Solid-State Fidelity - An Introduction to the World’s First All-Silicon µSpeakers for Personal Audio Devices
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
11:00a - 12:00p
This talk will introduce a new, all-silicon transduction mechanism that is set to disrupt century-old coil/magnet driver architectures. This new, solid-state architecture implements both actuation and diaphragm in silicon resulting in unmatched part-to-part frequency response and phase consistency. This innovative transduction mechanism has also produced the world’s fastest and most precise µspeakers, eliminating spring and suspension recovery of coil speakers which improves audio quality and sound field reproduction.
SPEAKER: Michael Ricci, Sr. Director Electroacoustic Engineering from xMEMS Labs, Inc.
DAC Architectures: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
12:00p - 1:00p
Although digital audio is ubiquitous these days, finding an optimal DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) remains a complicated, and often confusing, task. Join Rob Watts, Digital Design Consultant for Chord Electronics, as he explores the various DAC architectures commonly employed today, and breaks down the strengths and weaknesses of each. Finally, personal preferences aside, learn the objective criteria by which all DACs should be judged for high fidelity audio applications.
SPEAKER: Rob Watts, Digital Design Consultant, Chord Electronics
The Influence of Geometry, Directivity and Acoustical Impedance of Headphones on Sound Perception
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
1:00p - 2:00p
Today a lot of headphone enthusiasts are measuring the frequency responses of their headphones. But the perceived sound is not only dependent on the frequency response curve. The geometry and the acoustical impedance of the headphone have a big influence on the perceived sound. The shape and directivity of the sound-field in the ear-cup are crucial for the spatial perception. In my presentation I give an overview of the historical and current developments.
SPEAKER: Axel Grell, Founder & CEO, Grell Audio
The Benefits of Being Balanced
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
2:00p - 3:00p
Is balanced the best way to go? Join Fried Reim of Lake People (Violectric) as he covers the fundamentals and benefits of balanced audio. Learn how balanced signals are created, handled, and output by the various components of your signal chain (DACs, amplifiers, interconnects, and headphones). And ultimately, gain an understanding of how a balanced setup may (or may not) be best for your listening experience.
SPEAKER: Fried Reim, Chief Strategist, Lake People (Violectric)
HD Audio for All: TWS Trends for Better Music Listening
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
3:00p - 4:00p
From bargain seekers to discerning audiophiles, more listeners than ever are seeking high-definition, premium earphone experiences. Achieving those experiences, however, comes with a unique set of requirements. This session will provide a TWS technical guide to consumers as they sift through the fast-evolving TWS landscape for their next earbuds, while simultaneously helping brands optimize their earphones to accommodate today’s customer demands, including lossless streaming, hearing personalization, comfort, price, connectivity, active noise canceling, and battery life.
SPEAKER: Jon Kiachian, VP & GM of MedTech and Specialty Audio, Knowles Corporation
Evolution of Hearing Simulation, And An Examination of Frequency Response Targets And How We Use Them
Saturday, February 25th, 2023
4:00p - 5:00p
An examination of how the most popular hearing simulation standard (commonly referred to as “711”) was first developed well over 40 years ago — and how important advancements made in the decades since must inevitably lead to the adoption of emergent standards. Following this, an insightful discussion of frequency response targets, how they are used in the industry by reviewers, and some important considerations therein. Are we missing the target?
SPEAKER: Jude Mansilla, Founder, Head-Fi.org
The HARMAN Headphone Target Curve: 2023 And Beyond
Sunday, February 26th, 2023
11:00a - 12:00p
The Harman Target is a subjectively preferred headphone frequency response that was the culmination of a 7-year scientific study on the perception and measurement of headphone sound quality. My talk summarizes what the Harman Target Curve is, how it was developed and validated, and how to best use it for interpreting and predicting how good a headphone sounds. With the introduction of new headphone test fixtures, like the B&K 5128, the future of the Harman target curve will be discussed.
SPEAKER: Dr. Sean Olive, Senior Fellow, Acoustic Research, Harman International
Headphones and Hearing: Human Hearing and Compensation for Headphone Listening
Sunday, February 26th, 2023
12:00p - 1:00p
Human hearing is a complex phenomenon. Not only does ultra-near-field listening – like headphone listening – get interpreted differently by our brains, but our own unique abilities to hear can affect how we enjoy what we listen to. Join Paul Barton, Founder and Chief Acoustics Designer of PSB Speakers, and experts from the sound lab behind Audiodo Personal Sound, on a walk through the science of hearing and how headphones can be designed to compensate for everything from spatial perception of sound through to personalizing sound for unique hearing characteristics.
SPEAKER: Paul Barton, Founder and Chief Acoustics Designer, PSB Speakers
How Interpolation Filters and Transients Crucially Affect Sound Quality
Sunday, February 26th, 2023
2:00p - 3:00p
Join us for an invaluable hour of insight into how digital interpolation filters work. This seminar will cover: understanding the importance of interpolation filtering and transients; realizing just how much time domain performance can dictate fidelity and realism, and much more. If you didn’t understand any of that, and you are currently pursuing an endgame rig with a digital source, then this is one seminar you won’t want to miss.
SPEAKER: Rob Watts, Digital Design Consultant, Chord Electronics
Ask The Reviewers @ CanJam NYC 2023!
Sunday, February 26th, 2023
3:00p - 4:00p
Does burn-in exist? Do cables make a difference? Is there a "correct" sound signature? How much power does the Susvara truly need? What is the best in-ear monitor or headphone, for my music, within my budget? You have questions, bring them to our panel of expert reviewers. Join Crinacle (In-Ear Fidelity), Jude Mansilla (Head-Fi.org), Resolve (Headphones.com) and ZeosPantera (Z Reviews) as they answer them all live and in real time!