Sleep buds reference design with active venting at CES 2024

The design incorporates xMEMS's patented Skyline DynamicVent technology, which offers enhanced comfort and automatic ambient control through a physical vent and DSP noise detection. Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development, explained the concept behind this innovative design: “Today’s sleep buds typically rely on noise masking sounds from a legacy coil speaker and noise blocking from a silicone or foam eartip. However, these eartips occlude the ear and amplify self-generated noises such as your own breathing, snoring or your ear rubbing against the pillow. Our Skyline DynamicVent leverages a noise-detecting microphone and DSP to vent the ear and reduce these occlusion effects that could disrupt sleep. But when outside noise is detected, the vent will close to achieve the best noise isolation. All told, this technology takes the sleep buds category to new levels of usability and more importantly, comfort.”

The Skyline DynamicVent can either be closed for optimal noise blocking or opened to ventilate the ear and minimise occlusion effects. In louder environments, xMEMS’s Cowell MEMS micro speaker can produce noise-masking sounds to work alongside the noise-blocking eartips and closed vent.

The reference design is offered to xMEMS partners, customers, and manufacturers as a foundation for their product innovations. It comprises tiny wireless earbuds and a charging case, mirroring consumer true wireless earbuds. Each earbud contains the xMEMS Cowell micro speaker, Skyline DynamicVent, a MEMS microphone, and a Qualcomm QCC5171 system-on-chip for Bluetooth and DSP functions.

Visitors to the xMEMS suite at CES 2024 will also discover other solutions, such as:

Cypress: the world's first ultrasonic amplitude modulation speaker achieving over 140dB low-frequency SPL for ANC True Wireless Stereo earbuds (by appointment only).

Presidio: a two-way, over-ear headphone reference design combining a 35mm dynamic driver for bass and xMEMS Cowell or Montara Plus as a tweeter for exceptional mids and highs.

2-way true wireless earbuds: featuring Creative Aurvana Ace2 and Noble Audio Falcon Max, using xMEMS Cowell tweeter.

Cowell, the smallest solid-state micro speaker in the world, offers high-frequency response and clarity, ideal for TWS earphones and hearing aids. Montara Plus, capable of 120 dB @ 200Hz, is perfect for audiophile-grade in-ear monitors and high-end over-ear headphones.

Housholder concluded: “CES is the premiere destination to launch and demo the technologies that will shape not only the products we buy, but the processes behind how those products are produced. Through sleep buds and various other reference designs at CES 2024, xMEMS is demonstrating how our world-first all-silicon, monolithic MEMS micro speakers and DynamicVent products deliver exceptional sound quality, comfort, and style for consumers, while unlocking new efficiencies for manufacturers through our solid state semiconductor manufacturing process – which delivers a better sounding speaker with far greater production efficiency and product uniformity.”