xMEMS Labs has taken aim at the audio drivers found in everything from headrests and headrests to smartphones and smartwatches with its new Sycamore, a full-range, all-silicon, near-field micro speaker. Last year the company’s Cypress silicon solid-state micro-speaker was designed to replace the coil drivers found in consumer headphones, while the Sycamore aims for a broader spectrum of applications. Both technologies are based on the company’s “sound from ultrasound” platform which creates full-frequency sound from ultrasonic waves in a 1-mm thin chip.
“With Sycamore, mobile electronics can now achieve thinner, more stylish form factors while maintaining big, rich sound,” said xMEMS’ VP of Marketing and Business Development, Mike Housholder. “With better performance at both the low and high ends, Sycamore delivers powerful, full-range audio for smart watches, smart glasses, and any other small, mobile form factor that engineers dream up.”
Sycamore measures just 8.41 x 9 x 1.13 mm and weighs 150 milligrams. It is one-seventh the size of a conventional dynamic-driver package and one-third the thickness, which is critical when integrating into ever-thinner electronics like smart watches and glasses.
