University of Bath spin-out business Earsoft, which is developing an innovative loudness control for audio devices, has been highly commended in the Lloyds TSB’s Enterprise Awards.
The firm, based at Bath’s Innovation Centre, was one of 10 businesses challenging in the regional heat of the awards staged in Bristol last week.
Earsoft created its Level produce to ensure that listeners can hear everything – from whispered dialogue to loud explosions – by setting a volumn range on their device.
It can help a range of consumers, from the hearing impaired, to those wearing headphones on public transport, and from home-based users with small speakers to enthusiasts watching a film on an expensive home cinema system.
Unlike a normal volume control, Level – which uses slider controls – allows the listener to set the loudness to exactly where they want it within their range, no matter what they are listening to – from films, music and radio to podcasts, amateur video, games and TV.
All audio is then kept within this range – for instance, in a movie preventing whispers from being too quiet but also explosions from being too loud.
The Lloyds TSB’s Enterprise Awards aim to find Britain’s best student and graduate entrepreneurs in two categories – Best Start-Up, awarded to a business in its early stages, and Best Enterprise, awarded to the business judged to show real potential to grow over the next five years.
Oxford-based Yasa, which has developed a motor suitable for electric and hybrid vehicles and the industrial market, won the best South West enterprise award, receiving £5,000 plus two years’ mentoring from senior Lloyds Banking Group representatives.
Best South West start-up was Festival Loo, an innovative Bristol firm supplying clean, non-smelling compost loos for music and arts festivals. It won £1,000 plus two years’ mentoring from senior Lloyds Banking Group representatives.
