smart soundbar

Bristol/Berlin 1 October 2018

XMOS, leading supplier of voice and audio solutions, are proud to be part of the team that helped to create Magenta – Deutsche Telekom’s smart speaker, which delivers superior 360 degree far field voice control and sophisticated audio in a small, attractive and portable design.

Using XMOS’s high-performance silicon and voice algorithms, experts at the Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology branch at Fraunhofer’s Institute for Digital Media Technology (IDMT) in Oldenburg, Germany, were able to refine and combine microphone and loudspeaker technologies to create a robust voice control system that allows the user to listen to music at the same time as using voice command controls.

Launched at this year’s IFA in Berlin, the Magenta Smart Speaker unites all the algorithms necessary for maximum quality and accurate audio reproduction. Combined with intelligent algorithms for speech capture – integrated on XMOS voice processor – the teams collaborated to optimise the interaction between speakers and microphones for voice control in real world, noisy environments.

Key features

• Using the Magenta intelligent personal assistant, voice control can be used to operate connected devices in the home such as TV and Deutsche Telekom’s smart home applications without the need for a remote control.
• The personal assistant can also be used to make telephone calls with excellent audio quality.
• Users of Amazon’s cloud-based Alexa Voice Service can also access a large number of apps with Deutsche Telekom’s smart speaker.
• The new voice-controlled assistant conforms to the highest data security requirements. Data processing takes place exclusively within the European Union and complies with Deutsche Telekom’s high data protection standards.

“We’re proud to be part of the Magenta project. Our combined expertise has produced a class-leading user experience, demonstrating highly sophisticated audio and speech recognition” said Mark Lippett, CEO of XMOS. “Voice control in smart speakers is here to stay. We look forward to further collaborations with Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg.”

About XMOS

XMOS is a leading supplier of voice and audio solutions to the consumer electronics market. Unique silicon architecture and highly differentiated software positions XMOS at the interface between voice processing, biometrics and artificial intelligence. For more information, please visit www.xmos.com, or email press@xmos.com.

About the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT in Oldenburg

The objective of the Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg is to transpose scientific findings related to hearing perception into technological applications. Its applied research priorities are the enhancement of sound and speech intelligibility, personalized audio reproduction and acoustic speech and event detection. Application fields include consumer electronics, transport, the automotive sector, production, safety, telecommunications and healthcare. For more information, please visit www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/hsa.

Media Contact

Emma Davies
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – PR agency for XMOS
emmad@rlyl.com
+44 (0)20 7403 8878

Tymphany, a global premier audio ODM, and XMOS, a leading supplier of advanced embedded voice solutions, announced the latest project in building a new Alexa Built-In soundbar that will be demonstrated at Amazon’s exhibit at IFA in Berlin, 31 August to 5 September 2018.

The Amazon Alexa Built-In soundbar features XMOS Vocal Fusion™ far-field voice processor as well as Tymphany’s acoustic expertise to create an immersive audio experience. The low frequency bass extension powered by Tymphany’s patented, slim profile GBS subwoofers allows for smooth frequency response down to 50 Hz. Using Tymphany’s A113D SOM and XMOS’ XVF3500 stereo-AEC voice processor, the soundbar connects with the Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) via WiFi and has an excellent far-field voice capture and barge-in performance from across the room – even when the Tymphany soundbar is playing content at high volume and the commands are spoken softly. The soundbar will include Amazon’s signature LED light ring response and buttons, as well as provide access to Amazon Prime Music and TuneIn support.

“We’re proud to have helped bring this project to life”, added Mark Lippett, CEO of XMOS: “This new soundbar showcases the innovation, dedication and collaboration of the international partners involved.”

With Tymphany’s extensive resources and global engineering team, they have deep expertise and excellent partnerships across the entire signal chain, enabling them to deliver products that offer unique combinations of user experiences and features not achieved by other audio ODMs.

“Tymphany and XMOS have created a soundbar that enhances the listening experience by providing simple, hands-free interaction with Alexa,” said Priya Abani, Director of the Alexa Voice Service. “We’re excited to have a new solution that brings rich voice capabilities to our customers.”

“We are extremely excited to introduce the Tymphany Alexa Built-In soundbar this year at IFA 2018. We are proud of our team’s efforts to realize this complex, groundbreaking and great performing soundbar reference design. We would not have been able to achieve this milestone without the awesome support of the Amazon Alexa Voice Service and XMOS development teams”, says Chris von Hellermann, Senior Director of Technology Management at Tymphany.

You can see and hear this demo and more at the Amazon booth in Hall 26, booth 201 at IFA this August 31st to September 5th in Berlin.

About Tymphany

Tymphany designs and manufactures some of the most innovative consumer and professional audio systems on the market. The company also sells a full line of speaker drivers under the Peerless by Tymphany brand. The company’s roots go back to 1926 when Peerless was founded in Denmark. In the proceeding 90+ years, Tymphany has grown to be a global premier audio ODM with over 6,000 employees around the world. For more information visit www.tymphany.com.

About XMOS

XMOS is a leading supplier of voice and audio solutions to the consumer electronics market. Unique silicon architecture and highly differentiated software positions XMOS at the interface between voice processing, biometrics and artificial intelligence. For more information, please visit www.xmos.com, or email press@xmos.com.