The AirPods Pro 2 are currently some of the best wireless earbuds out there, but that could change once solid-state driver models hit the market.
Just a few short months after a company called xMEMS Labs debuted its new solid-state driver technology, one of the bigger names in earbuds says it has plans to implement the technology in a new pair of earbuds.
That company is Creative Technologies, most famous for its sound cards back in the ’90s, who have been diligently releasing new wireless earbuds at a steady clip for the last decade – and now, the company has turned its attention to this cutting-edge audio tech.
There aren’t any firm details around the new earbuds, but Creative’s CEO Song Siow Hu says that “[Creative is] confident that our TWS products will stand out in the market, delivering exceptional sound quality, comfort, and style to our users.”
Solid-state vs dynamic drivers: what's the difference?
Dynamic drivers which use a coil and magnet to create sound have been the de facto mechanism for headphones for the last century. It's a power hungry system and one that leads to some distortion at higher volumes.
However, xMEMS Labs has been working on micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) solid-state drivers that are smaller, lighter, less power hungry and still really powerful. In short, it's the next big breakthrough for earbuds.
“By integrating our advanced solid-state MEMS speakers into Creative’s TWS products, we are confident that users will enjoy an unprecedented level of audio quality and efficiency," says Joseph Jiang, CEO and Co-Founder at xMEMS Labs. "Together, we aim to redefine the way people listen to music, communicate, and immerse themselves in audio content.”
So how soon will we actually have a pair in our ears? Well, that part is still unclear. The two companies announced their partnership today and, from the sounds of things, a model is in the works. That said, there's no firm release date yet.
Hopefully, we'll get a chance to see them at CES 2024 coming up in January, if not a bit sooner. Until then, AirPods Pro 2 will hold onto their spot as the best wireless earbuds – but change is 'a coming.
