New JBL over-ear headphones by HARMAN achieve superior audio performance through deploying novel ams adaptive noise cancellation technology

News facts:

  • New JBL Tour ONE product features first adoption of ams Adaptive Leakage Compensation (ALC) technology – already in use in true wireless earbuds – in over-ear headphones to provide consistently excellent noise cancellation performance in all usage conditions

  • The True Adaptive Noise Cancellation eliminates noise distractions in real time

  • HARMAN’s choice of ams audio systems reflects the Tour ONE product’s appeal to business professionals who are looking for headphones with advanced technology, smart features and a sleek design

Premstaetten, Austria (April 14, 2021) -- ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, announces today that its Adaptive Leakage Compensation (ALC) noise cancellation technology has been implemented in new, award-winning over-ear headphones, the JBL® Tour ONE product from HARMAN, the owner of audio brands admired by audiophiles and musicians, including AKG® and Harman Kardon®. 

The Tour ONE product is aimed at business professionals who are looking for the best in noise cancelling technology and an elegant design. The headphones’ True Adaptive Noise Cancellation technology monitors ambient sound and provides the perfect level of noise cancellation for the user’s environment, eliminating distractions in real time. They also feature SilentNow, giving users the ability to touch a dedicated button to activate noise cancellation mode without activating Bluetooth, for complete isolation from outside noise. JBL Tour ONE headphones has received CES® 2021 Innovation Awards ‘Best of Innovation’. 

 “The ALC technology from ams plays an important role in the special experience of listening to JBL headphones”, said Pierre Laboisse, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at ams. “This ensures that noise from the outside environment is silenced even if the user com-bines them with other headwear, and in all indoor and outdoor conditions."

Pioneering application of ALC technology 
HARMAN’s use of adaptive noise cancellation technology in JBL over-ear headphones extends the application of ams audio innovation. ALC technology has already been deployed in various types of earbuds, including loose-fit earbuds, to provide consistently high noise attenuation as the ear-bud shifts position in the ear. 

Now HARMAN has deployed ams ALC technology in the JBL Tour One to provide the same consistency and high noise attenuation in over-ear headphones. Unlike conventional over-ear head-phones, which have a single, fixed noise-cancelling filter configured for use when the earcup fits perfectly over the ear, the Tour One headphones with ALC technology adjust the filter continuously in response to changes in the noise detected by microphones in the earcup. 

The headphones maintain high noise attenuation even when the earcup’s fit is impaired, for in-stance with long hair or when wearing glasses, a hat. It also provides inherent flexibility to adapt noise-cancelling operation to match differences in the soft material of the headphones’ earcups, and to adjust for the different size and shape of users’ heads. 

Martin Schoerkmaier, Application Manager at ams was deeply involved in the development of the Tour ONE design, and was part of the ams team which worked with HARMAN’s engineering team to match the operation of the ALC algorithms to the acoustic characteristics of the Tour ONE’s earcups. Martin explains a major difference with this technology and how HARMAN excellently applied it. “It is possible to produce consistent noise attenuation, but you need adaptive rather than fixed noise cancellation. Users are becoming increasingly aware of the distinct differences in noise cancellation effects that they hear as soon as they stop using conventional over-ear head-phones in the perfect usage conditions for which they were designed.”  

Proven performance of augmented hearing engine

The implementation of ALC technology in the JBL Tour ONE is based on the ams AS3460 Digital Augmented Hearing companion chip. Combining a high-fidelity speaker driver with a sophisticated digital audio processor, the AS3460 implements ALC and Automatic Preset Selection algorithms as well as offering best-in-class Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) performance. The AS3460 sup-plies output power of up to 50mW into a load of 16Ω, at a maximum signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB. 

The ams adaptive and augmented hearing algorithms running on the AS3460 are now available for use in all formats of headphones and earbuds.  

For more technical information or for sample requests, go to https://ams.com/AS3460. 

The ams difference

ams has a deep history in breakthrough technology for audio product development. In addition to the  technologies that enable digital augmented hearing, manufacturers of noise-cancelling head-phones have been using ams’ analog ANC speaker driver ICs for more than a decade, benefiting from their high, broadband noise attenuation and low power consumption. ams’ strong market po-sition is also based the engineering expertise provided to headphone manufacturers, helping them to optimize the acoustic, mechanical and electrical aspects of their product designs. 

Harman Kardon and JBL are trademarks of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. AKG is a trademark of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered in the United States and/or other countries.