New York, NY — The Audio Engineering Society has announced full Technical Program details for the upcoming 2025 AES International Conference on Headphone Technology, taking place August 27 – 29 at the iconic and experimental Dipoli student union building in the heart of Aalto University’s campus in Espoo, Finland. The complete interactive session schedule is now live online, with three packed days of keynotes, Tutorials, Paper sessions, Workshops, Posters and demos covering an extensive array of personal monitoring technologies, in addition to special events, Technical Tours of local production facilities, and social events. Registration is also available via the event website, with significant discounts for AES Members and students.
With an estimate exceeding 300 million pairs of headphones to be sold this year, the rise of smart and wearable devices is accelerating innovation, with tiny low‑power processors and sensors enabling headphone features once reserved for hearing aids and critical listening applications. As these worlds continue to converge, the AES brings together leading researchers and practitioners in head‑worn audio technology to chart the future of headphones. Two such significant figures in the field include Dr. Sean Olive (Harman International), renowned for his work in sound perception, who will deliver the opening keynote, sharing insights on objective headphone measurement and the listener experience of headphone sound quality; and MP3 and immersive audio pioneer Karlheinz Brandenburg (Brandenburg Labs), who will explore the future of headphone technology, from AI support to deeper immersion.
The Technical Program also features Papers and Workshops delving into dozens of specialized topics including headphone target curve selection; automated measurement systems like HeRMeS; ambient sound control innovations for noise cancellation and transparency; and explorations in spatial audio, HRTF personalization, and balance between isolation and situational awareness. Additionally, the Conference’s Workshops will include sessions on fundamentals of headphone acoustics, ergonomics, auditory modeling and audiology-informed design, while a variety of Tutorials cover topics involving integration of hearing health technologies directly into headphone engineering design, binaural audio, AI support for immersive listening, and monitoring standards for personal listening devices. The Conference will also feature a Poster expo and demonstration exhibits each day, an informal AKU barbeque pre-conference event at the Aalto University Acoustic Lab, and a Technical Tour and social event hosted by Genelec at the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
“Whether you’re a researcher, engineer, designer, audiologist or industry pro, this conference is a vital touchpoint for the rapidly evolving world of headphone and personal audio technology,” states Juha Backman, Conference chair. “With compelling content, global experts, and a collaborative international forum within a top‑tier academic setting, this is the premier conference on head-worn hearing technology and wearable audio devices.”
Find out more and register now for the 2025 AES International Conference on Headphone Technology at https://aes2.org/event-extra/2025-aes-international-conference-on-headphone-technology/