Nura (company)

nura is a consumer electronics company based in Melbourne, Australia, that designs and manufactures headphones with personalised sound technology. nura's proprietary technology automatically measures the user's hearing sensitivities to different frequencies by monitoring otoacoustic emissions.[1] This hearing measurement process takes 1–2 minutes.[2] The headphones then adapt their frequency response to the user's hearing, allowing the user to hear more detail when listening to music.[3]

nura
TypePrivately held company
IndustryPremium Personalised Audio
FoundedMelbourne, Australia 2015
FoundersDr. Dragan Petrovic, Dr. Luke Campbell, Kyle Slater
HeadquartersBrunswick,
Melbourne
,
Australia
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Dr. Dragan Petrovic (CEO), Dr. Luke Campbell (CTO)
Productsnuraphone
Brandsnura, nuraphone
ParentNura Operations Pty. Ltd.
Websitehttps://www.nuraphone.com

nura's debut product the nuraphone launched on October 3, 2017[4] and received positive reviews in the press.[5][6]

In July 2018, nura became the only company to ever add active noise cancellation to a headphone via a software update.[7]

History

nura was founded in 2015 by Dr. Luke Campbell, Dr. Dragan Petrović and Kyle Slater.[8] The company's proprietary technology that measures otoacoustic emissions is based on research that Campbell, a medical doctor and hearing scientist,[9][10] conducted at the Department of Otolaryngology University of Melbourne under direction of auditory neuroscientist, Dr David Sly.[11]

Melbourne Accelerator Program

The Melbourne Accelerator Program granted nura (then named "nuraloop") an Entrepreneurial Fellowship in 2015,[12] giving nura office space, mentoring and $20,000 in funding to develop the initial prototype of the nuraphone using the personalisation technology.

HAX

In 2016, nura joined HAX, a hardware accelerator program based out of Shenzen, China, which provided nura with funding to develop the prototype nuraphone used to launch the nuraphone Kickstarter Campaign.[13]

Crowdfunding

nura ran a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter between May 16, 2016, and July 15, 2016,[14] to raise funds to begin mass production of the nuraphone.[15] The campaign's initial goal of $100,000 (USD) was reached in 14 hours.[16] The Kickstarter campaign ultimately raised $1.8 million (USD) from the 7730 backers to become the largest Kickstarter campaign in Australian history.[17]

Venture capital

In May 2017, nura raised a $6 million (AUD) seed-funding round, which was led by Blackbird Ventures,[18] with additional investment from SOSV,[19] Qualgro,[20] Sean Parker,[21] Craig Barratt,[22] the San Francisco 49ers and partners of Perkins Coie. The seed-funding round was followed by a $21 million (AUD) series A round also led by Blackbird Ventures, which closed in September 2018.

Launch

nura officially began operations on October 3, 2017, giving the general public access to the nuraphone.[23]

Products

nuraphone

The nuraphone is a headphone that personalises sound by measuring how the human ear responds to different sound frequencies[24][25] and is patent-protected as the only consumer electronics headphone to do so by monitoring otoacoustic emissions.[26]

Reception

The nuraphone has received positive reviews, with reviewers commending the quality and uniqueness of the nuraphone's personalised sound.[27][28][29][30][31] Some reviewers have noted the nuraphone's unusual combined in-ear and over-ear design;[32] however, many reviewers also praised the comfort and design.[33][34]

Publication Score
Wired 8/10[35]
TechRadar 4/5[36]
Tech Advisor 4/5[37]
Stuff 5/5[38]
MusicRadar 4.5/5[39]
Trusted Reviews 4/5[40]
Pocket-lint 4/5[41]
Like Hifi (DE) 95%[42]
Head-Fi 8.5/10[43]
Pickr 4.3/5[44]
Alphr 4/5[45]
Expert Reviews 4/5[46]

nuraphone /G2

nura released a free firmware update for the nuraphone in July 2018 that enabled additional features such as active noise cancellation, audio passthrough, and enhancements to voice calls and button presses.[47]

Design and Technology

Personalisation

The nuraphone's personalisation works by monitoring the user's otoacoustic emissions and then adjusting sound based on the measurements,[48] allowing the user to hear more detail when listening to music.[49]

Design

The nuraphone has a patented design (Inova) that includes both in-ear monitors and over-ear cups.[50]

Tesla valves

The nuraphone features Tesla valves that circulate air through the ear cups to keep the user's ears cool during use.[51]

Patents held by nura[52]
  • US 9,497,530
  • US 9,794,672
  • US 10,154,333
  • US 10,165,345
  • WO2017040327

Awards

CES 2018 Innovation Awards

nura won the Best of Innovation at the CES Innovation Awards 2018 for the nuraphone.[53]

Red Dot Award 2018

The nuraphone won the Red Dot Award 2018 Best of the Best, the top prize in Red Dot Award: Product Design in the consumer electronics category. Previous winners include Apple AirPods[54] and Google Home.[55][56]

Good Design Award 2018

The nuraphone won the 2018 Good Design Award for product design in consumer electronics.[57]

IDEA 2018

The nuraphone won Gold at IDSA.org IDEA 2018 awards in the consumer technology category.[58]

References
  1. "These Headphones Scan Your Ears and Tune Themselves". WIRED. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  2. "Nuraphone review: Noise-cancelling headphones with a personal touch". The Independent. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  3. "Nuraphones' custom profiles bring out new detail in familiar songs". TechCrunch. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  4. Kastrenakes, Jacob (3 October 2017). "Nura is finally ready to ship Kickstarter headphones that correct for hearing". The Verge. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  5. Leedham, Robert. "Best over-ear headphones for noise-cancelling sound". British GQ. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  6. Armstrong, Paul. "Nuraphone Are The Last Headphones You Should Ever Buy". Forbes. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  7. "Nuraphones update adds noise-cancellation and 'transparency' mode". Engadget. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  8. ""We're better than all of them": How Melbourne headphones startup nura is planning to be as big as Bose - SmartCompany". SmartCompany. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  9. ""We're better than all of them": How Melbourne headphones startup nura is planning to be as big as Bose - SmartCompany". SmartCompany. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  10. Wells, Peter (20 July 2018). "Nura co-founder explains how his 'personalised' Nuraphones work". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
  11. "How Australia is leading the world for custom headphones". Financial Review. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  12. "Promising startups bound for glory with the Melbourne Accelerator Program - The Melbourne Engineer". The Melbourne Engineer. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  13. Wells, Peter (20 July 2018). "Nura co-founder explains how his 'personalised' Nuraphones work". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  14. "Nura: Headphones that learn and adapt to your unique hearing". Kickstarter. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  15. Kimmorley, Sarah (4 July 2016). "The best funded Australian Kickstarter campaign ever is for a set of revolutionary headphones". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  16. "Update 1: FUNDED!!! · Nura: Headphones that learn and adapt to your unique hearing". Kickstarter. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  17. Kimmorley, Sarah (4 July 2016). "The best funded Australian Kickstarter campaign ever is for a set of revolutionary headphones". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  18. "Nura, a personalised headphone maker, raises $6 million led by Blackbird Ventures". Australian Financial Review. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
  19. "Nura sounds warning to giants". www.theaustralian.com.au. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  20. Swan, David (12 December 2017). "Nura sounds a warning to global headphone giants". The Australian Business Review. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  21. "Nura raises $15m, led by Blackbird Ventures, to meet headphone demand". Australian Financial Review. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  22. Yoo, Tony (15 February 2017). "Music and tech investors gave $6 million to an Australian startup making headphones that adjust to your hearing". Business Insider Australia. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  23. "Nura is finally ready to ship Kickstarter headphones that correct for hearing". The Verge. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  24. "Nuraphones: headphones reinvented?". Science Focus - BBC Focus Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  25. "Nura Claims Its Headphones "Automatically Measure Your Hearing"". Hearing Aid News. 4 July 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  26. "Patents". www.nuraphone.com. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  27. "Nuraphones: headphones reinvented?". Science Focus - BBC Focus Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  28. "These Headphones Scan Your Ears and Tune Themselves". WIRED. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  29. "Nura headphones tailor their sound to your ears". CNET. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  30. Martin, Chris. "The Nuraphone G2 update adds noise cancelling and other new features". Tech Advisor. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  31. "The best noise-cancelling headphones 2018". TechRadar. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  32. "These Headphones Scan Your Ears and Tune Themselves". WIRED. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  33. "Nuraphone headphones review". TechRadar. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  34. "Nuraphone by Nura review". MusicRadar. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  35. "These Headphones Scan Your Ears and Tune Themselves". WIRED. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  36. "Nuraphone headphones review". TechRadar. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  37. Martin, Chris. "The Nuraphone G2 update adds noise cancelling and other new features". Tech Advisor. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  38. "Nuraphone". Stuff. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  39. "Nuraphone by Nura review". MusicRadar. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  40. "Nuraphone Review | Trusted Reviews". Trusted Reviews. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  41. "Nuraphone review: Clever, unique, brilliant... and totally weird - Pocket-lint". Pocket-lint. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  42. "Test: Nuraphone - Klang aus der Zukunft". likehifi.de - STEREO / STREAMING / HIGH END (in German). 9 July 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  43. "nura nuraphone". Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  44. "Review: Nuraphone headphones (Nuraphone G2, 2018) – Pickr". pickr.com.au. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  45. "Nuraphone's super clever adaptive headphones now have active noise cancellation". Alphr. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  46. "Nuraphone review: Brilliantly clever headphones that now come with active noise cancellation". Expert Reviews. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  47. "Nuraphones update adds noise-cancellation and 'transparency' mode". Engadget. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  48. "Nuraphones: headphones reinvented?". Science Focus - BBC Focus Magazine. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  49. "Nuraphones' custom profiles bring out new detail in familiar songs". TechCrunch. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  50. "Red Dot Design Award: nuraphone". www.red-dot.org. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  51. "Nuraphone headphones review". TechRadar. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  52. "Patents". www.nuraphone.com. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  53. https://www.ces.tech/News/Press-Releases/CES-Press-Release.aspx?NodeID=c13ff899-5c41-4528-91b7-8494c9954835. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  54. "Red Dot Design Award: AirPods". www.red-dot.org. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  55. "Red Dot Design Award: Google Home Mini". www.red-dot.org. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  56. "Red Dot Design Award: Google Home Max". www.red-dot.org. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  57. "nuraphones - Good Design". Good Design. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  58. "nuraphone". Industrial Designers Society of America - IDSA. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
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