Up until recently, the definition of ‘noise canceling’ was limited to removing undesirable sounds to enable clear calling, voice recording, and music listening. What the dBud U does is extend that definition to also cancel sounds that may harm your ears. Designed as the world’s first TWS earbuds with OSHA-certified ‘noise protection’, the dBuds U do more than just answer calls and play music and podcasts… they actually protect your ears from the harsh sounds around you, like the rumbling of a jet, the roaring of a vacuum cleaner, the deafening noise of construction and traffic, or that imbecile next door on the drum set. Designer: EarLabs (42% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left! Coming from the folks at EarLabs, the dBud U builds on their catalog of products designed to protect hearing. Its mission is a pretty strong and unique one – to give you the TWS experience while focusing on ear health – something I’ve personally been quite passionate about since I developed tinnitus. Sure, they’re like most TWS earbuds in the way they work, but they also provide an extra blanket of features that ensure that you can block out unwanted sounds that may affect your focus, your listening experience, or your hearing abilities in the long run. Additionally, they’re also designed to augment certain sounds like voices of those around you – perhaps a coworker informing you of a meeting, a barista calling your name, or your partner asking you where to order takeout from. On the design front, the dBud U are indistinguishable from your top-of-the-line TWS earbuds. They sport a comfortably compact design that fits snugly into your ears, with silicone tips creating that tight seal to prevent noise from leaking in. There aren’t any ear-stems like in AirPods too, which makes them less fiddly, while giving both the earbuds as well their case a rather petite size that’s perfect for all sorts of pockets. On the inside, the dBud U earphones are equipped with high-fidelity graphene drivers that deliver crisp audio with a balanced sound that’s perfect for music and vocals, and fine-tuned to deliver crisp audio on all your media consumption platforms including Netflix, Spotify, Audible, YouTube, Disney+, HBO, Apple Podcasts and a range of other popular apps. However, what sets the dBud U apart from the ocean of TWS earbuds on the internet is their intent. Touted as the world’s first (and only) earphones certified for hearing protection by OSHA, the dBud U combines active noise canceling, passive noise reduction, and dynamic range compression to keep your ears safe at all times. These features are bundled into 3 modes that serve different users and scenarios – a mode turns the earphones into smart earplugs that heavily reduce the impact of loud noises around you, safeguarding your eardrums against damage, an mode that improves hearing and situational awareness with low-latency audio input to ensure you hear important sounds around you like traffic, conversations, horns, alarms, etc., and finally, a mode that puts the world around you on mute, so you can meditate, exercise, or work without distractions. Collectively, the three modes cover a wide variety of cases, whether you’re in a factory or using power tools at home, whether you’re traveling or in social situations, or whether you’re deep in concentration while working or working out. Functionally, the dBud U TWS earbuds offer everything you’d expect from a high-end audio device. The graphene drivers, active noise-cancellation algorithms, and dual hybrid ANC MEMS microphones (in each earbud) make the earphones perfect for music, calls, and even voice commands. The earbuds have actual physical controls, which means you can use them with gloves on too – a highly understated feature for people working with safety gear or while outdoors in winter apparel. The earphones pair with your smart device via Bluetooth 5.1, offering a strong, low-latency connection, while the dBud smartphone app lets you even fiddle around with the equalizer to adjust the audio to perfectly suit your needs. They come IPX4 rated to be sweat and splash-proof, and the earbuds boast of a 7-hour battery life, brought up to a full 28-hours with the charging case. The case can quick-charge the buds, offering 90 minutes of playback with just 5 minutes of charging, and as icing on the cake, the case supports wireless charging too. The dBud U make a pretty compelling purchase, given their capabilities and the earlybird price of under $215. They ship in 3 colors and begin deliveries as early as April 2022. “Sounds” pretty good, eh? (42% off). Hurry, less than 48 hours left!