Jamco Corporation and NTT Sonority have collaborated to create a ‘Personalized Sound Zone’(PSZ) experience for commercial aircraft.

Jamco is an aircraft interior products supplier and turnkey integrator. NTT Sonority is an affiliated organisation of NTT Group, Japan’s largest telecommunications company.

Currently in the R&D phase, the patented PSZ technology enables the embedded speakers located in each individual headrest to create a sound zone that surrounds each passenger’s head area allowing only the individual passenger to hear audio without the use of headphones.

The passenger will be able to control the volume and sound setting from the speakers, the companies said, with the sound contained “to the ultimate level” so that it will not disturb neighbouring passengers.

“This is all possible without the use of headphones,” the partners stated. “At the same time, unlike standard wearable devices, the passenger still can hear in-flight announcements. Flight attendants can communicate with each passenger without them removing their headphones.

“The PSZ will remove all drawbacks of headphones such as wires, cleaning and maintenance for reuse, or disposing of them, eventually aligning with airline industry sustainability goals.”

Jamco and NTT Sonority are aiming to launch the new in-flight audio experience in 2023.