Knowles
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 […]
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Getting back to normal? Are we “getting back to normal”, CES 2024 suggest so. This was my 8th year attending in my current role and anecdotally it felt as busy as it ever was pre-COVID. The CEA stated that there were 135,000+ attendees, which is close to the usual 150,000+. As always there was a wide range of […]
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Ultimate Ears’ recent UE Premier in-ear monitor (IEM) headphones boast an impressive 21 drivers per earpiece, “to deliver a signature sound with unparalleled fidelity, control and precision”. It is the trend to add more and more drivers (speakers) to IEM earbuds, but SAR has not seen anything quite so dramatic as 21 per earbud before. On closer inspection […]
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Knowles announced its new product to compete in what is commonly known as the “bone conduction” sensor market for TWS (this should not be confused with bone conduction headphones, which transmit audio). This sensor is used to pick up the vibration of the human skull and to assist with voice pick up in noisy or windy […]
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In a previous post Hear This: ‘Ear-Worn Computing’ Around the Corner, I talked about the next generation of headphones (Headphone 3.0) and how this is likely to impact the market over the next few years. At CES 2023 this vision of the future became a little closer to reality, with several companies demonstrating technology that […]
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The reference design is not dead! This is still a very valuable technique to highlight new technologies and give developers an easier way to start a design, as well as guide existing customers towards using these new products. Knowles’ new reference design brings together its hybrid driver and SiSonic MEMS microphones alongside a Qualcomm QCC5144 […]
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Knowles Corporation has been developing a new dual-diaphragm balanced armature. The two self-contained diaphragms are driven by a single coil. Knowles had to overcome several issues in the design of the new balanced armature. A dual diaphragm allows the product to be smaller whilst maintaining high output levels whilst also providing a “warm and clear […]
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