ams audio chips offer world-class noise-cancelling performance in two new wireless headphones from trend-setter FIIL

Low-power, high performance AS3435 and miniature AS3412 noise-cancelling ICs enable FIIL to achieve outstanding ANC performance in its innovative next-gen on- and in-ear headphones

ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, today announced that headphone manufacturer FIIL is using two ams chipsets in its latest releases.

ams’ hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) audio IC, the AS3435, is used in the high performance Canviis Pro wireless on-ear headphones. In addition, ams’ AS3412 has been chosen for the Driifter Pro, one of the first neck-band-based Bluetooth in-ear ANC headphones of its kind. The AS3412 – which comes in a tiny WL-CSP – is ideally suited for this audio application because of the headphones’ size constraints.

The increasing popularity of FIIL’s trend-setting brand is the result of combining outstanding audio performance, innovative features and chic design. The appeal of FIIL’s upmarket products is underpinned by their superb noise-cancelling performance across the audible frequency spectrum.

This is thanks to the outstanding ANC capabilities of ams’ chips, backed by system understanding, design engineering and acoustic analysis services. The ams portfolio of ANC ICs offers a market-leading combination of high audio performance and low power consumption. Advanced noise cancellation features in the ams audio sensor product line include:

• Smart noise adjustment – user-selectable choice of three operating modes. The chip normally operates in noise-cancelling mode but also offers a monitor mode, which blocks low-frequency noise but allows the user to hear mid-to-high frequencies, and an open mode, which allows the user to hear all ambient noise.
• Wind mode – cancels out noise caused by wind.

The AS3435 was chosen for the Canviis Pro on-ear headphones in order to enable world-class active noise cancellation and >30dB of noise attenuation, THD<0.5% @ 100dBSPL.

For the Driifter Pro in-ear headphones, the requirement was to fit a chip with good noise-cancellation capability in a tiny end-product housing, with best-in-class low power consumption to give a long run-time from a very small battery. FIIL’s choice, the AS3412, measures just 2.2mm x 2.2mm x 0.4mm in a WL-CSP package. Operating from a supply voltage of 1.6V-1.8V, the AS3412 consumes just 8mW.

Speaking about the working relationship between FIIL and ams, Pierre Laboisse, Executive Vice President for Global Sales and Marketing at ams, said: “We are very pleased to be the strategic partner of one of Asia’s leading headphone companies. We value FIIL as a very innovative, high quality and inspiring provider of best-in-class  ANC headphones. In close co-operation, we’ll continue this successful path toward building the world’s most advanced  smart ANC headphones.”

“Over the last couple of years FIIL has become one of the leading players in the world market for high-end noise-cancelling headsets,” said Leon Wu, CEO of FIIL. “Developing the first wireless in-ear ANC product marks a next step in FIIL’s evolution. We are glad to have enjoyed a close collaboration with ams in the development of our latest Canviis Pro and Driifter products. It is clear to us that ams is the global leader in manufacturing advanced audio solutions.”