Any audio startup that issues the headline “Our Eargasm Promise” in their reviewers guide isn’t afraid to sound more than a little, er, eager to please…
But this is nothing if not an innovative new headphone proposal. The duo that created these cans also keep those who have suffered hearing loss close to their hearts, and I have to confess that, having strapped on one of four sets of these wireless Sonic Lamb prototypes, just to see what happens, I am a huge fan. .
I had some negative preconceptions about the technology: it would buzz, it would linger, the sound would swell, using them would hurt over time, it would be gimmicky, it just wouldn’t work. None of these things are true. It’s actually a very subtle performance and one I’ve been happily listening to for several days now.
The concept? In a nutshell (if you need a detailed explanation, we’ve covered that too), humans don’t just hear through our ears; we also feel sound through our body. Human hearing is tuned to higher frequencies – a branch breaking in the forest – and is much less sensitive to low (bass) frequencies. Thus, we tend to feel the sub-bass and bass frequencies more than we hear them (thunder, thunder in the jungles, etc.).
Speaker and home theater manufacturers use multiple audio drivers dedicated to each audio spectrum to reproduce this audio experience, plus a subwoofer unit dedicated to low-frequency audio – the kind we can feel. But even in the best headphones, the experience is compromised due to the general use of a single audio driver on each side of our head and the lack of specialized audio technology to emulate a subwoofer.
Sonic Lamb changes that. It incorporates a regular full-range audio driver to reproduce mid and high frequencies as sound waves (i.e. traditionally through the air), plus a proprietary driver that – and this is the crazy bit – converts the audio signal into corresponding mechanical impulses, thus transforming the pads into a virtual diaphragm.
This mechanical impulse is transferred from the headphones to the listeners’ skin and bones, and lo! are you really feeling the music.
Hold them in your hands as the music plays and you’ll feel the difference between these wireless headphones and the Sony WH-1000XM5, for example (and, in fact, pretty much any of the best headphones in our buying guide. ) Because there is It is a vibrational effect you can feel, but once they’re over your ears, they’re not about to slide to the back of your crown.
And they recreate the experience of being at a live show much better than I could have imagined. Unlike the Woojer, for example, which sits on the chest or belt buckle, these impulses are also sent around the ears, which helps.
Opinion: Sonic Lamb’s over-ears are better than this sensational marketing
I hesitated writing the subhead above because of course, in the sea of emails I get every day, the ear concept stood out enough for me to click on what, let’s face it, was just another set of over-ears now. live on Indiegogo. So I applaud the audacity.
That said, they are better than an exciting headline.
OK, the design looks a little unrefined in terms of buttons and the dial that currently scrolls through the low-level vibration levels you’ll get (choose between hear, feel, dip, and beast – actually, I like beast better) is a little difficult, but the basics are good. Comfort, weight, well-padded earcups, and overall sound quality are good – and my thoughts on the new haptic style concept are overwhelmingly positive. Simply put, I didn’t expect to feel good about this kind of sound, but I do.
If you can get your hands on a pair, listen to the constant bass on Fat Freddy’s Drop’s wandering eye for the full nine minutes and 50 seconds. Hear how the flute, guitars, backing vocals and tambourine passages are still crisp and impactful as Dallas Tamaira’s silky vocals take center stage. It’s good isn’t it? Different but good.
So they, uh, deliver that promised orgasm? Well, Sonic Lamb explains that maybe it’s not quite what they meant – if you were thinking what I was thinking there. “Eargasm, according to us, is the ultimate listening experience and pleasure for the ears,” writes the company.
“We believe this is possible when we create the perfect channel between people and music. Sound is not only heard, but also a part of it is felt and perceived by our body and we intend to reproduce this experience as well. commitment to tirelessly developing audio solutions that deliver nothing short of an ear orgasm. Eargasm for us is not sensual, but derives from many life experiences, such as euphoria and nostalgia. Eargasm is not just about top-notch audio quality, but also the impact and influence of getting lost in the music and the way that connection transforms, heals, motivates and gives immense pleasure.”
Yes, Sonic Lamb does it all. And the audible low compromised? Maybe just a touch; but therein lies its beauty. We’ve become accustomed to a different kind of listening using headphones, and it’s not wrong to consider changing our perception of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bass representation – a different recipe with additional touches, if you will.
You’re certainly not missing the natural feeling bass, and I might as well try to entice a listener with a degree of hearing loss to test them for me, to get to what extent they agree. I certainly worked with two almost totally deaf professional dancers who were more than capable of dancing to the beat of a beat – they just felt the vibrations of sound coming from everything around us, and they moved beautifully.
Sonic Lamb is a talented and detailed set of headphones, plus all the state-of-the-art technology integration, with separation, finesse and energy when playing grime tunes by Stormzy, Dave and Lethal Bizzle – because of course I was going to see until where I could push them.
Intrigued? You should be. Search for them on Indiegogo…
