Hybrid audio driver designs are increasingly being used to enhance the audio performance of true wireless earbuds, improving the treble response and helping brands to achieve the rigorous standards for Japan Audio Society Hi-Res Audio certification. In most cases the improved audio performance is achieved by adding one (or more) balanced armature (BA) drivers, alongside a dynamic driver. In simple terms the dynamic driver handles the low and mid range, while the BA enhances the high end, expanding the overall range.
Knowles is having increasing success in this market, having design wins with several brands including Bowers & Wilkins, Edifier, FiiO, JLab, Meizu, and more. SAR Insights Headphones & Headsets Products DATAbase contains details of 120+ products that have incorporated BAs from Knowles and others. Out of the 120+ headphones that use BAs, 40+ are TWS earbuds, on average 9 products have been released per year from 2020 to 2023. TWS hybrid audio solutions tend to use 1 or 2 BAs, whereas this can increase to 10+ in some in-ear monitors.
As the TWS earbud market reaches maturity it is increasingly important for brands to differentiate their products from the competition. Using BAs to enhance audio quality is one way of achieving this. Some brands have also chosen to use standalone DACs, adopt the latest Bluetooth standards, employ high performance audio codecs and more.
Details on the Headphones & Headsets service is here. The service has been a decade in the making. It breaks the market into 16 device types including TWS, gaming headsets, medical hearing aids, XR Headsets and many more. Covering forecasts, brand shares and product data.
