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I used to work at Sonos, long before their current app update debacle and headphone debut. During the first aborted product effort to develop headphones, we we

I used to work at Sonos, long before their current app update debacle and headphone debut. During the first aborted product effort to develop headphones, we were looking at a conceptual feature similar to this - selectively allowing people’s voices through the ANC chipset. I don’t recall the exact approach the DSP folks were using (I was closer to the hardware for ANC) but they were really only able to figure out how to isolate the wearer’s voice by virtue of that signal having more power than all the others. This is terribly cool. I wonder what other kinds of fun you could have with headphones. ANC chipsets are incredibly powerful and I’d wager their capabilities are not even close to fully tapped.

fennecfoxy 2y ago
I wouldn't ever want Sonos hearing aids. Universally Sonos units have basic functionality problems such as not reconnecting to Wifi that has gone down and come back up, especially if the Wifi has changed channel during that time. The "technical" solution is to pull the plug and reboot it (which you can't even do remotely, even if it's connected to Wifi and you want to reboot because Spotify connect on Sonos can be buggy as hell). I can keep a wifi connection up myself and always reconnect using an esp or similar TI etc module...is it so hard for the Sonos firmware devs to do something so basic?
- richwater 2y ago
  Spotify connect on most devices is buggy as hell.
ttpphd 2y ago
If you read the paper, nothing has changed. They still depend on the target talker not having competing co located sounds or voice.
- bob_theslob646 2y ago
  May you elaborate on what you mean by 'colocated sounds or voice '? Does that mean sound coming in the same direction as the person they are targeting? Does it mean sound near the person /object they are targeting?
polartx 2y ago
About once a year I waste about a day shopping for earbuds that would allow me to work in a noisy environment without projecting that noise into my phone calls/conference calls. Never found an adequate product. Seems like noise cancelling has been solved for the listener (isolation + ANC) but I would sure love a hardware/software combo to come along and allow me to work truly remotely by blocking out noise/isolating my voice to the recipient.
- xtracto 2y ago
  I use HyperX Cloud gaming headset for my work. Several years ago we bought them for our employees at a noisy "open office" environment (full of Mexicans, and you may know that we tend to be pretty noisy haha) and they worked pretty well (they have this microphone that extends from the headphones can be moved up or down). Apparently the microphone has noise cancelling [1], and it seems to work pretty well. Nowadays at home, I've been in calls where my wife is using the blender at high speed, I get annoyed by it, but none of my colleagues hear it (between the headset NC and Google Meet's NC apparently it works pretty well) [1] https://hyperx.com/products/hyperx-cloud-iii-wired-gaming-headset?variant=43656365408413 https://hyperx.com/products/hyperx-cloud-iii-wired-gaming-he... Crystal-Clear 10mm microphone, noise-cancelling, with LED mic-mute indicator
- hearingishard 2y ago
  Have you tried the Meta RayBan glasses? They can be used as regular Bluetooth device to make calls. Unfortunately, they don’t do active noise canceling for output sound, but their mic is incredible at canceling out noise. I’m not sure how they do it but have heard there is a contact mic in the bridge. Just got mine, have gotten positive feedback from others when making calls in busy environments.

fennecfoxy 2y ago

I wouldn't ever want Sonos hearing aids. Universally Sonos units have basic functionality problems such as not reconnecting to Wifi that has gone down and come back up, especially if the Wifi has changed channel during that time. The "technical" solution is to pull the plug and reboot it (which you can't even do remotely, even if it's connected to Wifi and you want to reboot because Spotify connect on Sonos can be buggy as hell). I can keep a wifi connection up myself and always reconnect using an esp or similar TI etc module...is it so hard for the Sonos firmware devs to do something so basic?

richwater 2y ago
Spotify connect on most devices is buggy as hell.

ttpphd 2y ago

If you read the paper, nothing has changed. They still depend on the target talker not having competing co located sounds or voice.

bob_theslob646 2y ago
May you elaborate on what you mean by 'colocated sounds or voice '? Does that mean sound coming in the same direction as the person they are targeting? Does it mean sound near the person /object they are targeting?

polartx 2y ago

About once a year I waste about a day shopping for earbuds that would allow me to work in a noisy environment without projecting that noise into my phone calls/conference calls. Never found an adequate product. Seems like noise cancelling has been solved for the listener (isolation + ANC) but I would sure love a hardware/software combo to come along and allow me to work truly remotely by blocking out noise/isolating my voice to the recipient.

xtracto 2y ago
I use HyperX Cloud gaming headset for my work. Several years ago we bought them for our employees at a noisy "open office" environment (full of Mexicans, and you may know that we tend to be pretty noisy haha) and they worked pretty well (they have this microphone that extends from the headphones can be moved up or down). Apparently the microphone has noise cancelling [1], and it seems to work pretty well. Nowadays at home, I've been in calls where my wife is using the blender at high speed, I get annoyed by it, but none of my colleagues hear it (between the headset NC and Google Meet's NC apparently it works pretty well) [1] https://hyperx.com/products/hyperx-cloud-iii-wired-gaming-headset?variant=43656365408413 https://hyperx.com/products/hyperx-cloud-iii-wired-gaming-he... Crystal-Clear 10mm microphone, noise-cancelling, with LED mic-mute indicator
hearingishard 2y ago
Have you tried the Meta RayBan glasses? They can be used as regular Bluetooth device to make calls. Unfortunately, they don’t do active noise canceling for output sound, but their mic is incredible at canceling out noise. I’m not sure how they do it but have heard there is a contact mic in the bridge. Just got mine, have gotten positive feedback from others when making calls in busy environments.