When you work with audio hardware, you know that it can be fragile. This is especially the case when you take something like headphones and put them into a public space, like a school, library, or gaming center. When people don't have to pay for something, they don't have a lot of respect for it. This is known as the tragedy of the commons. However, sometimes a company comes along to tackle these common issues, like TWT Audio.

Who is TWT Audio?

TWT Audio is a brand that designs and produces headphones. The brand started out in the educational space producing headphones for schools. The top challenge that they experienced in schools was the durability of the headphones. Kids didn't have any interest in maintaining headphones that weren't theirs, especially in an environment they might not want to be in. So, the company took on this challenge to help reduce costs for schools.

Today, the company has taken what it learned in the educational sphere and has applied it to the consumer market. By bringing the concept of durability to consumer headphones, they have entered into an interesting space that has been sorely lacking for years. In addition, the company also focuses on keeping the cost of the products down while also making them visually unique.

TWT Audio's focus on design

The initial products from the product line are focused on standard headphone use - music and speech. These headphones are comfortable and durable, while also sounding great. But the company has another differentiator - modular design. Many of the products have the ability to replace the pieces that take the most damage through usual use. For example, if your ear cups wear out or start to shred, which they will, you can unclip them and replace them.

Another aspect of modular design is in the cabling. The cable itself can be removed, allowing you to replace it in the event the cable wears out. We know that these cables, no matter what you do to prepare, are going to wear out, so this is a nice option. However, it also gives the ability to change the type of cable. Want to hook up to a headphone jack? No problem. Connecting to a computer? That's an option. Looking to connect to a Hi-Fi system? That cable exists, too. So, one headset to rule them all.

In addition to the standard audio headphones, the company is also releasing their Victory series - a line of gaming focused headphones. They feature the same focus on quality and durability, but with different tuning. Rather than tuning the headphones for speech and music, the Victory series is tuned for foley. Foley is an term for the physical sound effects in media, such as snapping celery to create the sound of a punch.

In this case, the tuning allows a gamer to hear things like gunfire and footsteps in more detail than other sounds. With that focus, a player can get a better feel for where another player is in relationship to themselves.

Summary

TWT Audio products are available for purchase now. Headphones range in price from around $20 to $180. To learn more about the company, you can go to its website. To purchase one for yourself, you can find them on Amazon.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.