Headphones are one of the most versatile audio devices that are offered in different kinds of configurations. You can get a wired headphone or a wireless one and they also range in terms of form factor like circumaural or supraural. However, wireless headphones are trending these days since they offer a degree of freedom higher than standard wired headphones. However, if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you know that there’s nothing more annoying than pausing your music session to charge them.
JBL is a well-known brand in the world of headphones and it has now come up with a unique solution for your charging woes. The company recently started crowdfunding its new JBL Reflect Eternal headphones, which are self-charging and are touted to generate electricity from any light source. The new headphones are said to generate electricity and use it to charge the batteries whenever they are in a well-lit area and with a couple of hours in the sunlight, one might never need to plug them in.
Swedish company Exeger powers JBL Reflect Eternal
Since the new JBL headphones can recharge from any light source, anyone’s first guess would be that it comes equipped with a solar panel. While this would be true in most cases, here, JBL is employing Exeger’s Powerfoyle technology. It is worth noting that Exeger is a Stockholm based company that focuses on developing and commercialising new materials that can enhance efficiency in solar cells.
To delve deeper, the Exeger Powerfoyle technology is a new material that can convert light into clean energy. Both indoor and outdoor natural light can be used to generate electricity and since the tech is based on the photosynthesis process, the more one uses it, the more they are touted to restore the carbon balance in the environment. Powerfoyle can be printed on different surfaces, can retain texture, is bendable and can be manufactured in different shapes and sizes.
More about JBL Reflect Eternal headphones
JBL doesn’t really need to crowdfund a device but in a media release, it says that by receiving real-time responses, JBL and Exeger will “incorporate consumers’ reactions into the optimal go-to market strategy and make any necessary product adjustments to meet customers’ needs.” The new JBL headphones look like a standard pair of headphones and quite closely resemble the previously launched JBL Live 400BT headphones in terms of design but with Powerfoyle wrapped around the headband.
JBL claims that the Reflect Eternal can deliver up to 68 hours of audio playback when one spends about 1.5 hours in bright sunlight outdoors. If you spend over 2.5 hours in well-lit conditions, the headphones are touted to last virtually forever. The headphones work while recharging from light sources and support USB speed charging as well. The new headphones are priced at €147 on Indiegogo and are expected to ship starting October 2020.
Image credits: Exeger
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