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Torn Between Market Trends and Product Strategy

The art of course correcting.

There is a universal problem most product companies are facing; the market needs deviating from the predetermined product strategy. Whenever a roadmap is created, it usually spans over half a decade, if not more. In the audio industry, trends can change rather quickly, based on customer needs and the moves of the big market players, so it is essential to take extra care in creating a future-proof product strategy and be willing to adapt it when necessary. But how do you strike the right balance between staying true to your vision and reacting to market shifts?

Although the original intention of most MEMS speaker companies is the same: create a single speaker suitable for the whole bandwidth of in-ear applications, in today’s market, exceptional audio quality in itself is no longer enough. The popularity of USound’s Conamara and Ganymede MEMS speakers on the in-ear monitor scene shows that audiophiles recognize the excellent sound quality of our products, but it is an important realization that great frequency response and crystal clear and crisp sound only serve niches. In the consumer electronics market, other aspects are of greater importance. A loudspeaker must be eligible to incorporate features that go far beyond music playback, also enabling smart attributes.

The current consumer audio market orbits around two critical features, noise cancelling and Hi-Res audio. There are ever-growing expectations for both extreme low & high frequency performance, to facilitate state-of-the-art active noise cancelling (ANC) technologies and Hi-Res audio features respectively. In this era, audio solution providers face a difficult problem to solve. How to serve two completely opposite market trends at the same time, and integrate them into the already existing strategy.

It is incredibly tempting to jump into broad development projects to chase trends, but the reality is, by the time a trend is identified, it is likely too late to start from scratch, and a project cannot simply be optimized for any and everything. When a new trend appears, the time-to-market problem kicks in and the clock starts ticking. The windows of opportunities are narrow and not open for long. So how can one service the trends and adapt to market demands?

USound’s Approach

USound’s approach to this challenge is clear: leverage our strengths. It is essential to identify the areas where our core technology excels. Sometimes, development projects and product strategies move away from market trends over time, but in this case, in the world of small Tech companies, the only way out is through. Staying focused and moving forward decisively is often the only viable path. There is simply no room for starting over. Finding ways of continuously utilizing one’s strengths in a changing market is key. We can only set foot in a market filled with well-established, big players and changing customer preferences by keeping laser focus on the unique properties we can deliver, while trying to take only those compromises that are absolutely necessary to offer easily integrable solutions.

The core technological advantages of MEMS speakers lie in their extended bandwidth, especially high-frequency performance, and size. Two primary target uses have emerged over the last few years, combining these key aspects of the technology, even though these were not the original development goals; tweeters in 2-way audio modules and ultrasonic transducers for various wideband ultrasonic applications. As a result of our quick and effective course correcting, the current generation of USound’s Conamara series speakers manage to serve both at the same time.

2-Way Audio Modules

The solution for the current in-ear audio market demands is clear. 2-way audio modules capable of servicing both the extreme low-frequency requirements and the high-frequency expectations at the very same time. That being said, having two speakers instead of one goes against the general trend of miniaturization in electronics. As a consequence, fixing a tweeter on top of a large woofer is no longer satisfactory. Customers are looking for much more sophisticated, well-optimized, highly integrated, and compact audio solutions.

Conamara MEMS tweeters focus on delivering exceptional high-frequency performance, targeting to meet even the wildest requirements in the most integration friendly form factor and size possible. USound, in cooperation with Obo Pro 2, delivers not just a tweeter meant for 2-way systems, leaving the integration up to the customer, but the most compact, single input, dual speaker audio module on the market: Greip 1.0. Representing an all in one audio solution, making it easier than ever for customers to develop high-end audio products.

Greip 1.0 is a highly integrated dual speaker audio module, comprised of an electro-dynamic woofer and a MEMS tweeter seamlessly integrated into one package as small as 10 mm in diameter and 3 mm in thickness. Greip is the state-of-the-art answer to the market’s challenging requirements on the two extremes of the audio bandwidth at the same time, serving both ANC and Hi-Res demands. Unlocking new opportunities in TWS product design.

Ultrasound

Audio technology doesn’t stop in the audible range. USound is at the forefront of opening new areas of development for products utilizing ultrasonic frequencies. Almost a byproduct of polishing high-frequency performance in the audible range, but not lost on our team of engineers: USound’s Conamara MEMS speakers offer the unique properties in the ultrasonic range that the market was longing for.

The traditional, bulky ultrasonic transducers optimized for a single frequency point are the beaten path. What USound has to offer is the next level of design flexibility. With a uniquely flat frequency response throughout the whole ultrasonic frequency range, the system is no longer optimized to the transducer, but the transducer is optimized to the acoustic requirements of the system, presenting never-before-seen freedom in both industrial and acoustic design.

Thanks to vast miniaturization Conamara MEMS speakers are approximately 30 times smaller than the typical ultrasonic transducer, removing barriers for industrial design with its slim package. The ability to emit a wide range of frequencies on the same output level with a single Conamara speaker is opening brand new avenues in ultrasonic signal modulation. Engineers can finally optimize their design to the frequency point or range they find to be the best fit for their application and not to the limited options transducer manufacturers normally offer. Additionally, utilizing a speaker suitable for use in both the audible and ultrasonic range can introduce new ultrasonic features for products that would traditionally be limited to just the audible range.

Because it’s a new technology, MEMS speakers are often compared to more traditional solutions. Although MEMS speakers deliver outstanding audio quality, surpassing their more traditional balanced armature or electro-dynamic counterparts, their differing electronic behavior poses challenges for customers on the integration front.

USound is the trend setter on the MEMS audio market. By providing plug and play audio modules, reaching 0.8 mA quiescent current consumption with the development of Tarvos 1.2, revolutionizing the wideband ultrasonic applications, and eliminating the need for DC bias voltage, USound is proud to offer the only MEMS speakers earning a level 1 classification of excellent quality in the international MEMS speaker standards.

It is clear that the MEMS speaker design USound is offering is superior to the competition. USound is the only company incorporating a membrane subassembly into the speaker design. Thanks to this unique approach our Conamara MEMS speakers minimize distortion and maximize sound quality in the most integrable, circular packaging. We do all this while, by utilizing the unique design, we offer the speaker with the smallest MEMS footprint, leading to the smallest capacitance and subsequent current draw on the market. Additionally, as a result of relentless material research we offer the first ever MEMS speaker that can be driven without DC bias. USound Conamara MEMS speakers simply outrank the competition in all areas of performance evaluation.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities in Audio Innovation

In a rapidly evolving audio market, balancing market trends with long-term product strategies is a challenging but essential task. USound demonstrates that the key to success lies in building on core strengths, embracing adaptability, and innovating to meet both current and future demands. From the Conamara MEMS speakers’ exceptional high-frequency performance to the ever-improving Tarvos amplifier and advancements in ultrasonic applications, USound continues to set new standards in MEMS technology. By delivering compact, efficient, and high-performing solutions, USound proves that staying focused on unique capabilities can drive impactful course corrections and lasting success.

Kristóf Dornbach

Kristóf Dornbach is inspired by the challenge of turning technological potential into practical reality. As Product Manager at USound, he applies his strategic mindset and technical expertise to deliver impactful solutions in a dynamic market.