The personal stereo went on sale in 1979 and arguably changed the music industry for ever. No longer were listeners confined to a static location; they could indulge their musical passions wherever – and just as importantly, whenever – they wanted to. Consumers were willing to forgive the low-quality musical reproduction of cassette tapes, the large clunky players and often appalling quality headphones simply to have the freedom of choice.
Fast forward 40 years and there are far fewer challenges facing consumers who want to listen to their music libraries, podcasts, audiobooks or favourite radio stations on a portable device. Digital technologies have alleviated many of the issues around reproduction quality while nearly every smartphone on the planet provides a perfectly passable player for all but the most dedicated of audiophiles.
Arguably the only part of the portable audio mix where consumers are still challenged with quality of experience is in their choice of headphones or earphones.
Why HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 is open-fit design with active noise cancellation?
The open-fit design of HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 are much more comfortable for extended periods of use even with ANC enabled, ensuring users don’t experience difficulty with any pressure.
In-ear earphones will squeeze with the ear canal, and if it is worn for a long time, produce the feeling of ear swelling and earache; the open-fit earphones is obviously superior to the former in terms of comfort meeting the needs of users wearing for a long time.
Previously it’s only been possible to deliver ANC with full over-the-ear or in-ear headsets that limit the scenarios they can be used in…as anyone that’s tried to fall asleep on an aeroplane while using them will attest. Prolonged use can be uncomfortable and they can look bulky and mess up hair. Due to the open-fit design not producing a sealed effect in the same way as the in-ear design, it must process the changing ambient sound while also cancelling the noise. Users can still hear ambient sound when wearing the earphones.
The open-fit design also needs to accommodate different ear shapes and ways that the earphones are worn, which requires complex parameters for the earphones to satisfy the noise cancelling needs of different users.
Huawei is a company renowned for identifying consumer challenges and developing technological solutions to solve them that also redefine consumer expectations. Take the amazing HUAWEI 30 Pro smartphone, widely considered to be one of the best phone on the market for photography, a device that redefines what’s possible from a smartphone camera. Or take the latest flagship handset the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro; a smartphone that can shoot amazing low-light photos and videos, turning amateur snaps into high-quality content. With both of these devices consumers can achieve results they previously never thought possible from mobile technology.
Huawei’s commitment to R&D and leadership in smartphone innovation has led to the development of the HUAWEI Freebuds 3, the world’s first open-fit Active Noise-Cancelling (ANC) Bluetooth earphones that also offer true wireless stereo (TWS).
What did Huawei do to achieve it?
Designed based on user behaviour in different usage scenarios – travelling, commuting, at home listening to music, at work taking voice calls etc. – the ANC technology in a semi open-fit earphone design allows users to enjoy a clear and comfortable audio experience, even in a noisy environment.
Using a combination of cutting-edge design, in-house chip development and complex AI algorithms, the HUAWEI Freebuds 3s solve the problem of how you make earphones that look good, sound amazing, offer ANC technology and crucially are comfortable to wear for extended periods in all usage scenarios.
In order to deliver the best possible experience, Huawei undertook a great deal of real-life ear canal experiments to really understand user needs and expectations. Alongside the preferences mentioned earlier around style and fit, posture and usage habits were also taken into account. Huawei analyzed the noise signal data in many scenarios, it then classified and categorized signal characteristics and completed in-depth algorithm training and parameter optimization - based on the most frequent scenarios, such as when users are in an airplane, subway, office, or coffee shop- to ensure users can enjoy optimal noise cancelling performance in day-to-day life.
The DNA of HUAWEI Audio products
Most earphones will adopt a dual microphone noise reduction method to reduce the interference from the environment. Huawei goes one better with its bone voice sensor – using exclusive Huawei technology – which uses the vibration of the head to better distinguish a user’s voice from background noise.
The bone sensor’s noise cancellation is another Huawei’s exclusive innovation and its effect is leading the industry’s dual microphone noise cancellation offering.
Huawei's aerodynamically designed wind cancellation microphone duct can effectively reduce wind noise. When wind passes through the Huawei patented air tunnel, most will be blocked by the bottom of the tunnel, effectively reducing noise caused by the friction between the wind and microphone. Without the wind tunnel design, wind from all directions will directly contact the microphone and generate noise, affecting the call quality.
These innovations make the HUAWEI Freebuds 3 one of the most compelling earphone propositions on the market today and certainly the world’s first true wireless stereo earphone with ANC in a open-fit design. The open-design element is important as many users report a preference for this style when using earphones for a prolonged period of use.
Audio technology has come a long way in a relatively short space of time and the pace of innovation is unlikely to slow down given consumer appetite for new ways to enjoy content on the move. The HUAWEI Freebuds 3 are the pinnacle of Huawei’s audio technology and its flagship audio product. With a stated mission to dream of the impossible and then go and create it, Huawei will continue to play a leadership role in this sector, helping consumers to work smarter and enjoy their leisure time with more immersive and seamless experiences. Technological innovations like ANC play an important role in this vision; helping to protect hearing, improve voice calls for mobile working and deliver better audio experiences.
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