Patent Publication Number: US-2023143704-A1

Title: Cable assemblies for headphone devices

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/303,881, filed Jun. 9, 2021, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63/040,312, filed Jun. 17, 2020, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure is related to consumer goods and, more particularly, to methods, systems, products, features, services, and other elements directed to media playback or some aspect thereof. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Options for accessing and listening to digital audio were limited until in 2002, when SONOS, Inc. began development of a new type of playback system. Sonos then filed one of its first patent applications in 2003, entitled “Method for Synchronizing Audio Playback between Multiple Networked Devices,” and began offering its first media playback systems for sale in 2005. The Sonos Wireless Home Sound System enables people to experience music from many sources via one or more networked playback devices. Through a software control application installed on a controller (e.g., smartphone, tablet, computer, voice input device), one can play what she wants in any room having a networked playback device. Media content (e.g., songs, podcasts, video sound) can be streamed to playback devices such that each room with a playback device can play back corresponding different media content. In addition, rooms can be grouped together for synchronous playback of the same media content, and/or the same media content can be heard in all rooms synchronously. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technology may be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, as listed below. A person skilled in the relevant art will understand that the features shown in the drawings are for purposes of illustrations, and variations, including different and/or additional features and arrangements thereof, are possible. 
         FIG.  1 A  is a partial cutaway view of an environment having a media playback system configured in accordance with aspects of the disclosed technology. 
         FIG.  1 B  is a schematic diagram of the media playback system of  FIG.  1 A  and one or more networks. 
         FIG.  1 C  is a block diagram of a playback device. 
         FIG.  1 D  is a block diagram of a playback device. 
         FIG.  1 E  is a block diagram of a network microphone device. 
         FIG.  1 F  is a block diagram of a network microphone device. 
         FIG.  1 G  is a block diagram of a playback device. 
         FIG.  1 H  is a partially schematic diagram of a control device. 
         FIG.  2    is a schematic drawing of a headphone device in accordance with examples of the present technology. 
         FIG.  3 A  is a perspective view of a cable assembly of a headphone device in accordance with examples of the present technology. 
         FIG.  3 B  is an enlarged detail view of the termination assembly shown in  FIG.  3 A . 
         FIG.  4 A  is a schematic laid-flat view of a portion of a cable assembly of a headphone device in accordance with examples of the present technology. 
         FIG.  4 B  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the cable assembly taken along line  4 B- 4 B shown in  FIG.  4 A . 
     
    
    
     The drawings are for the purpose of illustrating example examples, but those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the arrangements and/or instrumentality shown in the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     I. Overview 
     Headphone devices often include first and second earpieces that are connected by a headband configured to extend over a user&#39;s head while wearing the headphones. Each earpiece may house a single audio transducer, and the headband may house a headbow cable or cable assembly extending within the headband and between the two earpieces. Conventional wireless headphone devices often dispose nearly all of the electronic components and the battery within a single earpiece. Thus, the headbow cable extending between the two earpieces is relatively simple because the cable need only send an audio signal to the remote earpiece to drive an audio transducer therein. 
     More complex wireless headphone devices may offer additional functionality. For example, such devices may support multiple wireless communications protocols (e.g., both BLUETOOTH and WIFI), along with the ability to receive voice input and perform active noise cancellation, among other functions. These additional features, however, may require distributing the various electronic components among both earpieces, rather than merely grouping them all together in a single earpiece as in conventional designs. For example, a robust WIFI communication system may employ multiple antennas that are spatially diverse including a first antenna disposed in one earpiece and a second antenna disposed in the other earpiece. Examples of such a robust WIFI communication system are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/844,682, titled “Spatial Antenna Diversity Techniques,” filed on Apr. 9, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Additionally, both earpieces can include one or more microphones for performing active noise cancellation and/or for detecting voice input. 
     As a result of the spatial distribution of certain electronic components, the headbow cable assembly may need to support a wider range of signals than in conventional designs. For example, a cable assembly may include one or more conductors configured to carry wireless signals received via a remote antenna in one earpiece to a wireless transceiver disposed within the other earpiece, while also including additional cables and/or conductors separate and apart from the components employed for the received wireless signals. For example, additional electronic components may be integrated into the earpiece that is remote from the power source and processing circuitry, such as one or more microphones for performing active noise cancellation and/or for detecting voice input. In this example, the cable assembly may comprise additional conductors to carry audio input from the microphones in the earpiece that is remote from the processing circuitry. 
     To support the increased the number of signals traversing the headband via a headbow cable assembly, a plurality of individual conductors need to be disposed within the cable assembly. To maintain acceptable dimensions and flexibility for housing within a headband, the conductors may be tightly grouped together into an outer jacket. However, this arrangement of individual conductors can lead to poor electrical performance of certain components. For example, electrical signals in one conductor may generate electromagnetic interference (e.g., via electromagnetic induction) in another conductor (e.g., distorting the electrical signals carried by the other conductor). Such interference is particularly problematic to the operation of analog sensors (e.g., analog microphones, analog strain gauge(s), analog light sensor(s) (such as light dependent resistor(s)), analog pressure sensor(s), analog temperature sensor(s), analog accelerometer(s), etc.), which can significantly reduce the efficacy of features (e.g., active noise cancellation) that may rely on such sensors. In some examples, electromagnetic interference can generate undesirable audible artifacts. 
     In some instances, analog sensor signals can be processed to remove or otherwise compensate for noise generated due to electromagnetic interference. However, such compensation is rendered more difficult when the interference is intermittent, as in the case of a power conductor carrying current from a power source in one earpiece to a wireless transceiver in the opposite earpiece. Because the wireless transceiver consumes significant current, and because its current draw may come in brief bursts or peaks of high current draw followed by periods of low current draw, electromagnetic interference caused by power conductors driving wireless communication can be particularly difficult to address with processing techniques alone. 
     Embodiments of the present technology address these and other challenges by providing a cable assembly in which certain conductors are shielded from one another to reduce or eliminate the risk of electrical interference between the conductors. For example, a shield in the form of one or more grounded conductors extending helically around an active conductor can reduce electromagnetic interference induced within that active conductor as well as reducing electromagnetic interference induced within adjacent conductors. In some examples, such a shield can take the form of a spiral shield extending helically around analog microphone conductor(s) along at least a portion of their lengths. Additionally or alternatively, a spiral shield can extend around power conductor(s) along at least a portion of their lengths. As a result of such an arrangement, the electromagnetic interference generated within the analog microphone conductor(s) (or other conductors) via the power conductor(s) is reduced. Additionally, the use of such spiral shielding can achieve a desirably compact arrangement, as opposed to alternative solutions to the problem of electromagnetic interference, such as arranging conductors in twisted pairs. 
     In addition to the problems associated with electromagnetic interference, the inclusion of an increased number of conductors within a headbow cable assembly presents challenges for manufacturability of the assembled headphone device. In particular, as each individual conductor must be coupled to its corresponding terminal within each earpiece, a large number of conductors (e.g., 16 conductors) present a challenging case for properly aligning and connecting individual conductors of the cable assembly to the respective terminals within each earpiece. Embodiments of the present technology address these and other problems by providing a termination assembly that maintains respective ends of the individual conductors of the cable assembly in appropriate positions for connecting to electrical contacts of the electronics disposed within each earpiece. 
     While many aspects of the present technology are described herein with respect to headphone devices, the cable and termination assemblies described herein can be beneficially incorporated into other playback and non-playback devices. For example, aspects of the present technology can be used with any device includes at least one antenna for wireless communication that is remote from the wireless transceiver and power source to which it is coupled. 
     While some examples described herein may refer to functions performed by given actors such as “users,” “listeners,” and/or other entities, it should be understood that this is for purposes of explanation only. The claims should not be interpreted to require action by any such example actor unless explicitly required by the language of the claims themselves. 
     In the Figures, identical reference numbers typically identify generally similar, and/or identical, elements. To facilitate the discussion of any particular element, the most significant digit or digits of a reference number refers to the Figure in which that element is first introduced. For example, element  110   a  is first introduced and discussed with reference to  FIG.  1 A . Many of the details, dimensions, angles and other features shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular examples of the disclosed technology. Accordingly, other examples can have other details, dimensions, angles and features without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that further examples of the various disclosed technologies can be practiced without several of the details described below. 
     II. Suitable Operating Environment 
       FIG.  1 A  is a partial cutaway view of a media playback system  100  distributed in an environment  101  (e.g., a house). The media playback system  100  comprises one or more playback devices  110  (identified individually as playback devices  110   a - n ), one or more network microphone devices (“NMDs”),  120  (identified individually as NMDs  120   a - c ), and one or more control devices  130  (identified individually as control devices  130   a  and  130   b ). 
     As used herein the term “playback device” can generally refer to a network device configured to receive, process, and output data of a media playback system. For example, a playback device can be a network device that receives and processes audio content. In some examples, a playback device includes one or more transducers or speakers powered by one or more amplifiers. In other examples, however, a playback device includes one of (or neither of) the speaker and the amplifier. For instance, a playback device can comprise one or more amplifiers configured to drive one or more speakers external to the playback device via a corresponding wire or cable. 
     Moreover, as used herein the term NMD (i.e., a “network microphone device”) can generally refer to a network device that is configured for audio detection. In some examples, an NMD is a stand-alone device configured primarily for audio detection. In other examples, an NMD is incorporated into a playback device (or vice versa). 
     The term “control device” can generally refer to a network device configured to perform functions relevant to facilitating user access, control, and/or configuration of the media playback system  100 . 
     Each of the playback devices  110  is configured to receive audio signals or data from one or more media sources (e.g., one or more remote servers, one or more local devices) and play back the received audio signals or data as sound. The one or more NMDs  120  are configured to receive spoken word commands, and the one or more control devices  130  are configured to receive user input. In response to the received spoken word commands and/or user input, the media playback system  100  can play back audio via one or more of the playback devices  110 . In certain examples, the playback devices  110  are configured to commence playback of media content in response to a trigger. For instance, one or more of the playback devices  110  can be configured to play back a morning playlist upon detection of an associated trigger condition (e.g., presence of a user in a kitchen, detection of a coffee machine operation). In some examples, for instance, the media playback system  100  is configured to play back audio from a first playback device (e.g., the playback device  110   a ) in synchrony with a second playback device (e.g., the playback device  110   b ). Interactions between the playback devices  110 , NMDs  120 , and/or control devices  130  of the media playback system  100  configured in accordance with the various examples of the disclosure are described in greater detail below with respect to  FIGS.  1 B- 1 H . 
     In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1 A , the environment  101  comprises a household having several rooms, spaces, and/or playback zones, including (clockwise from upper left) a master bathroom  101   a , a master bedroom  101   b , a second bedroom  101   c , a family room or den  101   d , an office  101   e , a living room  101   f , a dining room  101   g , a kitchen  101   h , and an outdoor patio  101   i . While certain examples and examples are described below in the context of a home environment, the technologies described herein may be implemented in other types of environments. In some examples, for instance, the media playback system  100  can be implemented in one or more commercial settings (e.g., a restaurant, mall, airport, hotel, a retail or other store), one or more vehicles (e.g., a sports utility vehicle, bus, car, a ship, a boat, an airplane), multiple environments (e.g., a combination of home and vehicle environments), and/or another suitable environment where multi-zone audio may be desirable. 
     The media playback system  100  can comprise one or more playback zones, some of which may correspond to the rooms in the environment  101 . The media playback system  100  can be established with one or more playback zones, after which additional zones may be added, or removed to form, for example, the configuration shown in  FIG.  1 A . Each zone may be given a name according to a different room or space such as the office  101   e , master bathroom  101   a , master bedroom  101   b , the second bedroom  101   c , kitchen  101   h , dining room  101   g , living room  101   f , and/or the balcony  101   i . In some aspects, a single playback zone may include multiple rooms or spaces. In certain aspects, a single room or space may include multiple playback zones. 
     In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1 A , the master bathroom  101   a , the second bedroom  101   c , the office  101   e , the living room  101   f , the dining room  101   g , the kitchen  101   h , and the outdoor patio  101   i  each include one playback device  110 , and the master bedroom  101   b  and the den  101   d  include a plurality of playback devices  110 . In the master bedroom  101   b , the playback devices  110   l  and  110   m  may be configured, for example, to play back audio content in synchrony as individual ones of playback devices  110 , as a bonded playback zone, as a consolidated playback device, and/or any combination thereof. Similarly, in the den  101   d , the playback devices  110   h - j  can be configured, for instance, to play back audio content in synchrony as individual ones of playback devices  110 , as one or more bonded playback devices, and/or as one or more consolidated playback devices. Additional details regarding bonded and consolidated playback devices are described below with respect to  FIGS.  1 B and  1 H . 
     In some aspects, one or more of the playback zones in the environment  101  may each be playing different audio content. For instance, a user may be grilling on the patio  101   i  and listening to hip hop music being played by the playback device  110   c  while another user is preparing food in the kitchen  101   h  and listening to classical music played by the playback device  110   b . In another example, a playback zone may play the same audio content in synchrony with another playback zone. For instance, the user may be in the office  101   e  listening to the playback device  110   f  playing back the same hip-hop music being played back by playback device  110   c  on the patio  101   i . In some aspects, the playback devices  110   c  and  110   f  play back the hip-hop music in synchrony such that the user perceives that the audio content is being played seamlessly (or at least substantially seamlessly) while moving between different playback zones. Additional details regarding audio playback synchronization among playback devices and/or zones can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,395 entitled, “System and method for synchronizing operations among a plurality of independently clocked digital data processing devices,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     a. Suitable Media Playback System 
       FIG.  1 B  is a schematic diagram of the media playback system  100  and a cloud network  102 . For ease of illustration, certain devices of the media playback system  100  and the cloud network  102  are omitted from  FIG.  1 B . One or more communication links  103  (referred to hereinafter as “the links  103 ”) communicatively couple the media playback system  100  and the cloud network  102 . 
     The links  103  can comprise, for example, one or more wired networks, one or more wireless networks, one or more wide area networks (WAN), one or more local area networks (LAN), one or more personal area networks (PAN), one or more telecommunication networks (e.g., one or more Global System for Mobiles (GSM) networks, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks, 5G communication network networks, and/or other suitable data transmission protocol networks), etc. The cloud network  102  is configured to deliver media content (e.g., audio content, video content, photographs, social media content) to the media playback system  100  in response to a request transmitted from the media playback system  100  via the links  103 . In some examples, the cloud network  102  is further configured to receive data (e.g. voice input data) from the media playback system  100  and correspondingly transmit commands and/or media content to the media playback system  100 . 
     The cloud network  102  comprises computing devices  106  (identified separately as a first computing device  106   a , a second computing device  106   b , and a third computing device  106   c ). The computing devices  106  can comprise individual computers or servers, such as, for example, a media streaming service server storing audio and/or other media content, a voice service server, a social media server, a media playback system control server, etc. In some examples, one or more of the computing devices  106  comprise modules of a single computer or server. In certain examples, one or more of the computing devices  106  comprise one or more modules, computers, and/or servers. Moreover, while the cloud network  102  is described above in the context of a single cloud network, in some examples the cloud network  102  comprises a plurality of cloud networks comprising communicatively coupled computing devices. Furthermore, while the cloud network  102  is shown in  FIG.  1 B  as having three of the computing devices  106 , in some examples, the cloud network  102  comprises fewer (or more than) three computing devices  106 . 
     The media playback system  100  is configured to receive media content from the networks  102  via the links  103 . The received media content can comprise, for example, a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and/or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). For instance, in some examples, the media playback system  100  can stream, download, or otherwise obtain data from a URI or a URL corresponding to the received media content. A network  104  communicatively couples the links  103  and at least a portion of the devices (e.g., one or more of the playback devices  110 , NMDs  120 , and/or control devices  130 ) of the media playback system  100 . The network  104  can include, for example, a wireless network (e.g., a WIFI network, a BLUETOOTH, a Z-Wave network, a ZigBee, and/or other suitable wireless communication protocol network) and/or a wired network (e.g., a network comprising Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), and/or another suitable wired communication). As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, as used herein, “WIFI” can refer to several different communication protocols including, for example, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11af, 802.11ah, 802.11ai, 802.11aj, 802.11aq, 802.11ax, 802.11ay, 802.15, etc. transmitted at 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz), 5 GHz, and/or another suitable frequency. 
     In some examples, the network  104  comprises a dedicated communication network that the media playback system  100  uses to transmit messages between individual devices and/or to transmit media content to and from media content sources (e.g., one or more of the computing devices  106 ). In certain examples, the network  104  is configured to be accessible only to devices in the media playback system  100 , thereby reducing interference and competition with other household devices. In other examples, however, the network  104  comprises an existing household communication network (e.g., a household network). In some examples, the links  103  and the network  104  comprise one or more of the same networks. In some aspects, for example, the links  103  and the network  104  comprise a telecommunication network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G network). Moreover, in some examples, the media playback system  100  is implemented without the network  104 , and devices comprising the media playback system  100  can communicate with each other, for example, via one or more direct connections, PANs, telecommunication networks, and/or other suitable communication links. 
     In some examples, audio content sources may be regularly added or removed from the media playback system  100 . In some examples, for instance, the media playback system  100  performs an indexing of media items when one or more media content sources are updated, added to, and/or removed from the media playback system  100 . The media playback system  100  can scan identifiable media items in some or all folders and/or directories accessible to the playback devices  110 , and generate or update a media content database comprising metadata (e.g., title, artist, album, track length) and other associated information (e.g., URIs, URLs) for each identifiable media item found. In some examples, for instance, the media content database is stored on one or more of the playback devices  110 , network microphone devices  120 , and/or control devices  130 . 
     In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1 B , the playback devices  110   l  and  110   m  comprise a group  107   a . The playback devices  110   l  and  110   m  can be positioned in different rooms in a household and be grouped together in the group  107   a  on a temporary or permanent basis based on user input received at the control device  130   a  and/or another control device  130  in the media playback system  100 . When arranged in the group  107   a , the playback devices  110   l  and  110   m  can be configured to play back the same or similar audio content in synchrony from one or more audio content sources. In certain examples, for instance, the group  107   a  comprises a bonded zone in which the playback devices  110   l  and  110   m  comprise left audio and right audio channels, respectively, of multi-channel audio content, thereby producing or enhancing a stereo effect of the audio content. In some examples, the group  107   a  includes additional playback devices  110 . In other examples, however, the media playback system  100  omits the group  107   a  and/or other grouped arrangements of the playback devices  110 . 
     The media playback system  100  includes the NMDs  120   a  and  120   d , each comprising one or more microphones configured to receive voice utterances from a user. In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1 B , the NMD  120   a  is a standalone device and the NMD  120   d  is integrated into the playback device  110   n . The NMD  120   a , for example, is configured to receive voice input  121  from a user  123 . In some examples, the NMD  120   a  transmits data associated with the received voice input  121  to a voice assistant service (VAS) configured to (i) process the received voice input data and (ii) transmit a corresponding command to the media playback system  100 . In some aspects, for example, the computing device  106   c  comprises one or more modules and/or servers of a VAS (e.g., a VAS operated by one or more of SONOS®, AMAZON®, GOOGLE® APPLE®, MICROSOFT®). The computing device  106   c  can receive the voice input data from the NMD  120   a  via the network  104  and the links  103 . In response to receiving the voice input data, the computing device  106   c  processes the voice input data (i.e., “Play Hey Jude by The Beatles”), and determines that the processed voice input includes a command to play a song (e.g., “Hey Jude”). The computing device  106   c  accordingly transmits commands to the media playback system  100  to play back “Hey Jude” by the Beatles from a suitable media service (e.g., via one or more of the computing devices  106 ) on one or more of the playback devices  110 . 
     b. Suitable Playback Devices 
       FIG.  1 C  is a block diagram of the playback device  110   a  comprising an input/output  111 . The input/output  111  can include an analog I/O  111   a  (e.g., one or more wires, cables, and/or other suitable communication links configured to carry analog signals) and/or a digital I/O  111   b  (e.g., one or more wires, cables, or other suitable communication links configured to carry digital signals). In some examples, the analog I/O  111   a  is an audio line-in input connection comprising, for example, an auto-detecting 3.5 mm audio line-in connection. In some examples, the digital I/O  111   b  comprises a Sony/Philips Digital Interface Format (S/PDIF) communication interface and/or cable and/or a Toshiba Link (TOSLINK) cable. In some examples, the digital I/O  111   b  comprises a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) interface and/or cable. In some examples, the digital I/O  111   b  includes one or more wireless communication links comprising, for example, a radio frequency (RF), infrared, BLUETOOTH, or another suitable communication protocol. In certain examples, the analog I/O  111   a  and the digital  111   b  comprise interfaces (e.g., ports, plugs, jacks) configured to receive connectors of cables transmitting analog and digital signals, respectively, without necessarily including cables. 
     The playback device  110   a , for example, can receive media content (e.g., audio content comprising music and/or other sounds) from a local audio source  105  via the input/output  111  (e.g., a cable, a wire, a PAN, a BLUETOOTH connection, an ad hoc wired or wireless communication network, and/or another suitable communication link). The local audio source  105  can comprise, for example, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop computer) or another suitable audio component (e.g., a television, a desktop computer, an amplifier, a phonograph, a Blu-ray player, a memory storing digital media files). In some aspects, the local audio source  105  includes local music libraries on a smartphone, a computer, a networked-attached storage (NAS), and/or another suitable device configured to store media files. In certain examples, one or more of the playback devices  110 , NMDs  120 , and/or control devices  130  comprise the local audio source  105 . In other examples, however, the media playback system omits the local audio source  105  altogether. In some examples, the playback device  110   a  does not include an input/output  111  and receives all audio content via the network  104 . 
     The playback device  110   a  further comprises electronics  112 , a user interface  113  (e.g., one or more buttons, knobs, dials, touch-sensitive surfaces, displays, touchscreens), and one or more transducers  114  (referred to hereinafter as “the transducers  114 ”). The electronics  112  is configured to receive audio from an audio source (e.g., the local audio source  105 ) via the input/output  111 , one or more of the computing devices  106   a - c  via the network  104  ( FIG.  1 B )), amplify the received audio, and output the amplified audio for playback via one or more of the transducers  114 . In some examples, the playback device  110   a  optionally includes one or more microphones  115  (e.g., a single microphone, a plurality of microphones, a microphone array) (hereinafter referred to as “the microphones  115 ”). In certain examples, for instance, the playback device  110   a  having one or more of the optional microphones  115  can operate as an NMD configured to receive voice input from a user and correspondingly perform one or more operations based on the received voice input. 
     In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1 C , the electronics  112  comprise one or more processors  112   a  (referred to hereinafter as “the processors  112   a ”), memory  112   b , software components  112   c , a network interface  112   d , one or more audio processing components  112   g  (referred to hereinafter as “the audio components  112   g ”), one or more audio amplifiers  112   h  (referred to hereinafter as “the amplifiers  112   h ”), and power  112   i  (e.g., one or more power supplies, power cables, power receptacles, batteries, induction coils, Power-over Ethernet (POE) interfaces, and/or other suitable sources of electric power). In some examples, the electronics  112  optionally include one or more other components  112   j  (e.g., one or more sensors, video displays, touchscreens, battery charging bases). 
     The processors  112   a  can comprise clock-driven computing component(s) configured to process data, and the memory  112   b  can comprise a computer-readable medium (e.g., a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, data storage loaded with one or more of the software components  112   c ) configured to store instructions for performing various operations and/or functions. The processors  112   a  are configured to execute the instructions stored on the memory  112   b  to perform one or more of the operations. The operations can include, for example, causing the playback device  110   a  to retrieve audio data from an audio source (e.g., one or more of the computing devices  106   a - c  ( FIG.  1 B )), and/or another one of the playback devices  110 . In some examples, the operations further include causing the playback device  110   a  to send audio data to another one of the playback devices  110   a  and/or another device (e.g., one of the NMDs  120 ). Certain examples include operations causing the playback device  110   a  to pair with another of the one or more playback devices  110  to enable a multi-channel audio environment (e.g., a stereo pair, a bonded zone). 
     The processors  112   a  can be further configured to perform operations causing the playback device  110   a  to synchronize playback of audio content with another of the one or more playback devices  110 . As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, during synchronous playback of audio content on a plurality of playback devices, a listener will preferably be unable to perceive time-delay differences between playback of the audio content by the playback device  110   a  and the other one or more other playback devices  110 . Additional details regarding audio playback synchronization among playback devices can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,234,395, which was incorporated by reference above. 
     In some examples, the memory  112   b  is further configured to store data associated with the playback device  110   a , such as one or more zones and/or zone groups of which the playback device  110   a  is a member, audio sources accessible to the playback device  110   a , and/or a playback queue that the playback device  110   a  (and/or another of the one or more playback devices) can be associated with. The stored data can comprise one or more state variables that are periodically updated and used to describe a state of the playback device  110   a . The memory  112   b  can also include data associated with a state of one or more of the other devices (e.g., the playback devices  110 , NMDs  120 , control devices  130 ) of the media playback system  100 . In some aspects, for example, the state data is shared during predetermined intervals of time (e.g., every 5 seconds, every 10 seconds, every 60 seconds) among at least a portion of the devices of the media playback system  100 , so that one or more of the devices have the most recent data associated with the media playback system  100 . 
     The network interface  112   d  is configured to facilitate a transmission of data between the playback device  110   a  and one or more other devices on a data network such as, for example, the links  103  and/or the network  104  ( FIG.  1 B ). The network interface  112   d  is configured to transmit and receive data corresponding to media content (e.g., audio content, video content, text, photographs) and other signals (e.g., non-transitory signals) comprising digital packet data including an Internet Protocol (IP)-based source address and/or an IP-based destination address. The network interface  112   d  can parse the digital packet data such that the electronics  112  properly receives and processes the data destined for the playback device  110   a.    
     In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1 C , the network interface  112   d  comprises one or more wireless interfaces  112   e  (referred to hereinafter as “the wireless interface  112   e ”). The wireless interface  112   e  (e.g., a suitable interface comprising one or more antennae) can be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more other devices (e.g., one or more of the other playback devices  110 , NMDs  120 , and/or control devices  130 ) that are communicatively coupled to the network  104  ( FIG.  1 B ) in accordance with a suitable wireless communication protocol (e.g., BLUETOOTH, LTE). In some examples, the network interface  112   d  optionally includes a wired interface  112   f  (e.g., an interface or receptacle configured to receive a network cable such as an Ethernet, a USB-A, USB-C, and/or Thunderbolt cable) configured to communicate over a wired connection with other devices in accordance with a suitable wired communication protocol. In certain examples, the network interface  112   d  includes the wired interface  112   f  and excludes the wireless interface  112   e . In some examples, the electronics  112  excludes the network interface  112   d  altogether and transmits and receives media content and/or other data via another communication path (e.g., the input/output  111 ). 
     The audio components  112   g  are configured to process and/or filter data comprising media content received by the electronics  112  (e.g., via the input/output  111  and/or the network interface  112   d ) to produce output audio signals. In some examples, the audio processing components  112   g  comprise, for example, one or more digital-to-analog converters (DAC), audio preprocessing components, audio enhancement components, a digital signal processors (DSPs), and/or other suitable audio processing components, modules, circuits, etc. In certain examples, one or more of the audio processing components  112   g  can comprise one or more subcomponents of the processors  112   a . In some examples, the electronics  112  omits the audio processing components  112   g . In some aspects, for example, the processors  112   a  execute instructions stored on the memory  112   b  to perform audio processing operations to produce the output audio signals. 
     The amplifiers  112   h  are configured to receive and amplify the audio output signals produced by the audio processing components  112   g  and/or the processors  112   a . The amplifiers  112   h  can comprise electronic devices and/or components configured to amplify audio signals to levels sufficient for driving one or more of the transducers  114 . In some examples, for instance, the amplifiers  112   h  include one or more switching or class-D power amplifiers. In other examples, however, the amplifiers include one or more other types of power amplifiers (e.g., linear gain power amplifiers, class-A amplifiers, class-B amplifiers, class-AB amplifiers, class-C amplifiers, class-D amplifiers, class-E amplifiers, class-F amplifiers, class-G and/or class H amplifiers, and/or another suitable type of power amplifier). In certain examples, the amplifiers  112   h  comprise a suitable combination of two or more of the foregoing types of power amplifiers. Moreover, in some examples, individual ones of the amplifiers  112   h  correspond to individual ones of the transducers  114 . In other examples, however, the electronics  112  includes a single one of the amplifiers  112   h  configured to output amplified audio signals to a plurality of the transducers  114 . In some other examples, the electronics  112  omits the amplifiers  112   h.    
     The transducers  114  (e.g., one or more speakers and/or speaker drivers) receive the amplified audio signals from the amplifier  112   h  and render or output the amplified audio signals as sound (e.g., audible sound waves having a frequency between about 20 Hertz (Hz) and 20 kilohertz (kHz)). In some examples, the transducers  114  can comprise a single transducer. In other examples, however, the transducers  114  comprise a plurality of audio transducers. In some examples, the transducers  114  comprise more than one type of transducer. For example, the transducers  114  can include one or more low frequency transducers (e.g., subwoofers, woofers), mid-range frequency transducers (e.g., mid-range transducers, mid-woofers), and one or more high frequency transducers (e.g., one or more tweeters). As used herein, “low frequency” can generally refer to audible frequencies below about 500 Hz, “mid-range frequency” can generally refer to audible frequencies between about 500 Hz and about 2 kHz, and “high frequency” can generally refer to audible frequencies above 2 kHz. In certain examples, however, one or more of the transducers  114  comprise transducers that do not adhere to the foregoing frequency ranges. For example, one of the transducers  114  may comprise a mid-woofer transducer configured to output sound at frequencies between about 200 Hz and about 5 kHz. 
     By way of illustration, SONOS, Inc. presently offers (or has offered) for sale certain playback devices including, for example, a “SONOS ONE,” “PLAY:1,” “PLAY:3,” “PLAY:5,” “PLAYBAR,” “PLAYBASE,” “CONNECT:AMP,” “CONNECT,” and “SUB.” Other suitable playback devices may additionally or alternatively be used to implement the playback devices of example examples disclosed herein. Additionally, one of ordinary skilled in the art will appreciate that a playback device is not limited to the examples described herein or to SONOS product offerings. 
     For instance, one or more playback devices  110  may comprise wired or wireless headphone devices (e.g., over-the-ear headphones, on-ear headphones, in-ear earphones). In some examples, the headphone device may be configured to operate in various operational modes dependent upon media-type and/or synchronized devices (e.g., music, home theater, etc.). For example, one mode may be a synchronized playback mode where headphone device plays back audio content that is synchronized with playback of content output by another device. In one example, the synchronized playback mode includes a first headphone device playing back audio that is synchronized with a television set&#39;s playback of video corresponding to the audio that the first headphone device is playing back. In some examples, the audio may be home theater or surround sound audio. In another example, the synchronized playback mode includes the first headphone device playing back audio that is synchronized with a second headphone device&#39;s playback of the same audio that the first headphone device is playing. In yet another example, the synchronized playback mode includes the first playback device playing back audio that is synchronized with both (i) a television set&#39;s playback of video corresponding to the audio that the first headphone device is playing back and (ii) a second headphone device&#39;s playback of the same audio that the first headphone device is playing. Another mode may be a non-synchronized playback mode where the first headphone device plays back audio content that is not synchronized with content output by other devices (e.g., headphone device playing only audio content without synchronization to other devices). 
     Additionally or alternatively, operating a headphone device in a synchronized playback mode, such as a home theater mode, may involve pairing the headphone device with other playback devices described herein. In these examples, the headphone device may, for example, be grouped in a playback zone. An example playback scheme may involve muting the other playback devices in the playback zone while the headphone device is paired. For example, when the headphone device is paired in a playback zone with a home theater system comprising multiple playback devices (e.g., a sound bar, a subwoofer, and a plurality of satellite speakers), the other multiple playback devices may not play back home theater audio while the headphones are paired with the playback zone and playing back the home theater audio. In operation, the other multiple playback devices may mute their playback of the home theater audio, or alternatively, a home theater controller (e.g., a soundbar, surround sound processor, or other device configured to coordinate surround sound playback of the home theater audio among the multiple playback devices) may simply not transmit or otherwise provide the home theater audio information to the multiple playback devices for playback while the headphone is paired in the playback zone and configured to playback the home theater audio. In some examples, the surround sound controller transmits or otherwise provides the home theater audio to the headphones and coordinates the headphone&#39;s synchronized playback of the home theater audio with the play back of the home theater audio&#39;s corresponding video by the television or other display screen. 
     Further, in some examples, multiple headphone devices may be paired in the playback zone. In these examples, a playback scheme may involve outputting audio content only on the paired headphone devices and muting the remaining playback devices in the playback zone. For example, when a first headphone device and a second headphone device are both paired in the playback zone with the home theater system comprising the multiple playback devices (e.g., the sound bar, subwoofer, and plurality of satellite speakers), the other multiple playback devices may not play back the home theater audio while the first and second headphones are paired with the playback zone and playing back the home theater audio. As described above, the other multiple playback devices may mute their playback of the home theater audio, or alternatively, the home theater controller may simply not transmit or otherwise provide the home theater audio information to the multiple playback devices for playback while the first and second headphones are paired in the playback zone and configured to playback the home theater audio. In some examples where multiple headphones are paired with the playback zone, the surround sound controller transmits or otherwise provides the home theater audio to the first and second headphones and coordinates the synchronized playback of the home theater audio by the first and second headphones with each other and with the play back of the home theater audio&#39;s corresponding video by the television or other display screen. 
     In other examples, one or more of the playback devices  110  comprise a docking station and/or an interface configured to interact with a docking station for personal mobile media playback devices. In certain examples, a playback device may be integral to another device or component such as a television, a lighting fixture, or some other device for indoor or outdoor use. In some examples, a playback device omits a user interface and/or one or more transducers. For example,  FIG.  1 D  is a block diagram of a playback device  110   p  comprising the input/output  111  and electronics  112  without the user interface  113  or transducers  114 . 
       FIG.  1 E  is a block diagram of a bonded playback device  110   q  comprising the playback device  110   a  ( FIG.  1 C ) sonically bonded with the playback device  110   i  (e.g., a subwoofer) ( FIG.  1 A ). In the illustrated example, the playback devices  110   a  and  110   i  are separate ones of the playback devices  110  housed in separate enclosures. In some examples, however, the bonded playback device  110   q  comprises a single enclosure housing both the playback devices  110   a  and  110   i . The bonded playback device  110   q  can be configured to process and reproduce sound differently than an unbonded playback device (e.g., the playback device  110   a  of  FIG.  1 C ) and/or paired or bonded playback devices (e.g., the playback devices  110   l  and  110   m  of  FIG.  1 B ). In some examples, for instance, the playback device  110   a  is full-range playback device configured to render low frequency, mid-range frequency, and high frequency audio content, and the playback device  110   i  is a subwoofer configured to render low frequency audio content. In some aspects, the playback device  110   a , when bonded with the first playback device, is configured to render only the mid-range and high frequency components of a particular audio content, while the playback device  110   i  renders the low frequency component of the particular audio content. In some examples, the bonded playback device  110   q  includes additional playback devices and/or another bonded playback device. 
     c. Suitable Network Microphone Devices (NMDs) 
       FIG.  1 F  is a block diagram of the NMD  120   a  ( FIGS.  1 A and  1 B ). The NMD  120   a  includes one or more voice processing components  124  (hereinafter “the voice components  124 ”) and several components described with respect to the playback device  110   a  ( FIG.  1 C ) including the processors  112   a , the memory  112   b , and the microphones  115 . The NMD  120   a  optionally comprises other components also included in the playback device  110   a  ( FIG.  1 C ), such as the user interface  113  and/or the transducers  114 . In some examples, the NMD  120   a  is configured as a media playback device (e.g., one or more of the playback devices  110 ), and further includes, for example, one or more of the audio components  112   g  ( FIG.  1 C ), the amplifiers  114 , and/or other playback device components. In certain examples, the NMD  120   a  comprises an Internet of Things (IoT) device such as, for example, a thermostat, alarm panel, fire and/or smoke detector, etc. In some examples, the NMD  120   a  comprises the microphones  115 , the voice processing  124 , and only a portion of the components of the electronics  112  described above with respect to  FIG.  1 B . In some aspects, for example, the NMD  120   a  includes the processor  112   a  and the memory  112   b  ( FIG.  1 B ), while omitting one or more other components of the electronics  112 . In some examples, the NMD  120   a  includes additional components (e.g., one or more sensors, cameras, thermometers, barometers, hygrometers). 
     In some examples, an NMD can be integrated into a playback device.  FIG.  1 G  is a block diagram of a playback device  110   r  comprising an NMD  120   d . The playback device  110   r  can comprise many or all of the components of the playback device  110   a  and further include the microphones  115  and voice processing  124  ( FIG.  1 F ). The playback device  110   r  optionally includes an integrated control device  130   c . The control device  130   c  can comprise, for example, a user interface (e.g., the user interface  113  of  FIG.  1 B ) configured to receive user input (e.g., touch input, voice input) without a separate control device. In other examples, however, the playback device  110   r  receives commands from another control device (e.g., the control device  130   a  of  FIG.  1 B ). 
     Referring again to  FIG.  1 F , the microphones  115  are configured to acquire, capture, and/or receive sound from an environment (e.g., the environment  101  of  FIG.  1 A ) and/or a room in which the NMD  120   a  is positioned. The received sound can include, for example, vocal utterances, audio played back by the NMD  120   a  and/or another playback device, background voices, ambient sounds, etc. The microphones  115  convert the received sound into electrical signals to produce microphone data. The voice processing  124  receives and analyzes the microphone data to determine whether a voice input is present in the microphone data. The voice input can comprise, for example, an activation word followed by an utterance including a user request. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, an activation word is a word or other audio cue that signifying a user voice input. For instance, in querying the AMAZON® VAS, a user might speak the activation word “Alexa.” Other examples include “Ok, Google” for invoking the GOOGLE® VAS and “Hey, Siri” for invoking the APPLE® VAS. 
     After detecting the activation word, voice processing  124  monitors the microphone data for an accompanying user request in the voice input. The user request may include, for example, a command to control a third-party device, such as a thermostat (e.g., NEST® thermostat), an illumination device (e.g., a PHILIPS HUE® lighting device), or a media playback device (e.g., a Sonos® playback device). For example, a user might speak the activation word “Alexa” followed by the utterance “set the thermostat to 68 degrees” to set a temperature in a home (e.g., the environment  101  of  FIG.  1 A ). The user might speak the same activation word followed by the utterance “turn on the living room” to turn on illumination devices in a living room area of the home. The user may similarly speak an activation word followed by a request to play a particular song, an album, or a playlist of music on a playback device in the home. 
     d. Suitable Control Devices 
       FIG.  1 H  is a partially schematic diagram of the control device  130   a  ( FIGS.  1 A and  1 B ). As used herein, the term “control device” can be used interchangeably with “controller” or “control system.” Among other features, the control device  130   a  is configured to receive user input related to the media playback system  100  and, in response, cause one or more devices in the media playback system  100  to perform an action(s) or operation(s) corresponding to the user input. In the illustrated example, the control device  130   a  comprises a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone™, an Android phone) on which media playback system controller application software is installed. In some examples, the control device  130   a  comprises, for example, a tablet (e.g., an iPad′), a computer (e.g., a laptop computer, a desktop computer), and/or another suitable device (e.g., a television, an automobile audio head unit, an IoT device). In certain examples, the control device  130   a  comprises a dedicated controller for the media playback system  100 . In other examples, as described above with respect to  FIG.  1 G , the control device  130   a  is integrated into another device in the media playback system  100  (e.g., one more of the playback devices  110 , NMDs  120 , and/or other suitable devices configured to communicate over a network). 
     The control device  130   a  includes electronics  132 , a user interface  133 , one or more speakers  134 , and one or more microphones  135 . The electronics  132  comprise one or more processors  132   a  (referred to hereinafter as “the processors  132   a ”), a memory  132   b , software components  132   c , and a network interface  132   d . The processor  132   a  can be configured to perform functions relevant to facilitating user access, control, and configuration of the media playback system  100 . The memory  132   b  can comprise data storage that can be loaded with one or more of the software components executable by the processor  112   a  to perform those functions. The software components  132   c  can comprise applications and/or other executable software configured to facilitate control of the media playback system  100 . The memory  112   b  can be configured to store, for example, the software components  132   c , media playback system controller application software, and/or other data associated with the media playback system  100  and the user. 
     The network interface  132   d  is configured to facilitate network communications between the control device  130   a  and one or more other devices in the media playback system  100 , and/or one or more remote devices. In some examples, the network interface  132   d  is configured to operate according to one or more suitable communication industry standards (e.g., infrared, radio, wired standards including IEEE 802.3, wireless standards including IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.15, 4G, LTE). The network interface  132   d  can be configured, for example, to transmit data to and/or receive data from the playback devices  110 , the NMDs  120 , other ones of the control devices  130 , one of the computing devices  106  of  FIG.  1 B , devices comprising one or more other media playback systems, etc. The transmitted and/or received data can include, for example, playback device control commands, state variables, playback zone and/or zone group configurations. For instance, based on user input received at the user interface  133 , the network interface  132   d  can transmit a playback device control command (e.g., volume control, audio playback control, audio content selection) from the control device  130  to one or more of the playback devices  110 . The network interface  132   d  can also transmit and/or receive configuration changes such as, for example, adding/removing one or more playback devices  110  to/from a zone, adding/removing one or more zones to/from a zone group, forming a bonded or consolidated player, separating one or more playback devices from a bonded or consolidated player, among others. 
     The user interface  133  is configured to receive user input and can facilitate control of the media playback system  100 . The user interface  133  includes media content art 133a (e.g., album art, lyrics, videos), a playback status indicator  133   b  (e.g., an elapsed and/or remaining time indicator), media content information region  133   c , a playback control region  133   d , and a zone indicator  133   e . The media content information region  133   c  can include a display of relevant information (e.g., title, artist, album, genre, release year) about media content currently playing and/or media content in a queue or playlist. The playback control region  133   d  can include selectable (e.g., via touch input and/or via a cursor or another suitable selector) icons to cause one or more playback devices in a selected playback zone or zone group to perform playback actions such as, for example, play or pause, fast forward, rewind, skip to next, skip to previous, enter/exit shuffle mode, enter/exit repeat mode, enter/exit cross fade mode, etc. The playback control region  133   d  may also include selectable icons to modify equalization settings, playback volume, and/or other suitable playback actions. In the illustrated example, the user interface  133  comprises a display presented on a touch screen interface of a smartphone (e.g., an iPhone™, an Android phone). In some examples, however, user interfaces of varying formats, styles, and interactive sequences may alternatively be implemented on one or more network devices to provide comparable control access to a media playback system. 
     The one or more speakers  134  (e.g., one or more transducers) can be configured to output sound to the user of the control device  130   a . In some examples, the one or more speakers comprise individual transducers configured to correspondingly output low frequencies, mid-range frequencies, and/or high frequencies. In some aspects, for example, the control device  130   a  is configured as a playback device (e.g., one of the playback devices  110 ). Similarly, in some examples the control device  130   a  is configured as an NMD (e.g., one of the NMDs  120 ), receiving voice commands and other sounds via the one or more microphones  135 . 
     The one or more microphones  135  can comprise, for example, one or more condenser microphones, electret condenser microphones, dynamic microphones, and/or other suitable types of microphones or transducers. In some examples, two or more of the microphones  135  are arranged to capture location information of an audio source (e.g., voice, audible sound) and/or configured to facilitate filtering of background noise. Moreover, in certain examples, the control device  130   a  is configured to operate as playback device and an NMD. In other examples, however, the control device  130   a  omits the one or more speakers  134  and/or the one or more microphones  135 . For instance, the control device  130   a  may comprise a device (e.g., a thermostat, an IoT device, a network device) comprising a portion of the electronics  132  and the user interface  133  (e.g., a touch screen) without any speakers or microphones. 
     III. Example Headphone Devices and Cable Assemblies 
     In some examples, a playback device may be a headphone device. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a headphone device including one or more analog sensors (e.g., analog microphones for performing active noise cancellation), one or more antennas and wireless transceivers, and other electronic components spatially distributed among the earpieces of the device. 
       FIG.  2    shows some aspects of an example headphone device  200 . The headphone device  200  may be implemented as a wearable device such as over-ear headphones, in-ear headphones, or on-ear headphones. As shown, the headphone device  200  includes a headband  202  that couples a first earpiece  204   a  to a second earpiece  204   b . Each of the earpieces  204   a  and  204   b  includes a respective earcup  206   a  and  206   b , one or both which may house a number of components therein. Although the illustrated example shows certain components housed within the first earpiece  204   a  and certain other components housed within the second earpiece  204   b , in various examples some of all of these components can be housed in either earpiece. In some examples, some or all of the components can be duplicated in each earpiece. In some examples, a collection of components are said be enclosed within a headphone housing, which includes the combination of the first and second earpieces  204   a  and  204   b  and the headband  202 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the earpieces  204   a  and  204   b  may further include ear cushions  208   a  and  208   b  that are coupled to earcups  206   a  and  206   b , respectively. The ear cushions  208   a  and  208   b  may provide a soft and compliant barrier between the head of a user and the earcups  206   a  and  206   b , respectively, to improve user comfort and/or provide acoustic isolation from the surrounding environment (e.g., passive noise reduction (PNR)). 
     To electrically couple the components in the second earpiece  204   b  with components in the first earpiece  204   a , the headband includes a cable assembly  210  that connects circuitry disposed within the second earpiece  204   b  to circuitry disposed within the second earpiece  204   b . The cable assembly  210  may be constructed as, for example, a set of one or more cables that couple (e.g., electrically couple) one or more components at least partially housed by the first earpiece  204   a  with one or more components at least partially housed by the second earpiece  204   b.    
     The cable assembly  210  may be constructed as, for example, a set of one or more cables (e.g., a set of one or more flexible cables). At least some of the one or more cables may comprise, for example, any combination of the following: (1) one or more conductors (e.g., one or more solid conductors, one or more stranded conductors, etc.); (2) one or more insulators; (3) one or more shields; and/or (4) one or more jackets. Example cables that may be integrated into the cable assembly  210  include: (1) coaxial cable(s); (2) twisted pair cable(s); (3) solid wire cable(s); and (4) stranded wire cable(s). As described in more detail elsewhere herein, the cable assembly  210  may be constructed in any of a variety of ways. 
     In some examples, the cable assembly  210  may comprise one or more coaxial cables that may electrically couple the antenna assembly  212  to the communication circuitry  218 . The one or more coaxial cables may comprise, for example, any combination of the following: (1) one or more inner conductors; (2) one or more insulators at least partially disposed around the one or more inner conductors; (3) one or more metallic shields at least partially disposed around the one or more insulators; and (4) a jacket at least partially disposed around the one or more metallic shields. Although coaxial cables are advantageous because of durability, low noise, and ease of manufacture and implementation for the example headphone configuration(s) described herein, the cable assembly  210  may comprise other types of cables in place of a coaxial cable or in combination with a coaxial cable. For example, in some examples, the cable assembly  210  may include a triaxial cable, a ribbon cable, or any other cable configuration suitable for connecting electrical components in the first earpiece  204   a  with electrical components in the second earpiece  204   b.    
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , the first and second earpieces  204   a  and  204   b  include first and second transducers  114   a  and  114   b , respectively. As noted previously, while conventional headphone devices arrange nearly all of the non-transducer components in a single earpiece, example of the present technology include headphone devices in which the non-transducer components are distributed among the two earpieces. For example, as shown in  FIG.  2   , the first earpiece  204   a  includes, in addition to the first transducer  114   a , one or more processors  112   a , communication circuitry  218  (e.g., wireless radios, front-end circuitry, switches, and/or filters), and one or more additional components  216 . In various examples, the additional components  216  can include one or more of: analog sensor(s) (e.g., analog microphone(s), analog strain gauge(s), analog light sensor(s), analog pressure sensor(s), analog temperature sensor(s), analog accelerometer(s), etc.), digital microphone(s), processing circuitry, a near-field communication assembly, a capacitive touch-sensor assembly, communications circuitry, active noise-cancellation circuitry, a battery, battery-charging circuitry, user-input components (e.g., buttons, switches, dials, etc.), or any other suitable components. 
     In the example shown in  FIG.  2   , the second earpiece  204   b  includes, in addition to the second transducer  114   b , an antenna assembly  212 , analog sensor(s)  214  (e.g., analog microphone(s), analog strain gauge(s), analog light sensor(s), analog pressure sensor(s), analog temperature sensor(s), analog accelerometer(s), etc.), a power source  112   i  (e.g., a rechargeable battery), and additional components  220 . The additional components can include one or more of: digital microphone(s), active noise cancellation circuitry, a near-field communication assembly, a capacitive touch-sensor assembly, battery-charging circuitry, user-input components (e.g., buttons, switches, dials, etc.), or any other suitable components. 
     When equipped with microphones, the headphone device  200  can operate as an NMD configured to receive voice input from a user and correspondingly perform one or more operations based on the received voice input. Additionally or alternatively, the microphones may be used for active noise cancellation (ANC) and/or active noise reduction (ANR). 
     In the example shown in  FIG.  2   , the components in the first earpiece  204   a  can be configured to receive power from the power source  112   i , which is disposed in the second earpiece  204   b . As such, the cable assembly  210  can include one or more power conductors configured to couple the power source  112   i  to the electronic components in the first earpiece  204   a . Additionally, the analog sensor(s)  214  are disposed in the second earpiece  204   b , while the processor  112   a  is disposed in the first earpiece  204   a . In operation, input from the analog sensor(s)  214  can be relayed to the processor(s)  112   a  via one or more analog sensor conductors extending within the cable assembly  210 . In the case of analog microphones, one or more microphone conductors can carry analog audio input signals from the second earpiece  204   b  to the electronic components within the first earpiece  204   a , where the signals can be used to perform active noise cancellation or other processes. 
     The antenna assembly  212  can include one or more antennas configured to communicate over one or more wireless networks. Example wireless networks include: a WI-FI network, a BLUETOOTH network, an LTE network, a Z-Wave network, a 5G network, and a ZIGBEE network. Although a single antenna assembly  212  is shown in the first earpiece  204   a , in some instances an additional one or more antenna assemblies can be disposed in the second earpiece  204   b . In some examples, the antenna assembly  212  includes one or more multi-band antennas configured to operate on several frequency bands (e.g., two or more of: the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, or the 6 GHz band), such as a dual-band inverted-F antenna (IFA). Further, in some examples, one or more antennas of the assembly  212  may be passive multi-band antennas, active multi-band antennas, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the antenna assembly  212  can include a single-band antenna configured to operate on a single frequency band (e.g., the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band, or the 6 GHz band). 
     It should be appreciated that the headphone device  200  may employ any number of antennas and is not limited to implementations with any particular number of antennas. For example, the headphone device  200  may comprise two antennas for communication over WIFI and/or BLUETOOTH and a third antenna for near-field communication. 
     In some examples, the communication circuitry  218  may comprise any of a variety of electronic components that enable transmission and/or receipt of wireless signals via the antenna assembly  212 . Examples of such components include receivers, transmitters, processors, memory, amplifiers, switches, and/or filters. 
     The communication circuitry  218  is further configured to cause the headphone device  200  to wirelessly communicate with at least one external device, such as a control device  130  or other network device, based at least in part on the current mode of operation. The control device  130  may be, for example, a smartphone, tablet, computer, etc. 
     As noted previously, distributing electronic components among the earpieces  204   a  and  204   b  of the headphone device  200  can present certain challenges to operation of the headphone device  200 . In particular, the cable assembly  210  must carry current from the power source  112   i  in the second earpiece  204   b  to the communication circuitry  218  in the first earpiece  204   a . Because of the relatively high current levels required, there is significant risk of inducing electromagnetic interference in other conductors within the cable assembly  210 . Additionally, because operation of the communication circuitry  218  may include bursts of high current levels followed by periods of low current levels, such electromagnetic interference can be difficult to remove or otherwise compensate for using filters or other processing techniques. Electromagnetic interference can be particularly problematic in the case of conductor(s) carrying signals from the analog sensors  214  in the second earpiece  204   b  to the processor(s)  112   a  in the first earpiece  204   a , as noise in the analog signal can significantly degrade device performance, for example by reducing the efficacy of active noise cancellation processes that are based at least in part on input from the analog sensor(s)  214 . 
     To reduce electromagnetic interference in the analog sensor conductors, one or more of the conductors within the cable assembly  200  can be shielded along at least a portion of its length. Such shielding can take the form of a grounded conductor (e.g., metallic wire) extending helically around one or more active conductors. In various examples, the shielding can include a spiral shield, a braid shield, a foil shield, any combination thereof, or any other suitable shielding configured to reduce or eliminate electromagnetic interference between individual conductors of the cable assembly  210 . 
       FIG.  3 A  is a perspective view of an example cable assembly  300  of a headphone device. The cable assembly  300  includes a first end portion  301  configured to be coupled to and/or housed at least partially within a first earpiece, a second end portion  303  configured to be coupled to and/or housed at least partially within a first earpiece, and an intermediate portion  305  therebetween that is configured to be at least partially disposed within a headband. 
     A first termination assembly  307  is disposed at the first end portion  301 , and a second termination assembly  309  is disposed at the second end portion  303 . In an assembled state, the first and second termination assemblies  307 ,  309  can be disposed within respective earpieces of the headphone device. The cable assembly  300  includes a plurality of individual conductors  311  (e.g., 10 or more individual conductors, for example, 16 individual conductors) extending between the first termination assembly  307  and the second termination assembly  309 . The individual conductors  311  can be joined together within an outer jacket  313  along at least a portion of their respective lengths. In various examples, the individual conductors  311  can assume any suitable size, construction, composition, or configuration. For example, the individual conductors  311  can take the form of twisted conductor pairs, coaxial conductors, or single stranded conductors, and may include any suitable insulation or shielding. Additionally, the cable assembly  300  can include one or more fillers such as nylon rods or other suitable material to provide a suitable fit within the jacket  313 . In various examples, the jacket  313  can have an outer diameter of between about 1-6 mm, for example between about 4-6 mm, or approximately 4.5 mm. 
     The jacket  313  can extend over the individual conductors  311  within the intermediate portion  305  of the assembly  300 . The jacket  313  can be made of any suitable material that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate bending, stretching, and other movement of the cable assembly  300 . For example, the jacket  313  may be at least partially formed from one or more elastomeric materials. Examples of such elastomeric materials include rubbers (e.g., latex rubbers, silicone rubbers, nitrile rubbers, butyl rubbers, chloroprene rubbers, styrene-butadiene rubbers, and polyacrylic rubbers), thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)), and elastolefins. The intermediate portion  305  can be configured to assume a serpentine, undulating, or other such shape having a plurality of bends while at rest. For example, the intermediate portion  305  may be heat-formed into such a shape having a plurality of bends. When the cable assembly  300  is extended (e.g., by a user pulling the earpieces containing the termination assemblies downwardly away from the crown of the user&#39;s head while wearing the assembled device), the intermediate portion  305  can elongate by reducing the degree of bending or curvature within the intermediate portion without risking damage to the individual conductors  311  contained within the jacket  313 . As shown in  FIG.  3 A , the jacket  313  may extend only over the intermediate portion  305  of the assembly  300 , with the individual conductors  311  extending out of the jacket at or near both the first and second end portions  301 ,  303 . 
       FIG.  3 B  illustrates an enlarged detail view of the first termination assembly  307 . In various examples, the first and second termination assemblies  307  and  309  can include similar (and/or identical) features and components. As shown in  FIG.  3 B , the first termination assembly  307  can include a circuit board  315  (e.g., a flexible circuit board such as a flexible printed circuit board (PCB)) having a plurality of terminals  317  thereon. In various examples, the terminals  317  can take the form of conductive pads, conductive traces, solder pads, or other suitable features configured to facilitate mechanical and electrical interconnection between traces on the circuit board  315  and individual conductors  311  of the cable assembly  300 . The circuit board  315  can, in turn, be electrically coupled to the other electronic components disposed within the earpiece (e.g., microphones, processor(s), radios, antennas, etc.). In some examples, some or all of the individual conductors  311  of the cable assembly can be mechanically joined to the terminals  317  of the termination assembly  307  via soldering, for example using a hot-bar soldering approach. For example, some or all of the conductors  311  can have terminuses in which any surrounding insulator has been removed, leaving an exposed conductive tip. The exposed conductive tip(s) can be coated with tin to facilitate soldering to the terminals  317  of the termination assembly  307 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  3 B , individual conductors  311  of the cable assembly  300  can be fanned out at the junction with the termination assembly  307 , with individual conductors  311  diverging from one another and substantially aligned along a plane to facilitate bonding to the circuit board  315  of the termination assembly  315 . Once the individual conductors  311  are soldered or otherwise mechanically and electrically coupled to the terminals  317  of the termination assembly  307  an insulative material can be disposed over the terminals  317 . 
     In some examples, at least some of the individual conductors  311  may not be coupled to terminals  317  of the termination assembly  307 . For example, an antenna conductor  319  can be coupled directly to an antenna assembly without being coupled to a terminal  317  of the termination assembly  307 . 
     In various examples, the first and second termination assemblies  307  and  309  can include one or more shielding elements which can reduce or remove electromagnetic interference between the conductors  311  and/or between the individual terminals  317 . These shielding elements can include any desired shielding element and can be implemented in any desired manner. For example, the shielding elements can include guard traces, which are grounded traces disposed between the conductors  311  and the terminals  317  of the termination assemblies  307  and  309 . 
       FIG.  4 A  is a schematic laid-flat view of a portion of a cable assembly  400  of a headphone device, and  FIG.  4 B  depicts an example cross-sectional view taken along line  4 B- 4 B in  FIG.  4 A . The cable assembly  400  can include some or all of the features of the cable assemblies  300  and  210  described elsewhere herein. The termination assemblies (shown in  FIGS.  3 A and  3 B ) are omitted in  FIG.  4 A  for clarity. The cable assembly  400  shown in  FIGS.  4 A and  4 B  comprises a plurality of individual conductors (shown as conductors  401 - 420 ), insulation, and fillers (shown as fillers  422   a —d), which are all disposed within an outer jacket (shown as jacket  421 ) along an intermediate portion of the cable assembly  400 . As described previously with respect to  FIG.  3 B , at the ends of the cable assembly, the individual conductors of the cable assembly  400  can extend beyond the jacket  421  and fan outwardly for connection to electronic components of the headphone device (e.g., via the termination assemblies  307 ,  309  shown in  FIG.  3 A ). 
     As noted previously, it can be beneficial to provide shielding around at least some of the conductors of the cable assembly. In particular, a power conductor which carries current from a power source in one earpiece to electronic components in the other earpiece may generate undesirable electromagnetic interference in the conductors carrying analog sensor signals (e.g., analog microphone signals). Accordingly, either or both of the power conductor(s) and the analog sensor conductor(s) can be electrically shielded from one another. In some examples, such shielding can take the form of a conductor (e.g., copper wire or other suitable metallic material) that extends helically around the power conductor(s) and/or the analog sensor conductor(s). The shielding can be, for example, a spiral shield, braid shield, foil shield, any combination thereof, or any other suitable electrical shielding. The shield(s) can be electrically grounded. 
     As shown in  FIG.  4 B , the cable assembly  400  may be implemented using a set of one or more distinct cables integrated within a single outer jacket. In some examples, one or more of the conductors may be arranged in twisted pairs (e.g., in a twisted pair cable). Arranging the conductors in such a fashion (e.g., as a twisted pair) may advantageously reduce electromagnetic radiation, reduce crosstalk, and improve noise rejection. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the conductors can be surrounded along at least a portion of their respective lengths by shielding. Such shielding can take the form of a spiral shield, a foil shield, braid shield, or other suitable structure configured to reduce electromagnetic interference and crosstalk. 
     In some examples, one or more of the elements  401 - 422  may be stranded conductors. For example, the conductors that transfer power and/or carry audio signals (e.g., originating from a microphone or being provided to a transducer) may be stranded to advantageously improve the flexibility of the cable assembly. These stranded conductors may be insulated using, for example, a thin film polymer and/or an enamel type insulation. 
     The structure and function of the particular elements  401 - 422  shown in  FIG.  4 B  may vary based on the particular implementation. One example implementation of each of element  401 - 422  in  FIG.  4 B  shown in Table 1 below: 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Example Cable Assembly Specification 
               
               
                 for Cable Assemblies shown in FIG. 4B 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Element 
                   
                 AWG/ 
                   
               
               
                 Number 
                 Type 
                 Diameter 
                 Function 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 401 
                 Twisted Pair with 
                 30 
                 AWG 
                 USB+ 
               
               
                 402 
                 Surrounding Shield 
                 30 
                 AWG 
                 USB− 
               
               
                 403 
                   
                   
                   
                 GND/Shield 
               
               
                 404 
                 Conductor with 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 I2C Serial Clock 
               
               
                   
                 Surrounding Shield 
                   
                   
                 Line (SCL) 
               
               
                 405 
                   
                   
                   
                 GND/Shield 
               
               
                 406 
                 Conductor with 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 I2C Serial Data 
               
               
                   
                 Surrounding Shield 
                   
                   
                 Line (SDL) 
               
               
                 407 
                   
                   
                   
                 GND/Shield 
               
               
                 408 
                 Coaxial Cable 
                 1.37 
                 mm 
                 Antenna 
               
               
                 410 
                 Conductor with 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 Audio+ 
               
               
                 411 
                 Surrounding Shield 
                   
                   
                 Audio− 
               
               
                 412 
                 Twisted Pair with 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 Analog 
               
               
                   
                 Surrounding Shield 
                   
                   
                 Microphone+ 
               
               
                 413 
                   
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 Analog 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Microphone− 
               
               
                 414 
                   
                   
                   
                 Spiral Shield 
               
               
                 415 
                 Stranded Conductor 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 PSOC 
               
               
                 416 
                 Stranded Conductor 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 INT 
               
               
                 417 
                 Stranded Conductor 
                 24 
                 AWG 
                 Power+ 
               
               
                 418 
                 with Shield 
                   
                   
                 GND/Spiral Shield 
               
               
                 419 
                 Stranded Conductor 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 Digital 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Microphone Power 
               
               
                 420 
                 Stranded Conductor 
                 34 
                 AWG 
                 RTC Battery 
               
               
                 421 
                 TPU 
                 4.5 
                 mm 
                 Jacket 
               
               
                 422a-d 
                 Nylon 
                   
                   
                 Filler 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     As noted in Table 1, in the example shown in  FIG.  4 B  there is a spiral shield  418  that coaxially surrounds the power conductor  417 . Additionally, a spiral shield  414  is disposed around both the positive and negative analog microphone conductors  412 ,  413 , which may themselves be arranged in a twisted pair. In various examples, one or both of the spiral shields  414 ,  418  can be omitted, replaced with other shield configurations, or otherwise modified to achieve the desired performance. As noted previously, the spiral shielding  418  disposed around the power conductor  417  and the spiral shield  414  disposed around the analog microphone conductors  412 ,  413  can both serve to insulate the analog microphone conductors  412 ,  413  from electromagnetic interference generated by the power conductor  417 . Reducing this interference can improve operation of the device, for example by improving active noise cancellation, which relies at least in part on signals carried by the analog microphone conductors  412 ,  413 . 
     It should be appreciated that the particular implementation of elements  401 - 422  shown Table 1 above is only one example implementation and the elements  401 - 422  may be constructed in other ways. For example, cable assembly may use additional conductors or fewer conductors (e.g., to accommodate a different number of components such as microphones). Further, the diameter of any portion of the elements  401 - 422  may be changed. In various examples, any one or any subset of the conductors  401 - 420  can be surrounded along at least a portion of their lengths by a suitable shield (e.g., spiral shield, braid shield, foil shield, or any combination thereof). 
     IV. Conclusion 
     The above discussions relating to playback devices, controller devices, playback zone configurations, and media content sources provide only some examples of operating environments within which functions and methods described below may be implemented. Other operating environments and configurations of media playback systems, playback devices, and network devices not explicitly described herein may also be applicable and suitable for implementation of the functions and methods. 
     It should be appreciated that the cable assemblies described herein may be readily applied to devices separate and apart from playback devices and/or NMDs. For example, the techniques described herein may be employed in wearable devices separate and apart from headphone devices such as a pair of smart glasses. Implementing audio input and wireless communications capability in a pair of smart glasses may present similar problems to those described above with respect to headphones (e.g., the need to distribute electronic components about the housing along with the need for wireless communication and analog sensor input). In such a smart glasses implementation, the smart glasses may comprise a housing including a frame front (e.g., configured to hold one or more lenses), a first temple rotatably coupled to the frame front, and a second temple rotatable coupled to the frame front. A cable assembly may be at least partially housed in any suitable location, for example on or in the frame front, disposed in the left temple, disposed in the right temple, distributed between the frame front and the temples, etc. 
     The description above discloses, among other things, various example systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture including, among other components, firmware and/or software executed on hardware. It is understood that such examples are merely illustrative and should not be considered as limiting. For example, it is contemplated that any or all of the firmware, hardware, and/or software aspects or components can be embodied exclusively in hardware, exclusively in software, exclusively in firmware, or in any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Accordingly, the examples provided are not the only ways) to implement such systems, methods, apparatus, and/or articles of manufacture. 
     Additionally, references herein to “example” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example can be included in at least one example of an invention. The appearances of this phrase in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same example, nor are separate or alternative examples mutually exclusive of other examples. As such, the examples described herein, explicitly and implicitly understood by one skilled in the art, can be combined with other examples. 
     The specification is presented largely in terms of illustrative environments, systems, procedures, steps, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations that directly or indirectly resemble the operations of data processing devices coupled to networks. These process descriptions and representations are typically used by those skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it is understood to those skilled in the art that certain examples of the present disclosure can be practiced without certain, specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the examples. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description of examples. 
     When any of the appended claims are read to cover a purely software and/or firmware implementation, at least one of the elements in at least one example is hereby expressly defined to include a tangible, non-transitory medium such as a memory, DVD, CD, Blu-ray, and so on, storing the software and/or firmware. 
     V. Examples 
     The present technology is illustrated, for example, according to various aspects described below. Various examples of aspects of the present technology are described as numbered examples for convenience. These are provided as examples and do not limit the present technology. It is noted that any of the dependent examples may be combined in any combination, and placed into a respective independent example. The other examples can be presented in a similar manner. 
     Example 1. A headphone device comprising: a first earpiece; a second earpiece; at least one microphone at least partially disposed in at least one of the first earpiece or the second earpiece; a wireless transceiver at least partially disposed in the first earpiece; a power source at least partially disposed in the second earpiece; a cable assembly extending between the first earpiece and the second earpiece, the cable assembly comprising: a jacket; one or more power conductors at least partially disposed within the jacket and coupled between the power source and the wireless transceiver; one or more microphone conductors at least partially disposed within the jacket and coupled to the at least one microphone; and a shield at least partially disposed between the one or more power conductors and the one or more microphone conductors. 
     Example 2. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the shield comprises one or more conductors helically extending around at least one of the one or more power conductors. 
     Example 3. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the shield comprises a spiral shield. 
     Example 4. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the shield is a first shield and wherein the cable assembly further comprises a second shield at least partially disposed within the jacket and comprising one or more conductors helically extending around the one or more microphone conductors. 
     Example 5. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein at least one of the first shield or the second shield comprises a spiral shield. 
     Example 6. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to facilitate communication via at least one data network, wherein the at least one data network comprises at least one of: a wireless local area network (WLAN) or a personal area network (PAN). 
     Example 7. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to operate in a plurality of operation modes including a first operation mode and second operation mode, wherein the wireless transceiver facilitates communication via at least one WIFI network in the first operation mode, and wherein the wireless transceiver facilitates communication via at least one BLUETOOTH network in the second operation mode. 
     Example 8. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the jacket has an outer diameter between 1 millimeter (mm) and 6 mm. 
     Example 9. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the outer diameter of the jacket is between 4 mm and 6 mm. 
     Example 10. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, further comprising a housing including the first earpiece and the second earpiece, wherein the housing is an over-ear housing, an on-ear housing, or an in-ear housing. 
     Example 11. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, further comprising a headband attached to the first earpiece and the second earpiece and wherein the cable assembly comprises: a first end portion coupled to one or more components at least partially disposed in the first earpiece; a second end portion coupled to one or more components at least partially disposed in the second earpiece; and an intermediate portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, wherein the intermediate portion is at least partially disposed in the headband. 
     Example 12. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein at least part of the intermediate portion is in a configuration that comprises a plurality of bends. 
     Example 13. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the cable assembly further comprises a termination assembly disposed in the first earpiece, wherein the termination assembly comprises: a flexible circuit board including a plurality of conductive traces; and a plurality of terminals coupled to the plurality of conductive traces. 
     Example 14. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein at least one of the one or more microphone conductors are soldered to at least one of the plurality of terminals. 
     Example 15. The headphone device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the at least one microphone comprises at least one analog microphone. 
     Example 16. A wearable device comprising: a housing configured to be worn about a head of a subject; a power source at least partially disposed in the housing and disposed on a first side of the subject when the wearable device is worn about the head; at least one analog sensor at least partially disposed in the housing; a wireless radio at least partially disposed in the housing and disposed on a second, opposite side of the subject when the wearable device is worn about the head; a cable assembly at least partially disposed in the housing and comprising: one or more power conductors coupled between the power source and the wireless radio; one or more sensor conductors coupled to the at least one analog sensor; and a shield at least partially separating the one or more power conductors from the one or more sensor conductors, wherein the shield comprises one or more conductors helically extending around at least one of the one or more power conductors. 
     Example 17. The wearable device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the at least one analog sensor comprises at least one analog microphone. 
     Example 18. The wearable device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the housing comprises a frame front, a first temple rotatable coupled to the frame front, and a second temple rotatably coupled to the frame front. 
     Example 19. The wearable device of any one of the Examples herein, wherein the housing comprises a first earpiece and a second earpiece. 
     Example 20. A cable assembly for a headphone device including a first earpiece and a second earpiece, the cable assembly comprising: a jacket having an outer diameter between 4 millimeters (mm) and 6 mm; an inner coaxial cable at least partially disposed within the jacket, wherein the inner coaxial cable comprises a first end configured to electrically couple to an antenna at least partially disposed in the second earpiece and a second end configured to electrically couple to a wireless transceiver at least partially disposed in the first earpiece; one or more power conductors at least partially disposed within the jacket, wherein the one or more power conductors comprises a first end configured to electrically couple to a battery at least partially disposed in the second earpiece and a second end configured to couple to the wireless transceiver at least partially disposed in the first earpiece; one or more microphone conductors at least partially disposed within the jacket, wherein the one or more microphone conductors includes a first end configured to couple to electrically couple to at least one microphone; and a shield at least partially disposed between the one or more power conductors and the one or more microphone conductors, wherein the shield comprises one or more conductors helically extending around at least one of the one or more power conductors. 
     Example 21. The cable assembly of any one of the Examples herein, further comprising a termination assembly coupled to the conductors, the termination assembly comprising: a flexible circuit board including a plurality of conductive traces; and a plurality of terminals coupled to the plurality of conductive traces. 
     Example 22. The cable assembly of any one of the Examples herein, wherein at least one of the one or more microphone conductors is soldered to at least one of the plurality of terminals.