Headphone magnets, how do they work?

Self-described “Grinder” Rich Lee has made headlines by implanting sound-transmitting magnets directly into his ears. The extreme process won’t just prevent him from having to worry about earbuds: Lee is losing his vision and believes this is the first step in being able to echolocate (like dolphins or, say, Daredevil).

First, Lee had a well-respected body modification specialist, Steve Haworth, implant the magnets in his tragus (the part of the ear that protrudes over the ear opening). He can then play music through any 1/8″ jack-equipped device, which then passes through a battery-powered amplifier and a copper coil necklace before hitting the magnets in his ears.

“The sound quality is decent, maybe comparable to a cheap set of earbuds,” he tells PopSci. “It exceeded my expectations. I would have been happy with a muffled hum, since listening to music was not my primary motivation.” For more on the process, watch the below video. [via CoS]