GRACE NOTES

There’s no doubt that custom earphones are way more comfortable and fit better than off-the-shelf one-size-fits-all earphones—and that snug fit usually means better sound too. The problem is that customs take a long time from fitting to delivery and are usually quite expensive—around $1,000. Revols, a Kickstarter-funded company is changing that with a proprietary technology that turns soft Nano-composite gel earphones into permanently-molded custom fit wonders for much less than traditional customs and the magic happens in just 60 seconds.

Revols is a Canadian-based company, campaigning now on Kickstarter. The company's earphones use an app to activate the gel in their earphones that triggers a reaction to harden them to perfectly fit in your ear. The technology itself is a secret, but once you click the start button on the app, it communicates with the earphones triggering an electrical signal that transforms the gel-filled tips into a solid, customized fit.

Traditional custom earphones can run upwards to $1,000 and involve trips to an audiologist, or awkwardly taking selfies of your ear, and there is often a long turn-around time. Using their app, Revols are fitted in 60 seconds, and come with two sets of molding tips in case you mess up the first attempt, want to share, or just want a spare.

While their molded tips are revolutionary, there’s no need for this company to completely reinvent earphone technology. They’re partnering with Onkyo to create the actual earphone drivers. At this time, it appears they are going to use a single dynamic driver, but this part of the project is still under development. We’ve requested a review sample and will address sound quality once it is finalized.

A few other features make the Revols more than just interesting. They have built-in microphones in each earpiece and controller that work together to cancel out extraneous noise when making phone calls. Speaking of cancelling noise, since they offer such a great fit, they work very well to passively cancel outside sounds.

However, there are times you need to hear a little bit of what’s going on around you. Since the Revols already have microphones built in, you can use their Soundscape app to add back in an adjustable amount of outside noise so joggers can hear a little bit of traffic noise for safety. I’m willing to bet that an active noise-cancelling app will be coming in the future. The cabling attaching the two earpieces can swivel around the earphone bezel so you can use them over or under the ear for comfort.

The Revols are strictly wireless Bluetooth 4.1 earphones—there is no other audio input. They are compatible with aptX and use Apple’s AAC technology. They have 8 hours of playback, but an additional slim, lightweight external battery is included to boost playback to 14 hours. You can also plug them into a USB charger and use them while it is being charged—the charging cable is included.

Revols are water- and dust-resistant, but colorful silicon Sport Skins are available to add an extra layer of protection from sweaty outdoor activities—however, they are not waterproof. They come with a hard-sided carrying case.

The Kickstarter campaign has been fully funded, actually by quite a long shot. People are really excited about this product, and I can see why. Currently, the stretch goal to bring an assortment of colors for the housing is still a bit shy but should be funded shortly. It’s about time we all had earphones that fit our own individual ear shapes and sizes but I can see why backers might want to hold off pledging until we know how they’ll sound. For a $199 pledge, it’s a gamble—the more affordable early-bird pledges are sold out. I can’t wait to get a pair to review and report back on how they sound—for once, knowing I’ll get a fit that I can wear for hours and hours.