Microsoft seems to have invented the best earphone ever!

Life is too short to listen to bad earphones!

Headphones/earphones are available in various configurations. However, the over-ear headphones and in-ear earphones when worn by the user block the entrance to the ear canal of the user’s ear, thereby significantly attenuating sounds emanating from the user’s environment. Such earphones reduce the user’s ability to localize sounds in the environment.

Therefore, some users prefer non-occluding earpieces that can be worn on or near the user’s ear without substantially or completely blocking an entrance to the user’s ear.

However, most non-occluding earpiece have a small, discreet form factor. Therefore, they have smaller speakers and thus may need to be placed relatively close to the user’s ear to facilitate a suitably loud volume level. Moreover, human ears have a large variety of sizes and shapes. Therefore, many users find it difficult to comfortably attach a non-occluding earpiece that positions the speaker close enough to the ear entrance to produce sound with adequately loud volume.

The patented earphone provides a benefit of positioning the earpiece on the user’s ear to allow the user to listen to sounds from the earpiece while also allowing the user to hear a substantial portion of the sounds from his or her environment.

Specifically, the patented includes an enclosure that extends into the cavum conchae (of the ear) without substantially blocking the ear canal. This provides a sound path via a transducer into the user’s ear while also allowing the user to perceive sounds from his or her environment. Further, the earphone may have one or more microphones.

When worn on the user’s ear, the earphone grips a portion of the user’s ear to secure the earpiece to the user’s ear.

US20160134957