Reflections Prompted by Rokid’s New Product: What Issues Must Be Addressed First in The Audio Upgrade of AI Glasses?

For smart glasses, upgrading the audio involves more than simply swapping out a speaker. Due to the limited space within the temples—where the audio driver, battery, chip, and microphone must all be housed in a compact configuration—the speaker cannot simply be enlarged as one might with headphones.

Smart glasses typically employ an open-ear audio design. Since the ears are not sealed by ear tips, sound tends to leak outward, and it is difficult to generate robust low-frequency output. Consequently, users may perceive the audio as lacking body, and ambient sounds—such as voices, traffic noise, and wind—can compromise the clarity of spoken content during outdoor use.

To address these issues, the primary challenge to overcome is "sound output efficiency within a limited space." Without significantly increasing the volume or weight of the temple arms, the audio driver must maximize effective sound pressure while maintaining a relatively balanced output across low, mid, and high frequencies.

This does not necessarily require increasing the diaphragm area; instead, comprehensive optimizations can be made regarding diaphragm materials, magnetic circuit structures, voice coil designs, acoustic chamber layouts, sound output orientation, and amplifier efficiency. Only through the coordinated optimization of these factors is it possible to achieve superior audio performance within a similar physical footprint.

With enhanced low-frequency support, drum beats, bass lines, and ambient atmospheres in the music become more pronounced, helping to eliminate any sense of thinness in the overall listening experience. Whether for video, music, or gaming, the audio gains greater body and presence.

However, boosting low-frequency performance presents its own challenges. Open-back designs lack a sealed acoustic chamber; simply increasing drive power to strengthen the low end can lead to higher power consumption and increased distortion.

Therefore, the real challenge lies not merely in boosting low-frequency output, but in striking a balance between low-frequency performance, audio clarity, battery life, and heat generation.

Mid-to-high frequency performance is crucial for the clarity of vocals and speech. Navigation prompts, AI responses, real-time translation, podcasts, and phone calls all rely on effective mid-to-high frequency reproduction.

If the sound pressure and level of detail in this range are insufficient, users may struggle to hear the full content clearly in noisy environments.

Addressing this issue requires audio drivers capable of adequate mid-to-high frequency response, while also necessitating the control of harshness and sibilance.

When handled correctly, users can more easily distinguish details in the audio without frequently turning up the volume; however, excessive processing can result in a sound that is overly bright or harsh, leading to listener fatigue during extended use.

The goal goes beyond simply ensuring sufficient volume; it also involves enhancing sound quality. With open-style eyewear, sound tends to concentrate near the ears, creating a somewhat cramped soundstage.

The combination of speakers, acoustic architecture, and specially tuned audio effects offers the potential to improve the sense of spatiality, layering, and overall balance.

When listening to music or watching videos, users may perceive a more natural separation between vocals, instruments, and background sounds, avoiding the sensation of audio being overly concentrated in a single spot.

For applications such as AI voice interaction, navigation, and translation, effective audio processing can help preserve detail, making speech easier to understand in challenging environments.

However, audio effects cannot compensate for hardware limitations. If the physical capabilities of the audio drivers are insufficient, algorithms can only offer limited correction; excessive processing may even introduce unwanted coloration, low-frequency distortion, or an unnatural sense of spatiality.

Ultimately, the quality of the audio experience depends on the seamless integration of the speakers, acoustic chambers, amplifiers, and algorithms.

From this perspective, any upgrade to the audio drivers must address a long-standing challenge in smart glasses: how to achieve richer, more efficient sound output without significantly increasing the device's bulk.

If hardware and audio processing work in tandem, users could enjoy richer music, clearer voice calls, a more natural soundstage for video, and a more effortless outdoor listening experience.

The goal of upgrading audio in AI glasses is not to completely replace headphones, but rather—while maintaining a lightweight, comfortable fit—to bring the device closer to the ideal of an audio product suitable for everyday, long-term use.

Source:Rokid