Better sound through nanotech

Headphones have been made the same way for ages. But with advancements in nanotechnology, that could be about to change…

When it comes to the important business of generating top-quality sound, headphone makers tend to stick to the tried-and-trusted solution of moving-coil drivers. They do the job and there are any number of ways in which manufacturers can eke better performance out of them, but the basic technology works the same way as it did in 1925.

The world of nanotechnology might provide a new direction for headphones tech, though: researchers in China have been working on a thermo-acoustic process that rapidly heats and cools down carbon nanotubes to generate sound. It can be used to build tiny speakers and earphones with no moving parts; and while there are challenges along the way, such as providing adequate venting for all the generated heat, ensuring that the technology scales to full-size headphones, and, vitally, providing premium sound quality, it could mean a whole new world of lightweight but powerful cans. Watch this space.