Impossible Active Audio Noise Cancelling by Muzo

Introduction

Hi, last year I saw a video of this product called Muzo on Facebook or something. The product supposedly canceled noise and could also create a secrecy bubble around you for private conversations. I thought it was impossible and probably just one of those concept videos. Then I realized they had raised over $ 530,000 on Kickstarter and over $ 1.8 million on IndieGoGo, totaling $ 2.4 million. They have been shipping this product to customers since September.

I initially dismissed it as BS, but apparently, $ 2.4 million says otherwise. Before you call me an idiot for not believing in groundbreaking technology, let me tell you that I actually have a Muzo here. Yes, I saw another YouTuber called Michael Schwarz bought and reviewed it on his channel. You can check out his videos for his experience with Muzo, but I asked him if he could lend it to me to try, and he kindly did. Thank you, Michael.

I might have misunderstood their product, so before turning it on, let's check the highlights of the Muzo video.

What is Muzo?

The video starts by questioning, "What does silence mean?" It implies that Muzo removes noise entering a room, making it silent, similar to active noise-cancelling headphones. However, if you think your wife's voice is noise, you should probably get a divorce, not a noise-cancelling device.

The Claims

Muzo is claimed to be a revolutionary anti-vibration acoustic device, the first to apply anti-vibration technology to smooth surfaces. The dedicated neo-magnetic system is the soul of Muzo. Powered by "Billion Sound Technology," Muzo can generate dynamic, realistic sounds while canceling vibrations.

The video doesn't explicitly say it cancels noise, but rather vibrations, which could mean the same thing essentially. Muzo sticks to a hard surface like glass or a table and, with the help of its actuator, vibrates the surface, turning it into a speaker. Thus, it should be capable of canceling noise and vibration.

Real-World Testing

I decided to test this out. Let’s use a simple noise-canceling demonstration. A speaker is connected to my amplifier circuit and plays a 500 Hz tone. By adding a second speaker and flipping the line to provide an inverse signal, the noise should cancel itself. In practice, the reduction was minimal and context-specific.

Muzo Performance

After receiving the Muzo device, I noticed that it works by making surfaces vibrate to enhance bass frequencies. You can also connect it to your phone via Bluetooth and use it as a speaker. However, in terms of noise cancellation, it does not perform as advertised.

I tested the Muzo by turning on my radio loudly, but enabling Muzo resulted in no noticeable difference in noise levels. It seemed to be adding noise on top of the existing noise rather than canceling it.

The Concept in Theory

Noise cancellation involves anti-phase waves canceling out the original noise waves. However, cancellation only occurs where the peaks perfectly meet. This process is complicated by reflective surfaces and moving around the space. Realistic noise cancellation in large spaces is improbable with current technology, which is why headphones are more effective.

Final Review

Muzo's promise of creating a personal zone of silence seems impractical. Testing showed no significant noise cancellation. It's essentially adding noise to drown out other noise. Hence, the claim of active cancellation and surface vibration cancellation does not hold up.

In conclusion, here's how Muzo works in all modes: it simply drowns unwanted noise in wanted noise like any other speaker. It does not effectively challenge noise and cannot cancel surface vibration as claimed. If Muzo disputes my results or believes this unit is faulty, I am more than happy to get a functional unit to retry and eat my words if it works.

Given the above, if you plan to support such projects, make sure they work theoretically first.

Keywords

• Muzo
• Noise canceling
• Anti-vibration acoustic device
• Kickstarter
• IndieGoGo
• Acoustic technology
• Privacy bubble
• Active noise canceling
• Real-world testing

FAQ

1. What is Muzo? Muzo is claimed to be an anti-vibration acoustic device designed to cancel noise and create a privacy bubble using anti-vibration technology.

2. How does Muzo work? Muzo sticks to a hard surface like glass or a table and vibrates the surface, turning it into a speaker. It is supposed to cancel noise and vibration, but it mostly adds noise to mask other noises.

3. Does Muzo effectively cancel noise? No, testing shows that Muzo does not significantly reduce noise levels as advertised. It seems to mask noise rather than cancel it.

4. Can Muzo create a personal zone of silence? Based on real-world testing, Muzo does not create a personal zone of silence. Its noise cancellation claims are impractical and unproven.

5. What should you consider before supporting similar projects? Ensure the product works theoretically and practically. Conduct or review independent tests before investing in such technology.