Sennheiser, the German audio company specialising in the design and production of a wide range of high fidelity products, is releasing metal 3D printed IE 600 In-Ear Headphones. The upcoming its flagship audiophile earphones will sport a metal 3D printed housing. This housing metal comes from AMLOY ZR01 – the same aerospace-grade amorphous alloy that’s used in the drilling head of NASA’s Mars rover.
The feature of this material is that it has an atomic structure similar to glass for “triple the hardness and bend resistance of high-performance steel.”
Sennheiser was supported by Heraeus Amloy Technologies, a spinoff from Heraeus Group and a Startup that deals with the production and processing of amorphous metals, in metal 3D printing the IE 600 In-Ear Headphones.
Metal 3D Printed IE 600 In-Ear Headphones
The IE 600 In-Ear Headphones are part of the company’s flagship lineup, which includes the IE 900 earphones, which debuted last year.
The metal 3D printed IE 600 In-Ear Headphones housing is made with metal powder-based 3D printing, which allows for the creation of any shape within tight tolerances. This additive manufacturing process creates chambers and channels without the need for milling. However, the cost of this new material limits its potential applications.
The earphone housing was 3D printed using Trumpf’s TruPrint 2000 Laser Metal Fusion technology by Heraeus Amloy Technologies. Amorphous metals can be 3D printed with the TruPrint 2000. These metals have a unique combination of strength, elasticity, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. This allows for thinner wall thickness, allowing for applications in smaller products such as earphones.
The TruPrint 2000 produces a high-quality printing result that impresses with its surface quality and level of detail thanks to its small 55-m laser beam diameter. It has a 200 mm diameter build volume (cylinder) and a 200 mm height. TRUMPF’s fullfield multilaser, which uses two 300-watt fibre lasers to scan the entire build area, is extremely productive.
IE 600 Housing Structure
The outer surface of the housing is finished during processing to make it scratch and corrosion resistant, ensuring that the earphones retain their distinctive appearance for years to come.
Inside, “innovative acoustic back volume and precision-moulded resonator chambers” are used to help deliver a neutral signature with true-to-life voicing for the promise of “vivid, yet pure and natural” audio delivery, while dual resonator chambers at the nozzle ensure that higher frequencies are adequately defined. The acoustics have also been tweaked to produce powerful bass with a quick and precise response.
The metal 3D printed IE 600 In-Ear Headphones will be available in the coming months for US$699.95 suggested retail price.
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