‘Audible enclaves’ could enable private listening without headphones | Penn State University
www.psu.edu
In a new advancement in audio engineering, a team of researchers led by Yun Jing, professor of acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering, has precisely narrowed where sound is perceived by creating localized pockets of sound zones, called audible enclaves. In an enclave, a listener can hear sound, while others standing nearby cannot, even if the people are in an enclosed space, like a vehicle, or standing directly in front of the audio source.

It may someday be possible to listen to a favorite podcast or song without disturbing the people around you, even without wearing headphones. In a new advancement in audio engineering, a team of researchers led by Yun Jing, professor of acoustics in the Penn State College of Engineering, has precisely narrowed where sound is perceived by creating localized pockets of sound zones, called audible enclaves. In an enclave, a listener can hear sound, while others standing nearby cannot, even if the people are in an enclosed space, like a vehicle, or standing directly in front of the audio source.

  • Akrenion@slrpnk.netEnglish
    10·
    1 day ago

    I’ve found that bone conducting headphones work well for this. They are even secure enough for running and climbing.

    • ProfessorProteus@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      19 hours ago

      I’ve always been very curious about this technology, but I imagine that they wouldn’t be as good at transmitting high frequencies. I’m no audio engineer so it’s only a hunch of course. Do they sound comparable to a decent pair of buds in the ear?

      • morbidcactus@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        21 minutes ago

        The ones I have have some speakers aimed at your ear to fill in that part, actually works really well. I can’t stand the ear buds you physically insert into your ears, the rubber tipped ones, these have been good to replace my on ears for activity. Plus you can hear what’s around you which is why my partner gifted me them.

      • Akrenion@slrpnk.netEnglish
        2·
        2 hours ago

        I’d say so yeah. I switched between headphones a lot recently and they don’t stand out. All headphones have their own sound anyway. I just embrace what they highlight and get to know my favourite songs again.

  • don@lemm.eeEnglish
    141·
    1 day ago

    Probably won’t do anything about those who actively want everyone else around to hear what they’re listening to.

    • Venator@lemmy.nzEnglish
      11·
      1 hour ago

      Bone conducting headphones work quite well for that, although the audio quality is generally not as good, so best used for audio books etc.

  • overload@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    5·
    1 day ago

    This could be very handy to be able to still be notifiable while not driving your family crazy.

  • rottingleaf@lemmy.worldEnglish
    53·
    1 day ago

    I just took a short look at the JXTA specification ; JXTA is abandoned and this is the progress people are pursuing. So sad really.

    I mean, yes, comfort is good, yes, this is like a device from Asimov’s Foundation, but the problem is kinda solved by headphones already. And yes, it’s cool.

    (If someone doesn’t know what JXTA is - it’s Sun’s standard for p2p applications, of the “progress of the past that was left unfinished and forgotten” kind, and looking at ZFS, which is a similarly comprehensive thing for filesystems, I have no doubts the world would be better were it finished.)