Silent night: Bose’s new noise-masking Sleepbuds

Hi-fi giant’s lastest creation shuts out
unwanted noises to give you a good night’s rest

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The company took to crowd-funding site Indiegogo last November
to see whether customers would be interested in prototype wireless,
noise-cancelling earphones designed to help shut out intrusive
sounds at night.

The answer was a resounding yes: the first small batch of
prototype earphones, dubbed Sleepbuds, sold out within six
days.

With that success in mind, the company is now launching
them at stores across the US from autumn. 

The sleepbuds use “noise-masking technology”, says Bose,
and feature sculpted rubber earbuds that play specially designed
sleep-promoting tracks. 

These tracks hide background noise by mirroring the frequencies
of intrusive sounds, such as dogs barking or someone snoring, to
neutralise potentially sleep-disrupting environmental
noise. 

The smallest product that Bose has ever made, the
Sleepbuds measure in at just over 1cm in width and height and are
completely wireless, connecting to the user’s smartphone through a
low-energy Bluetooth connection. 

Once connected, users can choose between ten audio backing
tracks, including the sound of gentle waves, and can also set an
alarm for the morning. 

The batteries last for around 16 hours, and are powered up
using a compact wireless charging case that comes with the
Sleepbuds. 

Bose stresses that the Sleepbuds do not double as a pair
of wireless headphones, so you can’t stream music or TV shows
through them. For that, you could try the company’s
noise-cancelling QC35 MKII headphones.

Sleepbuds will only be available in North America
initially, with prices starting at $250 (£190). 

But if they prove to be popular, it may not be long until
they go on sale across the pond too.