Puro Sound Labs

What Puro Sound Labs does

Puro Sound Labs is a privately held, family-owned audio hardware company headquartered in San Diego, California, founded in 2014 by Dave Russell after his youngest daughter Nicole developed Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) from unsafe headphone use. The company designs, sells, and distributes volume-limiting headphones and hearing protection products built around a hard 85dB output cap and a proprietary Puro Balanced Response Curve developed with Dr. Sean Olive of the Harman Institute. The product portfolio spans volume-limited over-ear and on-ear Bluetooth headphones (BT2200-Plus, PuroQuiet-PLUS, JuniorJams-Plus, PuroPro), active noise-cancelling earbuds (PuroQuiet-Air), a gaming headset (PuroGamer-BT), bone conduction headphones (PuroFlex Kids, PuroFlex Pro, PuroFree), hearing protection earmuffs (PuroCalm), pet hearing protection (PuroPup), and supporting accessories and extended warranties.

The company operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market anchored on its Shopify storefront at purosound.com, with secondary distribution through Amazon, international distribution partners, and an audiologist channel program. Products are priced from $29 for entry-level wired headphones to $149 for premium ANC over-ear units, with discounted 'Scratch & Dent' SKUs for cosmetic seconds. Customer segments are primarily parents and children (the original NIHL-prevention mission), with secondary segments including adults seeking hearing protection, gamers, and individuals with sensory sensitivities served through the KultureCity Sensory Inclusive partnership, which places PuroCalm earmuffs in sensory bags at 150+ major entertainment venues. Marketing combines content (The Sound blog), organic social (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest), email, affiliate programs, and earned media coverage in publications including the New York Times, Wirecutter, Wired, CNN, and TechHive.

In March 2021, ownership was transferred from founder Dave Russell to his three daughters (Ashley Warnicki, Christina Russell, and Nicole Russell), making Puro Sound Labs a woman-owned business. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, operates with 1-10 employees, and reports no acquisitions, subsidiaries, or public listing activity.

Name

Puro Sound Labs

Legal name

Puro Sound Labs, LLC.

Website

https://purosound.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Puro Sound Labs is a family-owned San Diego audio hardware company that designs volume-limiting headphones and hearing protection products capped at 85dB, serving parents, children, gamers, and individuals with sensory sensitivities through DTC, Amazon, and international distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Audio / Hearing Protection Headphones

NAICS

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310)

SIC

Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651)

akta.pro primary industry

Wired Headphones & Earphones (CRACANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gaming Audio Devices (Headsets, Mics, DACs) (CRACAOAH), Audio Accessories (Ear Tips, Cables, Stands, Cases, Transmitters) (CRACANAM), Microphones, Headsets & Audio Input Devices (HDACAFAH)

Keywords

• Volume-limiting headphones
• Hearing protection products
• Children's audio equipment
• Active noise cancellation
• Bone conduction headphones

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling volume-limiting headphones and audio products directly to consumers. Products include wireless Bluetooth headphones, wired headphones, bone conduction headphones, earbuds, gaming headsets, and accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Puro Sound Labs designs, manufactures, and sells volume-limiting headphones and hearing protection products for children, teens, adults, and gamers. All audio products feature hardware-enforced 85dB maximum output aligned with WHO safe listening recommendations and proprietary Puro Balanced Response Curve technology for studio-grade audio quality. The portfolio spans over-ear, on-ear, in-ear, and bone conduction headphones with Bluetooth and ANC options, plus PuroCalm earmuffs and PuroPup dog earmuffs for sensory and noise protection use cases.

Product overview

Puro Sound Labs is a family-owned company specializing in volume-limiting headphones and hearing protection products. The portfolio consists of three main product lines: Volume-Limited Headphones (including BT2200-Plus, PuroQuiets Plus, JuniorJams Plus, PuroPro, PuroGamer-BT, PuroQuiet-Air, and PuroBasic), Bone Conduction Headphones (PuroFlex Kids, PuroFlex Pro, and PuroFree), and Hearing Protection products (PuroCalm Earmuffs and PuroPup Dog Earmuffs). All headphones feature 85dB volume limiting technology to prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), with select models offering higher 95dB options. The products utilize Puro Balanced Response Curve technology developed with research from Dr. Sean Olive of the Harman Institute. The company also offers accessories including replacement earcups, charging cables, carrying cases, and extended warranties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BT2200-Plus Volume Limited Kids' Bluetooth Headphones
• PuroQuiet-PLUS Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
• JuniorJams-Plus Volume Limited On-Ear Headphones for Kids
• PuroPro Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Volume Limited Headphones
• PuroGamer-BT Volume-Limiting Gaming Headset
• PuroQuiet-Air Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds
• PuroBasic Wired Volume-Limited Headphones
• PuroFlex Kids Bone Conduction Headphones
• PuroFlex Pro Bone Conduction Headphones
• PuroFree Bone Conduction Headphones
• PuroCalm Adjustable Hearing Protection Earmuffs
• PuroPup Dog Earmuffs
• Puro Sound Labs Headphone Case (Small)
• USB-C Charging Cable
• Puro Limiter 3.5mm Auxiliary Audio Cable with Mic
• Extended Warranty (1-year)

Quantifiable outcome

• 85dB maximum volume limit - WHO recommended safe listening level allowing up to 8 hours of safe listening
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KultureCitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with KultureCity, the nation's leading organization promoting invisible disability inclusion and sensory accessibility. Puro Sound Labs provides hearing protection products including PuroCalm earmuffs featured in sensory bags at 150+ major entertainment venues. Includes global social campaign and collaboration with celebrities and influencers to shift autism conversation from awareness to acceptance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Onanoff (BuddyPhones): Maker of BuddyPhones, the most prominent direct competitor in volume-limited children's headphones with global retail distribution. Closest analog to Puro's kids-focused hearing-safe headphone portfolio and go-to-market motion.
• LilGadgets: Children's headphone brand with volume-limiting features and share/split audio designs. Direct competitor in the DTC kids' audio category with overlapping product positioning and customer base.
• JLab Audio: Consumer audio brand with a dedicated kids line featuring volume-limiting, sold through DTC and major retail. Competes head-to-head on price/feature ratio in volume-limited children's headphones.
• CozyPhones: Children's headphones/headband brand focused on comfort and hearing-safe listening, frequently appearing in the same DTC kids' headphone comparison sets as Puro.
• Shokz (formerly Aftershokz): Leading bone conduction headphone brand — the most established direct competitor for Puro's PuroFlex Kids, PuroFlex Pro, and PuroFree bone conduction SKUs and a comparable open-ear safety positioning.
• SteelSeries: Premium gaming headset maker. The PuroGamer-BT competes directly in the gaming-audio category where SteelSeries sets the bar for connectivity, drivers, and battery life at similar price points.
• HyperX: HP-owned gaming peripherals brand with a strong gaming headset lineup. Competes with PuroGamer-BT in the volume-limited gaming headset niche and broader gaming audio market.

Broad incumbents

• Bose: Premium consumer audio incumbent with deep headphone/ANC expertise. Bose is the dominant brand Puro must displace at the adult premium-ANC tier and the most likely incumbent to add 85dB-limited kids SKUs.
• Sony: Largest consumer audio incumbent with category-leading headphone share. Sony's scale, retail presence, and brand strength make it the biggest competitive threat to Puro across kids and adult segments.
• 3M PELTOR: Industrial and consumer hearing-protection incumbent (PELTOR earmuffs). PuroCalm competes in adjacent hearing-protection categories where3M defines the safety/regulatory standard.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/purosound
• Instagraminstagram.com/purosoundlabs
• Pinterestpinterest.com/purosound
• Xx.com/purosoundlabs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/puro-sound-labs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Puro Sound Labs