The boutique earbud community is full of passionate creators, each with their own story. Some come from engineering backgrounds, others from woodworking or industrial design. Lucas Kawano, the founder of Kawano Audio, started somewhere much simpler – by taking apart his own headphones just to see what would happen.
Born in Japan and now living in Brazil, Lucas is one of the more intriguing independent earbud makers you’ve probably never heard of. His earbuds combine carefully tuned sound with distinctive aesthetics, and every model carries a personal story behind its name.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Lucas about how everything started, his tuning philosophy, the challenges of building earbuds in Brazil, and what’s coming next.
From Modding Headphones to Building Earbuds
Like many boutique makers, Lucas didn’t originally plan to start an audio company. He began by modifying his own headphones such as the Koss Porta Pro, Razer Adaro Stereo, and Sennheiser HD58X. What fascinated him most was how even tiny changes could dramatically alter the final sound.
“I was impressed by how much every single, tiny detail changed the end sound.”
Curiosity eventually led him to building IEMs in 2021. Soon after discovering the VE Zen Lite Vita, he fell in love with flathead earbuds. For the next two years he built countless earbuds purely for himself.
The turning point came in 2023, when he brought several early prototypes to a local audio meetup. The positive feedback encouraged him to start producing earbuds for other enthusiasts, ultimately leading to the creation of Kawanoaudio.
Making earbuds is still not his full-time occupation which makes the development of new earbuds quite slow, but it also helps him not to rush things up.
Japanese Roots, Brazilian Workshop
Lucas was born in Japan before moving to Brazil around fifteen years ago. His Japanese heritage is reflected throughout the brand. Originally, every model was going to be named after places that held special memories from his childhood.
The first model, Horaiko, was named after a lake where he spent many weekends with his family. Later he switched to simpler Japanese words that are easier for international customers to pronounce, resulting in names like Hanabi, Umi, and Sho.
One thing that immediately stands out about Kawano Audio is the presentation. The packaging feels unusually personal for such a small manufacturer. Each model includes its own artwork and information card explaining both the meaning of its name and the intended sound signature.
The newest model, Sho, is also the first to feature a custom 3D printed nylon shells. The other three models are based on MX500-type shells.
Building Earbuds in Brazil Isn’t Easy
Being based in Brazil creates challenges that many boutique makers elsewhere never have to consider. Shipping costs from Brazil are exceptionally high, typically starting around 45–70 USD depending on destination, and can reach much more for express services. This makes international sales very difficult. The only way to get Kawano Audio earbuds cheaper is group buys. Or one can come to visit Lucas in person 🙂
Brazilian import taxes create another obstacle. Lucas explains that importing parts needed to make his earbuds is extremely expensive, with standard imports often taxed at around 92% of the product and shipping value. Shopping at AliExpress is a bit cheaper but still import taxes hurt. Lucas regrets that high taxes makes it difficult to try creations from fellow makers living in other parts of the world.
Domestec sales are equally difficult. According to Lucas, most Brazilian listeners prefer headphones or IEMs for commuting, while earbuds remain a tiny niche. Budget models such as the NiceHCK Traceless, NiceHCK YD30 and KBEAR Stellar are the ones most often recommended in local audio communities simply because they’re affordable. Higher-end earbuds are almost nonexistent.
Sound Philosophy
When asked what matters most in sound, Lucas immediately talked about space: „What impresses me the most is usually good soundstage and layering, but my must-haves are natural mids and highs. With highs, especially, I feel like there’s a very fine line between detailed enough and artificial“
His first three models were each designed around one primary strength:
- Horaiko focuses on soundstage.
- Hanabi emphasizes detail retrieval.
- Umi delivers impact and atmosphere.
The newer Sho moves away from that “generalist” philosophy. Its primary goal is creating an exceptionally large soundstage.
Lucas also admits that he’s attracted to products that are slightly unconventional. Lucas admits he always liked stuff that failed in a pleasant way, or did wrong right.
Favorite Earbuds
Interestingly, Lucas owns fewer earbuds today than many enthusiasts might expect.
Since he spends most of his time building rather than buying (for the reasons explained above), his collection is relatively modest. Among commercially available earbuds, one of the biggest impressions came from the Temperament DM7Ti, which he describes as sounding much larger than its physical size would suggest. Among the earbuds he actually owns, his favorite remains the VE Zen Lite Vita. He compares its neutral presentation to the classic “Sennheiser HD580 Precision”, one of the most respected open-back headphones ever made.
Looking Beyond Earbuds
Although Kawano Audio currently offers four earbud models, Lucas has no intention of limiting himself to flatheads forever. He currently has four different projects under development:
- a completely new high-end over-ear headphone concept,
- a bullet-style earphone,
- another custom-shell flathead earbud inspired by the “golden era” of earbuds,
- and even a clip-on headphone.
The bullet earphone and over-ear headphone are already close to their final tuning. For now, most of the remaining work involves industrial design and packaging.
For enthusiasts who appreciate independent makers, Lucas Kawano is certainly someone worth keeping an eye on.
Visit Kawanoaudio on Instagram or kawanoaudio.com
Meet the Maker: Lucas Kawano of Kawanoaudio