Microphones and bone-conduction pickups in smart glasses

Why several microphones and a voice pickup?

Glasses must isolate the wearer’s voice outdoors and in noise, with no microphone near the mouth. Several MEMS microphones spread around the frame let software steer a beam toward the mouth and reject wind and nearby talkers. Infineon says smart glasses typically use up to six, EDN counts five in Ray-Ban Meta, and Qualcomm’s AR1 supports up to eight. A bone-conduction or vibration pickup rests against the head and senses the wearer’s own speech through bone and tissue, so wind barely affects it. TechInsights found a Syntiant bone-conduction microphone in the left arm of Meta Ray-Ban Display.

Is Knowles still a smart-glasses microphone stock?

Not for this part. Syntiant, which is private, completed its purchase of Knowles’ consumer MEMS microphone business on Dec 30, 2024, so lists that still connect Knowles to glasses microphones are out of date. The most specific teardown evidence in this part, the bone-conduction pickup in Meta Ray-Ban Display, points to Syntiant.

Which listed companies make glasses microphones?

TDK’s T5838 microphones are documented in Brilliant Labs Halo, and TDK markets microphones for voice-activated AI in glasses. MEMSensing says it is the exclusive microphone supplier for Rokid Glasses; Rokid has not confirmed. AAC Technologies and Goertek report audio-pickup and MEMS microphone work for AI glasses with unnamed clients. Infineon markets MEMS microphones and vibration sensors for voice pickup on its smart-glasses page, and STMicroelectronics lists its MP23ABS1 microphone on its Smart Glasses (AR) page. Most of this is positioning or a niche design win, not a named mass-market program.

How to research a glasses microphone company

1. Separate the microphone array, the bone-conduction pickup and the audio processing; different companies make each.
2. Look for a teardown or the device maker’s documentation that names the part. A company’s own customer claim is weaker until the customer confirms it.
3. Check corporate history: a microphone line can change owners, as Knowles’ consumer business did in December 2024.
4. Check scale: a niche or sold-out product shows the part works, not that it ships in volume.
5. Use the list as a starting point: it is curated, not exhaustive, and the model is illustrative, not a bill of materials.

Sources

• Infineon: AR and smart glasses

  Smart glasses typically use up to six MEMS microphones for capture and beamforming; Infineon markets microphones and vibration-based voice pickup.

• EDN: Ray-Ban Meta pseudo-teardown, June 23, 2025

  A five-microphone array across the temples and the bridge of Ray-Ban Meta.

• Qualcomm: Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 product brief

  Support for up to eight microphones, noise and echo cancellation and always-on audio.

• TechInsights: Meta Ray-Ban Display teardown, June 10, 2026

  A Syntiant bone-conduction microphone in the left arm of Meta Ray-Ban Display.

• Syntiant release, Dec 30, 2024

  Syntiant completed its acquisition of Knowles’ consumer MEMS microphone business for $150 million in cash and stock.

• Brilliant Labs: Halo hardware

  Dual TDK T5838 MEMS microphones with PDM output in Brilliant Labs Halo.

• TDK: SmartMotion for smart glasses, Sept 16, 2025

  TDK markets MEMS microphones for voice-activated AI in smart glasses, with no customer named.

• MEMSensing: AR glasses solution

  MEMSensing says it is the exclusive microphone supplier for Rokid Glasses and has two microphones in Meizu StarV View.

• AAC Technologies CES 2025 release

  Audio-pickup, speaker and camera solutions in mass-produced AR and AI glasses for unnamed global clients.

• Goertek 2025 annual report

  Goertek reports micro speakers, MEMS microphones and AI smart glasses among its businesses; Goertek Optical is an associate.

• ST: Smart Glasses (AR) applications

  ST lists the MP23ABS1 MEMS microphone among its Smart Glasses (AR) products.