Intent on growing its business in custom manufacturing for medical devices and industrial applications, precision audio specialist Knowles Corporation is repositioning through two key corporate deals — divestiture of its consumer MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) microphone business and the acquisition of Cornell Dubilier, while focusing on targeted growth markets for its core capabilities in precision miniaturization. Among the company’s magnetic technologies are miniature windings and balanced armature speakers and drivers.
Knowles specializes in the design and manufacture of small, intricate components and assemblies with tight tolerances and high precision. A market leader and global provider of advanced micro-acoustic microphones and speakers, audio solutions, high-performance capacitors and RF products, the company announced recently that it is ramping up its offering of high-precision miniaturization capabilities for customized manufacturing of medical devices.
“For more than 70 years, Knowles has been a leading innovator of miniaturized technologies for the hearing health sector. As demand for precision-crafted components rises for MedTech companies, we’re eager to extend our services to OEMs in the category,” said Jon Kiachian, president of MedTech and Specialty Audio at Knowles. Services including micro-stamping, micro-molding, micro-ultra fine wire coil winding, micro connector and cable assembly, microelectronics, precision machining, and product design and development are in the mix. The services target innovation of medical devices such as implantable devices, precision surgical instruments, surgical robotics, diagnostics and drug delivery systems.
In related moves, in June it acquired capacitor manufacturer Cornell Dubilier for $263 million and, in September, agreed to sell its consumer MEMS microphone business to Syntiant for $150 million. The transactions support Knowles’ transformation into an industrial technology company consisting of its Precision Devices and MedTech & Specialty Audio segments, primarily serving the aerospace, defense, medtech, industrial, and electrification markets.
Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles posted revenues of $707 million in 2023 and has about 7,100 employees at facilities located in 15 countries including subsidiary Cornell Dubilier. Separate from the operations to be divested, revenues would be about $560 million. The divestiture “represents another significant milestone in Knowles’ transformation into a premier industrial technology company, building upon the success of our recent Cornell Dubilier acquisition,” said CEO Jeffrey Niew.
In a recent confirmation of its balanced armature technology, Knowles scored a second key design win with JLab’s new Epic Sport ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds. Designed to deliver an unparalleled listening experience with an ultra-secure fit, the bud features Knowles balanced armatures in a hybrid configuration for premium sound quality. Despite their small size, they deliver exceptional treble performance, with output up to 40 kHz. The armature works harmoniously with a 10mm dynamic driver in each earbud to create a rich, well-balanced sound across the full frequency curve.
JLab designed its signature sound tuning to incorporate the Knowles Preferred Listening Response Curve which is based on research showing that listeners of all ages and hearing abilities prefer an expanded treble response beyond 10 kHz, providing the most satisfying music experience. Now available as an equalizer setting in the JLab app for the Epic Sport ANC 3, this curve has garnered widespread praise from both consumers and product reviewers following its success in the JLab Epic Lab Edition.
“Working with Knowles again on a new Sport model, the Epic Sport ANC 3, has allowed us to create our best-sounding sport earbuds yet,” said Win Cramer, CEO of JLab. “The inclusion of Knowles’ balanced armatures delivers unmatched clarity and power, setting a new standard in audio performance for true wireless sport earbuds. This is the best sounding sport earbud ever made and we’re super proud of it.”
Originally developed for hearing aids and other critical listening applications, BA’s offer improved fidelity, realism and detail over traditional dynamic drivers. Incredibly small and lightweight, they provide greater output with less power. They use an electronic signal to vibrate a tiny reed that is balanced between two magnets inside a tiny enclosure. The motion of the reed is transferred to a very stiff aluminum diaphragm that is free of unwanted resonances in the audio band, allowing it to produce excellent clarity. Their size leaves more room for other components or a larger battery inside hearable devices and can allow multiple drivers to be combined to get the best sound and performance from in-ear monitors or wireless earphones. In a hybrid earphone, a balanced armature driver is combined with a dynamic speaker. The balanced armature driver focuses on the critical high-end portion of the audio spectrum, bringing a new level of clarity and realism.
Electromagnetic coil winding for miniature coils and assemblies is another core technology for Knowles, specializing in dimensions smaller than 1.0 mm with anywhere from 2 to 20,000 turns. Using ferrite cores and other foundations, applications include surgical navigation, neuromodulation and neurostimulation, EM sensing, electromagnets and solenoids.
Syntiant takes the consumer MEMs microphone business for AI turnkey packages
Syntiant is a leader in artificial intelligence technology, bringing deep-learning capability to devices with its Neural Decision Processors (NDPs) and hardware-agnostic machine learning models. Designed to run deep learning models, the processors can provide 100x the efficiency and 10/30x the throughput of existing low-power MCUs. From acoustic event detection for security applications to video processing in teleconferencing, they can equip almost any device with powerful advanced intelligence, enabling real-time data processing and decision making with near-zero latency.
The Knowles CMM division manufactures MEMS microphones used in voice and audio applications in smartphones, smart speakers and wearables, among other market segments, including autos and household appliances. For Syntiant, the acquisition will enable it to offer customers a complete turnkey solution for always-on audio and speech applications, combining MEMS microphones with the company’s existing AI capabilities in hardware and machine learning models.
“We believe almost every microphone of the future will be AI-enabled, as large language models continue to revolutionize industries by improving natural language understanding and automating complex tasks,” said Kurt Busch, CEO at Syntiant. “This acquisition will clearly strengthen our product portfolio, tapping into a multibillion-dollar MEMS market, at the same time enabling Syntiant to offer comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that integrate sensors [microphones], processors and high-performance machine learning models, uniquely positioning Syntiant as the premier provider for AI-driven interfaces.” To date, Syntiant has shipped more than 50 million of its NDPs and deep learning models worldwide.
For more info, see www.knowles.com, www.syntiant.com.
