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New fabric speakers use flexible electronics to be thin, light, and flexible — AIST Japan's latest breakthrough; audiophile ready, or only suitable for cloth ears?
A Japanese startup has announced that it has developed a portable fabric speaker which emits sound across its entire surface (machine translation). The device from Sensia Technology relies on flexible electronics, and can facilitate a wide variety of new audio applications and experiences. It is the first practical application of this new thin, light, and flexible fabric technology that was originally developed at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in 2018.
(Image credit: Sensia Technology)
We’ve already mentioned that flexible electronics are one of the key innovations behind the new ‘Fabric Speaker Portable’ product. The press release goes on to explain that the whole of the fabric surface can emit sound, as it is woven from flexible conductive fibers arranged in a capacitor-like structure.
Such electrostatic speakers work using two conductive layers separated by a thin dielectric film, to form a large thin capacitor. An audio signal can then modulate the electrical field between the conductive layers, resulting in vibration, pushing and pulling air to produce audible sound waves. All this technology gets an added quality in this new ‘Fabric Speaker Portable’ product due to the flexible materials it uses.
If you’ve tested pillow, cushion, or other hidden speaker products before, they will have very likely relied on an enclosed traditional speaker apparatus. Such products therefore have physical lumps where the speaker(s) is located, and the listening experience would rely on the user positioning their ear/device correctly. That’s quite different to the new ‘Fabric Speaker Portable.’
Sensia Technology doesn’t just pitch the new fabric speaker at hidden listening devices, either. The main promotional picture from the firm shows a soft and thin fabric device which it says is good for hanging on the wall like a tapestry, or under a pillow or sheet for enjoying music while relaxing.
The plastic bump you can see attached to one edge includes a compact drive circuit with wireless connectivity and power. Check out the machine translated specifications table for more information, but we’d also like to highlight that the compact device shown is capable of sound levels of 68dB. A pair of them (for 71dB) would approach the volume level of a nearby vacuum cleaner or a washing machine on spin.
We have a few tech specs to hand, but one big thing missing is any kind of description of the audio quality users can expect. However, even if these are as good as the best speakers we have tested, or even offer audiophile quality, that perception will certainly be diminished if you shove the Fabric Speaker Portable under a pillow, or in a hooded jacket, etc.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
I've found that speakers that provide uniform motion provide clearer sound while nonuniform is more mushy. Also bass is dependent on the travel depth, which this looks like it has little. But also a textured surface reduces frequency peaks, so at least this cloth speaker thing has that going for it.
Maybe it will wind up sounding like some smaller 1960s paper speaker, but with more convenience in placement. Could be good for a very open sounding speaker hat that lets sound right through.
