The T10 is small by wireless earbud standards, and the unusually shaped charging case with hinged doors on either side can be worn as a pendant, completing the jewelry vibe the T10 is said to have. In fact, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a T10. Klipsch unveiled its earbuds at CES 2020, making headlines for both technology and price. At the time, Klipsch planned to release his two versions of his T10. The standard model is $649 and the McLaren Special Edition is $999 neither model he retailed in 2020.
Klipsch has partnered with Ear Micro, a company that manufactures bespoke wearable technology, to launch the T10 Bespoke Ear Computers. This is a set of noise-cancelling wireless earbuds that buyers can customize with a wide range of colors, finishes, and materials. Depending on what he chooses, a set of T10 earbuds could cost him as much as $5,000. Ear Micro, which oversees the T10’s production, says it can be ordered starting August 17th at t10bespoke.com and will be delivered within a few weeks.
Highlights
Beyond the highly visible branding, Klipsch`s contribution to the T10 is mostly to earbud`s sonic architecture, which it borrowed directly from its acclaimed X10 series of in-ear monitors. The T10 Bespoke use the same audio tube and proprietary nozzle, custom-balanced armature and acoustic gasket system, as well as Klipsch`s oval ear tips. Klipsch says that its engineers also worked with Ear Micro to tune the earbuds. If you`re wondering why they`re called Ear Computers, it`s because Ear Micro has packed an absolutely astonishing amount of technology into these tiny earbuds.
Apparently, the company decided to take a different route and used a partnership with Ear Micro to market the T10 as the ultimate wearable accessory, though it’s still clearly labeled as a Klipsch product. Ear Micro makes no apologies for the T10’s extremely high price or target audience. “T10 Bespoke Ear Computers are the ultimate luxury statement,” said Patsy Nigh, co-founder of Ear Micro. “Affluent consumers have always been able to collect fine automobiles, yachts, and aircraft, while sporting high fashion, fine eyewear, precious jewelry, and other custom accessories, but to date, they have not been able to purchase true luxury earwear: products that deliver the best sound, the most advanced technology, and the best styling and craftsmanship in the world.”
Inside each earbud is an ARM M4 chip that can run a custom operating system. There are also gyroscopes and accelerometers that can detect motion on up to 6 axes, and up to 6 microphones. This combination can be used not only for position detection, but also for mouth and head gesture recognition. To take advantage of these sensors, the T10 uses his Bragi OS software, the same that Klipsch introduced in his nifty T5 II ANC.