DanWiggins
Member of the Trade: periodic audio
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2017
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That is part of it; actually, we do the light weight because of comfort. I spent several years in (and am still in, to a certain degree) the hearing aid industry, and learned first-hand just how much weight affects perceived comfort. Weight is the biggest driver of comfort for in-ear products, and how that weight is distributed is key. You do not want extra pressure anywhere, you want it as balanced as possible. We have a metal back cap because it is actually a counterbalance to ensure the weight is balanced on your tragus/anti-tragus, to avoid weight "hot spots" in your ear canal.I was also surprised, first impression of these (as I am sure with the rest of the periodic lineup) is that they are super light weight to the point of almost feeling cheap (almost). But I quickly got the impression that sound is the most important thing with periodic, above trying to make something flashy, even if it means the materials dont necessarily seem as premium.
In this case, it's not because we put performance ahead of cosmetics (which we do, in actuality); it's because we put comfort first and foremost. What good is an IEM if it sounds phenomenal but is painful to wear? Comfort first, performance second, everything else comes after that. So it's made to be as light as possible so it is comfortable to wear for 8-10 hours at a time. Metal housings are pretty and convey a "premium" look, but in terms of actual comfort? There's a reason hearing aids (which are worn for 12+ hours a day) are all super light and plastic...