MEMS drivers are coming to open-wear devices like XR glasses, smart watches and earbuds

Tiny MEMS ultrasonic drivers have already made a huge difference in sound quality for true wireless earbuds. Now, the company behind those "sound from ultrasound" speakers, xMEMS Labs, is taking aim at open-fit earbuds, smart glasses and smart watches with its new Sycamore micro driver. xMEMS says that this is the first full-range, all-silicon, near-field micro speaker that offers full-range audio for open-air devices.

Sycamore is based on the same platform as xMEMS' Cypress driver for active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds. This means the component uses ultrasonic waves to create full-frequency sound from a 1mm thin chip. The company explains that Sycamore can match the mid-bass performance of current drivers while pushing up to 11dB more of sub-bass. This new speaker-on-a-chip also has improved treble, clocking up to 15dB above 5KHz when compared to drivers that are currently in use. And, of course, there's the clarity and detail MEMS units offer.

"Everything that you get out of our in-ear speakers translates to Sycamore," xMEMS vice president of marketing and business development Mike Housholder told Engadget. "In these early products that we benchmarked, our clarity continues to come through in Sycamore, so you'll get that benefit as well."

In addition to improved audio performance, another key advantage of Sycamore drivers is their ultra-compact size. xMEMS says these micro speakers are one-seventh the size of conventional dynamic driver and one-third of their thickness. They also weigh 70 percent less. This reduced size would give product designers more flexibility, which could lead to sleeker, more attractive products. One of my key gripes with smart glasses is how thick the ear pieces are, so if companies can make something that's more akin to real glasses and still improve the audio, that's a win in my book.

"Because these are fashion forward products, you need something that is really thin and really light, and that's where Sycamore comes in," Housholder continued. "The benefit that Sycamore brings to these categories of products is next level thinness and weight."

Since Sycamore is based on the same platform as Cypress and xMEMS' XMC-2400 micro-cooling fan on a chip, this new driver will use the same manufacturing setup. This means that xMEMS will be able to deliver it faster, but also expedite the industrial process for future micro products. Samples of the open-air Sycamore drivers are expected to be available in Q1 2025 with mass production beginning next October. Given this timeline, we're likely to see the first products with Sycamore drivers in 2026.