Leader in
active noise
control

It all started in 1987 with a doctoral thesis prepared and defended at the Laboratory of Mechanics and Acoustics (Aix-Marseille University/Centrale Marseille/CNRS), the oldest CNRS laboratory in Provence, by Christian Carme under the direction of Bernard Nayroles, on active sound absorption in cavities. On the strength of this experience and these results, Christian Carme created TechnoFirst in 1990, a company that has since become the world leader in noise and vibration reduction technologies by active control. The principle of active control consists in generating a “counter-noise” which cancels the primary noise. This is how the first noise reduction system was born: the active noise canceling headphones. There are two types of noise canceling headphones: passive (without electronics) and active (with electronics). In a very noisy environment, passive headphones can attenuate high frequencies (treble) by 50 to 60 deciBels but only about fifteen deciBels at low frequencies (bass). In active mode, the low frequency attenuation can be tripled. Today this technology is found all over the world, from construction helmets to musical headphones for individuals.