Home Theater Geeks 518: MEMS Speaker Technology

Podcast: All TWiT.tv Shows (Audio)
Host: Scott Wilkinson
Guest: Moti Margalit, CEO & Co-Founder of Sonic Edge
Release Date: February 12, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Scott Wilkinson sits down with Moti Margalit, CEO and co-founder of Sonic Edge, to dive into a breakthrough in speaker technology: MEMS speaker transducers. They explore how Sonic Edge is leveraging microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to completely rethink speaker design, allowing for smaller, high-fidelity audio devices — particularly promising innovations for earbuds and hearing aids. The discussion spans the technical underpinnings, challenges overcome, real-world product prospects, and even health & safety considerations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stagnancy of Conventional Speaker Tech

• Traditional Design:

  • The moving membrane-based speaker dates back 150 years to Alexander Graham Bell.
  • “Basically the technology has stayed the same. You have a membrane moving, pushing air, generating sound pressure...” – Moti Margalit, 03:05
  • Shrinking this technology for applications like hearing aids introduces major physical limitations.

• Motivation:

  • Existing tiny speakers in devices like hearing aids and earbuds struggle with sound quality, especially in noisy environments.
  • “My partner Ari... uses hearing aids. And the common complaint... is that it's better than nothing. But they don't really hear well.” – Moti Margalit, 03:32

2. Introduction to MEMS Technology

• What is MEMS?

  • MEMS: Microelectromechanical Systems — mechanical structures built on silicon, similar to semiconductor fabrication.
  • Application examples: accelerometers, microphones (ubiquitous in smartphones).

• Limitations of Early MEMS Speakers:

  • “People were trying to make a MEMS speaker… But it turns out that making a MEMS speaker was a very big challenge.”
    – Moti Margalit, 06:40
  • Early MEMS speakers could only reproduce high frequencies (tweeters), not the full audio spectrum.

3. Sonic Edge’s Innovation: Modulated Ultrasound

• Breakthrough Concept:

  • Instead of pushing air like traditional speakers, Sonic Edge’s MEMS speaker generates ultrasound (at 400 kHz) and then demodulates it down to audio frequencies.
  • “A speaker that is generating ultrasound and then transforming that ultrasound into sound by demodulation… that was really the basis of our invention.” – Moti Margalit, 12:03

• Demodulation Explained:

  • The device uses two key components: a tiny membrane creates ultrasound, and an “acoustic gate” modulates that ultrasound.
  • By modulating the opening/closing of the acoustic channel, they selectively emit pressure variations matching the desired audio waveform.

• Analogy:

  • “In electronics we call that modulation or demodulation. The same way that AM radio is operating at high frequency RF waves…” – Moti Margalit, 12:03

• MEMS Device Structure:

  • Each chip has ~1000 tiny membranes.
  • The chip is purely mechanical — no transistors (14:11–15:18).

4. Technical Deep Dive

• Replacing Size with Speed:

  • Classic speakers move large membranes slowly; MEMS uses tiny membranes moving extremely fast.
  • “We're working at 400,000 times a second... we're replacing the membrane, the size of the membrane, with the speed of the air pump.” – Moti Margalit, 21:46
  • Analogy to class D amplifiers: pulses filtered by the ear into audio.

• Complex Waveforms:

  • Modulation allows for complex audio to be reproduced, not just simple sine tones.
  • “It's not such a complex signal that needs to be generated.” – Moti Margalit, 24:45

• Acoustic & Electrical Modeling:

  • Lumped element models (common in speaker design) liken air flow to electrical current.
  • Finite element models enable more accurate, frequency-dependent analysis (35:40–38:03).
  • At low frequencies, both models are similar; at high frequencies, finite element analysis reveals important resonances and artifacts.

5. Practical Device Considerations

• Acoustic Coupler:

  • Used for simulating human ear acoustics in design and development of earbuds.
  • “The coupler... has the same acoustic response as the ear. So that when we develop our speaker... we basically use a coupler to mimic the ear and optimize the performance for the earphones.” – Moti Margalit, 34:10

• Optimization for Earbuds:

  • Focus is on replacing conventional micro-speakers to achieve better fidelity, comfort, and miniaturization.

6. Safety: Ultrasound and Human Health

• Potential Concerns:

  • High-intensity ultrasound (especially ≤100 kHz) can cause dizziness or temporary hearing effects.
  • Sonic Edge’s speakers operate at 400 kHz, well above regulatory concern.
  • “All the literature that exists today says there is no problem with hearing of ultrasound [above 100 kHz].” – Moti Margalit, 44:14

• Mitigation:

  • Standard acoustic meshes used for moisture/dust protection also attenuate ultrasound by >30 dB.
  • “If there is concern about ultrasound, you can apply one or more layers of this acoustic mesh and get rid of the ultrasound to whatever level you desire.” – Moti Margalit, 48:45

7. Commercialization & Announcements

• Manufacturing:

  • Sonic Edge is a “fabless” company: they design, test, and ship, but partner with large silicon fabs to produce MEMS chips at scale.
  • Targeting hundreds of millions of units per year by 2026 (53:17).

• Recent CES Announcement Clarified:

  • Not a traditional chip partner announcement, but a close cooperation with a leading earphone “brains” (SoC) maker.
  • Allows Sonic Edge to integrate audio code, reducing system power consumption and latency—improving noise cancellation and overall user experience.

• Market Advantages:

  • “Our speaker can work through very narrow acoustic channels and... it’s much more comfortable fit into the ear. Sound is much better. We have better low frequencies, we have better high frequencies…[and] we don't have any vibrations.” – Moti Margalit, 57:30

• Product Availability:

  • “I would expect by 2H27, we'll see earphones in the market with our speakers.” – Moti Margalit, 59:01

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the necessity for innovation:
  “Even 150 years. Let’s start with... give us a brief overview of sort of conventional speaker technology...”
  – Scott Wilkinson, 02:54

• On the new paradigm:
  “By remodulation, we generate the sound.” – Moti Margalit, 13:48

• On replacing size with speed:
  “So in principle, we have 400 times the advantage because we're working at 400 times higher frequency than the standard speaker.” — Moti Margalit, 21:57

• On design practicality:
  “People complain that earphones are too large, they don't fit well into the ear canal. That completely goes away with our speaker.” – Moti Margalit, 57:30

• On addressing health concerns:
  “These ultrasounds are totally benign. Very low power, very high frequency, no issue whatsoever. But if there is any cause for concern, you apply a mesh... and get rid of the ultrasound completely.” – Moti Margalit, 48:45

• On when consumers will see products:
  “By 2H27, we’ll see earphones in the market with our speakers.” – Moti Margalit, 59:01

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 03:05 — Conventional speaker principles and limitations
• 06:04 — Introduction to MEMS and their use in consumer electronics
• 06:40–11:46 — Challenges of making full-range MEMS speakers
• 13:41–14:14 — Ultrasound generation and acoustic modulation
• 17:21 — How the modulation process produces audible sound
• 21:46–24:07 — Air-pump analogy, class D amplifier comparison
• 26:38–30:53 — Acoustic and electrical modeling of the system
• 34:10 — Role of the acoustic coupler
• 35:40–38:37 — Lumped vs. finite element models in design
• 43:47–52:25 — Safety, regulations, and acoustic mesh attenuation
• 53:16 — Clarification on manufacturing and business model
• 54:27 — CES partnership announcement explained
• 57:30 — Key user benefits of MEMS speakers
• 59:01 — Timeline for consumer product launch

Conclusion

Sonic Edge is poised to disrupt the audio world with MEMS-based speaker technology that trades size for speed, enabling tiny, efficient, and ultra-high fidelity speakers for applications like earbuds and hearing aids. The episode offers a deep technical dive along with real-world product insights and market implications — all pointing to a future where personal audio could sound dramatically better and fit much more comfortably.

For more information, listeners are encouraged to check out Sonic Edge’s website.