3D print your own customized headphones with the print+ DIY kit which takes just 5-10 minutes of easy assembly after printing. 

You can often tell a lot about a person from their music taste. But how about having headphones which also reflect your personality? Patrick Schuur has developed 3D printed, DIY headphone kits for this reason. He’s also helping you to reduce the environmental impact you have whenever you order new headphones online.

Schuur started his company print+ in 2015 by launching it on Kickstarter where 572 backers pledged €28,834. His idea involves a line of do-it-yourself kits. This way, those with access to a 3D printer can develop their own products and reduce their carbon footprint.

The first installment from print+ is the DIY headphone kit. The headphones can be customized to match your personal taste. Even the non-printable parts which come with the kit are offered in 21 different colors.

By using the print+ kits, the idea is that customers use fewer materials, meaning fewer items needing to be shipped. Amazingly, this means the DIY kits reduce the shipping volume needed for new headphones by 500% when comparing them to a completely assembled headphones. That’s 1/5th of the volume.

Instead, local materials can be used to develop the products. Better yet, when a part breaks it can simply be replaced, rather than having to throw away the whole product. This could even save you money in the long run.

Print+ Your Own Headphones

If you don’t own a 3D printer, don’t worry. There’s the possibility to order parts from a local 3D printing store.

The company also has all of its 3D files completely accessible for everyone. This way, they are constantly being improved and customized.

Once the 3D printed parts are complete, the kit should take between 5 and 10 minutes of assembly. As well as this, there’s no need to worry about gluing, soldering or screwing – the whole process should be simple. Then, you can sit back and listen to some relaxing music.

Schuur explains that just five years ago, 3D printing technology wasn’t up to projects such as print+. Now, however, the technology can improve upon products while also hugely reducing a consumer’s environmental impact.

He adds: “3D printing shortens the development cycle and increases the quality of the end result because you can iterate faster in less time.”

Fancy your own bright purple or blue headphones? Head over to the print+ website to find out more.

Schuur is happy with this initial project, pointing out: ”as a launching product it really shows the unused potential desktop 3D printers have”. However, if you’ve just bought new headphones, then stay tuned for other DIY kits which will be launched soon.

Source: Ultimaker