soundshield
How do you like the helmet-headphone combo?
- Great concept, beautifully implemented!37%
- A headset in the helmet is one of those things the world doesn't need.63%
The competition has ended.
ISPO 2019: Half helmet, half headphones
20.2.2019
Translation: machine translated
This helmet is a beauty. One that has it all. In this case, "it" is removable over-ear headphones with a headband. The chic "Soundshield" from Unit1 Gear turned my head at ISPO 2019 in Munich.
Sometimes you need to justify the great solution you've just developed. Anyone who, like Unit1 Gear, combines protective equipment (helmet) with a safety risk (headphones) should prepare a few arguments as a precaution. Of course, it's worth pointing out the reality - for many people, music on and off the piste is part of the equation. And it's no longer necessary to fumble in-ear headphones under your helmet. The earpads offer space for more elegant and comfortable solutions for isolating yourself from the outside world on skis or a board with the right soundtrack. If the "problem" is mainstream and cannot be solved, better solutions are needed. That's roughly how Unit1 Gear sees it.
The problem with music on the slopes today comes from bad interfaces.
The "Soundshield" should not only make the music in the helmet more stylish, but also easier to use and therefore safer. This would justify its raison d'être.
That wouldn't really be necessary, because on the surface it has a right to exist anyway. In combination with the glasses, it turns my 0815 head into an eye-catcher. Something between a billiard ball and a disco ball. At first glance, you can't even see that there are removable over-ear headphones hidden in this helmet. Javier Bertani demonstrates how the concept works at ISPO 2019 in Munich. He is the co-founder of Unit1 Gear, one of the top 50 newcomers showcasing their products at the world's largest sports trade fair.
I turn around the helmet.
I'm spinning my wheels
He takes the headphones out of the hardshell helmet and presses them into my hand. At first, I'm surprised by their weight, which is stated as 200 grams. The headband seems heavy and very solid. While Javier tries to pair his iPhone with the right one of the many headphones around us via Bluetooth, I put them on my ears and turn the wheel. The entire outer ring on the right-hand side is there to adjust the volume even with gloves and clammy fingers. Play/pause and changing tracks works as expected by pressing the inner ring.
The speakers are fitted with 40 mm drivers, from which the first basses are now booming. Javier has started playback and looks at me expectantly. I'm not overly audiophile, but for me the sound of the Soundshield is balanced and absolutely suitable for everyday use. Thumbs up. The built-in battery is supposed to last up to 16 hours. A microphone is also integrated, and the helmet headphones must of course be able to withstand moisture.
Beautiful & beanie-ready
Speaking of tucking away: Getting the headphones back into the helmet is really easy. They are pushed into the neck area and then snap into place. If you want to be out and about without headphones, you can also use simple ear covers. The helmet itself naturally fulfils the necessary EN1077B safety standard, weighs 500 grams, has a passive ventilation system, can be adjusted in size and - very importantly - is beanie-ready. Because first and foremost, this item is still all about style.
If a product is also multifunctional, an award would be the logical consequence of the ISPO trends we observe. However, it was not the designer piece Soundshield that won the award in the Accessories category, but the PowderBee rescue drone. Unit1 Gear had to make do with the title of "Finalist". I quite liked the helmet/headphones combo. Although I know that I don't need it at all. I don't listen to music on the piste. And yet there's a feeling of wanting to have it. What do you think?
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
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