- Daisy One: new headphones from a new brand… and they are not cheap
- No app, heavier than average build, smaller drivers…
- …but I really think the ‘Fixed Mode’ button on the ear could be a winner
You’ve never heard of Daisy (the California tech company; you may have heard of the flower), but she wants you to hear about her. Or listen to it… the first over-ear headphones, called Daisy One.
These new cans sell for the not inconsiderable price of $399/£364 (around AU$700) – money which, it’s important to say, could buy you some Sony or Bose cans. So why buy them? Refreshingly, rather than playing the heavyweights at their own game, Daisy is throwing out the rule book on how to convince you.
Take audio skills from the cans; Instead of using the same 40mm drivers that almost everyone opts for, Daisy opted for a 35mm option, tuned by former Harman engineers and geared toward bass. This is quite uncommon on more expensive wireless models, where neutral sound is usually the goal.
Then there’s the design: it’s heavier than average, weighing 318g and has a thinner-than-average metallic look and comes in silver, dark green or blue (no traditional “charcoal” option here).
Perhaps the biggest selling point, something many brands (and reviewers) might consider a drawback, is the lack of an app. Instead, controls are done on the headphones, with a dial for volume and play/pause controls, and a dedicated button that plays soundscapes recorded across California. And what a dial/button it is! It reminds me of Montblanc jewel headphones or even the tip of a Montblanc pen.
What this button offers is called ‘Stick Mode’ and includes access to rain sounds, five-minute breathing tracks, ocean tides and more – but from the headphones themselves, that is. without the need to open an app or keep your phone connected to your source device.
There’s also noise cancellation on the spec sheet, but maybe Daisy knows it can’t beat the class leaders at that game. While most flagship cans want to give you silence with ever-better ANC algorithms, Daisy is pushing a different route straight to what you want. effect of said silence: a calmer mind and better able to concentrate.
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do it.
By turning the flaws of traditional headphones (see the lack of an app and a slightly smaller controller) into selling points, Daisy makes it clear that it’s trying something different.
It is unclear whether this is by design or by accident. In an interview with Wired, the company’s CEO Jack Mulroe confirmed that the designers were “from outside the audio industry.” So the brand brings some fresh perspectives, but potentially some shortcomings: Mulroe admits that he “tweaked transparency for months” when trying to fix his problems.
In recent years, we’ve seen that headphone fans will welcome new brands, perhaps more so than in other tech sectors. The CMF Headphone Pro, Nothing Headphone (a) and Soundcore Space 2 models have proven popular (at least, I’ve seen people using them) and you can see from the end of the next train car that they are not from the traditional Sony, Bose or Sennheiser line-up.
We’ve seen other headphone startups try to help users stay calm and focused, albeit using very different technology. Take for example Neurable’s ‘brain hacking’ headphones, which monitor your brain activity while you wear them and therefore aim to help you reach a state of flow. But this Daisy approach is different again, and it seems to me that by taking a more hands-off approach (and leaving our gray matter alone), Daisy’s approach maybe sounds more conducive to calm…
Ultimately, it’s always nice to see a new brand step up, especially if you think you can do things differently than the big boys. It will be very interesting to see what impact Daisy One has and where the company goes from here.
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