OPINION: To me my xMEMS!
Chances are you’ll not have heard about xMEMS and would possibly even confuse the identify with the fictional mutants from Marvel Comics, however I’ll wager that you just’ll be listening to extra about this firm within the coming months because it has the potential to disrupt the headphone and speaker marketplace for the primary time in a long time.
Possibly that’s a bit hyperbolic, however in relation to headphones, the know-how that drives the sound hasn’t modified all an excessive amount of in years.
Dynamic drivers are used throughout the trade and whereas planar magnetic, electrostatic, bone conduction, and balanced armature are utilized in headphones, they aren’t as widespread as a dynamic driver. And this know-how is a long time outdated.
Dynamic drivers are primarily based on coil and magnet applied sciences – it’s additionally extra familiarly known as transferring coil – and it really works by utilizing a hard and fast magnet that creates a magnetic discipline and this works along with the voice coil, inflicting it to maneuver backwards and forwards, impacting on the diaphragm and pushing the air round it to create the sound we hear.
The aim of xMEMS is to disrupt this outdated approach of making sounds
The tech makes use of a solid-state answer, which has gained traction within the final a number of years, most notably with SSDs. With headphones, xMEMS goal is to switch transferring coil structure utterly. It nonetheless operates on the identical precept of pushing the air round it however the coil on the magnet has been changed by a skinny Piezo movie. When voltage is utilized to it, it bends, creating the push and pull impact.
In response to xMEMS, what you get from this silicon and the diaphragm as one unit is consistency – “each speaker on this wafer performs precisely the identical, identical loudness, identical section traits”. Having assembled a pair of headphones on the Sennheiser manufacturing facility in Eire and checked whether or not the speaker drivers had been matching (some didn’t), having this diploma of consistency removes waste.
It additionally takes the human ingredient out of the equation to a point as this course of is extremely automated. I think about that may trigger consternation for some however in a course of that requires a level of effectivity and precision, the one half that introduces some variability is the human a part of the manufacturing course of.
After which there’s the precision and effectivity in how the speaker operates. Silicon is stiffer, which ought to assist in reducing down on distortion. The mechanical response of the audio system is 150 instances sooner than a magnet and coil, which signifies that the assault and decay of {the electrical} sign might be recovered faster. xMEMS claims that you possibly can throw a lot of dynamic content material at these audio system with pace and readability, retaining element with out muddying the sound.
All that stated we’re not on the level the place there are totally solid-state MEMS drivers in the marketplace simply but. Inventive Audio has adopted the know-how for its Aurvana Ace and Aurvana Ace 2 wi-fi earbuds (look out for these opinions), a hybrid mixture of the MEMs and coil with the woofer specializing in the low frequencies and the MEMS on the mids and highs.
2025 is circled because the yr after we might have headphones that make use of a single full-range MEMS driver.
I’m impressed
Having sampled the know-how, I’ve to say that I’m impressed by the readability and element within the mids and highs. On the identical time, there’s a punchiness and readability to the low frequencies on one of many prototype headphones I take heed to that avoids the dearth of readability and misshapen bass I’ve heard with different headphones.
I’d say that it does depend upon the tuning of the headphones. A heat, clean sounding headphone gained’t provide fairly as a lot readability and element as a pair of headphones tuned with neutrality or readability in thoughts. I’ve been listening to the Aurvana Ace 2 in latest weeks towards one other equally priced true wi-fi and I can hear the step up in readability and element that offers them just a bit extra constancy within the audio stakes.
Ultimately although, I’d wager it’ll all depend upon what kind of sound you want, because it at all times does. However as we appear to heading down this path of accelerating the quantity of top of the range sources and enhancing that transmission of information over Bluetooth, xMEMS seems to be in an excellent place to reap the benefits of this greater high quality, wi-fi sound that we’re transferring in direction of.