Trying to place premium audio into a “pinhole speaker” is no easy feat.
So, working in a space smaller than your thumb, how do these engineers do it?
I sat down with @rock.gao , General Manager of Headphones, and @hank_han , Senior Acoustic Engineer, to learn more about the challenges faced by the team working on the hero product of the Liberty 2nd Generation …
Rock started his career as an audio engineer, working his way up the ladder in audio companies such as Harman, Jabra and Plantronics, before eventually joining Soundcore. He’s based in our Shenzhen HQ and loves working here because “we have great products and a great team to match!” Outside of work Rock likes to get away from the busy, bustling pace of city life and back into nature. His favorite way to do this is to go grab a Soundcore Icon and go fishing with his two sons.
Side Note: Rock will also be attending the NYC launch event!
Hank Han, one of Soundcore’s most senior acoustic engineers, has over 10 years of acoustic design experience. He’s worked as an Acoustic Designer for the likes of Knowles, 3Nod and now Soundcore R&D. For the audiophiles among us, Hank’s work focuses on transducers and cavity architecture design and optimization, but his true passion lies in “innovative structures, designs and application”.
If you’ve looked at the below teaser video carefully, you’ll notice that this product doesn’t take the most conventional shape, and as Hank is a self-confessed fan of unique design, I started by asking him what led the team to use such a unique shape.
“At the start of our journey on the Liberty 2nd Generation, we researched the architectural designs of other mainstream earphones on the market today. In our opinion, these designs had some flaws. For example, the shape of these true wireless earphones created limitations on the placement of various units, such as the balanced armature. I don’t want to get too techy and I don’t want to give anything away, but this had negative knock-on effects in terms of the relationship between mids and highs and the overall airflow direction, both of which are essential for good sound. Our aim was to create a true wireless earphone structure that could overcome these issues and create a superior soundstage.”
I asked Rock to tell us the biggest advantage the hero product of the Liberty 2nd Generation has over other competitors.
“I know you recently looked at some of the feedback from the Grammy Award Winning audio engineers that supported us on this device and, to be honest, I think they put it really well. [Product name] has a natural, balanced sound. It has a wide soundstage generated by its special acoustic design and innovative technology. We believe it will leave audio lovers with a deep, lasting impression.”
I pushed Rock for more on that “innovative tech” we keep hearing about, but again it’s being kept under lock and key. What do you think it might be? Let us know in the comments.
I asked them both what was the “biggest technical difficulty” they faced when developing this product.
Hank was quick to respond, “The magnetic shield.”
“By far, the most challenging technical difficult the team across was the magnetic shield. It’s a key requirement for the technology we’re using.”
Rock then continued, “Also the high frequencies. It took us more than two months in total to optimize the sound stage. Our engineers continued trying the combination of various acoustic variables and, finally, we got a wide, yet natural soundstage.”
I’m guessing their responses are going to raise even more questions for you guys, so go ahead and drop your questions down in the comments below. @rock.gao and @hank_han re here to answer you 
