Listening to music is part of many people’s exercise routine. But one of the big headaches is having to struggle with headphones in order to hear the music. Headphones with wires can get tangled during your workout while earbuds and earphones can be annoying and uncomfortable. So imagine if there was a way to have the music playing directly in your sweater’s hood, your pocket or any other place while you run or work out. Wouldn’t that solve a lot of problems?
It’s not science fiction – it was on display at CES 2012 in Las Vegas. At their booth, a company called Verisonix was showing off their new e-Speaker, which provides high-quality audio in an incredibly flexible design. How portable are these speakers? Portable enough that they can be sewn into clothing or folded up an used anywhere on the go.
The secret is that the e-Speakers are built using electrets, a thin piece of metal with magnetic qualities that is used as the diaphragm to project the music. Speakers using electrets require just a fraction of the power of traditional, electrostatic speakers (as low as 0.1 watts). Lower power means a lightweight and flexible design that can go almost anywhere.
In terms of the audio quality, it’s very good. The high end and middle range are quite nice, even if the low end leaves something to be desired. But then again, do you really need thumping bass for music being played in the hoodie of your sweatshirt? Verisonix said that they will not be selling the speakers directly but will be partnering with other companies who want to utilize the technology. With the huge range of possibilities for uses, it’s a safe bet that you hear – but maybe not see – these speakers a lot in the near future.
