It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when listening to music became such a solo pastime, but it probably stretches back to the first SONY Walkman and intensified when MP3s became the predominant audio format. With personal sound systems shrunk down to iPhone size, we were never really going to keep blasting our music through speakers, turning instead to headphones and a much more introverted means of listening to our favourite tunes. One audio company, however, is trying to take things back to more social times, when listening to records was a group activity – one we could connect and converse over.

The ARC headphones by California-based start up, Wearhaus, are designed to pair with other nearby users, syncing audio across multiple devices. The headphones link wirelessly to wearers’ mobile devices using Bluetooth, connecting to an ARC app which acts as a control dashboard. Using the app, users connect to music streaming services like Spotify, YouTube and SoundCloud, streaming to their own devices as well as those connected around them. When two pairs of headphones are synced, an LED light ring pulses the same colour as a visual cue. Users can also chat and swap playlists using the app.

Currently crowd funding the first batch of ARC headphones via their website, if Wearhaus have their way, riding public transport through the city (and other mundane activities that call for headphone parties) might become a bit much more entertaining.