Noble Unveils Five-Driver TWS Design With ANC and Personalization by Audiodo

Not a company that shies away from pushing the envelope on personal audio, Noble Audio just announced a world's first true wireless stereo design using five drivers - 1 dynamic, 1 planar, and 3 balanced armatures. Not an easy feat given that a true wireless relies only on a tiny battery. But the FoKus Rex5 earbuds also support Active Noise Cancelling and even features sound personalization, developed in collaboration with Audiodo.

Knowles Corporation announced that Meizu, a consumer audio brand from China, has selected Knowles balanced armature (BA) drivers and SiSonic high-performance MEMS microphones to produce premium sound for its new LIVE AI Noise Cancelling Hi-Fi Earbuds. Now available in China and other countries in the APAC region, the Meizu LIVE AI earbuds combine the BAs with a coaxial driver, tuned to the Knowles Preferred Listening Curve. Meizu also offers a first-of-its-kind capability that uses artificial intelligence to identify user listening preferences.

Expanding the perspective on the evolution toward hearables, this article explores the current trends as well as the acoustical challenges and solutions for designing true wireless earphones. The article explains the enabling technologies currently converging as the TWS market continues to grow and use cases multiply, with more consumers using wireless earbuds for a diverse and varied set of applications, from listening to podcasts and audiobooks to Internet meetings and interacting with voice assistants. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022.

A new Preferred Listening Response Curve that could define the next standard in high-resolution earphones, was the result from a new research by Knowles Corporation. The research is intended to guide product designers, and reflects the findings of an internal effort by the balanced armature manufacturer to determine the best and most satisfying music listening experience for consumers. In the research report, Knowles proposes an evolution of the Harman response curve specific to in-ears that takes into consideration frequencies above 10kHz

Knowles announced the availability of a new AI-enabled True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Development Platform that will certainly be welcomed by developers and manufacturers globally, looking to accelerate the product development process, from entry-level to premium applications. The new TWS development kit shortens the design cycle for OEMs, enabling advanced, differentiated products with contributed technology from Alango Technologies and Chatable, among others.

Knowles Corporation launched the new RAF Series balanced armature drivers to improve how hearable and earphone designers create the next generation of premium headsets. Developed for wireless products, the receiver’s small dimensions and high efficiency make it ideal for a number of applications. The new RAF Series, including IPx7 models, enables greater flexibility to improve critical features such as audio quality, connectivity, battery life, and water resistance without sacrificing size or comfort.