Sound just for you — scientists found a way to replace headphones

Listening to music with complete clarity without headphones, without disturbing those around you, and without even touching a single device — is it possible? The University of Pennsylvania's new solution promises to make this possible, and it has the potential to change the way we think about audio forever.

BGR writes about it.

What technology was developed at the University?

The technology is called Audible Enclave and uses ultrasonic waves to create directed "pockets" of sound that only you can hear. The system combines a series of acoustic lenses or metasurfaces that direct ultrasonic beams in the air. When two of these beams intersect, they produce sound only in a small, precisely defined space. If you are in that space, you hear music; if you are not, the sound disappears.

In fact, these are virtual headphones without additional devices. The prototype of this technology provides clear sound transmission at a distance of about one metre and can reach a volume level that corresponds to conversational.

For everyday tasks such as watching videos or listening to music from your phone, this is extremely convenient. Unlike traditional headphones, you keep your ears open and stay connected to what's going on around you. This "open" approach is already making some other types of headsets popular, as it allows you to listen to music or podcasts while still communicating or moving safely.

It is also important that such audio technology can be a real breakthrough in the field of accessibility. For people with sensory impairments or those who simply don't like traditional headphones, this option effectively eliminates the need to wear anything on their heads or in their ears.

Scientists are confident that over time, this technology can be scaled up to cover longer distances and higher volumes. This opens up the prospects of creating "private audio zones" in public places, holding concerts with personalised sound, or listening to your favorite playlist on the go without any wires or earbuds.

As a reminder, Apple has announced the new feature for AirPods Max headphones. Users will be able to play music in lossless format.

We also wrote that listening to an audiobook in the subway or minibus is a challenge. You can endure it for a long time until you think of buying headphones with Active Noise Cancellation.