Bringing Color to Sound: Introducing URBANEARS

THE BRAND
Urbanears is a collective out of Scandinavia, motivated by a common interest in global relationships and shared involvement in the relevance of the living brand. Urbanears promotes a deeper connection to color, form and people while providing the freedom to transcend individuality and unify the sound experience.


CONCEPT

The concept Urbanears is spawned out of a number of ideas. Some that helped us form the project but just as many that came along the way. Primarily, there seemed to be no manufacturer of headphones out there that really shared our belief in what headphones are and how they are typically used. We wanted to produce headphones with a profound understanding of how they are utilized and why. We call this design and in our world design is the transformation of functionality to the human being.

Our vision was to add a number of elements to the concept of performance. Beyond the obvious sound rendition we had a vision of making headphones that felt more like clothes than chromed plastics and felt good to wear in a public space. We design headphones with much respect to what they are expected to be, but with great attention to the details. An Urbanears headphone is always describable as a classic headphone, rather than a bold design statement redefining the product category.

Our vision is to make Urbanears available and we spend much time and attention to making our products as affordable as can be. Still we want each item to have something a little extra and a bit unique. From the way it fits, works or an extra little functionality you wouldn’t expect. Equally important we put great efforts into putting Urbanears in a store near you. Check our retailer page for your nearest well of products.

In our time as music listeners we’ve seen (and wholeheartedly bought into) a number of formats. From everlasting vinyl to extinct minidiscs, we are absolutely convinced the binary format of your favorite songs will change from time to time, but remain stored digitally. This revolution has allowed you to carry on your full collection in your pocket and get everything you might not have streamed. With this format music has migrated from designated players into cell phones and other portable devices. It just seems stupid not to add a microphone and a remote, allowing you to pick up calls and communicate. We work hard to make your Urbanears work with the most possible devices out there, you can read more about this under each specific product.

We wanted to make a loud statement Urbanears is something new and different so we make our products in 14 colors and exchange them over the course of time. It really wasn’t long ago electronic products taking the bold step out of the gray scale were impossible to find.

WHO WE ARE

Urbanears was created by a number of individuals with very different traits gathered around a belief in the concept. The crew is made up out of entrepreneurs, industrial and graphic designers, tech nerds, former retailers, salesmen and business men - most of which can be described with more than one of these traits. We come from backgrounds in fashion, electronics and design. We are based in Stockholm, Sweden with a production satellite in China. Additionally we are represented by agents and distributors all over the world.

WHO WE THINK YOU ARE

Much more important than anything else, we make Urbanears for you. We know for a fact that you are carrying a few weeks worth of music in your pocket, or maybe audio books, language courses or simply a radio receiver. Statistically you are a city dweller listening to whatever this device holds going back and forth to work or school, at your desk, walking, riding your bike, running, traveling or just sinking in to your music with full attention. However, just as likely you live in a remote forest, it really doesn’t matter. We are convinced that you would consider the aesthetics of any type of hat before you bought it and put it on and that you feel the same way about a headphone. No doubt you have very little interest in bold logos printed over something you wear on a daily basis.

We do not use large scale polling or consumer interviews but rather think that you are much like us. Sharing the same daily routines and needs.

Urbanears is not intended for any specific sub culture, age group, sex, religion, race or nationality. Rather, we make headphones for anyone who is inclined to listen to music, no matter what kind.

WHAT WE DO

Urbanears makes your everyday music experience complete. We give you functional quality and acoustic performance together with a unique design. Choose from three original styles, all available in a rich palette of colors. Urbanears personalizes sound and amplifies your individual choice. In not so many words, Urbanears produces headphones. And as of now we have no plans to expand into other fields.

HOW WE DO IT

An Urbanears product is typically conceived through a vision of how a headphone is used and why. It could come from within in the office as well as from outside input. We thereafter work out a rough sketch on functionalities, price point and production possibilities. All design and development is done in-house as this allows us to work closely and efficiently with all parts of our company constantly monitoring development to stick with our key concept and meet our expectations of performance, landing at an affordable price. All in all developing a new product takes the better part of a year from the time the pencil hits the paper until the packaging hits the store shelves. However we constantly work on details with the feedback we get from consumers gradually improving each shipment of products.

THE COLORS

Color is a major part of Urbanears. At any given moment at least a dozen colors should be available. It might seem like an easy decision to do it this way and it was. However the reality of supplying this amount is a lot of hard work in matching materials and overseeing production in order not to run out of stock.

Urbanears releases two annual collections. A typical collection includes seven colors from the precious collection and five new ones. Halfway through the cycle we release two more colors, these are referred to as the supplementary drop. We choose colors based on having a good and equal mix between dark and light shades, feminine and masculine nuances, and classic elementary colors as well as more unbalanced or experimental shades. Some colors are bound to stay with every collection, such as black and white, but all others may be discontinued with any collection. So be sure to stock up while your favorites are available. If you feel we’re missing a certain color drop us a line with a reference image or maybe even a Pantone number.

We strive to have an as rich as possible amount of colors with any given retailer but many are unable to do carry the full palette. Ask them politely to include your favorite in their next order or find it here on urbanears.com.

THE NAME

First off, Urbanears is one word written with no blank spaces. Anyone telling you different is wrong. Naturally, it is a play of words and a mix of meanings. The urban environment and the ear which connects our products with the user, creating the image of a movement exploring the cities of the world.

PRODUCT NAMES

Our products are named after places and districts in our hometown Stockholm. This is also what the coordinates on the packaging refers to. In the process of naming we put no values in the choice of locations but rather make sure they are all important building blocks of what an urban environment is made up of. If visiting Stockholm punch them into a GPS and explore them to get a good idea of what this town is about, or maybe not.

THE HEART

The Urbanears heart logo is made up of the letter U in two units, turned around and overlapping each other forming a heart turned to its side. To us it is a variation of a classic shape, the heart, with a different story of construction and a multitude of meanings. Unlike most other brand logotypes the Urbanears heart logo does not come with a specific color but rather a number of layers filtering lights differently. We want you to make Urbanears what it is to you rather than proclaiming a correct solution and the logo is a part of this idea.

PACKAGING

The Urbanears packaging is designed to be easily disposed of and uses next to only biodegradable materials, rather than impossible to open plastic blister packs. The concept is based on optimizing shipping and store display. Each packaging comes in the color of the product inside and the image on the front is depicted in natural size (scale 1:1).

IMPACT

The production of almost any product will have impact on our planet through the source of materials, energy used in production, shipping and a number of other aspects. We strive to minimize this impact. However each year more than a billion earphones and headphones are shipped with a number of devices. These headsets are almost exclusively of poor quality and very short lived. We strive to make products that live up to expectations. Products that people actually want and that withstand daily usage.

Our production is carefully monitored to be carried out in a way that respects both environmental and human well being. We take pride in being certified with CE & WEEE.

FUTURE

Urbanears is devoted to headphones. And we will continue to be so as long as we exist. We hope to create long-lived designs that can stay around for decades in an endless number of nuances. For ever expanding and improving our product range.