Headphones emerged front and center during this summer's London Olympics — as a fashion statement and as unofficial marketing billboards.
Numerous athletes, with little else to distinguish their appearance from teammates, prominently donned headsets from several high-profile brands, including Beats by Dr. Dre and Sol Republic, which landed the coveted spot covering the ears of Olympic darling Michael Phelps.
Colorado, as it turns out, is home to at least three headphone makers. They're not exactly household names, but two have enjoyed some degree of success and a third recently launched.
The newest comes from Todd Beetcher, founder of Boulder-based startup QAK, which in June released a pair of Bluetooth wireless headsets called Thump.
Beetcher, who said he has about 20 years experience working with startups, took a simple approach with his latest venture: Ride Apple's coattails.
"Why fight the Apple marketing machine?" he said. "They do a really good job, and accessory companies make a lot of money off of them."
Thump is designed for active users like runners and bikers, and work seamlessly with Apple's iPhone.
Manufactured in China, the headphones are packaged and branded in Boulder and sold at headphone kiosks in Park Meadows, Cherry Creek Shopping Center and FlatIron Crossing.
Telluride-based Arriva also jumped on the Apple bandwagon with its first product in 2008, headphones designed for the iPod shuffle.
Founder Ben Blouse racked up thousands of dollars in debt to finance the business. Though he's reeled in significant sales to help pay off some of that, thanks in part to positive reviews from New York Times tech columnist David Pogue this year and in 2008, Blouse wonders occasionally why he's in the ultra-competitive business.
The company's latest in-ear wireless headphones work with Bluetooth-capable cellphones or digital music players. Sometimes users struggle with the wireless connection and immediately blame the headset rather than the device.
"It's a nightmare with Bluetooth," Blouse said. "In some ways, I almost feel like 'why did I do this' because there are so many things that can go wrong, and so many times it's not (our) fault. It's the fault of the device."
Still, he chugs along, preparing to release updated versions of the Leo in multiple colors. Arriva's headphones can be purchased online at Arriva.com or Amazon.com.
Perhaps the most established Colorado headphone maker is Wheat Ridge-based Able Planet. The company is a regular exhibitor at the annual Consumer Electronics Show and produces high-end, noise-canceling headphones that compete directly with Beats and Bose.
Though lower-end headphones such as those from Arriva and QAK represent the majority of sales, models priced above $100 doubled their unit share to 6 percent last year and accounted for more than $342 million in sales through November 2011, according to market research firm NPD Group.
Independent makers such as Sol, and not major electronics manufacturers such as Sony, are grabbing attention for their stylish headphones, giving hope to upstarts such as QAK and Arriva.
"The big companies are coming and going," Blouse said. "This is a whole different ball game. Companies like us can come out of blue and become a pretty good hit."
Andy Vuong : 303-954-1209, avuong@denverpost.com or fb.com/byandyvuong
Sound, style and comfort of three headphones from Colorado companies
If you're in the market for a new pair of headphones, consider one from the following three Colorado-based companies. I've ranked them based on sound, style and comfort.
Sound — Able Planet's Clear Harmony noise-cancelling headphones easily offer the best sound, but also come with the heftiest price tag. Nearly half of all headphone purchasers say sound quality is "extremely important" or "very important" in their decision to buy, according to the NPD Group. Frequent travelers should strongly consider the Clear Harmony because they do a great job of blocking out noise during flights. They retail for $350, and a lower-end version called Sound Clarity sells for $200. Older models can be purchased at deep discounts on Amazon.com.
Style — Thump by QAK takes the cake on style, and offers good sound quality for $80 headphones. The in-ear, Bluetooth-enabled set features a hard form factor that wraps around the back of the head. A minor complaint is that it's not clear without instructions which button should be used to pair the headphones with a smartphone or digital music player.
Comfort — Arriva's Leo beats the other two in comfort thanks to its unique design. The wireless, in-ear headphones feature a wavy, bendable body that can adjust to the shape of your head. The set is extremely lightweight, perfect for active users. The Leo costs $80, which includes Acoustibuds tips.
— Andy Vuong, The Denver Post
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