Comparative analysis of active modulated ultrasound speaker architectures

Abstract Active modulated ultrasound technology seeks to replace conventional drivers in earphones and other acoustic systems, offering new methods to overcome the physical limitations of traditional transducers without compromising audio quality. Among the various implementations, the vertical and horizontal membrane configurations are the two primary architectures for integrating modulated ultrasound into speakers. Building on recent analytical advancements in modelling active ultrasound modulation for audio applications, we analyze the structural differences, operating principles, and performance characteristics of these two designs. Our results show that while both configurations rely on the same fundamental modulation mechanism, the horizontal membrane architecture offers a simpler implementation but is less efficient in terms of power consumption and acoustic output compared to the vertical configuration. The comparative analysis presented in this paper lays the groundwork for optimizing the design of next-generation modulated ultrasound speakers.