Dynamic Ear Company (DEC), Delft, The Netherlands, a developer of hearing protection technology and intellectual property for industrial, music, and consumer electronic applications, has entered into a collaboration agreement with Sonomax Technologies, Montreal, a provider of instant, custom-fitted sound isolating and enhancement technologies to co-develop a custom module housing DEC’s patented Dynamic Sound Technology (DST) for integration in the Sonomax V4 Self-Fit customizable earpiece platform, thus affording Sonomax with a DST solution for the consumer electronic market such as earphones, Bluetooth, and communication headsets.
"Through our program of strategic partnering, DEC technology will now become available in a pioneering, self-ftting, custom earphone platform, which is being accessed by personal audio manufacturers," said Steve Collicot, business development director of DEC. “DST enables manufacturers to provide users with new levels of personal safety due to a reduction in music levels through better noise isolation, so reducing the possibility of hearing damage and increased awareness of the users’ surroundings in the urban environment by electronically switching to an ‘open’ earphone”.
DEC’s DST is an automatically variable attenuation technology initially developed for hearing protection. In earphone applications users stay in contact with their environment as unprocessed natural sounds are able to enter the ear without the removal of earphones, which helps to reduce the occlusion effect normally associated with earphones, while allowing the placement of sounds such as cars and sirens, and making crossing of roads, running, and cycling with earphones a safer activity, says the company.
As required, the DST valve close, providing users with noise isolation, so they can reduce music volume and limit the effect of loud music on hearing.
The Sonomax V4 Self-Fit system allows consumers to produce their own custom-fitted earpiece in minutes without the need to visit an audiologist.
[Source: Dynamic Ear Co]