  The trend in media consumption towards streaming and portability offers new
challenges and opportunities for signal processing in audio and acoustics. The
most significant embodiment of this trend is that most music consumption now
happens on-the-go which has recently led to an explosion in headphone sales and
small portable speakers. In particular, premium headphones offer a gateway for
a younger generation to experience high quality sound. Additionally, through
technologies incorporating head-related transfer functions headphones can also
offer unique new experiences in gaming, augmented reality, and surround sound
listening. Home audio has also seen a transition to smaller sound systems in
the form of sound bars. This speaker configuration offers many exciting
challenges for surround sound reproduction which has traditionally used five
speakers surrounding the listener. Furthermore, modern home entertainment
systems offer more than just content delivery; users now expect wireless and
connected smart devices with video conferencing, gaming, and other interactive
capabilities. With this comes challenges for voice interaction at a distance
and in demanding conditions, e.g., during content playback, and opportunities
for new smart interactive experiences based on awareness of environment and
user biometrics.
