Doppler Labs Goes Global, Bringing the Here Active Listening System to Europe

Two wireless buds and an app allow you to control the way you hear the world and personalize live music

Sales now open through Kickstarter to EU and UK after U.S. Kickstarter campaign surpasses $430,000

New investment announced from entertainment giants Live Nation, Universal Music Group (UMG) and William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Doppler Labs today opened sales on Kickstarter (bit.ly/hereplus) for the Here Active Listening System™ in the UK and Europe, after the U.S. campaign’s initial funding target of $250,000was reached in just two days.  Today’s announcement follows an overwhelming amount of requests for access from music fans around the globe – especially those in Europe.

The Here Active Listening System consists of two wireless, in-ear buds and a connected smartphone app that let you instantly control and personalize your live audio environment.  Use volume sliders, EQ and effects to adjust the real world sound in your ears for everyday scenarios like concerts, sporting events, air travel, open office environments or noisy commutes and create the perfect audio environment – for you – no matter the situation.

Through Kickstarter, supporters are able to purchase Here before it is available on the market, with special $199 pricing for one pair and $359 pricing for two.  Other levels of support on Kickstarter allow backers to be a part of developing the Here audio platform, create custom pre-set filters and access other exclusive rewards.

Last week Doppler Labs announced new investment from Live Nation Entertainment, Universal Music Group (UMG) and WME.  Doppler Labs has also forged partnerships with entertainment powerhouses like Coachella, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Tao Group, Soul Cycle and AM Only, and renowned artists like Tiesto, Hans Zimmer and Quincy Jones to help bring its products to market.

“The Here Active Listening System gives you the tools to have the perfect listening experience every time,” said Noah Kraft, CEO and Co-Founder of Doppler Labs. “We all perceive sound differently, but everyone has been to a concert where the audio wasn’t quite right or has been subjected to a long flight with a screaming baby.  Here changes all that, giving control back to the listener by allowing you to curate what you hear and how you hear it.  Our goal is to make it so you never have to deal with noise or a bad audio mix ever again.”

Here’s features include:

• Real World Volume Control: Turn up, turn down or reduce your surroundings to get the volume of your world exactly where you want it.
• Equalizer: Use five EQ sliders to adjust how you hear the bass, mids or treble of live music (or the real world).
• Sound Effects: Add reverb, flange, vintage vinyl crackle, echo and more to concerts or even your friend’s voice.
• Pre-Set Filters: Transform various daily life scenarios with Here’s specialized pre-set algorithms (e.g. reduce the baby crying on a plane, suppress the subway screech, or boost the bass at a live show).

Groundbreaking Technology and Simple Design

The technology behind the Here system is fundamentally different from anything that has come before it.  A series of signal processing algorithms target specific frequency ranges to modify sound as it enters your ears.  Here captures the incoming sound waves, processes the audio in real-time and plays it back without any perceivable latency (e.g. in less than 30 microseconds, which is 1/10,000th the time it takes to blink your eye).

Doppler Labs’ design team architected the product with a form factor that is just as impressive as its technology.  The size and shape of the Here buds mask the complexity of their many components.  The completely wireless system automatically pairs the buds with the Here smartphone app through Bluetooth.  The buds have up to six hours of battery life and the included charging case holds up to two full additional charges, providing more than enough power for use at a music festival or a cross-continental flight without the need for a power outlet.  Three sizes of custom silicon tips help provide a secure and comfortable fit.

Exclusively Available Through Kickstarter  

Doppler Labs unveiled the Here system exclusively on Kickstarter to encourage collaboration with the site’s forward-thinking community.  The Kickstarter campaign features several reward tiers for consumers looking to support the development of Here and be the first to use the product.  Product-based rewards now start at $199 (after the early bird $179 sold out), which is 20% off the planned list price.  The campaign includes rewards for developers and music producers, including access to beta testing and a partnership with Doppler Labs’ audio engineers to create and name your very own Here audio filter.

The Doppler Labs Team: Not Your Typical Startup

Doppler Labs has assembled a proven team of executives and leaders from the engineering, entertainment and design worlds who draw upon their years of experience at world-class companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Pinterest, Nest, Square and Dropbox.  In less than a year, Doppler Labs designed and launched its first product, DUBS Acoustic Filters.  This early momentum set the foundation for the introduction of the Here Active Listening System, and with nearly a quarter million DUBS units sold to date, Doppler Labs has demonstrated its continued ability to execute with speed, quality and precision.

“The incredibly talented team at Doppler Labs helped build some of the most recognizable products in the world,” said Fritz Lanman, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Doppler Labs, angel investor (Pinterest, Square, etc.) and Director at ClassPass.  “Few startups have the scale of ambition as Doppler Labs, which aims to put a computer, speaker and mic in every ear and to make audio technology more immersive.  With this team and vision, Doppler Labs is poised to be at the forefront of wearable tech innovation for decades to come.”