British audio company, Damson, today announced their Headbones™, the company’s first offering in the wireless headphone category. They will also be on show at CES 2014.

The patent-pending Headbones™ is radically new design in that rather than blocking the ear canal with the standard in-ear buds, Damson’s Headbones™ rest on the temporal bone behind or in front of the ear, where they send audio vibrations through the skull to the cochlea. They avoid the use of a traditional “cone speaker” by replacing the magnetic coil with teeth (or incisors), allowing the sound to radiate through the surface the speaker is placed on.

These look ideal if you need to be aware of the sounds around you as well as being able to hear your tunes.

The advantage of the unique technology that Damson utilises also has serious positive implications for the hearing-impaired. By utilising IDF to send vibrations through the skull to the cochlea, Headbones™ bypass the outer ear, which allows people with some hearing impairments to be able to listen to music, by delivering the sounds directly to the inner ear.

Damson Headbones™ are compatible with any Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone or tablet, and users can expect up to eight hours of music-listening enjoyment from a single charge. When not in use, Headbones™ can be charged via a Micro USB. One version of the Headbones™ has the speaker sitting in front of the ear, while another, more discreet version, rests the speaker just behind the ear.

Price TBC