Our Story
Why it matters
Loud noise is dangerous. The World Health Organization estimates that over 1 billion young adults are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices — and that by 2050, over 700 million people, or one in every ten, will have disabling hearing loss.[1] Noise-induced hearing loss remains endemic because of poor compliance: many people don't wear earplugs correctly, or at all, because they are uncomfortable, painstakingly difficult to fit, dirty, and wasteful.
Everyone needs better earplugs. That's why Paxauris exists.
A quest for quiet
Our founder, Tony, has spent a lifetime in noise. He grew up on air force bases in Australia, with jet noise a constant interruption. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force himself and worked as a flight test engineer. He did his PhD in jet engines and worked as a rocket scientist for NASA. He went on to lead a project to develop a new helmet for Navy aircraft carrier flight deck crews. A keen swimmer, surfer's ear left Tony with tortuous ear canals and difficulty with fitting earplugs. Out at sea on the USS George Washington, he found he was not alone in his difficulty with current earplug offerings. After trying every pair available — foam, flanged, and custom — he set out to develop something better.
A new and better earplug
Tony founded Paxauris in 2016 to bring a better earplug to market. We are engineers, musicians, creators, and innovators. Comfort and ease-of-use are our guiding principles. Also persistence. Finally, after years of prototypes and testing, we came up with an earplug that is even better than we'd ever dared to hope for. After wearing our latest Fluid™ earplug prototypes on a fourteen-hour flight to Australia and then diving into the Bondi surf with them in his ears, Tony emerged satisfied and deemed them ready for market. We love them and think you will too.
Instead of rolling a foam plug or forcing a flanged plug, just slip the soft silicone stem into your ear and push the bulb to inflate the tip for a comfortable seal. Shop Fluid™ Earplugs →
Our team
Meet the people behind Paxauris.
Anthony Dietz, Ph.D.
President
Tony received his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Sydney and his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has served with the Royal Australian Air Force as a Flight Test Engineer and worked as a research scientist in the Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at the NASA Ames Research Center. At Creare, Tony led numerous successful research and development projects on a variety of applications, including hearing protection for the Navy, acoustic height sensors for the Army, and biomedical projects related to spatial disorientation for the Air Force. As President and founder of Paxauris, Tony is passionate about bringing innovative hearing protection and hearable products to market.
John Dietz
Chief Executive Officer
John received his Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering and Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University. He has more than 6 years' experience as Chief Executive Officer and another 7 years as General Manager for companies with multi-billion dollar delivery programs. John is passionate about innovation and has spent much of his career responsible for shaping companies delivering cutting-edge technology solutions for the Australian Defense Force and improved community outcomes through innovative land development and housing solution programs.
Susan Pepin, M.D., M.P.H.
Chief Medical Officer
Sue received her B.A. from Yale University, her M.A. from Oxford University, and her M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco. She completed a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at Harvard University and a Master's in Public Health at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. She practiced as a neuro-ophthalmologist for over 20 years before moving into executive roles in philanthropy, public health, and collaborative clinical research on increasing access to care in rural communities. Sue has over 20 years leading teams and building the capacity of individuals and organizations to reach their goals through innovation, quality work, and shared knowledge.
Connor Thompson
Biomedical Engineer
Connor received his Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Arizona State University in 2023, followed by a Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from the same institution in 2024. Connor started working at Paxauris as a summer intern and later transitioned to a full-time engineering role. He has previous experience in both medical and aerospace manufacturing and is continuing to gain experience in process development, product quality analysis, and acoustic testing.
[1] World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss — fact sheet.