Panasonic claims world's thinnest speaker

Panasonic has unveiled what it claims to be the world's thinnest speaker, cutting its previous best effort (an enormous 2.5 millimeters thick) by a full 40%, with this room-shaker sliding in at a far more manageable 1.5 millimeters (or 0.059 inches) . Rest assured, despite being sliced nearly in half, according to Panasonic, the speaker will boast the same great sound quality you've come to expect from a speaker the size of a postage stamp. You'll have to wait a little while to sample the quality yourself though, with full production slated to start in May 2007, and availability dependent on the cellphone makers that decide to pick it up.

[Via Plastic Bamboo]

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 5th 2006 5:35PM]

"Same quallity...Stamp"
So crappy?

[JuliusCaesar108 Posted Dec 5th 2006 5:58PM]

"Yay! With a small fortune, I purchased tiny, cool speakers!" :D

Later...

"Oh, crap, I lost my speakers!"

[Ken J Posted Dec 5th 2006 6:19PM]

Electrostatic speakers are thinner and produce some of the best sound possible. I don't know what they think they accomplished here.

[Tommy Five Posted Dec 5th 2006 8:03PM]

Electrostatic speakers are highly susceptible to humidity changes, and also eat up a lot of power. In addition, a transformer is needed, and that usually takes up a lot of precious space. A thinner dynamic speaker in cell phones will help companies push the "thin" edge without other compromises, whereas a super-thin electrostatic speaker will draw a ton of power from the phone's battery and also require a transformer to be placed inside of the phone. Consider the context of this accomplishment.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 5th 2006 9:06PM]

Electrostats are actually thicker due to the space you need between the diaphragm and the charged grids, and besides that, you need a transformer for the charged grids which in itself is quite bulky. I would argue that ceramic/piezo speakers are thinner though it may not achieve the frequency response compared to these. I guess what they really wanted to say was "the worlds thinnest DYNAMIC speakers".

[raz4life Posted Dec 5th 2006 7:23PM]

I wonder if this will sound the same as playing a record without the speakers turned on.

[nx2000 Posted Dec 5th 2006 7:54PM]

A little innovation in laptop speakers would be nice.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 5th 2006 7:55PM]

I have one word for this absolutley life changing achievement. Just one word. Can you guess what it is? Oh come on. Just guess. Well? Nothing? Are you sure? Think really hard....























































Gay.

[Tommy Five Posted Dec 5th 2006 8:30PM]

Yes, you are so funny. Now give me my three scrolls back.

[CM Posted Dec 5th 2006 8:15PM]

Didn't we have this already? It's called earphone.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 6th 2006 7:13AM]

But these (hopefully) are louder (and thinner)