xMEMS announces the general availability of its world's exclusive all-silicon solid-state MEMS speakers

Solid-State Fidelity™ and DynamicVent technologies will revolutionize the True Wireless Stereo (TWS), In-Ear Headphones (IEM) and Hearing Aid markets with superior audio experience and enhanced listening comfort for consumers

Beijing, China - May 9, 2023 - xMEMS Labs (xMEMS), an innovative developer of Solid-State Fidelity™ MEMS microspeakers, announced the general availability of its three revolutionary MEMS microspeaker solutions, which can be immediately integrated into the next generation of true wireless stereo (TWS) headphones, in-ear headphones (IEMs), digital hearing aids, and emerging personal audio electronics such as smart glasses and sleep earbuds.

xMEMS' patented silicon-based speaker technology will replace the century-old voice coil speakers, enabling the mass production of solid-state speakers in large quantities and with high reliability using semiconductor manufacturing methods, and providing more precise, high-fidelity, high-resolution audio.

“Since our first product release, the audio industry has been extremely positive about our solid-state fidelity solutions,” said Mike Housholder, xMEMS vice president of marketing and business development . “Unlike traditional voice coil speakers, our speakers are monolithic and the silicon membrane provides better material stiffness and exponentially faster impulse response than traditional speakers, enabling the superior audio performance of xMEMS solid-state fidelity technology.”

In fact, the xMEMS silicon membrane structure is 95 times stiffer, providing better clarity and eliminating the muddy mid- and high-frequency response of traditional speaker membrane materials.

Additionally, the silicon structure provides an impulse response that is 150 times faster than conventional designs, delivering the truest impulse and most accurate sound reproduction that is not possible with the slow attack and decay of coil structures.

With this announcement, xMEMS has begun shipping three unique solid-state fidelity solutions:

• Cowell, now in mass production, is the world’s smallest solid-state micro speaker, providing excellent high-frequency response, clarity and wider sound field for TWS headphones and hearing aids.

• Montara Plus, an extremely high-output MEMS microspeaker with a maximum sound pressure level of 120dB@200Hz, is an ideal full-bandwidth electroacoustic transducer for audiophile-grade high-resolution in-ear monitors (IEMs), enabling smaller, lighter and simpler in-ear monitor designs without the need for phase alignment and complex design of multi-driver headphones.

• Skyline DynamicVent, the world’s first piezoelectric MEMS, DSP-controllable dynamic vent, combines the best of closed-back and open-back headphones and hearing aids. Skyline ushers in a new era of Active Ambient Control (AAC), delivering enhanced adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency mode, reducing the occlusion effect and eliminating the uncomfortable amplification of your own voice or footsteps when your ears are covered.

xMEMS solid-state fidelity technology is driving the shift to all-silicon audio systems. This shift began to gain traction in 2007, when MEMS microphones accounted for only 5% of the total microphone market. By 2022, this share had exceeded 80%[1]. xMEMS is leading a similar shift in speakers.

“The MEMS microspeaker market is expected to follow a similar trajectory to MEMS microphones,” said Peter Cooney, founder of SAR Insight. “Consumer demand for high-resolution, spatial audio, and lossless streaming audio represents a generational shift in audio content, which requires a similar evolution in sound reproduction. Solid-state fidelity delivers more accurate reproduction of source sound and a superior listening experience.”

MEMS speakers utilize piezoelectric film technology as an actuator, replacing coils and magnets. When piezoelectric film is combined with silicon (rather than plastic or paper) as the speaker diaphragm, the world's first solid-state speaker is realized. Unlike traditional voice coil speakers used in electronics, xMEMS microspeakers use standard semiconductor processes and packaging, so they can be mass-produced quickly, consistently, and cost-effectively.

The result is a high-performance speaker that is only about 1/10 the weight and 40% the size of a similar voice coil speaker. With no traditional moving parts, xMEMS solid-state micro speakers are more reliable and durable than existing technologies, even meeting IP58 dust and sweat resistance standards.

"Solid-state fidelity and monolithic construction not only provide the best listening experience, they also create the most stable speakers in the industry," continued Housholder.

Thanks to their architectural advantages, solid-state headphones can survive harsh conditions, such as being forgotten in a user's pocket and passing through a washing machine and dryer.

Housholder concluded, “Solid-state fidelity speakers are an absolute game changer. Until now, speakers have remained one of the few electronic components that have not been improved by silicon technology. xMEMS true solid-state microspeakers can now fundamentally change the way people hear sound.”