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NEW YORK - When SMS Audio, a headphones manufacturer founded by rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, first came to town in 2011, it was easy to categorize the company as just another Beats Electronics wannabe. The headphones space was continuously welcoming celebrity-branded products, with the mugs of such stars as Justin Bieber, Ludacris, Lady Gaga and Snooki from "The Jersey Shore" (remember her?).
But to dismiss SMS as just another celebrity pet project would be a mistake. The company has slowly but steadily been paving its own road, whether distinguishing itself through the use of Kleer audio technology for its wireless headphones (it has since switched to Bluetooth as the transmission quality has improved) or through strategic partnerships with Lucasfilms and Disney for Star Wars-licensed models.
Over the summer, SMS lifted the veil on yet another partnership, this time with Intel for biometric headphones, marking its entry into the wearables space. Brian Nohe, SMS Audio president and partner, spoke with TWICE last month to discuss audio trends and what the company has up its sleeve for the future. What follows is an edited conversation with the exec.
TWICE: Let's start with SMS's recent news of its Intel partnership. Can you detail the thinking that led up to this decision?
Nohe: We had felt for a long time as we read the consumer data out there that focusing on sport product was an interesting way forward in addition to our regular line of products. And we didn't think anyone had done that quite the way we thought it should be done. So we launched our sport products at International CES in January. Then, at the same time, Intel had been talking a lot about wearables and the technology they could bring to bear across a variety of products.
So we got together, and they had created a new department that was focused on wearables and new technology, and they were looking for a group to partner with that was quick and nimble. That's how it came to bear. They were looking for a good partner to work with, and we knew we...