Everything That's Audio in audioXpress December 2023

audioXpress December 2023 includes a market overview of multiroom audio, Brent Butterworth writes about new ways to measure ANC earbuds, and Stuart Yaniger measured the new Axign and GaN Systems Class-D audio amplifier board. Richard Honeycutt writes about tubes, BJTs, JFETs, MOSFETs, and ICs, and Dimitri Danyuk, discusses JFETs in audio circuits. Douglas Self explains how to optimize variable-frequency tone controls, and Jan Didden shares his eDD direct-drive amplifier project.

GaN power semiconductors pioneer GaN Systems has once again teamed up with Dutch company Axign to unveil an even more powerful, 1000W Class-D GaN audio amplifier board at CES 2023. The new reference design merges best-in-class technologies from GaN Systems and Axign to enable unique audio systems that are smaller, more efficient, and offer better audio quality. The design is ideal for automotive, professional, and prosumer audio applications.

GaN Systems announced the launch of its 300W Audio Boost Converter SMPS at the 37th annual Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) in Houston, Texas. The 300W reference design, targeted for automotive, marine, motorcycle, and a broad range of 12VDC input applications, features a complete turnkey platform solution that accelerates time-to-market, delivering improved audio quality and smaller, more streamlined audio systems.

It was just like CES 2022 was a blink. We walked all over CES 2022, from hotel suites and halls - literally and virtually - to report on these great audio companies and technologies! Among our #CES2022 audio highlights we discuss presentations and demos from xMEMS Labs, Noveto, Exeger, Mayht, Tectonic, Resonado, Fraunhofer IIS, Silentium, GaN Systems, and Axign. Text and CES report originally published in The Audio Voice weekly newsletter.

GaN Systems, the leading GaN power semiconductor specialist and audio technology innovator Axign, debuted a new groundbreaking GaN-based 500W Class-D audio amplifier. This reference design merges best-in-class technologies, including GaN Systems’ GaN power transistors and Axign’s Class-D controller, enabling companies to create unique audio systems that are smaller, sleeker, more efficient, more powerful, and provide better audio quality than previous generations.

Axign B.V. received an equity investment from KBC Focus Fund as the lead investor, together with Innovation Industries and Oost NL. This investment round enables Axign to mass produce and launch the company’s unique range of audio devices worldwide. Additionally, the new funding will support the development and introduction of next-generation devices for active speakers and streaming audio systems.

Continuing audioXpress' Amplifier Series, looking at the latest technologies and Class-D amplification platforms, Ward Maas writes about Axign, a new company from The Netherlands, founded by former Philips and NXP employees who worked on the pioneering Class-D efforts. Established in 2014, their efforts have resulted in the development of the AX5689m a Class-D audio amplifier controller chip in a QFN package. audioXpress visited the company to find out more and to receive a demo. This article was originally published in audioxpress, December 2017.