An earbud or hearing aid speaker fabricated on a silicon chip. Also called a "micro speaker," MEMS speakers use silicon diaphragms, which are much stiffer and deliver higher quality sound than plastic diaphragms. The distortion is said to be imperceptible, and low bass notes do not have a booming sound. In a MEMS speaker, there is no speaker coil or magnet. See
MEMS.
xMEMS Speaker
xMEMS are the first solid-state semiconductor MEMS speakers. A vent in the xMEMS switches between open and closed, enabling people to hear more music when closed and more nearby conversation when open. (Image courtesy of xMEMS.)