Audio

26 Nov 23

Build Your Own Hi-fi Ear Defenders

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation, Mechanical, Production & Manufacturing

Many of us have gotten used to being able to dampen unwanted sound, thanks to the noise-cancellation technology found in, for example, Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds. But this tech gets you only so far: Noise cancellation works just for relatively low frequencies, and the overall hearing protection that earbuds can…

18 Oct 22

Book review: ‘The Sounds of Life’ by Karen Bakker

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation

Humans are rather poor listeners, compared with our fellow Earth-dwellers. The world is alive with sound that we cannot hear, from the ultrasonic echolocation of bats to the infrasonic ‘drumming heartbeat’ of the Earth’s crust beneath the crashing of ocean waves. In ‘The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technology is…

10 Sep 22

Deep Learning Could Bring the Concert Experience Home

Electrical, Electronics & Instrumentation

Now that recorded sound has become ubiquitous, we hardly think about it. From our smartphones, smart speakers, TVs, radios, disc players, and car sound systems, it’s an enduring and enjoyable presence in our lives. In 2017, a survey by the polling firm Nielsen suggested that some 90 percent of the…