awareONE by Auricle: the cartilage-conduction headphones that keep your ears free
Hand-assembled in Copenhagen, the awareONE bets on cartilage conduction instead of classic in-ear design. O!radar looks at what the Danish brand promises.
The brand
Auricle is a Danish company based in Herlev, right next to Copenhagen. It has specialised in one particular technology: cartilage-conduction headphones. Rather than aiming for mass production, the brand presents itself as a craft manufacturer, assembling each unit by hand. That stance stands apart from the consumer audio industry, where automation dominates.
This craft approach also shows in where the product is designed and made: both stages stay in Copenhagen. For an audio brand, keeping design and assembly in the same place, rather than splitting them across several countries, says something about its philosophy — control every step rather than outsource it.
What it is
The awareONE is a cartilage-conduction, open-ear headset: it doesn’t block the ear canal. It’s aimed at anyone who wants to listen to music or take calls without fully cutting themselves off from ambient sound.
The working principle relies on a tragus clip, described by the brand as patented, which holds the unit in place. So these are neither classic in-ear headphones, which sit inside the canal, nor bone-conduction headphones, which transmit sound through the skull bones. Cartilage conduction sits between the two approaches.
Why it exists
According to Auricle, the aim is to offer an alternative to the two existing families of headphones. On one hand, classic in-ear buds offer good sound quality but completely isolate the wearer from their surroundings, which can be a safety issue — walking in town, running, or keeping an eye on what’s happening around you. On the other, bone-conduction headphones leave the ears free but, according to the brand, at the cost of lower sound quality.
Auricle states that the awareONE aims to resolve this tension: keeping ears open to the outside world while delivering sound it considers comparable to classic in-ear headphones. The brand also states that the headset lets you stay connected to your surroundings while listening to music, which sums up the product’s stated intent.
What matters
Battery life is 7 hours at normal volume, dropping to 5 hours at maximum volume. In practice, that covers a good chunk of a standard listening day, but sustained use at high volume — in a noisy environment, for instance — noticeably shortens this.
Charging time is 2 hours: you need to allow for this full period to get back to a full battery, with no ten-minute quick-charge option, for example.
Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, paired with AptX, AAC and SBC codecs, covers a wide range: AptX targets better quality on compatible devices, AAC serves the Apple ecosystem in particular, and SBC ensures universal compatibility with virtually any Bluetooth device. This combination means you are not stuck, whichever phone or computer you use.
The tragus-clip attachment system, patented according to the brand, is central to how the product works. It’s this clip that holds the headset in place without going through the ear canal or using a headband.
Per-earpiece dimensions of 33.6 mm × 34 mm × 19.5 mm point to a compact device, designed to stay discreet once worn. Combined with a packaged weight of 120 g for the set, the product stays in a light category, consistent with prolonged daily use.
48 kHz audio sampling, combined with a dual Class-D amplifier and dual PulseSense™ transducers, describes the internal architecture built for sound output. A dedicated MEMS microphone for calls rounds out the setup, keeping the voice function separate from music playback.
Day to day
The awareONE charges via a supplied USB-C cable, with a charging time of 2 hours. The pouch included in the box is for storage and transport, so you’re not carrying the unit unprotected in a bag or pocket.
For fit, three TPU tip sizes are supplied — S, M and L — to help find the best hold for each ear shape. The cable measures 41 cm, a length that stays discreet for everyday, on-the-go use.
On the software side, a companion app is compatible with iOS and Android.
The full package includes the awareONE itself, a USB-C cable, a pouch, three pairs of tips and a pair of earplugs. That last accessory is notable: it suggests possible use in noisy environments, either alongside or instead of open-ear listening.
Technical specifications
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Audio technology | Cartilage conduction |
| Battery life | 7h (normal volume), 5h (maximum volume) |
| Charging time | 2h |
| Bluetooth connectivity | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Audio codecs | AptX, AAC, SBC |
| Audio sampling | 48 kHz, dual Class-D amplifier, dual PulseSense™ transducers |
| Microphone | MEMS for calls |
| Tip sizes | S, M, L (TPU) |
| Attachment system | Patented tragus clip |
| Dimensions per earpiece | 33.6 mm × 34 mm × 19.5 mm |
| Cable length | 41 cm |
| Weight (packaged) | 120 g |
| Dimensions (packaged) | 10.5 × 12.7 × 4.8 cm |
| EAN/UPC code | 5746000002013 |
What the brand says
Auricle states that the awareONE’s sound is better than bone conduction, and safer than classic in-ear headphones, because it keeps the ear canal open.
The brand goes further, stating that the awareONE offers the strongest haptic vibrations and the best sound quality of any open-ear headset currently available — a claim that is the brand’s own.
Auricle also states that the awareONE’s sound quality matches that of classic in-ear headphones, which, if verified, would be the product’s central argument against bone conduction. Finally, the brand states that the headset lets you stay connected to your surroundings while listening to music, summing up the product’s overall intent.
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