Noveto Systems took on a challenge that may sound impossible to common sense. The goal was to make a sound audible directly at the user’s ear – without headphones. The start-up from faraway Israel seems to have made the impossible possible with its revolutionary Soundbeamer 1.0. Are we in for a revolution here!
Years of development
Noveto Systems is a small Israeli start-up founded by friends Noam Babayoff and Toner Shan. Since its inception ten years ago, they have been toiling away at the dream of enabling immediate sound without headphones. Now, their idea is finally bearing fruit with the Noveto Soundbeamer 1.0. Achieving this ambitious goal was only possible through the development of an innovative technology. As the name suggests, the Soundbeamer is supposed to send sound to the human ear like a classic beamer. This could make headphones obsolete in the future.
Noveto receives celebrity support
Meanwhile, a number of celebrities have expressed enthusiasm for the new technology. Thomas Gottschalk, for example, has already served as a celebrity test subject. At the world premiere, which took place simultaneously in the cities of Tel Aviv, Miami, Shanghai and Berlin, the former presenter of Wetten Dass! was able to listen to a sample. In the elegant Adlon Kempinski Hotel, Gottschalk was thoroughly convinced. According to his own statements, the popular presenter tried out the revolutionary speaker together with his partner. “My girlfriend could listen to the sound of the sea while I listened to the bees buzzing – and all together, without headphones. Really amazing.” Gottschalk expressed enthusiastically.
Sophisticated technology
But how does it work? In sound beaming, a speaker can “send” different sound experiences to listeners. In the case described by Gottschalk, Noveto’s special audio technology becomes clear. This is based on special ultrasonic waves. These are sent by the Soundbeamer 1.0 in front of the ears of the respective users. The waves are generated by so-called DSP algorithms. After generation, they are sent into the air by means of a transducer array. The result borders on magic.
Noveto has installed a 3D sensor in the speaker itself. This not only locates the ears of people in the room. On top of that, it can track them. This means that you can hear something even when they are moving. Where the ears are located, the sound is sent. One can imagine the ultrasonic waves next to the ears then as small sound pockets. These are invisible headphones, so to speak. If this principle really proves to be suitable for mass use, it will be nothing less than a genuine revolution.
Application areas
We haven’t seen anything like this in the speaker and headphone field yet. If further testing of the Soundbeamer 1.0 also reveals a market fit, the technology could find itself in a number of areas. One tailored use case that comes to mind, especially due to current Corona limitations, is video conferencing. However, the exciting technology could also prove practical in cars, gaming or television.
Price and Availability
Noveto has a real revolution on its hands. The Soundbeamer 1.0 is set to launch later this year. According to the manufacturer, it will hit the market before Christmas at a price of 495 euros.
