Gadgets

Subtle Launches $199 Voice Buds for Accurate Dictation

Krishn patel

04 Jan 2026 — 2 min read

AI Voice Buds

• Key Takeaways:

Subtle launched $199 wireless earbuds that prioritize noise isolation and accurate transcriptions.
The buds include a year of the iOS and Mac app, on-device voice processing and a custom chip that can wake an iPhone while locked.
Company claims the earbuds produce five times fewer transcription errors than AirPods Pro 3 paired with OpenAI's model.
US shipping arrives in the coming months; pre-orders are available at subtle.co in black and white.

What Subtle announced

Voice AI startup Subtle unveiled a new pair of wireless earbuds ahead of CES in Las Vegas that focus on making voice interfaces practical in noisy environments.

The $199 earbuds ship with a one-year subscription to Subtle’s iOS and Mac app, which enables hands-free voice notes, AI chat and system-wide dictation on desktop and phone.

Hardware and on-device tech

Custom chip and noise-isolation models

Subtle said it uses a custom chip to perform on-device noise isolation and to wake an iPhone while it is locked — an important capability for quick, secure dictation.

The company’s noise-isolation models were trained to pick up speech even in loud settings and during whispering, which Subtle demonstrated to TechCrunch in a noisy demo.

Transcription and accuracy claims

Subtle claims the earbuds deliver roughly five times fewer transcription errors than an AirPods Pro 3 paired with OpenAI’s transcription model. That positioning targets AI-powered dictation apps such as Wispr Flow, Willow, Monolouge and Superwhisper.

Software, features and the app

The accompanying iOS and Mac app lets users take voice notes or chat with AI without pressing buttons, and supports dictation in any app on desktop or phone.

Subtle’s co-founder and CEO Tyler Chen framed the product as an attempt to make voice a practical everyday interface. “We are seeing that there is a huge move towards voice as a new interface that a lot of folks are adopting,” Chen said. “You can do much more with voice in a natural way than with a keyboard.”

Availability, pricing and partnerships

The earbuds cost $199 and are available to pre-order on subtle.co, with US shipments expected in the next few months. They come in black and white and include a year-long app subscription.

Subtle has raised about $6 million to date and said it has worked with consumer chip and device companies such as Qualcomm and Nothing to deploy its noise-isolation models.

How they fit the market

By combining on-device noise isolation, a wake-while-locked chip and app-based AI features, Subtle aims to consolidate dictation, voice notes and AI chat into a single wearable tool — competing with standalone apps and other smart accessories announced recently.

Pre-order

Pre-orders are available now at subtle.co.

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