Kannon Headphones Kickstarter plans to use haptics for deep bass

Headphone company Tacticion has recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to bring a new level of sound to gaming audio — specifically bass.

As anyone who’s ever worn headphones before would tell you, solving the problem of fitting a sound system into a headset is no easy task.  Audiophiles have long sought headphones with perfect sound signatures, and that game can get go up to $4000 consumer-level products.  Tactition’s solution starts with targeting bass-lovers by recreating a subwoofer feel by use of haptics in the headset itself, generating subtle vibrations that normally exist in home theater setups.

Taction Technology has designed the Kannon headphones with a unique haptic driver that accurately delivers low frequency audio through vibrations, so you hear the full range of audio, complete with deep, resonating bass that is missing in conventional headphones. Each earcup in the new Taction Kannon headset has both a traditional driver and a haptic driver. The traditional driver transfers higher-frequency audio ? treble and mid-tones ? as well as the high end of the low-frequency spectrum. The haptic driver delivers a clean strong bass sensation down to 15 Hz, well beyond the capabilities of a traditional driver.

This novel approach will retail for an estimated $499 when available, with a discount of course to backers of their program.  The website itself makes several claims about the benefits of their technology from a more immersive film experience to a truer aural sound for audiophiles.  Most interesting to us was this line describing an improved reaction time in gaming scenarios:

It also provides a documented competitive advantage by decreasing response times and improving spatial accuracy. The vibrations from haptic drivers have improved the response time of individuals in lab studies by an average of 60 milliseconds, which represents between and 15 percent and 40 percent improvement depending upon the individual.

A list of impressions and articles including audio-centric websites such as Head-fi.org are listed on the campaign page for third-party input, for those interested in further research.  With heavy hitters such as Logitech, Turtle Beach, and Astro dominating the market for gaming headphones, it could be interesting to see whether the success of the Kannon rocks the boat in a seemingly stagnant field.