There’s no scarcity of innovation within the audio trade, and one specific driver of progress is the introduction of solid-state audio tech. Most earbuds use common audio drivers with a magnetic coil to generate sound, however the thought with silicon-based options is that they use a piezoelectric drive along with ultra-thin membranes to make sound, and that is simply inherently cool.
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The model making these drivers is xMEMS, and it simply rolled out its newest product: the Sycamore. While its earlier Cypress driver is utilized in a number of earbuds — together with the Creative Aurvana Ace 2 — and is designed for in-ear choices, the Sycamore is aimed on the open-ear class as a substitute, and is coming to earbuds, XR glasses, and smartwatches.
The timing of the launch is attention-grabbing, as a result of there was a gradual enhance in open-ear merchandise, with Nothing and Bose catering to this area of interest. With the Sycamore, xMEMS is leveraging its “sound from ultrasound” design, and with the module coming in at simply 1.13mm and weighing 150mg, it’s thrice thinner than an everyday driver and one-seventh the scale.
Ahead of the launch, I had an electronic mail interplay with Mike Housholder, VP Marketing and Business Development at xMEMS Labs, to know how the Sycamore is totally different to the Cypress. Housholder famous that the brand new driver “represents the maturation of our ultrasonic transducer expertise,” and that adjustments to the “design and effectivity of the MEMS structure” has allowed it to go from an in-ear design to open-air.
Sound high quality is a key metric in micro audio system, and I used to be occupied with studying about how one thing as small because the Sycamore is ready to produce anyplace near the identical stage of sound as an everyday dynamic driver. “One of the important thing traits of our ultrasonic, modulated air pulse era expertise is that it displays a 1st-order low frequency degradation to offer a sturdy low frequency response as in comparison with typical dynamic drive audio system which generally exhibit a 2nd-order (extra steep) low frequency degradation,” mentioned Housholder.
As such, the model is touting an identical mid-bass efficiency as common drivers, with as a lot as 11dB headroom within the sub-bass extension. The driver comes with IP58 ingress safety, making it an honest selection to be used in lively earbuds.
Another concern that is resolved with the Sycamore is designing the shell of the earbuds. With common audio drivers, manufacturers concentrate on the design and supplies of the shell, however Housholder famous that as MEMS audio system are usually not as liable to again quantity because of the “stiff and inflexible silicon diaphragm,” this is not as massive a consideration. That’s a giant deal for an audio producer, and with the motive force itself not taking over anyplace as a lot room, it ought to unlock extra house for a bigger battery or lead to buds which might be smaller.
So when will we get to see merchandise with the brand new driver? Housholder famous that xMEMS will showcase prototypes at CES 2025, with mass manufacturing beginning in This fall 2025 and preliminary shopper merchandise debuting in 2026. Considering the variety of design wins the model managed with its earlier drivers, it should not have many issues with the Sycamore, significantly provided that it may be used with XR glasses and smartwatches along with earbuds.
