Turtle Beach Announces the HyperSound Glass

[btarunr]

Turtle Beach Corporation, a leading audio technology company for over 40 years, has achieved another significant breakthrough with its HyperSound technology, as the company revealed today it is now able to create directional audio using a transparent pane of glass. The Company's latest innovation opens the doors for exploration into future glass-based directional audio products and applications in the consumer, commercial and hearing healthcare spaces.

"The advancements the HyperSound team is making with directional audio are simply amazing - some of the biggest breakthroughs in audio technology to come along in decades," said Juergen Stark, CEO, Turtle Beach Corporation. "Being able to create highly directional audio using glass opens up many potential opportunities, including integrating into desktop monitors, commercial displays, desktop speakers, and automotive dashboard glass to provide warnings directed specifically at the driver… pretty much anywhere there's glass there's a potential for audio. As we progress the technology, this also opens up licensing possibilities to external parties looking for ways to integrate the latest audio technology into their products. Again, it's still early in development and the applications are simply ideas on the drawing board, but at the same time having HyperSound directional audio working on glass is very exciting and we can't wait to show it publicly for the first time at E3."



HyperSound technology is a fundamentally new approach to sound delivery that generates a highly directional, narrow beam of audio in the air. Similar to how a flashlight directs a beam of light, HyperSound directs a beam of audio to targeted listeners in a specific spot, delivering an immersive, 3D-like audio experience. HyperSound Glass is similar in design to touchscreen glass, where there are multiple layers of transparent materials and electronics working in conjunction with the glass. For HyperSound Glass, the glass pane is layered with a set of transparent films allowing it to generate abeam of ultrasound that delivers crisp, clear audio to the targeted listener.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[RejZoR]

Whole point of glass designs is to make it extraordinary pretty. This is just plain ugly. I'd rather have classic wooden box...

 

[Caring1]

So if you hit a certain pitch, does the glass break?
Can it handle high volumes with minimal distortion?
Curved glass should allow the sound to be heard over a larger area.

 

[natr0n]

This intrigues me.

 

[P4-630]

Interesting stuff.

 

[bug]

...
Can it handle high volumes with minimal distortion?
...

As you see, there's no mention of HiFi. The quality must be pretty terrible at this point.

 

[Prima.Vera]

The Bass will still be provided via the woofer I think...

 

[silentbogo]

Seems like a highly technologically-advanced novelty crap. No practical use for living room, since it can only accommodate 1 listener, plus the announced price tag is over $1600!
Also HyperSound mentioned a potential use for positional audio in VR, but considering that the sound is highly directional, you will have to use it alongside traditional speakers (which will add up to whoknowshowmanydollarbills).

 

[PP Mguire]

Whole point of glass designs is to make it extraordinary pretty. This is just plain ugly. I'd rather have classic wooden box...

Gotta agree with you on that.

 

[Beertintedgoggles]

I'm pretty sure they're just using the idea of ultrasonic speakers and simply using glass as the driver medium. Not really a technological breakthrough. I've already heard a product like it (not using glass) at a checkout lane at the store. You moved slightly to one side or the other and you no longer could hear the product advertising.

A good explanation of the tech:
http://www.explainthatstuff.com/directional-loudspeakers.html

Where you can already buy some ultrasonic speakers:
http://www.soundlazer.com/what-is-a-parametric-speaker/

 

[Ferrum Master]

Seems like a highly technologically-advanced novelty crap.

But it looks cool!!

 

[RejZoR]

This is how you make extraordinary glass speakers. Greensound Glass speakers. They do cost a lot of money, but just look at them. I think I just came a bit...

I was even thinking of designing classic membrane speakers with glass middle cone and speaker casing. Basically, the driver would be still the same, but made of super thin glass center for good response since it needs to be light and thick glass housing. The reason for this is that glass resonates with the sound opposed to wooden housing muffling it. This should at least in theory create far more detailed and clear sound.

 

[truth teller]

this is just a couple of piezos glue-to/embedded-on glass, nothing special or new, meh
besides, there are way cooler stuff made around those things, like vaporing water with just a couple of milliamps, etc.

 

[RejZoR]

Well, sound is all about creating vibrations. That's what sound is. So, saying "uh oh it's just some piezos stuck on some glass" is a but disingenuous, especially when 99,99% of speakers on the market are soft membrane based with a coil moving it around to create sound...

 

[bogami]

Fashion product that has little in common with a good sound, and the entire audible frequency 20Hz - 20000Hz for normal ears. I do not listen with the eyes.

 

[truth teller]

Well, sound is all about creating vibrations. That's what sound is. So, saying "uh oh it's just some piezos stuck on some glass" is a but disingenuous, especially when 99,99% of speakers on the market are soft membrane based with a coil moving it around to create sound...

uh? do you own an hifi system? that most likely has piezos speakers as tweeters in it... do you have an digital watch? that has a piezo as a speaker for the alarm buzz... that stuff is everywhere! and im the one that knows nothing about sound? ok then... i guess having glass around old tech is innovative...
here is something way more interesting with piezos in it, that comes in truck loads from china and can be bought in for a few american pesos, with no need for fancy glass around it mind you

 

[The Terrible Puddle]

Reminds me of electrostatic speakers

 

[silentbogo]

 

[Katanai]

I've heard of this before. They were speaking about using this technology for LCD screens, so the whole screen becomes a speaker. Turtle Beach didn't invent this but they are developing it...

 

[Caring1]

Fashion product that has little in common with a good sound, and the entire audible frequency 20Hz - 20000Hz for normal ears. I do not listen with the eyes.

You will if they put this in VR goggles

 

[AsRock]

Fashion product that has little in common with a good sound, and the entire audible frequency 20Hz - 20000Hz for normal ears. I do not listen with the eyes.

20-20 for normally working ears but a lot of music is about much more than just hearing it. In fact just going out side is about more than that frequency, when a car goes past you you hear and feel it.

 

[Jetster]

Look like old Electrostatic Speakers

Which actually kick ass but very pricey. Best speakers I have ever head were thin ES speakers and about 6' tall with tube amp in like 1985

 

[Mussels]

My first thought with this was all the modern smartphones with glass front and back - no more need for a dedicated speaker, if you can use the frame itself.

 

[Caring1]

My first thought with this was all the modern smartphones with glass front and back - no more need for a dedicated speaker, if you can use the frame itself.

Apple is rumoured to be making an all glass iPhone

 

[Mussels]

i hate phones with a glass back, but if this matures and the screen itself can become a speaker - thats a big step forward for size and water/dust proofing.