Sony Corporation Global Headquarters
Several industry leading eco-conscious Sony products are showcased here, including examples of product-based initiatives from the four Road to Zero environmental Perspectives.
In XBA-NC85D headphones, Sony has eliminated the cord-mounted control box normally needed to house the battery and noise canceling circuit,
and developed all-in-one noise-canceling earbuds, which saves resources and represents the world's first design of this kind.
*Among in-the-ear type noise-canceling consumer headphones as of September 2011, based on Sony research.
Moving the parts normally housed in a control box to the earbuds themselves required Sony engineers to make XBA-NC85D parts smaller and more energy-efficient. Inside is a new compact balanced armature driver, along with a new energy-saving integrated DNC processor for noise cancellation and a tiny (3x4x7 mm) microphone applying MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology. Each component was updated and moved into the earbud housing, enabling the world's first noise-canceling in-ear headphones without a control box.
Energy consumption by the new integrated digital noise-canceling processor in XBA-NC85D headphones is slashed to a mere 3 mW, less than 1/30th the level of the processor in the previous model,*1 which consumes 105 mW. This outstanding efficiency translates into longer battery life—about 20 hours on a full charge. The headphones also come with a dedicated USB charger for charging over a USB connection to a computer. There is no need to keep replacing batteries, as required in the previous model.*1
*1 MDR-NC300D
Eliminating the need for a control box was not the only goal in development. High performance was also a priority. Digital noise-cancellation reduces ambient noise by about 97.5%, providing a quieter listening environment than with previous analog noise-reduction. A digital equalizer is also included, for immersive listening from substantial bass to clear highs.
XBA-NC85D headphones are the world's first control box-free design in-the-ear type digital noise-canceling models. Their new, energy-efficient DNC processor offers 20 hours of listening on a charge—more time to enjoy significantly improved noise cancellation and clear sound.
