Sony WF-1000XM4 Sets New Standard for True Wireless Earbuds with ANC

Sony unveiled the new WF-1000XM4 true wireless earbuds. Having lead the active noise cancelling category on headphones since the original WH-1000X headphones and until recently with the WH-1000XM4, Sony is now focused on leading in noise canceling and audio quality in TWS earbuds, starting with a newly designed V1 Integrated Processor, support for high-resolution audio and 360 Reality Audio, better call quality, and smart listening features, matched with an impressive 8 hour battery life with ANC.

Adding a valuable perspective to the topic of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds and hearables development, Jean-Marc Luneau (7 Sensing Software) details meaningful new features and improvements for brands to differentiate their products and make them stand out in today’s crowded market. This article was originally published in audioXpress April 2021.

Good news for designers of Bluetooth earbuds and hearables relying on Qualcomm’s audio SoCs and looking for differentiating features. Their products can now offer improved voice clarity in noisy or windy environments using Alango’s OnlyVoice advanced technology for true wireless earbuds and high-performance headsets. Also available on QCC5141 is VoiceFirst, which improves speech intelligibility in movies through de-emphasis of background sounds and music.

Vesper introduced the VA1200, which the company calls the world’s first analog piezoelectric voice accelerometer (a.k.a. bone conduction sensor). This low-power vibration sensor can be used in true wireless earbud designs to pick up the wearer’s own voice through bone conduction. Using the VA1200 in conjunction with a standard microphone and a sensor fusion solution, the application can achieve superior background and wind noise reduction. Vesper calls this combination OnePlusOne.

Sonion, the manufacturer of components and solutions for hearing aids and in-ear headphones, announced that it is now a member of the Qualcomm Extension Program and will offer the Sonion Voice Pick Up Bone Sensor on the Qualcomm Ultra-Low Power QCC5100 Bluetooth SoC series in Q1 2020. The combination will allow other audio manufacturers to implement reliable voice quality and voice recognition applications that are not hindered by surrounding noise.

Nanusens, a research venture working on nano-sensors built inside CMOS devices, has announced that its proprietary technology can significantly increase the operational life of earbuds by up to 20%. This can be achieved by replacing the MEMS sensors in an earbud with a single multi-sensor chip solution that is up to ten times smaller, freeing up space for larger batteries. The company will be announcing this technology solution at MWC 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.