Specialist manufacturer of high quality analogue and digital audio accessories AudioQuest, recently enlisted the help of San Francisco based 3D print service provider Sculpteo for its latest award winning project.
NightHawk, is the first completely original production headphone to utilise a 3D printed part. Designed by Skylar Gray, the around the ear, semi open headphones were named as a “Best of CES Innovation Awards 2015” winner for integrating a 3D printed part into mass production.
The headphones use a 3D printed biomimetic grille that diffuses sound and defeat resonances, a concept inspired by the light diffusing effect of butterfly wings. Due to the complex diamond-cubic latticework design of the grille, AudioQuest looked so Sculpteo’s 3D printing service to produce the part.
“It is significant that a mass market product integrates 3D printing in its manufacturing process,” explained Clément Moreau, co-founder of Sculpteo. “Online 3D printing reaches new levels of precision, quality and price which meet the most demanding customer requirements. This collaboration demonstrates the relevance of Sculpteo’s cloud based 3D printing offer which reinvents the industrial production like Shenzen did in the 2000’s.”
Combining advanced manufacturing techniques with innovative driver technologies, sensitive ergonomics and sustainable materials, NightHawk has been carefully designed for optimum levels of sonic, ergonomic and aesthetic performance.
“From the very start, we intended for NightHawk’s grille to be 3D printed,” said Skylar Gray. “Designing with 3D printing in mind is quite liberating because there are far fewer restrictions and boundaries, enabling otherwise impossible forms and complexity. Without Sculpteo’s expert help, we simply wouldn’t have been able to produce as compelling a product. We are very thankful for Sculpteo’s support and excellent work.”
The headphones will be on display at the International CES in Las Vegas on 6-9th January 2015.
