Sonical and XMOS launch Remora, a production-ready headphone 3.0 platform for manufacturers

Sonical and XMOS have announced that Remora, a production-ready Headphone 3.0 platform powered by XMOS’ audio silicon, is now commercially available to manufacturers.

Following their joint CES 2023 announcement outlining plans to collaborate and demonstrate a working prototype, the companies have successfully delivered their first market-ready product, bringing advanced spatial audio, ultra-low latency processing and app-driven headphone experiences into a scalable production platform.

Remora with XMOS combines Sonical’s CosmOS operating system for the ear with XMOS’ XCORE multicore audio architecture, enabling brands to build next-generation wireless headphones and hearables that are software-defined and upgradeable on demand. The platform delivers AI-enabled algorithms capable of unlocking immersive, personalised audio experiences.

At CES 2023, Sonical and XMOS revealed their intention to jointly develop a new reference design for Headphone 3.0, demonstrating how open software and high-performance embedded processing could reshape the future of premium headphones.

The Remora platform provides product makers with a complete production-ready hardware and software reference design, enabling rapid development of differentiated headphone products.

Integrated with Sonical’s CosmOS operating system, the platform also introduces an app-based framework that allows features and enhancements to be added post-purchase. This gives brands a scalable route to software-defined, upgradeable products and a significantly faster path to market, while tapping into a growing eco-system of software plugins from leading technology companies.

Remora allows headphone brands to move beyond fixed-function devices toward programmable, app-enabled products where features, audio profiles and enhancements can be added over time.

“CES 2023 was about showing what was possible,” said Gary Spittle, CEO of Sonical. “Today we’re delivering it. Remora with XMOS is the first true Headphone 3.0 platform ready for commercial deployment, allowing manufacturers to launch upgradeable, app-driven headphones without having to build the entire ecosystem themselves.”

Tim Robjohns, Director of Product Marketing at XMOS, added: “XMOS silicon is designed for precisely this type of demanding audio application: high-performance, deterministic processing with flexibility at its core. Working with Sonical has allowed us to bring that capability into a platform that headphone manufacturers can immediately adopt and build upon.”

By combining CosmOS with XMOS’ audio processing architecture, Remora delivers the performance required not just for headphones and headsets, but also smart audio interfaces and other studio equipment.

The launch represents a key step in accelerating the adoption of Headphone 3.0 across consumer, pro, gaming and creator-focused audio products.

Visitors can hear Remora in action at NAMM on booth 14120.