is small, and features four models of earbuds. However, the company wants to expand its portfolio with the development of a new set of headphones, and it’s asking for Kickstarter support to make the project a reality.
It’s called the Sentio, and the company claims that it’s the world’s first pair of headphones that can switch between an open and closed back by rotating the earcups. This allows you to have two types of sound experiences with one headset.
A closed back setting means that the exterior side of the earcups are covered with some form of plastic shell. This isolates the sound in your ear, and also blocks most external noises (but not as much as noise-canceling headphones). With open back headphones, you can see the driver behind an open design such as a grill mesh or perforated pattern. Unlike the closed back setup, which isolates sound, an open back design allows more external noise to come through. Some people prefer this setup, as it makes the experience feel like the band is playing right in front of you, as opposed to the closed back setting, which is like listening to the same song in an empty room.
The Sentio also includes two drivers in each earcup. The 30mm drivers brings out the high notes in a song, and the 50mm drivers provide a “tight, punch bass response.” The headphones are made out of a combination of lightweight stainless steel and aluminum, and the earcups are made from "protein" leather pads.
The company estimates the MSRP to be about $360, but if you back the campaign, you’ll get the Sentio for about $185 at the starting level. If you contribute another $11, you can also get a mic to use with the headphones for calls and gaming. If you prefer a wireless version of the Sentio over the 3.5mm connection, you can buy a Bluetooth module for about $36. You can also get a second pair of leather protein earcups or a pair of velour earcups for an additional $17. The company also sells a PlayStation 4/Xbox One adapter for $21.
With 19 days left on the Kickstarter campaign, Rock Jaw Audio needs £65,000, or $92,593. So far, backers provided over $31,500. The first set of headphones are expected to ship sometime in September.
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