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Helix Bluetooth headphones can be worn in a fashionable cuff

Ashley Chloe Inc. is taking its new Helix Bluetooth headphones to Kickstarter, in an attempt to fund mesh function and fashion into a single product that wraps around your wrist.

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Published onJuly 20, 2015

Finding the right Bluetooth headphones is no easy feat, even as wireless sound accessories continue to expand. The truth is most headsets are still bulky and easily tangled; and while companies like Beats display a certain fashion statement, most sound products won’t exactly look good when you take them to your next reunion.

Ashley Chloe Inc. is introducing its new Helix Bluetooth headphones via Kickstarter. This product attempts to mesh function and fashion into a single product that wraps around your wrist. At first sight, the Helix cuff looks much like a refined (and slightly bigger) version of Jawbone’s wearables. Take a closer look and it still looks like some sort of activity tracker or bracelet. This means the team did a good job, as their product doesn’t look like what it really is, until the user decides to take advantage of it.

The headphones

This bracelet holds a pair of Bluetooth headphones, making this one of the most convenient and best-looking ways to carry your headset around. These portable earbuds have short cables linking them to a piece that hangs under the user’s chin. We assume this is the control center, so to speak, where the battery, Bluetooth antennas, microphone and all other hardware reside.

The headphones come with a metal housing and sweat resistance, so you know they won’t be breaking apart on you. Now, we know what many of you are wondering is whether this thing will sound good or not. Audio quality is just as important as fashion, and the Helix promises a good experience.

Helix’s earbuds tout “Hi-Fidelity stereo sound quality”, with frequencies ranging from 50 Hz to 20 kHz. Impendance is also set at 32 ohms and total harmonic distortion is under 1%. We do know numbers don’t always translate to quality, though, so we won’t pass judgement until we can get our chance to give the Helix Bluetooth headphones a try.

Whether they sound good or bad, what we do know is you won’t be listening for too long. The manufacturer estimates about 3 hours of battery life on a single charge. You weren’t expecting too much playback time out of that tiny thing, right?

Oh, and the headset does work for making calls.

The cuff

As mentioned above, the true benefit of this cuff is that it does a great job at hiding its technological prowess. This accessory manages to look good and keep a low profile, while expressing a fashion statement that seems to target millennials.

This part of the gadget is made of fluoroelastomer (same as the Apple Watch) and anodized aluminum. Want to get fancy? You can also opt for a “gold edition”, which will come with 18K plated-gold designs.

Who are the Helix Bluetooth headphones for?

While many of us do treasure sound quality, we also don’t want to sacrifice ease of use. Today’s generations are known for aiming to live as conveniently as possible, and carrying around large headsets in a tangle ball is not exactly optimal. Something like the Helix headphones would simplify our experience by reducing the headset’s footprint and making it a breeze to carry around.

Music is a big part of the average user’s day. In fact, a recent PR Newswire study suggests the average millennial wears headphones for about 4 hours a day, and about 20% would give up food for music. Furthermore, about 87% own earbuds, as opposed to on-ear or over-the-ear headphones. This could serve as corroboration that people do, in fact, prefer a smaller form factor that is more portable.

SOL REPUBLIC Music Snapshot Finds 2 out of 3 People Would Cut Their Workout Short Without Music. (PRNewsFoto/SOL REPUBLIC)

Are you buying?

OK, so let’s talk money. The Helix Bluetooth headphones won’t exactly be cheap. Once the Kickstarter campaign is over, the Helix cuff will be priced at $199 for the regular version and $299 for the 18K gold edition. On the other hand, getting them through Kickstarter will take these prices to as low as $99 and $269, if you get them through the early bird specials.

The campaign has 59 more days to go and a $100,000 funding goal to meet. So far only about $15,000 has been collected, but it’s very early on. We are sure this will generate enough interest. The real question is whether they will be taking your cash or not. Are any of you pledging? Let us know in the comments!