Earin was one of the first companies to launch true wireless earbuds — which do away with the wires typically associated with “wireless” earbuds — and when we took a look at the company’s first offering, we walked away impressed.
Now, bigger companies are moving in on the market — see Apple’s AirPods — but that doesn’t seem to worry Earin, which is debuting its latest true wireless earbuds, the M2, at CES. With the M2, it says that it has created the smallest and lightest earbuds on the market.
The company says its unique earbud design isolates the sound of the outside world without the need for active noise cancellation. This design also helps to “catch the sound” — as the company says — in your inner ear, leading to a more natural sound than that offered by many other earbuds –whether they’re wired or wireless.
In addition, the M2 adds basic touch controls for play/pause and volume control, as well as dual microphones per earpiece along with a new algorithm, which Earin says will allow the earbuds to tune out the noise around you so you can, say, make a phone call in a noisy bar.
As the follow-up to the company’s previous M1 model, the M2 benefits from improved technology, but Earin is also touting the earbuds’ fashion-forward design.
Like the company’s previous models, the M2 includes a portable charging capsule that can keep the earbuds topped off when you’re not listening, and has also classed up the package with more aluminum on the capsule. The M2 can offer up to three hours of playback on a single charge — with the charging capsule, a total of 12 hours of listening time is possible before you need to plug in. This capsule is also magnetic, reducing the chances that your earbuds will go bouncing under your desk.
We were all set for a hands-on trial of the M2, but unfortunately the company has met with delays right before the big show, and sales and marketing rep Sebastien Domingues told us he didn’t want us to be short changed. We hope to get our hands on a working pair of the earphones soon, but for now we’ll have to wait for the final package to get the green light.
While Earin has yet to set a price for the M2, we’d expect the price to be in line with the company’s M1, which initially retailed for $249. The M2 are expected to debut in the first quarter of 2017.
Updated by Ryan Waniata on 1-3-2017 from CES 2017: Added more information about the M2’s features and a delay in the final product.
