One of the great things about CES events such as Pepcom’s ShowStoppers is that you never know what you might discover at one booth or another. This was certainly the case this year when I stumbled upon YurBuds. Perhaps it should not be such a surprise since the earphones have been selling well at BestBuy in recent months. This graph shows just how well they have done…
Still, when I first met YurBuds the year before they were simply molds that snapped over your existing earphones. They were kinda silly looking, weren’t all that comfortable and, at least in my experience, didn’t work all that well.
So when the president of YurBuds grabbed me and asked if I was interested in learning about them I hesitated for a moment. Then I figured, “Why not?!?!” and I tried on a pair. I’m glad I did.
The YurBuds earphones look different than any earbuds you have tried. The portion that goes into your ear is soft, a bit on the tacky side and BRIGHT! They feel a bit funny when you put them in but you get over that feeling rather quickly when you realize that a. They are super comfortable b. They sound GREAT c. They are only $49.99 but sound like far more expensive buds. d. They won’t come out no matter what you do until you actually TAKE them out.
And… Did I mention they sound great?!?!
What a difference a year makes.
I literally stumbled upon YurBuds and, truth be told, if I saw them at my local BestBuy, would likely not give them a second look. That would be a mistake. The company was kind enough to give me the pair I tried on and I love them. If you are in the market for a new pair of earphones, or have never found a pair that are both comfortable AND stay in, they are worth a look!
A full Press Release follows…
YURBUDS® Exceed Expectations in Heath & Fitness Category at Best Buy The Company’s product wins “The World’s Most Prestigious Global Award for New Product Design.”
ST. LOUIS (January 3, 2011) Yurbuds lives up to the title set by Forbes in 2009 as the 9th Most Promising Company in America with a national placement in Best Buy’s new Health and Fitness Department. The Company’s award-winning earphones were launched in Best on Labor Day 2010. By mid-November, the Yurbuds Ironman Series Earphones were featured in almost 600 of the top Best Buy stores. “The Yurbuds Ironman Series Earphones are one of the top selling items in Best Buy’s new Health and Fitness category, and have exceeded our expectations for 2010” said Sr. Merchant, Alan Smith of Best Buy.
“The success of our venture is founded on our ability to provide a product line that consumers need and retailers desire. We provide solutions to our retail partners and help them grow their business in the earphone space. It is our goal to exceed the expectations of our consumer and our retail partner in every interaction.” noted Seth Burgett, CEO of Yurbuds and Ironman triathlete.
The Company has been successful in getting the endorsement of some of the top athletes including one of the top 10 triathletes of all time and the 2010 Ironman World Champion Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack. “I fell in love with Yurbuds immediately. There simply isn’t a better product out there! The comfort is amazing and the sound is spectacular. And they simply don’t move, it’s fantastic!”, said McCormack. Yurbuds is the only company to create an earphone that is guaranteed not to fall out. Their patented design has just been honored by the 2010 International Awards, which are frequently referred to as “The World’s Most Prestigious Global Awards for New Product Design.” Come see their patented Ear-lock™ technology and the 2011 product lineup at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV.
ABOUT YURBUDS: The Company was founded in 2008 when Burgett and Richard Daniels, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer decided to provide a solution for earphones that fall out or hurt. They applied their technical and business acumen by researching the needs of athletes, found domain experts in audiology and ergonomics, and set out to develop a solution. The Company’s research has led to a deep understanding of how to fit the shape, contours and size of the human ear. A part of the Company’s competitive advantage is a 3 dimensional digital database of ears and a “playbook” for how to characterize elements of the ear anatomy. “Our playbook for characterizing the shape, contours and size of the human ear are valuable for the expansion of devices internationally where the characteristics that keep devices comfortably positioned in the ear are different. This how-to playbook has become invaluable in developing our award winning products using our patented Ear-Lock™ Technology.”, noted Burgett. In addition to the ergonomics, the Company’s research and clinical study in audiology has resulted in an earphone with an ability to achieve tighter phase coherence and capture low frequency bass for deeper richer sound quality that consistently provides an exceeds experience for consumers when they receive $150 sound quality for $49.99. “Our mission is to transform the athlete’s experience through personalized service and exceptional audio products that integrate ergonomics and emotive design,” said Burgett.