- Joined
- Oct 12, 2005
- Posts
- 227
- Likes
- 158
Retailers often use FitEar products as a benchmark to compare everything else against in terms of build quality. So we asked Keita Suyama — FitEar's Founder — about design and inspiration and the role of the in-ear monitor.
Each month, IEMITO proudly presents an inside look into the visions and concepts behind the products. This article is reprinted in full for the benefit of the community.
THE FOUNDER'S PHILOSOPHY
Please tell us about your commitment to flawlessness and how that permeates your design aesthetics.
A product is made up of several elements, but in the case of CIEM, the first priority is the fit to the ear, and therefore the sound insulation and comfort of the wearer.
As a professional in-ear monitor, it is required to realize the intention of the monitor engineer above all else. It also needs to be highly durable, including cables, and easy to wear.
From a service point of view, it is necessary to have a flexible production system to meet the usage schedule and to be able to repair the production in case of an emergency.
It is very difficult to be perfect in everything, but we work every day to be able to maintain these elements at a high level.
Do you see any correlation between FitEar’s aesthetic and Japanese culture in general?
We've never been aware of it, but if I had to say, I might have been influenced by Japanese anime songs. Japanese anime songs don't get a lot of evaluation as music but the musical elements that it embraces are many. Adding it as a reference for product evaluation gives diversity to our products.
I have the sense that you build and design with something more in mind than just creating earphones. How do you want people to feel when they use a FitEar product?
Audio equipment — whether for professional or consumer use — does not have the function of "making the sound better.” We want our products to act like water pipes, delivering the source from inlet to outlet without degradation or alteration.
What other sources of inspiration do you draw from?
The musical background of our products is supported by a number of professional musicians and sound engineers. Mastering engineer Mitsuharu Harada, recording/mixing engineer Yuji Sugiyama, and house/monitoring engineer Koichi Sato are particularly important to our product evaluation.
Recording/mixing engineer Yuji Sugiyama
Mastering engineer Mitsuharu Harada
House/monitoring engineer Koichi Sato
Great audio equipment also gives us a lot of inspiration and imagination. We learned the heat of music from the ALTEC A7 in the Ginza office, the way beat sounds should be from the JBL 4343, the precise sound from the Dynaudio Acoustic M3P, and the audio culture itself from the JBL D44000 Paragon.
JBL D44000 Paragon
ALTEC A7
Dynaudio Acoustic M3P
Who are some of your favorite visual artists?
It's not the kind of visual art that we generally think of, but I have a general preference for comics. As for famous cartoonists, I like the works of Osamu Tezuka, Rumiko Takahashi, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Tsubame Kamogawa.
What are some of your favorite non-audio products?
Small four-wheel drive vehicle "Jimny". It's a very cute and fun car, even though it's dedicated to the ability to drive.
And finally — what are your thoughts on the intersection of art, culture, and technology?
Mastering engineer Mitsuharu Harada advised me, "Don't just think about the sound and the music, but look at the beautiful scenery, touch the wonderful works of art, and eat good food.” I believe that in order to tackle the sensuality of music, we need to be interested in all things related to the five senses and we need to build on the technology and skills that we have established.
Each month, IEMITO proudly presents an inside look into the visions and concepts behind the products. This article is reprinted in full for the benefit of the community.
THE FOUNDER'S PHILOSOPHY
Please tell us about your commitment to flawlessness and how that permeates your design aesthetics.
A product is made up of several elements, but in the case of CIEM, the first priority is the fit to the ear, and therefore the sound insulation and comfort of the wearer.
As a professional in-ear monitor, it is required to realize the intention of the monitor engineer above all else. It also needs to be highly durable, including cables, and easy to wear.
From a service point of view, it is necessary to have a flexible production system to meet the usage schedule and to be able to repair the production in case of an emergency.
It is very difficult to be perfect in everything, but we work every day to be able to maintain these elements at a high level.
Do you see any correlation between FitEar’s aesthetic and Japanese culture in general?
We've never been aware of it, but if I had to say, I might have been influenced by Japanese anime songs. Japanese anime songs don't get a lot of evaluation as music but the musical elements that it embraces are many. Adding it as a reference for product evaluation gives diversity to our products.
I have the sense that you build and design with something more in mind than just creating earphones. How do you want people to feel when they use a FitEar product?
Audio equipment — whether for professional or consumer use — does not have the function of "making the sound better.” We want our products to act like water pipes, delivering the source from inlet to outlet without degradation or alteration.
What other sources of inspiration do you draw from?
The musical background of our products is supported by a number of professional musicians and sound engineers. Mastering engineer Mitsuharu Harada, recording/mixing engineer Yuji Sugiyama, and house/monitoring engineer Koichi Sato are particularly important to our product evaluation.
Recording/mixing engineer Yuji Sugiyama
Mastering engineer Mitsuharu Harada
House/monitoring engineer Koichi Sato
Great audio equipment also gives us a lot of inspiration and imagination. We learned the heat of music from the ALTEC A7 in the Ginza office, the way beat sounds should be from the JBL 4343, the precise sound from the Dynaudio Acoustic M3P, and the audio culture itself from the JBL D44000 Paragon.
JBL D44000 Paragon
ALTEC A7
Dynaudio Acoustic M3P
Who are some of your favorite visual artists?
It's not the kind of visual art that we generally think of, but I have a general preference for comics. As for famous cartoonists, I like the works of Osamu Tezuka, Rumiko Takahashi, Katsuhiro Otomo, and Tsubame Kamogawa.
What are some of your favorite non-audio products?
Small four-wheel drive vehicle "Jimny". It's a very cute and fun car, even though it's dedicated to the ability to drive.
And finally — what are your thoughts on the intersection of art, culture, and technology?
Mastering engineer Mitsuharu Harada advised me, "Don't just think about the sound and the music, but look at the beautiful scenery, touch the wonderful works of art, and eat good food.” I believe that in order to tackle the sensuality of music, we need to be interested in all things related to the five senses and we need to build on the technology and skills that we have established.
