All items in category Magazine Articles
OTC Hearing Aids: Is Innovation Leaving the Rule Behind?
by Andrew Bellavia

OTC Hearing Aids: Is Innovation Leaving the Rule Behind?

A wave of new developments promises to solve the most pressing need for people with milder hearing loss, allowing mass-market hearables to supplant Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids with less stigma. Andrew Bellavia suggests the FDA’s OTC hearing aid rule (October 2022) includes assumptions that are quickly becoming obsolete as recent developments illustrate. This must read article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2023.
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R&D Stories: Using Ultra-Wideband Technology for Wireless Delivery of Audio and Multimedia
by Frederic Nabki, Nicolas Paillusseau, and Ronald Rinkenbach

R&D Stories: Using Ultra-Wideband Technology for Wireless Delivery of Audio and Multimedia

In this exclusive article for audioXpress, Frederic Nabki, Chief Technology Officer, Nicolas Paillusseau, Applications Manager, and Ronald Rinkenbach, Applications Engineer, all from SPARK Microsystems, address the advantages of using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology to achieve high-quality wireless audio streaming and how UWB radios can be deployed effectively as a high speed and low latency data communication method demonstrating compelling advantages.
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Speaker Measurements: Replacing IEC 60268-5 (Part 2) - The Importance of Measurements
by Geoff Hill

Speaker Measurements: Replacing IEC 60268-5 (Part 2) - The Importance of Measurements

This article concludes the examination by Geoff Hill of the work taking place on loudspeaker measurement standards, and the progress the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has made with its update efforts, also resulting from the work of the Audio Engineering Society's Standards Committee. We learn how these new standards apply to measurements of sound in 3D space and in production environments, SPL using voltage sensitivity, and the measurements of microspeakers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2022.
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Speaker Measurements: Replacing IEC 60268-5 (Part 1) - What Comes Next and Why
by Geoff Hill

Speaker Measurements: Replacing IEC 60268-5 (Part 1) - What Comes Next and Why

Geoff Hill, the inventor of the Tetrahedral Test Chamber (TTC), a member of the international Electrotechnical Commission’s standards 60268-21-2018 and 60268-22-2020, and part of the IEC Working Group TC 100/TA 20/PT 60268-22 on electrical and mechanical measurements on transducers, summarizes the progress happening on loudspeaker measurement standards. This is the first of two articles, appealing directly to all loudspeaker designers and manufacturers. This article was originally published in audioXpress, September 2022.
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Practical Test & Measurement: The Benefits of Using Structure-Borne Sound in Headset Signal Processing
by Hans W. Gierlich

Practical Test & Measurement: The Benefits of Using Structure-Borne Sound in Headset Signal Processing

This article looks at the practical test and measurement of bone conduction technology, as used in product development for headsets and in-ear devices. It showcases new possibilities for manufacturers to better evaluate device performance, since no appropriate test equipment and methods were commercially available until now. The approach, complements a Head-and-Torso Simulator (HATS) with an actuator capable of generating structure-borne sound in the artificial ear. This way, a realistic simulation of the human structure-borne voice signal for in-ear headsets is possible.. This article was originally published in audioXpress, January 2023.
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Fresh From the Bench: Røde NTH-100 Headphones
by Brent Butterworth

Fresh From the Bench: Røde NTH-100 Headphones

The Røde NTH-100 headphones are a late but refined entrance from the Australian company into the product segment. The headphones are engineered to be durable as pro audio products need to be. All the important components are also user-replaceable and can be removed and swapped out in seconds. The fully adjustable headband with a unique FitLok locking system is a very distinctive feature that will be appreciated over time. Find out how the NTH-100 stacks up to the competition. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2022.
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Evaluation of Automotive Audio Energy Efficiency
by Philipp Paul Klose

Evaluation of Automotive Audio Energy Efficiency

Automotive systems expert Philipp Paul Klose writes about the vital topic of Evaluation of Automotive Audio Energy Efficiency. This important article addresses an approach to measure energy consumption and efficiency of car audio systems as an essential method for an industry investing in ever more sophisticated technologies and applications. More importantly, the author proposes practical approaches, including standardized test procedures. This article was originally published in audioXpress, June 2022
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Patent Review: Vertically and Horizontally Balanced Subwoofer
by James Croft

Patent Review: Vertically and Horizontally Balanced Subwoofer

The patent reviewed here was granted to inventors Robert G. Johnston (Amprior Ontario, CA), and Sanford M.Gross (Owings Mills, MD), respectively the head of engineering of GoldenEar Technology, and one of its co-founders. The patent describes a subwoofer with two drivers on each side plus one passive radiator facing up and one passive radiator facing down. The passive radiator facing down effectively couples acoustic energy at very low frequencies into the floor.
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The Story of aptX - An Epic Journey
by Jonny McClintock

The Story of aptX - An Epic Journey

Widely recognized as a high-quality audio compression algorithm, used in film sound to radio broadcast, studios and finally in Bluetooth, where its incorporated into billions of devices, the successful story of aptX technology is inextricably linked to the history of digital audio and a remarkable corporate journey, from APT to CSR and Qualcomm. This article offers an insider's overview of the aptX audio codec adoption and evolution, and how the technology was interlinked with the author's professional career for the past 28 years. This article was originally published in audioXpress, October 2022.
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AES 2022 Automotive Audio International Conference
by Roger Shively

AES 2022 Automotive Audio International Conference

Over the course of three days and two nights, June 8–10, the Audio Engineering Society’s 2022 International Automotive Audio Conference in Dearborn, MI, served as a great event for everyone in the automotive audio community to reconnect. The event also featured a full track of sessions promoted by the AES Audio Product Education Institute (APEI). This report, written by Roger Shively, the AES Conference Chair, reviews the most important presentations topics discussed and the exciting demonstrations by companies such as Dolby, Fraunhofer, Dirac, Tymphany, and DSP Concepts, among many others.
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