Unlike conventional over-ear headphones, which have a single, fixed noise-cancelling filter configured for use when the earcup fits perfectly over the ear, the Tour One headphones with ams' ALC technology adjust the filter continuously in response to changes in the noise detected by microphones in the earcup.
The headphones maintain high noise attenuation even when the earcup’s fit is impaired, for instance with long hair or when wearing glasses, or a hat. It also provides inherent flexibility to adapt noise-cancelling operation to match differences in the soft material of the headphones’ earcups, and to adjust for the different size and shape of users’ heads.
As the Austrian company explains, Adaptive Leakage Compensation (ALC) noise cancellation technology implemented in over-ear headphones is able to introduce additional benefits in noise cancelling effectiveness, while allowing for a more elegant design. The headphones' True Adaptive Noise Cancellation implementation monitors ambient sound and provides the perfect level of noise cancellation for the user’s environment, eliminating distractions in real time.
Harman's choice of the technology reflects the fact that the new JBL Tour ONE headphones are also targeted at business professionals looking for headphones with the most advanced technology and smart features. True Adaptive Noise Cancellation eliminates noise distractions in real time, providing consistently excellent noise cancellation performance in all usage conditions when applied to over-ear headphones.
The new JBL Tour ONE headphones also feature SilentNow, giving users the ability to touch a dedicated button to activate noise cancellation mode without activating Bluetooth, for complete isolation from outside noise. The recipients of a CES 2021 ‘Best of Innovation’ Award, the new JBL Tour ONE headphones well equipped to enter a very competitive space, disputed by Sony, Bose, and now even Microsoft and Apple.
"The ALC technology from ams plays an important role in the special experience of listening to JBL headphones," says Pierre Laboisse, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at ams. "This ensures that noise from the outside environment is silenced even if the user combines them with other headwear, and in all indoor and outdoor conditions."
Martin Schoerkmaier, Application Manager at ams was deeply involved in the development of the Tour ONE design, and was part of the ams team which worked with Harman’s engineering team to match the operation of the ALC algorithms to the acoustic characteristics of the Tour ONE’s earcups. "It is possible to produce consistent noise attenuation, but you need adaptive rather than fixed noise cancellation. Users are becoming increasingly aware of the distinct differences in noise cancellation effects that they hear as soon as they stop using conventional over-ear headphones in the perfect usage conditions for which they were designed," Schoerkmaier adds.
The ALC implementation in the JBL Tour ONE is based on the ams AS3460 Digital Augmented Hearing companion chip. Combining a high-fidelity speaker driver with a sophisticated digital audio processor, the AS3460 implements ALC and Automatic Preset Selection algorithms as well as offering best-in-class Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) performance. The AS3460 supplies output power of up to 50mW into a load of 16Ω, at a maximum signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB. The ams adaptive and augmented hearing algorithms running on the AS3460 are now available for use in all formats of headphones and earbuds.
ams has a deep history in breakthrough technologies for audio product development. In addition to the technologies that enable digital augmented hearing, manufacturers of noise-cancelling headphones have been using ams' analog ANC speaker driver ICs for more than a decade, benefiting from their high, broadband noise attenuation and low power consumption. ams’ strong market position is also based the engineering expertise provided to headphone manufacturers, helping them to optimize the acoustic, mechanical and electrical aspects of their product designs. The ams Group now includes ams AG and OSRAM Licht AG.
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