There have been a lot of truly wireless earbuds and earbud concepts over the past few years as wired devices have gone out of style. But basically, they serve just one purpose and that is to play something in your ears or as a secondary tool for accessing digital assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, etc. Once they’re off your ears though, they become practically useless and most of the time, they’re just sitting pretty there in the charging case. What if they had another function when they’re not in your ears.
Designer: Liam de la Bedoyere for Bored Eye
That’s one of the main ideas behind the Bored Buds, a concept for a pair of earbuds that are not just intuitively designed but are also multi-functional. Basically, they’re earbuds that are also part of a Bluetooth speaker. So when you’re not listening to music using the audio accessories, they are nestled in the speakers through the protective case and serve as the control buttons. The speaker itself does not have any interface or display so the earbuds will serve as your on/off, pause/play, and volume up/down buttons.
But as earbuds, they are also pretty well-designed. They are pill-shaped so they will fit comfortably in your ears. They are made from titanium, they are water-resistant and durable, and are 100% recyclable. They have magnetic connections and there is no cover as the buds nestle below the surface. The case is attached to the speakers through a USB-C connection. The controls themselves are gesture-sensitive both as earbuds and for the speakers.
When switching from the speakers to the earbuds, you only have to pinch them to transfer the sound back. Both the speaker and the earbuds use monochromatic colors and minimalist design. Hopefully, the sound will also be of good quality as no matter how good a design is, it’s how an audio accessory sounds that can make or break it. This is an interesting concept for audiophiles who want to have music and other aural products always on hand.
