New Technology Beams Sound to Your Head Others Can’t Hear

The lines between reality and science fiction are blurring a bit as a new piece of technology, dubbed SoundbBeamer 1.0, positions itself as a futuristic replacement for headphones by, yes, beaming audio straight to your head — no computer chip implant needed.

Developed by the Israeli company Noveto Systems, SoundBeamer 1.0 is a device that beams sound directly to a user's ears through the use of 3-D sensing technology. The audio pocket created around the ears allows the user to hear the sounds in their head.

The two big takeaways here is that others in the user's immediate surroundings will not be able to hear any of the audio currently being beamed and the user will also be able to clearly hear their own surroundings.

Now, you won't be subject to someone else's music, conversations on speakerphone or hear any sound bleeding out of someone's headphones if you are near them. You can also listen to music while working without fear of missing conversation that is happening around you — unless you're too absorbed by whatever it is you're listening to, of course.

“Most people just say, ‘Wow, I really don’t believe it," SoundBeamer Product Manager Ayana Wallwater told the Associated Press, who received a desktop prototype in advance of the product's launch on Friday (Nov. 13). "You don’t believe it because it sounds like a speaker, but no one else can hear it… it’s supporting you and you’re in the middle of everything. It’s happening around you."

Wallwater continued, "You don’t need to tell the device where you are. It’s not streaming to one exact place. It follows you wherever you go. So it’s personally for you — follows you, plays what you want inside your head."

Noveto System CEO Christophe Ramstein is still wrapping his head around the revolutionary piece of tech.

"I was trying to think how we compare sound beaming with any other inventions in history. And I think the only one that came to mind is… the first time I tried the iPod I was like, ‘Oh, my God. What’s that?’ I think sound beaming is something that is as disruptive as that," Ramstein enthused. "There’s something to be said about it doesn’t exist before. There’s the freedom of using it. And it’s really amazing."

A consumer-ready product is expected to be released by December of 2021. Learn more at the Noveto Systems website.