Author: Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporter Mo Xin

In the night sky, the "Arrow Star" composed of nine stars is like a stretched bow, pointing straight towards Sirius in the northwest. Du Mu gave it the name "Star Arc", and Su Shi wrote the timeless famous line about astrology: "I can hold a carved bow like a full moon, look northwest, and shoot at the sky and the sun.

The ancients used stars to express their aspirations, and Shenzhen Guanxu Electronics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Guanxu Electronics) gave a new meaning to "arc arrow star". For this headphone company, excellent products are like "Sirius", and continuous R&D investment and technological accumulation are the powerful "bow".

More than 140 years ago, the world's first headphones appeared with a "physique" weighing 10 pounds. Afterwards, around how to make a good pair of headphones, some pursue sound quality, some pursue lightness, some pursue appearance, some pursue intelligence... In the headphone track, new technologies, new functions, and new consumer groups continue to emerge.

Looking back to around 2010, the headphone industry was in the golden age of wired headphones, with the 3.5mm interface dominating the world. Head mounted headphones were dominated by the heavy design of "ear bag+headband", but user pain points were still not eliminated, mainly focused on portability and wearing comfort.

At that time, Guanxu Electronics had keenly captured the trend of lightweight and wireless consumer electronics, and was determined to strike the future with a disruptive product - this was the original intention of the "Star Arc" (English name Clip) headset.

The 'Star Arc' has been shooting arrows and accumulating momentum for more than ten years.

In April of this year, on the eve of the new product launch event of Guanxu Electronics, the "Star Arc" earphones once again ushered in a highlight moment, not only winning the German iF Design Award, but also winning the gold medal at the Geneva International Invention Exhibition. With unremitting exploration of technology and aesthetics, Guanxu Electronics once again demonstrates how "small headphones" embody great innovation.

 On April 2nd, the "zero carbon" headphones were photographed at the Shenzhen headquarters of Guanxu Electronics. Photo by Zhou Ke, Xinhua News Agency reporter

Light up the 'Star Arc' again

Entering the acoustic laboratory of Guanxu Electronics, the reporter saw the upcoming "Star Arc" earphones: the main body consists of two heart-shaped ear shells on the left and right, which are only one-third the size of the human ear, connected by a slender metal headband in the middle. In the field of many headphones with "ear bag+headband" as the mainstream design, "Star Arc" has opened up a new track: open top headphones.

The pressure head and clamp head are common pain points for headphone users, especially in summer when they put a cover on their ears, which feels very stuffy. We have been focusing on these pain points for research and development, and for more than a decade, our constant pursuit has been to be light and thin, "said Yu Xin, Director of Design and Research at Guanxu Electronics Industry.

During the conversation, Yu Xin took out a wired headset with a black and red color scheme, and the earbuds were designed with ultra-thin carbon fiber. For convenient storage, the connection between the headband and ear shell can be folded, and the middle of the headband can also be folded. There is also a note on the earphone packaging box: the only sample of the company, registration is required when borrowing.

This is the first prototype of the "Star Arc". In the era when 3.5mm headphone jack was mainstream, the design of the first prototype was very advanced and fashionable.

To develop a successful headphone product, industrial design is the foundation. How can we achieve the highest success rate? At that time, we believed that we must find the world's top design team, "said Wu Haiquan, Chairman of Guanxu Electronics, recounting the process of the first prototype.

In 2014, after many twists and turns, Guanxu Electronics collaborated with Designworks, with the company's design team responsible for the design of the "Star Arc" product. The company is an innovative design studio under the BMW Group, specializing in providing design solutions for products other than automobiles.

After 8 months, both parties selected the final solution from 9 versions, and the research and development entered the prototype stage. In the following period, design, technology, supply chain and other parties worked closely together, and the engineers changed several rounds before the prototype could be fully developed.

However, the subsequent development of this product has not been smooth sailing. After multiple evaluations such as service life and process reliability, we have decided to give up mass production of the first generation machine. Even though the company has invested many years in it, the product is still not good enough, and we cannot overcome the hurdle in our hearts, "Yu Xin sighed.

At that time, true wireless headphone technology was not yet mature, and cables were still needed to connect the left and right ear shells. In order to achieve miniaturization of storage, the team is unwilling to give up the central folding method of the head beam, which leads to a rapid decline in the service life of the wire due to excessive folding times.

At that time, there were still many "hard bones" in this type of technology, and it was necessary to wait for the emergence of new "singularities" in the industry to reignite the light of the "star arc".

In September 2016, Apple released TWS (True Wireless Stereo) headphone products and for the first time removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 series. Subsequently, multiple mobile phone manufacturers followed suit with TWS technology, and the headphone industry officially entered the era of true wireless.

This technological breakthrough has become a watershed in the industry: the wired headphone market is beginning to shrink, and TWS headphones are entering a period of explosive growth. Guanxu Electronics also keenly captures opportunities for technological change. At that time, we thought 'Star Arc' could be achieved, "said Guo Shiwen, the hardware research and development director of Guanxu Electronics.

With the support of TWS technology, headphones can eliminate the cables embedded inside the headband, but many companies are looking for more optimized solutions for the stability and synchronization of audio wireless connections.

During the epidemic, foreign orders decreased, and our team had more time to rebuild the 'Star Arc' project and successfully solved the synchronization problem of the audio connection between the left and right earphones. As a result, the 'Star Arc' technology puzzle was finally completed, and product development officially entered the second half, "said Guo Shiwen." We spent three years tackling the 'hard bone' of synchronization alone

Nowadays, when comparing the upcoming "Star Arc" earphones with the first generation, a research and development personnel cannot help but sigh: "For more than a decade, we have adhered to the product concept anchored in the design of the first generation products, which has led to the current 'Star Arc'. From this perspective, even if the first generation products fail, it is still a successful failure

After years of waiting, Guanxu Electronics is now facing the moment of rising to the wind. According to the latest report released by International Data Corporation (IDC), the shipment volume of Bluetooth earphones in China reached 113.53 million units in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 19%. In the segmented market, open earphones shipped 24.92 million units, a year-on-year increase of 212%.

 On April 2nd, in the laboratory of Guanxu Electronics' Shenzhen headquarters, employees conducted tests on headphone products. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Mao Siqian

Why can 'small gains big' be achieved

We achieved the sound quality of a 40mm speaker with just a 16.2mm speaker, "said Gong Weiyong, the acoustic manager of Guanxu Electronics, as he took out a component from his pocket and began demonstrating the technical details.

Many audiophiles use "high pitched brightness, stable mid-range, and deep bass" as standards when evaluating headphones. To disrupt the headphone industry, "Star Arc" naturally needs to come up with many "secret weapons" in terms of creating a better listening experience.

In the narrow internal structure of the headphones, the R&D personnel of Guanxu Electronics innovatively added a cover to the speaker in the ultra small gap to enhance the low-frequency effect of the speaker. The R&D team also imitated large audio equipment and designed a reflective inverted tube in a small independent cavity to enhance the bass depth of the speaker.

In terms of achieving high pitch and resolution, it relies more on the diaphragm material of the speaker. For several years, Gong Weiyong and his team searched for supply chain enterprises and unexpectedly obtained the key material of "Diamond Diaphragm".

The so-called 'diamond diaphragm' is actually a coating formed by depositing trivalent carbon on a PEK substrate through specific technical means. Although the cost of this coating is several times that of ordinary coatings, it is indeed an excellent material for achieving high pitched transparency in speakers. ”Gong Weiyong said.

Prior to this, the team had tried more than a dozen materials such as paper+carbon fiber, paper+wool blend, aluminum magnesium alloy, etc., but the results were not satisfactory.

The manufacturer providing the "Diamond Diaphragm" was not originally a supply chain enterprise of Guanxu Electronics, but a company specializing in substrate production in Dongguan. By chance, the R&D personnel of Guanxu Electronics learned about this company from a report, which solved the problem that had plagued the acoustic team for many years.

In addition to having stronger hardware capabilities, the algorithm team on the other end also provided a lot of assistance. With the help of Guanxu Electronics' self-developed dynamic bass enhancement technology, R&D personnel were able to supplement the sound effects of the headphones. While enhancing the bass effect, they also to some extent avoided the "leakage" phenomenon of the headphones when the mid to high frequency sound effects increased.

We also implanted Dolby sound effects into headphones through algorithms, so even if the music is not a Dolby sound version, the algorithm can simulate the sound field and provide users with a better immersive experience, "said Cao Lei, software manager of Guanxu Electronics.

In addition, the algorithm team has also built a sound environment constant listening function into the "Star Arc" earphones. With the bidirectional pickup of two microphones, the earphones can use algorithms to automatically adjust the volume of the earphones according to the level of noise in the user's environment, maintaining a suitable listening experience.

After setting up various functions, the problem was thrown to the engineers responsible for stacking. Unlike other head mounted headphones, the "Star Arc" headphones are like a dojo in a snail shell. The small space requires achieving multiple functions such as balanced listening experience, battery life, and wearing, which poses great challenges.

Just for the battery, we have found more than ten manufacturers to come up with solutions and made hundreds of samples: square, circular, irregular... We have tried almost all shapes of batteries on the market before finding a solution, "Guo Shiwen revealed.

Stacking parts is like walking the Huarong Road. Not only do we need to be able to pass through, but we also want to find the optimal solution, "Guo Shiwen mentioned. They had previously tried placing components above the speaker to simplify stacking, but electromagnetic interference between the parts would produce background noise." Although only instruments can 'hear' this noise, we still have to compete with ourselves and eliminate the background noise through improved technology

Adhering to this persistence, the R&D personnel behind "Star Arc" have been polishing and refining their technology for over a decade. In Wu Haiquan's opinion, the company has complete patience and can afford to wait in terms of technological accumulation.

Technology may not be necessary, but it cannot be absent. When to use it depends on the timing. "Wu Haiquan believes that the company still has many" box bottom "technologies, some are suitable for OEM products, and some are suitable for use in its own brand, but one principle must be mastered: immature things cannot be pushed to the market.

The beautiful sound quality is so stunning that it's almost breathtaking

At the new product launch event held on April 22nd, Guanxu Electronics will release multiple series of products including "Star Arc" and ARC 5. Only the "Star Arc" series will release three versions and over 20 co branded products in one go.

On the eve of the press conference, many media outlets used the phrase "the Spring Festival Gala of the headphone industry" to describe this event featuring a collection of new products. Guanxu Electronics hopes to create the "Star Arc" as a fashionable item in the headphone industry, providing users with emotional value beyond functional needs.

This strategy accurately captures the trend of "de instrumentalization" in consumer electronics. In recent years, headphones are no longer just audio devices, but have become an important part of the wearable ecosystem, and Guanxu Electronics has firmly grasped this trend.

In recent years, with the rise of groups such as Generation Z and "digital trendsetters", consumer electronics has begun to shift towards a dual wheel drive of "functionality+fashion". From mobile phones to smart watches and other electronic wearable devices, more and more consumers expect electronic products to combine technological attributes with lifestyle aesthetics, expressing their own attitudes.

This trend has also prompted manufacturers such as Guanxu Electronics to rethink whether headphones are just an electronic product? Are there also new cross-border fashion opportunities?

To break through the constraints of traditional headphones, the "Star Arc" design team has shown amazing imagination in structural innovation. They have reserved space for users in the ear shell, headband, and other positions of the "Star Arc" earphones to meet diverse individual needs: users who like to wear hair clips can install accessories at the headband; Users who like earrings can add earrings to the circular hole reserved under the ear shell

Some products of "Star Arc" also adopt a replaceable surface shell design, and materials can be selected from ceramics, mica, shells, etc. Guanxu Electronics hopes to have third-party manufacturers help develop creative surface shell products and build an open creative ecosystem in the future.

The deep cooperation with cultural IPs such as the Palace Museum and Rongbaozhai injects the soul of Eastern aesthetics into the products. In addition, it has collaborated with brands such as Red Flag and Lamborghini to design joint designs, enriching the definition of fashion.

The material revolution has become another killer move of the "Star Arc" series. In the selection of materials for the head beam, "Star Arc" uses aerospace titanium alloy material with bright surface coating technology. This material is lightweight, has high strength, good corrosion resistance, and is not easily deformed. By using this material, the overall weight of the "Star Arc" is controlled at around 40 grams, which almost eliminates the "head pressure feeling" when worn compared to the weight of two to three hundred grams commonly found in headphones on the market.

Many manufacturers, including Apple, use titanium alloy with a matte finish. The reason why we use a glossy finish is to give the headphones a jewelry like luster, "said Wu Haiquan." When worn, the 'Star Arc' can be a headphone, when hung around the neck, it can transform into a necklace, and when paired with accessories, it becomes a hair clip, confirming our slogan for this new product launch, 'Beautiful sound quality, beautiful hair.'.

In terms of ergonomic design, the "Star Arc" team gathered thousands of testers to conduct tens of thousands of wearing experience tests, striving to find the "greatest common denominator" of wearing comfort for users of different genders, head types, and ear types.

We have adopted a special design on the earphone connector that is close to the ear canal, so that it can fit the shape of the ear canal as much as possible, thereby reducing the 'ear pressure feeling'. At the same time, we have also applied a micro arch design in the middle of the connection, mainly considering reducing the pressure feeling of users wearing glasses. "A designer recounted the design ingenuity on this earphone.

Since 2023, as companies such as DeepSeek continue to iterate large language models, AI capabilities have gradually penetrated into wearable devices. Many global tech giants are also exploring the new species of "AI+headphones", attempting to extend the boundaries of headphones in scenarios such as intelligent interaction, instant translation, and health companionship.

Amidst this technological boom, Guanxu Electronics, as one of the early practitioners in China to deeply embed AI into wearable devices, has for the first time incorporated AI intelligent agents into its "Star Arc" product, making it the world's first "open AI headset".

Earphones equipped with AI intelligent agents can provide users with functions such as simultaneous interpretation between Chinese and English, conference shorthand, etc. The chat function with AI is also being improved, and users can complete route planning, voice navigation, and other operations while chatting with AI. ”Cao Lei introduced it.

The R&D team also plans to integrate mindfulness, yoga, and other content into the applications that come with the earphones. AI agents will customize personalized push content for users without calling other applications, making the "Star Arc" a "warm" electronic product that can understand and accompany users.

What is your first impression of 'Star Arc' when you hold it in your hand now? "Before the interview ended, the reporter asked each R&D personnel this question.

I can't put it down, it's a subversion, it's going from 0 to 1, it's a cross era product from scratch

For Wu Haiquan, the emergence of the "Star Arc" is a reflection and confirmation of his inner persistence.

In the past, whether it was OEM or ODM, we could only work on other people's brands and earn meager profits. Today, with our design capabilities, technological accumulation, and our own brand, we truly have the opportunity to realize our dream of creating a product and disrupting the entire industry! ”Wu Haiquan said emotionally.