From headphones to car speakers: it may seem like a big leap, but that’s what’s happening Warwick Acousticsan English company that has carved out a significant space for itself in the world of top-of-the-range headphones with two models based on a electrostatic technology developed internally. Technology that is now preparing to make the leap to the world of automobiles, where the need to contain weight, to position the speakers with greater freedom and to reduce the dependence on rare earths is very much felt. We met the company at CanJam in London, an event dedicated to listening with headphones, and we spoke with Horace Pollacimarketing director.
Warwick Acoustics Prepares Electrostatic Speakers for Cars
Warwick Acoustics has specialized from the very beginning in the production of electrostatic headphones: these are headphones in which a diaphragm, on which there is a track in which current passes, is stretched between two electrically charged grids; since Maxwell’s equations tell us that in the presence of an electric field there is always also a magnetic field, the grids act in fact as a replacement for the magnets that we normally find in headphones, both dynamic and magneto-planar.
One of the advantages of electrostatic headphones is that they are extremely lightprecisely because they do not need to use permanent magnets for their operation. The disadvantage is that they require a so-called energizer, i.e. a device capable of supplying the correct voltage (normally between 500 and 700 V) to the grids; this means that it is not possible to use a normal amplifier.
An additional advantage is that no need to use rare earths (such as neodymium) in the production of magnets; indeed, it is possible to use not only common materials, but even recycled ones, since they are rather frequent metal alloys. This in particular is a very sensitive point nowadays, especially in Europe and in the automotive sector.
Despite the need to have an energizer, Energy consumption is up to 75% lower compared to traditional solutions, a rather important aspect with electric vehicles.
All these features lend themselves well to implementation in the automotive world too: having in fact very light and small speakerswhich therefore It can be inserted virtually anywhere in the carand made with easily available and more sustainable materials becomes a notable strength.
Pollaci explained that Warwick Acoustics has been developing a platform specifically for cars for some time and that the company has already entered into partnerships with manufacturers. The first official announcement is coming soonwhich should happen in the next few months: it will be a high-end electric vehicle, although there is no public information about the name of the manufacturer yet. We have understood from Pollaci’s words that this is only the first of many launches over the next few years.
We had the opportunity to see a prototype of a speaker that will be installed inside a headrest: it is small and very light, so much so that it almost seems like you are not holding it in your hand. Its positioning, which appears unusual, is one of the strong points of this technology, which promises to redefine the meaning of “in-car audio”.
The Warwick Acoustics headphones, which we have tried on more than one occasion, are of excellent quality in every respect. It will be really interesting to see how this technology will behave in the car and if we will actually overcome the limits of traditional systems. The promises are interesting, and the premises are good.
Source: greenmove.hwupgrade.it
