Gravastar, the company known for its sci-fi-inspired audio products like the Mars Pro Bluetooth speaker, has a new set of wireless earbuds that let you swap charging cases to customize the look of your gear. The Sirius P5, which begin shipping on November 2, start at $80 but can cost as much as $100 depending on the case style you choose. There are two earbud colors (black, white) and three case styles to choose from. If you preorder them before November 1 you can get the black earbuds with all three cases, for $90.
The Sirius P5 are a set of semi-open earbuds, very similar in size and shape to the third-gen AirPods. They come with a standard USB-C charging block, which fits any of the optional cases. The P5 sit inside the block, and then the block gets inserted into your preferred case.
Each of the three cases available at launch has its own theme and materials. Gravastar calls them Defense Armor, Defense Mecha, and Defense Crystal. Some use a zinc alloy, while others use a “Lego-like” plastic. Gravastar says it will be releasing more case styles every three months.
What makes them unique (other than the swappable cases) is their embedded four-LED lighting strip that runs down the side of the charging block. These LEDs can be customized with a choice of changing colors. It’s similar to the LED light that Gravastar uses on its pricier Sirius P9 earbuds.
The earbuds get a claimed eight hours of time on a single charge and the charging block provides four full recharges, for a total of 40 hours. These numbers assume a volume level of 50%. They offer IPX4 water protection (just the earbuds), and they support Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec on non-iPhone devices. There is also a gaming mode that Gravastar says can reduce latency as low as 48 milliseconds.
These days, wireless earbuds have become a bit of a commodity, so it’s nice to see a company like Gravastar trying to find new ways to make these devices a little more interesting.
