xMEMS Lassen delivers high-quality audio for true wireless stereo earbuds using MEMS technology
xMEMS has announced the Lassen MEMS micro-tweeter for use in true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds. The new speaker does not require a separate piezo amplifier chip, which enables smaller earbud designs. Mass production is scheduled for September 2025, and samples are available now for audio designers.
Sound reproduction requires the movement of air. Earbuds have typically used tried-and-true cone drivers due to their availability and ease of manufacture. Newer technologies such as balanced armature and planar drivers have recently been used, but all suffer from the need to move a relatively large amount of mass. This results in slower response to transient changes in music and audio distortion.
MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) are small devices smaller than a grain of rice that can be manufactured using chip manufacturing technology. Silicon MEMS devices are very durable devices that can survive drops without damage and operate for years without fatigue.
The Lassen MEMS micro-tweeter measures 3.2 x 5 x 1.15 mm (0.126 x 0.197 x 0.045 in.) and has a frequency range of 6 kHz to 20 kHz. The unit can output sound as loud as 115dB SPL at 1 Vrms without external amplification. The all-silicon, solid-state construction of the tweeter allows it to reproduce music with better clarity and higher detail than competing driver types.
No single driver can reproduce music across a broad range of frequencies with high accuracy and low distortion, so the Lassen micro-tweeter is designed to be paired with a low-frequency driver for full sound reproduction.
Readers interested in trying out xMEMS speaker technology can try the Creative Labs Aurvana Ace line up (sold here on Amazon).
Source(s)
xMEMS Introduces Lassen, its First “Amplifier-less” High-Performance MEMS Tweeter
March 27, 2025
With Lassen, xMEMS has reduced the barrier to entry by eliminating the need for a piezo amplifier, reducing cost, component area and power consumption.
Manufacturers are now free to create the best earbud experience for consumers with technologically superior sound through xMEMS µFidelity.
Santa Clara, California, March 27, 2025 – xMEMS Labs, developers of the foremost platform for piezoMEMS innovation and creators of the world’s leading all-silicon micro speakers, today announced xMEMS Lassen, the company’s newest innovation for delivering micro fidelity (µFidelity) audio to mass-market consumer earbuds.
Responding to industrywide praise and enthusiastic reviews of xMEMS speaker technology for creating the highest quality sound, xMEMS has introduced Lassen, a lower cost all-silicon micro tweeter solution for TWS (True Wireless Stereo) earbuds.
The xMEMS Lassen micro-speaker delivers up to 115dB SPL in the 6kHz to 20kHz frequency range from a standard 1Vrms audio output, without the need of additional amplification, delivering sound quality that exceeds that of legacy tweeter speaker technologies. Measuring just 3.2 x 5 x 1.15 mm and consuming mere microwatts of power, Lassen significantly reduces the barriers of entry to broad deployment of 2-way TWS wireless earbud audio.
xMEMS designed the groundbreaking Lassen TWS tweeter on its established, proven MEMS platform to enable mass production and easy integration into 2-way earbuds.
“The industry has embraced the superior audio quality of 2-way speakers in TWS earbuds, as well as the ability of xMEMS speakers to enhance that quality,” said Mike Housholder, VP, Marketing & Business Development at xMEMS. “Lassen is a revolutionary design based on a proven platform. It will bring the benefits of 2-way earbud audio to a broader market by eliminating extra cost of the piezo amplifier and minimizing the space and power required to deliver truly immersive TWS sound experience.”
The previous xMEMS Cowell and Muir MEMS speaker solutions for 2-way earbuds required a separate piezo amplifier chip. Manufacturers such as Creative Labs and Soundpeats embraced this integration requirement because the solid-state xMEMS drivers produced unparalleled sound reproduction quality and detail.
However, with xMEMS’ Lassen, no amplifier is required – freeing up space in TWS earbuds for other advanced features while delivering that same superior sound quality and soundstage as previous xMEMS technologies.
And because Lassen is manufactured in the same high-capacity semiconductor wafer fabs as other xMEMS products, it enjoys superior semiconductor-level quality and scalability, so TWS designers know they can deliver consistent, repeatable sound quality across their TWS earbud designs.
By removing the amplifier requirement, xMEMS was able to reduce the cost of tweeter integration by roughly 25 percent. This puts solid-state MEMS speaker technology squarely on-par with other micro tweeter solutions, including balanced armature and planar magnetic drivers. However, neither of those technologies can match xMEMS’ speaker technology for detail and clarity, which are fast becoming requirements for high-res and spatial audio.
Samples of the xMEMS Lassen TWS Tweeter are available now, with mass production scheduled for September 2025.
For more information about xMEMS, Lassen, and µFidelity audio, visit xmems.com.
About xMEMS Labs, Inc.
Founded in January 2018, xMEMS Labs is the “X” factor in MEMS with the world’s most innovative piezoMEMS platform. It invented the world’s first solid-state, True MEMS µFidelity speakers for TWS, near-field OWS, and other personal audio devices, and evolved its substantial IP to produce the world’s first μCooling fan on a chip for smartphones and other thin, performance-oriented devices.
xMEMS has over 230 granted patents worldwide for its technology. For more information, visit xmems.com.
