If you’re looking for another headphone option, Oakdale-based Hearing Components might have the answer — and a little deal for Strib readers. I actually wish I had remembered to include it in my recent write-up on headphones. A 3M spinoff, the company makes a variety of in-the-ear headphones and accessories under the Comply brand name that use “high-tech viscoelastic polyurethane foam.” Here’s what that means, as the company explains:

“The Comply Foam Technology used in Comply products forms to the individual shape of each ear canal, allowing the foam to expand and remain in place. The foam also creates passive noise reduction by sending sound directly into the ear canal while sealing out unwanted noise. The technology used in the earphones is actually the same foam technology that U.S. Army helicopter crews and Special Forces use to reduce ambient noise.”

The cool thing is that even if you don’t want to buy the Comply earphones, which sell for $60 to $80, the company makes products that can juice up the earphones you already have.

Its Whoomp! Earbud Enhancers snap onto the stock earbuds that come with the iPod and iPhone to provide a better fit, a comfy feel and improved sound quality (if nothing else than because of the passive noise reduction). At $20 for two pairs (one slim-size and one standard), they’re a reasonably priced upgrade. 

There’s also the proprietary Comply Foam Tips, which replace the standard tips of 35 brands of earphones. Again, it’s a reasonably priced upgrade at $15 for three pairs on every model I checked, and better deals on higher quantities, such as 10 pairs for $38.

The nice little deal: If you enter the code STAR at checkout, you’ll get 20 percent off on a nifty product born right here in the Twin Cities.

Check them out at www.complyfoam.com.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at 11:05 am and is filed under Audio. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.