Subscription headphones are now a thing

Melbourne-based headphone designer Nura exploded onto the scene with a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2016, and since then, the revolutionary Nuraphone cans have been making a splash in the world of wireless headphones.

Today, the company has announced a new service – NuraNow – that allows customers to pay a monthly fee in order to try out the brand’s flagship Nuraphone product (which would otherwise cost $399/£349/AU$499), alongside any other future release that Nura may be cooking up.

For those unfamiliar, the Nuraphones features a hybrid in-ear/over-ear design and offers wireless, noise-canceling audio with a neat twist – the music is tailored to each user’s ears via an automatically-generated sound profile.

What will it cost?

Plans start from $9 (£9, AU$10) per month with no lock-in contract, so you can cancel at any time with relatively little loss, depending on which plan you choose. The three options available are:

$9 (£9, AU$10) per month, with a $100 (£80, AU$130) up-front fee
$12 (£12, AU$15) per month, with a $30 (£30, AU$45) up-front fee
$15 (£14, AU$18) per month, with no up-front fee

Alongside the Nuraphone itself, all plans come with the full range of benefits, including a new Nura device every 24 months, exclusive tickets and offers to associated gigs, an analog (3.5mm) headphone cable, chances to win music and merch, and a warranty for the life of the subscription.

If you cancel your membership within the first 30 days, the NuraNow site suggests “the member may be eligible for a refund of the up-front fee” as well, although you'll have to ship the Nuraphones back at your own cost, along with any other devices obtained through the program.