Back in 2014, Wearhaus launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for its Arc headphones, which packed in social features and a snazzy pair of neon rings. The campaign was a success, and Wearhaus Arc sold over 3,000 units, but the headphones were only available to backers, at least until now. On Thursday, the company announced that the Wearhaus Arc are now available to all.
The company refers to the Wearhaus Arc as the “Sonos of headphones,” and takes the unusual step of promising that new features will come to the Wearhaus headphones you own, rather than pushing you toward buying a new pair. Potential features could include active noise canceling or person-to-person walkie-talkie calls.
For those who haven’t heard of the Wearhaus Arc. they are the first Bluetooth headphones built with the purpose of enabling friends to listen to music or watch videos together, while keeping everything in sync. This involves the use of Wireless Audio Sharing, and can be launched with the touch of a button. A claimed battery life of up to 20 hours means users can listen through an entire day without having to charge.
On the side of the headphones, users will find the gesture-based controls, but that’s not all that’s there. The neon rings are also found on the side, and users can control just what it is they display. The Wearhaus Mobile app can change the color of the rings, but they can also change based on the music, shining the same color as the album art or pulsing in time with the music.
In addition to song sharing, the Arc headphones offer other social features. If listeners want to share the music they’re listening to with anyone who cares to look, they can create a “Station” that shows what they’ve been listening to. Only other Arc users will be able to listen in, but Wearhaus seems to have big plans.
“Most headphone companies don’t think like technology startups — they simply aren’t interested in innovating. They want to sell a new headset every year based on different colors and finishes, and other cosmetic changes that provide little real value to their customers,” Wearhaus co-founder Nelson Zhang said in a statement. “We are first and foremost a technology startup, constantly looking for new ways to connect people through sound.”
Taking the startup approach even further, Wearhaus also announced that the company has received $4 million in funding, allowing it to keep pushing out updates to the headphones. The Wearhaus Arc headphones retail for $200, and can be found via the company’s website as well as on Amazon.
