Two-way headphones can more easily be adjusted to the needs of a variety of headphones designs, versus conventional single-driver architectures. According to Merry Electronics, the new reference design featuring xMEMS drivers enhances both the spatial audio experience and the localization accuracy for gaming.
The reference design that will be offered by the Taiwan ODM features xMEMS' Cowell, currently the world's smallest solid-state microspeaker, resulting in up to 50% weight reduction when compared to using a standard dynamic driver. Together, xMEMS and Merry Electronics have created a modular solution that headphone manufacturers can plug into virtually any design – including open-back, closed-back, wired, and wireless – for next-level gaming or music listening experiences.
In this two-way reference design, the xMEMS Cowell driver serves as a miniature midrange-tweeter, providing additional clarity and detail. More importantly, the uniformity and consistency of the MEMS semiconductor process offers a +/-1° part-to-part phase consistency for perfectly matched left/right midrange and treble. In xMEMS user studies, the near ideal phase matching has demonstrated a 30% improvement in spatial localization accuracy and over 15% improvement in spatial localization time versus major brand single-driver headphones providing a competitive edge to gamers who use this new 2-way concept.
According to Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development, the xMEMS 2-way headphone concept, first introduced by xMEMS in July 2024, empowers audio manufacturers to deliver a competitive edge with next-level spatial audio accuracy, while also delivering a wider soundstage with improved sound clarity and detail.
In order to provide a ready to use reference design for manufacturers, Merry is able to expertly integrate the four core competencies in its product development initiatives: electroacoustics, software, wireless, and battery solutions. The company provides global brands a one-stop professional service covering development, custom design, and manufacturing.
"For more than four decades, we have focused all our product development efforts on electroacoustic products that advance the listening experience in communication, multimedia, and entertainment. This focus extends beyond science and engineering to create products that deliver exceptional sound for our global network of audio customers. Our partnership with xMEMS opens the door to an exciting new chapter in our quest to deliver exceptional sound that enriches the lives we lead, adds Allen Huang, CEO of Merry Electronics.
Headquartered in Taiwan, Merry Electronics was established in 1975, and currently operates 18 worldwide locations in China, the United States, Singapore, and Thailand. Merry will showcase the new premium wireless headphone reference design at CES 2025 in The Venetian Hotel at xMEMS Labs Suite 29-235.
www.xmems.com
www.merry.com.tw
