It has happened to all of us before and with the best branded headsets…when you have a call you need to answer or just want to grab your headset and listen to music…you reach into your pocket and a wad of wires comes out that you need to untangle… Enter SPIN.
SPIN is a premium solution to a common problem: headset tangle. We’ve searched high and low for a high quality retractable headset and we couldn’t find it. So we decided to make it.
We started with sound. Most retractable headsets on the market use the cheapest components possible. We didn’t. We listened to countless drivers and wanted the best to deliver premium sound quality, both for music and taking a call.
Our headsets are designed with an incredible sounding 9.2mm driver that we custom tuned to capture great heart thumping lows along with astoundingly clear highs. The quality of what you hear was as important to us as the housing that encases our headsets. We offer three sizes of silicone earbud tips (easy to swap out) so you can find a perfect fit for your ear. Our soft silicone earbud tips will seal out unnecessary external sounds and provide a snug but long-lasting comfortable fit in your ear.
We added an in-line omni-directional noise reduction mic with crystal clear performance so your caller hears you, not your environment.
Next step was the housing. Again, premium was our mantra. We designed our retraction mechanism from the ground up using high quality parts allowing the extraction and retraction of cords to be smooth. Then we encased everything in an aero-space quality aluminum case that is as beautiful as it is durable. Earbuds and 3.5mm jack all nest seamlessly into the chassis with a single press of a machined retraction button.
Toss it in your bag or clip it to your pocket using the heavy-duty clip we’ve added to the back of the case. Next time you get a call or want to listen to music, everything is ready to go. Extend the ear buds and jack to your desired length. Plug and play. Tangle is history.
(Works with iPhone, Android, or any mobile device/tablet that takes a standard 3.5mm jack)
We engineered SPIN from the ground up. Our patent pending design features a dual spool for independent action use on the 3.5 jack or headset side.
Most retraction devices on the market use one spool that requires both the 3.5 jack and the headset to be extended at the same time or more tangle happens. SPIN uses the headset cable and 3.5 cable separately. They are wired onto their own spools, with the connections transferring sound via spring contacts and a PCB that keep your call or music seamlessly sounding great and connected while retracting or locked in place.
INSPIRATION
We were inspired by the Apple headphone case size and shape (not the ease of cable management). The size is driven primarily by the overall length of the cables but through iterative engineering approach, we were able to get all the components, cables and housing down to the smallest size possible. We are almost the same size of the Apple headphone case and expect the weight to be around 80g.
BACKERS
SPIN comes in your choice of three standard versions inspired by the Apple iPhone 5s colors in a beautiful satin finish aluminum: SILVER, BLACK and GOLD.
SPIN will retail at approximately a price of $125 USD. With our pro-audio headset and premium retraction design, this will be your “go to” headset when you want to listen to your favorite music or have frustration free access to answer calls. Our Kickstarter backers not only have an opportunity to be the first to get SPIN when it is finished and built but be able to get it for a special Kickstarter price of $99 usd. We even have an early bird offer of $79 usd for those that jump on board quickly!
KICKSTARTER EXCLUSIVE
The SPIN RED version is exclusive only to Kickstarter backers who have helped us get SPIN to market. The SPIN RED is similar to the SPIN BLACK color but with a limited RED Aluminum Front and Rear Housing and Red Aluminum Headphone details. Each SPIN RED will be individually serialized by laser etching. Only 500 will be made available for $125 USD.
Note: We will share actual sample updates in our next round of prototypes. To see images of SPIN RED go to nytrolabs.com to view it.
BRINGING SPIN TO LIFE
SPIN started with an idea of making something better. From a sketch we moved to proof of concept to now a working prototype.
We have identified and partnered with a great factory to get SPIN to the market. As we say, it starts with sound and we have chosen one of the top audio suppliers in the world. They make headsets for some of the most premium brands on the market today. We wanted a factory that understood that the audio experience must be top quality. Our factory also has made retractable headsets before, so they understand clutch, spools and enclosures. They have a reliability lab that will test SPIN in multiple situations and environments, so we can get you a quality product, both in sound and function.
We have spent a lot of time and our own money on SPIN already. There has been extensive work and development on the prototypes you see in the Kickstarter video and pages above. There are over 18 parts that make up the SPIN product. We have filed 3 patents and with your help we can bring SPIN to the world.
Our schedule if we should get funded, will be to finish out refining the design and release tooling to the factory. We will be back in Asia shortly and we will work closely with our manufacturer on making sure we are delivering on our promise. Why late fall for delivery? We know what needs to be done in all aspects of bringing a finished product to you. Refining the mechanism and design, nailing down all the sub-suppliers, kicking off tooling, being on the ground for T1’s and evaluations, setting up reliability test fixtures, tuning audio performance, developing packaging, and building for mass production. We have done this many times before and know what it takes. Here is a breakout of our schedule:
WHERE SPIN IS AT TODAY:
We have built several fully functional prototypes (like you see in this picture below) to validate the concept and build. The audio sounds great and the retraction mechanism works well in our prototypes but we know we can further improve for production. We still have some refining left to do on the mechanism which is mostly clock spring tension adjustments and finishing details of the clutch (PAWL) assembly (part of our patent).
We also used our prototypes to evaluate the final size for the finished product which specifically is driven by cable length (which we maximized) and the spools to house them cleanly when retracted. We then refined the 3D data to improve surface transitions and overall fit and finish. We still need to further refine and work through final 3D buy-off with our vendor but feel confident about the current data. The current data shaped the model you see here and what we will ultimately deliver to you:
This is the final design of SPIN. We have more prototypes to make (in process). We will share those refinements in pictures and video with our backers as they become available in our journey to mass production.
Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter
All projects come with their set of challenges and possible delays, especially in the hardware space. We have been a part of 3 successful Kickstarter campaigns for another brand and countless product launches for Fortune 500 brands, so we understand all the nuances to get our idea built and into your hands. We are experts in product design, development and supply chain management. We have taken countless trips to Asia in the span of our 20+ year careers. We know how to get things done and bring products to market!
For SPIN, we have the key elements for success identified and done. We visited multiple factories and settled on a great supplier that has been making audio products for over 30 years. They make some of the best sounding headsets for premium brands that sell in the hundreds of dollars and we have tried them all. They know how to make great sounding product. We have top management support for SPIN and excitement to bring our product to the market.
The headset which is the key component for SPIN is designed and complete. We tuned the drivers to have the best quality sound we can ask for. We are music lovers and the headsets deliver. We have done the same work on making sure the microphone is also the best quality to pick up your voice for that important call.
On the retraction, we have made multiple prototypes and been constantly refining the design to assure the function is crisp, smooth, and most importantly dependable. We are confident you will love SPIN! We still have more work to do before we start tooling and conduct more extensive reliability testing. We can see the finish line and with your help we can get there!
NYTRO LABS – OUR PROMISE
We hope you support our effort to bring SPIN to life. We promise to keep you a part of this journey every step of the way. We are committed to making SPIN great and delivering a product that will eliminate at least one of the small frustrations we all face everyday with our devices. Please spread the word and share with your friends. Thank you!
