Quietly Disruptive at NAMM: DUBS Acoustic Filters Use Acoustical Physics to Redefine the Ear Plug

ANAHEIM, Calif., Jan. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Doppler Labs, the New York City-based hearables technology company, is bringing its first audio innovation, DUBS Acoustic Filters™, to the show floor of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Conference. Taking place in Anaheim from January 22-25, the NAMM Show features an audience of the most influential decision-makers in the music and audio products industries.

DUBS Acoustic Filters are stylish, high-design earplugs that utilize advanced acoustical physics to reinvent hearing protection. By leveraging the way the ear processes sound, the DUBS accomplish two goals simultaneously: lowering sound by roughly 12 dB, and preserving audio fidelity. With the DUBS, every participant in the music industry – including DJs, musicians, sound mixers, producers, roadies, security and fans – can hear with crystal clarity while minimizing the damaging impact of high-decibel noise.  

"The DUBS achieve sonic fidelity through applying advanced acoustical physics to a small, discreet product," explained Doppler Labs co-founder Dan Wiggins. "We engineered the DUBS for optimal listening, using low- and high-pass filter paths to account for different frequencies so that the listeners hear crystal clear sound that maintains the original audio balance.  We wanted the acoustical experience of the DUBS to be like turning down the volume knob on a stereo system instead of the muffling experience created by normal ear plugs."

"Until now, when you went to a show, either to perform or watch, you were forced to make a choice: do I want to hear clearly while I am there, or damage my ears and risk not hearing clearly in the weeks and months to follow?  With the DUBS, you preserve the sound you want to hear while also preserving your hearing – it's a win-win," said Noah Kraft, CEO and Co-Founder, Doppler Labs. "While there are countless use cases, music was the catalyzing spark that fueled us to create a better earplug with the DUBS."

Doppler Labs has assembled a roster of talented executives from a range of industries to help spearhead the DUBS effort. Noah Kraft came from the music and film production industry. Co-founder Fritz Lanman came from Microsoft, and was an angel investor in Square and Pinterest. Co-founder Dan Wiggins was the principal transducer engineer at SONOS and is one of the foremost acousticians in the world. And Rich Smiedt, Doppler's VP of Sales and Revenue, is the founder of bobble, a wildly popular portable water bottle that filters the water that passes through it. Doppler Labs' deep talent base also includes award-winning engineers, designers and globally-renowned musicians and DJs.

How DUBS Acoustic Filters Work

For DUBS Acoustic Filters, Doppler Labs developed a proprietary technology that effectively leveraged the way the ear's sensitivity to sound changes in response to different decibel levels. DUBS Acoustic Filters use both a "low pass path" and a "high pass path" for audio. As sound makes its way through the low pass via two of the DUBS chambers, the sound enters a small, final diameter tube where it exits inside the ear. The large expansion areas cut off high frequencies, so users only hear lower frequencies through this combination.

The high pass path consists of a single small diameter tube, connecting the outside world to the user's ear. As sound enters the tube, low frequency sounds are "bled off" by a controlled leak, and high frequency sounds continue through to the ear. The result is a controlled acoustic experience that produces a distinct audio curve, which is quite unlike anything in the earplug space, which has traditionally offered low-tech foam inserts.

The DUBS Acoustic Filters were developed to be as much a sleek accessory as a hearing protection device – aesthetics and acoustics are both primary concerns for Doppler Labs. The DUBS now come in four colors: teal, blue, pink and white. They are available for $25 through www.getDUBS.com and at Best Buy and Amazon, as well as in select European countries, including the UK, with new countries to be added in Q1 2015.

About Doppler Labs

Doppler Labs is a technology company with a primary focus on "hearables": wearable technology for the ears. Founded in 2013 by industry leaders in the creative, tech and business worlds, Doppler Labs' mission is to optimize the way you hear the world.

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SOURCE Doppler Labs