SureSh0t
New Head-Fier
Oof...
Well, just have to sweat it out till they reach the doorstep.
Well, just have to sweat it out till they reach the doorstep.
ORA GrapheneQ - The world's first Graphene driver headphone
- Thread starter AlwaysForward
- Start date
SDBiotek
1000+ Head-Fier
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As I mentioned to @robert-eric, Head-fiers are a passionate lot, and sometimes emotions get away from us when we all really want more information about a product. It's the end of the year, holiday season, etc., so naturally further updates will be delayed right now. Fingers crossed for some good news soon.
rkw
Headphoneus Supremus
Not exactly silence. Ora posted a couple of times in this thread just a few days ago:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ora...driver-headphone.854987/page-37#post-15382432
Midgetguy
Headphoneus Supremus
Indeed. Just because they're in Canada doesn't mean they don't have holidays. I hope they find time to squeeze in a quick update next week. Just something short like "the shipping process has started" or "we expect shipping to commence next week" will do, though if that's the type of update going out, they better have all their ducks in a row because at this point, customers want the product, not words of encouragement.
pila405
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"Find time to squeeze"? This is their job and a commitment they made. They promised an update at a week which already passed.
AlwaysForward
Headphoneus Supremus
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As far as we know they’re in China, not Canada. Working through the holidays, most likely. And are working on the manufacturing/shipping update.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this review and the reaction could have caused a delay. Maybe they want to see/inspect the review unit. Maybe they’re doing additional QC. Maybe it’s something else. I dunno.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this review and the reaction could have caused a delay. Maybe they want to see/inspect the review unit. Maybe they’re doing additional QC. Maybe it’s something else. I dunno.
MRM22
New Head-Fier
Update is out. Lots of information and looks like we will be getting them around Jan 15th. I hope some more reviews start coming out now
AlwaysForward
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omegaorgun
Previously known as FireLion
I got an M50XBT and $11 suede brainwavz clones for about $140 posted. Sound great! I can get a new wh1000xm3 for $220 and what's funny is my $25 taotronics 1990 lookalike which is based on a Jensen or shares some DNA with aptx and 50mm drivers probably is as good as them both for SQ but need to get a nice set of pads for it. What am I paying for here that is worth $400 would it be word class noise cancelling tech, amazing audiophile level sound or just an experiment with a graphene driver?
Can someone spend $30 on these and tell me if they are as good as I think! https://www.ebay.com/itm/TaoTronics...914159?hash=item2ac8d3402f:g:8dIAAOSwUVFcCh1h
Can someone spend $30 on these and tell me if they are as good as I think! https://www.ebay.com/itm/TaoTronics...914159?hash=item2ac8d3402f:g:8dIAAOSwUVFcCh1h
Midgetguy
Headphoneus Supremus
Confirming logistics, overseeing production line, meeting with investors, meeting with staff, travel.....a myriad of things that can be in the way of a timely update and for them, probably higher priority. Not totally an excuse, but I understand a late update for such a reason.
All that said, now that the update is out, I hope to have my headphones maybe like February? Yeah I know the update says mid-January, but that's best-case scenario and I never expect myself to get best-case scenario.
AlwaysForward
Headphoneus Supremus
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Copypasta for the lazy:
Hello Backers and Happy Holidays!
Ora returned from China this week, just in time for Xmas eve. It was a very successful trip. We completed sub-assemblies for headbands, earcups, and driver baffles. 1000 units have been fully built and tested. We had to leave before the full 3000 could be completed but the remaining units will be in production soon. We are still on track to deliver to all our backers in January. Once the units are completed we will begin the process of packaging and shipping logistics.
We thought this would be a great opportunity to give a preview of how the headphones are coming together.
We previously produced ~150 units as part of a pilot run to define the assembly process. Every little detail from the order and timing of each operation to the torque on every screw needed to be defined. All the parts had to be inspected for blemishes or manufacturing defects.
Once all the preliminary work was finished, we saw all those efforts come together in a highly efficient assembly line. The integrator began by making sub-assemblies for the metal headband, “liquid wood” earcups, and plastic driver baffles. These assemblies make up the robust but lightweight headset to house the GrapheneQ drivers. With the sub-assemblies competed, the final assembly and testing of the full headsets went pretty quickly.
Metal Headband Sub-Assembly: The headband uses a spring-steel core with a plastic cable guide and a powder-coated aluminum slider / yoke. The spring steel is covered with memory foam and an anti-microbial cloth which has a hexagonal “carbon lattice” pattern.
The spring steel allows the tension of the headband to be moulded to the head of the user. The aluminum sliders adjust both the headband length and the ear-cup angle so that the cups are positioned correctly as the spring steel flexes for larger head sizes. This system was specifically designed based on biometric data and tests to allow the earcups to sit high and tight with minimal pressure from the headband. Overall, the headphones are light and well-balanced. When fitted correctly, the thick ear pads seal well against the head and support most of the weight of the headset. The ear cups rotate to allow the headphones to sit flat against the chest when not in use.
Metal Headband Sub-Assembly
Ear Cup Sub Assembly:
The headphone acoustics were specifically designed to take advantage of the GrapheneQ drivers’ performance. The ear cup assemblies use a special wood fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (“liquid wood”). This polymer composite material increases damping and reduces mass over standard plastics and contributes to the ear cups’ wood grain-like texture. We had to seek out a Taiwanese supplier that specialized in precision medical devices in order to have this part made. The geometry of the cup has been carefully designed to ensure a rigid acoustic chamber while also being light weight.
As mentioned in previous updates, the earpads and headband use Korean Protein Leather. This is a specialty vegan “leather” product that is more breathable and longer-lasting than real leather. It is used in many high-end headphone products and we were advised by multiple industry professionals that it is superior to real leather particularly for the ear pads. The material is soft and supple and, along with the thick memory foam pads, will sculpt to the shape of the head.
Ear Cup Sub Assembly
Driver Baffle Sub-Assembly:
The 40mm GrapheneQ driver is the world’s first mass produced device to use >97% Graphene as a membrane. It moves very fast and we designed it to use less damping so it could have more excursion. The acoustics of the headset have been tuned to support this and the full system is optimized to playback levels up to 100db SPL. The driver baffle is standard ABS plastic and shaped to help create the tuned acoustic space in front of the ear. The baffle holds the driver at an angle. When combined with the shape of the pads, the driver sits at an ~25˚ angle to the ear. Rather than delivering sound directly into the ear canal, the Oras sit around the ear and allow the natural shape of your ear’s pinna to influence the sound for improved imaging and spatialization.
Driver Baffle Sub-Assembly
Final Assembly and Test:
Once all the sub-assemblies were made, they came to the final assembly line where the circuit boards and wires were installed and everything was mounted together. The headphones were then tested. Both the wired and wireless frequency response were tested as well as the antenna strength. The measurement systems automatically compare the response to the QC criteria defined by Ora, Any units outside of these criteria are flagged for re-work. Nothing ships that has not met our strict criteria.
Final Assembly and Test
For the first couple hundred headphones, Ora reviewed every response curve to ensure we were happy with the QC criteria. The integrating company has been very supportive and we really appreciate their attention to detail. Here are some curves (some wired, some wireless) that we reviewed [note that the measurement set-ups used by the integrator do not use an artificial pinna, otherwise the curves are nearly identical to those in our mid-April update].
Shock of The New
So many exciting new things to come! As always, we will keep you updated as we move forward. Expect to hear from us again on January 15th 2020! That’ll also be about the time to start checking your mailbox - A new year to welcome a new frontier of audio quality
2020 is bringing the future of fidelity with GrapheneQ, a very stiff, hyper damped lightweight material that can reproduce sound with surprising new levels of depth, width, and clarity. Ora will be rolling out a new webpage soon with the manual, specs, some photos of the final headphones, and some comments from industry professionals who have heard the pilot run units.
Have a Happy New Year!
The Ora Team
Hello Backers and Happy Holidays!
Ora returned from China this week, just in time for Xmas eve. It was a very successful trip. We completed sub-assemblies for headbands, earcups, and driver baffles. 1000 units have been fully built and tested. We had to leave before the full 3000 could be completed but the remaining units will be in production soon. We are still on track to deliver to all our backers in January. Once the units are completed we will begin the process of packaging and shipping logistics.
We thought this would be a great opportunity to give a preview of how the headphones are coming together.
We previously produced ~150 units as part of a pilot run to define the assembly process. Every little detail from the order and timing of each operation to the torque on every screw needed to be defined. All the parts had to be inspected for blemishes or manufacturing defects.
Once all the preliminary work was finished, we saw all those efforts come together in a highly efficient assembly line. The integrator began by making sub-assemblies for the metal headband, “liquid wood” earcups, and plastic driver baffles. These assemblies make up the robust but lightweight headset to house the GrapheneQ drivers. With the sub-assemblies competed, the final assembly and testing of the full headsets went pretty quickly.
Metal Headband Sub-Assembly: The headband uses a spring-steel core with a plastic cable guide and a powder-coated aluminum slider / yoke. The spring steel is covered with memory foam and an anti-microbial cloth which has a hexagonal “carbon lattice” pattern.
The spring steel allows the tension of the headband to be moulded to the head of the user. The aluminum sliders adjust both the headband length and the ear-cup angle so that the cups are positioned correctly as the spring steel flexes for larger head sizes. This system was specifically designed based on biometric data and tests to allow the earcups to sit high and tight with minimal pressure from the headband. Overall, the headphones are light and well-balanced. When fitted correctly, the thick ear pads seal well against the head and support most of the weight of the headset. The ear cups rotate to allow the headphones to sit flat against the chest when not in use.
Metal Headband Sub-Assembly
Ear Cup Sub Assembly:
The headphone acoustics were specifically designed to take advantage of the GrapheneQ drivers’ performance. The ear cup assemblies use a special wood fibre-reinforced thermoplastic (“liquid wood”). This polymer composite material increases damping and reduces mass over standard plastics and contributes to the ear cups’ wood grain-like texture. We had to seek out a Taiwanese supplier that specialized in precision medical devices in order to have this part made. The geometry of the cup has been carefully designed to ensure a rigid acoustic chamber while also being light weight.
As mentioned in previous updates, the earpads and headband use Korean Protein Leather. This is a specialty vegan “leather” product that is more breathable and longer-lasting than real leather. It is used in many high-end headphone products and we were advised by multiple industry professionals that it is superior to real leather particularly for the ear pads. The material is soft and supple and, along with the thick memory foam pads, will sculpt to the shape of the head.
Ear Cup Sub Assembly
Driver Baffle Sub-Assembly:
The 40mm GrapheneQ driver is the world’s first mass produced device to use >97% Graphene as a membrane. It moves very fast and we designed it to use less damping so it could have more excursion. The acoustics of the headset have been tuned to support this and the full system is optimized to playback levels up to 100db SPL. The driver baffle is standard ABS plastic and shaped to help create the tuned acoustic space in front of the ear. The baffle holds the driver at an angle. When combined with the shape of the pads, the driver sits at an ~25˚ angle to the ear. Rather than delivering sound directly into the ear canal, the Oras sit around the ear and allow the natural shape of your ear’s pinna to influence the sound for improved imaging and spatialization.
Driver Baffle Sub-Assembly
Final Assembly and Test:
Once all the sub-assemblies were made, they came to the final assembly line where the circuit boards and wires were installed and everything was mounted together. The headphones were then tested. Both the wired and wireless frequency response were tested as well as the antenna strength. The measurement systems automatically compare the response to the QC criteria defined by Ora, Any units outside of these criteria are flagged for re-work. Nothing ships that has not met our strict criteria.
Final Assembly and Test
For the first couple hundred headphones, Ora reviewed every response curve to ensure we were happy with the QC criteria. The integrating company has been very supportive and we really appreciate their attention to detail. Here are some curves (some wired, some wireless) that we reviewed [note that the measurement set-ups used by the integrator do not use an artificial pinna, otherwise the curves are nearly identical to those in our mid-April update].
Shock of The New
So many exciting new things to come! As always, we will keep you updated as we move forward. Expect to hear from us again on January 15th 2020! That’ll also be about the time to start checking your mailbox - A new year to welcome a new frontier of audio quality
2020 is bringing the future of fidelity with GrapheneQ, a very stiff, hyper damped lightweight material that can reproduce sound with surprising new levels of depth, width, and clarity. Ora will be rolling out a new webpage soon with the manual, specs, some photos of the final headphones, and some comments from industry professionals who have heard the pilot run units.Have a Happy New Year!
The Ora Team
Last edited:
Midgetguy
Headphoneus Supremus
It'll be at least one of those three: experimental graphene driver. The point was to develop a high-graphene content headphone driver, one that's graphene as the primary material and not just a coating, and they've done that. Implementation is another matter though so gauging whether that is a success or not is going to have to wait until some units get into customer hands. I hope for something good, just don't expect world-beating audio fidelity as IMO, you'll probably be utterly disappointed if you've got your expectations set like that.I got an M50XBT and $11 suede brainwavz clones for about $140 posted. Sound great! I can get a new wh1000xm3 for $220 and what's funny is my $25 taotronics 1990 lookalike which is based on a Jensen or shares some DNA with aptx and 50mm drivers probably is as good as them both for SQ but need to get a nice set of pads for it. What am I paying for here that is worth $400 would it be word class noise cancelling tech, amazing audiophile level sound or just an experiment with a graphene driver?
Can someone spend $30 on these and tell me if they are as good as I think! https://www.ebay.com/itm/TaoTronics...914159?hash=item2ac8d3402f:g:8dIAAOSwUVFcCh1h
pila405
500+ Head-Fier
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Seems like they forgot to attach the measurements at the end of the update.
rkw
Headphoneus Supremus
It has NO active noise cancellation. This is their very first product and the main objectives are to validate the manufacturing process and demonstrate the performance of the technology. If it is successful, it may lead to more interesting products in the future (both headphones and loudspeakers).
PockyG
100+ Head-Fier
I'm assuming those FR graphs that were just posted are raw/uncompensated. In which case, they look decent overall. I'll reserve judgement till I get them on my ears.
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