Subtle releases noise canceling model earphones

Voice AI startup Subtle, which created voice separation models to help computers better understand you in noisy environments, today launched new wireless earbuds that help users hear clearly during calls and transcribe voice notes accurately.

The company announced the earbuds ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and said it plans to ship them in the U.S. in the coming months. Buds costs $199 and comes with a one-year subscription to iOS and Mac apps. The app allows users to take voice notes and chat with AI without pressing any keys. The company said it uses a custom chip that allows the iPhone to wake up when it’s locked.

The startup also seeks to compete with AI-powered voice dictation apps like Wispr Flow, Willow, Monolouge, and Superwisper by allowing users to dictate in any app using a voice pad. The company claimed that the buds had five times fewer errors than AirPods Pro 3 combined with OpenAI’s transcription model.

In a demo seen by TechCrunch, the Voice Buds were able to capture audio even in noisy backgrounds. Bud was also able to capture text for a voice memo while Subtle co-founder and CEO Tyler Chen was whispering.

“We’re seeing a huge movement toward voice as a new interface, and a lot of people are adopting it. With voice, you can do much more than a keyboard in a natural way. But we’ve found that interfaces where voice is used when another person is present is rare. So with our noise isolation model, we’re giving consumers a way to experience a voice interface in the form of earbuds,” Chen told TechCrunch by phone.

Last year, companies like Sandbar and Pebble announced upcoming note-taking rings. Chen said that by combining his company’s Buds with the app, he hopes to offer the functionality of various tools such as dictation, AI chat, and voice memos in one package.

Users can pre-order these buds using the startup’s site. The earbuds are available in black and white colorways.

Subtle has raised $6 million in funding and has worked with consumer companies like Qualcomm and Nothing to deploy models for noise isolation.