A Computer in Every Ear. The Rise of Headphone 3.0

Enter Sonical Headphone 3.0. A fully integrated approach for the product development of headphones and earbuds that allows consumers to load their own apps. audioXpress talked to Gary Spittle, the CEO and founder of Sonical, a young company that developed a chip and a real-time operating system for headphones and hearables. "Hearables should not be defined by the functions of a chip or the Bluetooth profiles, there is a lot more that product makers want to do," says Gary Spittle, the CEO and founder of Sonical.

Voicemod, a company from Valencia, Spain, specializing in voice effects and interactive voice modification experiences, is enabling Bragi’s new audio platform to incorporate voice modulation capabilities into smart earbuds and headsets for mobile, console, and handheld devices without tethering to a PC. The Voicemod-enabled B2B software solution integration with Bragi allows headphone OEMs to include untethered, hands-free, real-time voice augmentation features.

True wireless earbuds that offer truly differentiated features, such as hands-free control via simple voice commands, personal audio profiles, and software updates, are now a reality under $100. Coming from Skullcandy, the popular headphone brand leading that price category, the new Grind Fuel and Push Active TWS designs offer those features thanks to Bragi OS, and over 18 months of development effort by the Skullcandy and Bragi teams.

Swedish digital audio pioneer Dirac confirmed that its sound optimization solution is featured in the all-new Klipsch T5 II True Wireless ANC earphones, officially available since August 2, 2021. As detailed by audioXpress in previous articles, with the inclusion of Dirac’s technology, the new Klipsch true wireless ANC design allows consumers to enjoy more balanced sound and enhanced clarity regardless of the playback device or the quality of their content.

There’s a lot happening in the true wireless stereo (TWS) category and this market update article intends to provide a quick overview of the state-of the-art technologies and platforms in the space, as well as some reference approaches in product design. This audioXpress Market Update addresses what is happening in this vibrant product category in 2021.