Orosound's 'noise-managing' earphones hush unwanted sounds
Active noise cancellation helps you have a conversation in a loud environment.
Sometimes it's nice to be able to hear clearly in a crowded and noisy environment. It can be extremely difficult to communicate with someone when you can't pick up every word they're saying. The chaos of a CES event is a prime example. Orosound is looking to lend a hand, helping you hear better in noisy situations with its wireless Tilde earphones.
The company calls the headset a "noise management" system that uses active noise cancellation to hush background noise and focus on the voice of the person you're talking with. The level at which you're able to turn down the sounds of your surroundings is easily adjusted with a slider up to 30 decibels. There's also a directional mode that only allows you to hear the voice of the person standing directly in front of you. And yes, you can use the Tilde like a regular set of wireless earbuds to play music and take calls. When doing so, that noise reduction can still help block out the world around you.
I tried the Tilde here at CES, a fitting place to test a product that claims to cut down unwanted noise. While the tech did just that, it also noticeably muffled the voice of the person who was speaking. Right now it's not perfect, but if the company can fine-tune the audio before it ships the final version, this could be useful for people working in noisy offices or places where if can be difficult to hear a conversation. Orosound's Tilde earphones debuted on Kickstarter in October, and the company plans to ship units to backers in May. For people who didn't contribute funds to the cause, the device will be available this summer for $349.
Mona Lalwani contributed to this report.
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