A Fond Farewell to 2025

Another year around the sun, another year full of audio fun for Shively Acoustics International (SAI) – and we really mean that. Because just as sincerely as we approach the quality of our work and the satisfaction of our business partners and clients, we thoroughly enjoy every moment of it. With December on its way out and the holidays in sight, it’s time for us to take stock of the year that was, and look ahead to the one that will be. So, how did 2025 go for SAI & co. – and what’s next for 2026?

Business has continued to develop nicely in 2025. In January, SAI’s industry partner Silentium officially entered the North American market with the establishment of Silentium USA, with Roger at the helm of the new subsidiary based in the Detroit metro area. Most recently, Silentium secured a partnership with US technology and software company Cadence Design Systems, as we announced here last month.

Shively Acoustics also started work on a variety of client projects this year that are still ongoing. These include, among others, the development of a headphone with active noise control (ANC) and two-way communication for use in MRI chambers without magnetic interference for MRIaudio, loudspeaker design and product development for DSP Solutions’ automotive and marine audio brand Modus, as well as a microphone array project for Listen, Inc. In addition, Roger was named to the advisory boards of both MeierWerks and GPU Audio this year, in April and November, respectively.

In the media, SAI’s partnership with industry magazine audioXpress is firmly established by now, with Roger continuing to report on events on a regular basis. The most recent of these was his coverage of this year’s COMSOL Conference, published in October. The 2025 highlight for us in the written space, however, was the publication of a previously unreleased technical paper on “Digital Twin” virtual models co-authored by Roger and Steve Hutt, which was reformatted as a featured article titled “Subjective Evaluation of Production Vehicle Audio System Variance” in audioXpress October 2025. For all of Roger’s written pieces, visit our Industry Articles webpage.

👩‍💻 Webinar Series

🎧 Industry Events

As readers know well by now, SAI and chief Roger Shively are co-founder and a pillar of the Audio Product Development Alliance (APDA). This year has seen the alliance’s activity accelerate considerably, and this has been most apparent with the ongoing APDA Webinar series. After an initial offering back in August 2024, the series has stuck to its monthly cycle since December of last year and has been picking up steam throughout 2025. This year wrapped up with APDA Webinar #14 last week on December 16, with the series to return in 2026 with its fifteenth edition.

The alliance’s dedicated website also officially launched this year and this is the best place for APDA news alongside its LinkedIn page and WhatsApp community – join us there via the QR code on the left!

There’s more to look forward to in 2026 than only webinars. Most of all is the return of the Audio Engineering Society’s conference on automotive audio held every two years. After the success of the 2024 edition held in Gothenburg, Sweden, Roger is returning as Chairman of the AES 6th International Conference on Automotive Audio, taking place across three days in Detroit, Michigan, from July 29 to 31.

In addition to everything else, 2025 has been a year of preparation, to say the least, in the lead-up to the main event. The first half of 2026 is going to be much of the same – just with the intensity level on the amplifier raised to a proverbial 11. Submissions for technical papers, workshops, tutorials are due by Tuesday, March 17, with registration for the event to be opened in due course. Keep your eye on the event webpage in the meantime for all updates.

Speaking of AES, the Society’s 157th annual International Convention was held not too long ago in Long Beach, California, with both Shively Acoustics and the APDA in attendance. Roger presented “Practical Loudspeaker THD Modeling & Simulation” at the convention and, as Automotive Audio Chair, took part in the session “Wireless Audio Product Development: How to Innovate in Wireless Audio”, which was promoted in collaboration with the APDA. You can find a short write-up on the event by audioXpress Editor-in-Chief and APDA co-founder João Martins in The Audio Voice newsletter #540. This includes a section on Product Development that Roger is currently fleshing out into a full report for audioXpress, to come later. Something to look forward to!

Last but not least, the SAI Blog will be back next year, once per month as usual, to clue you in on all things related to Shively Acoustics International. In particular, readers can expect the return of our SAI Spotlight Series, where we zoom in on a particular SAI collaboration or project in the audio industry. After three editions in 2024, the series took a break in 2025, but it’ll see new light again in 2026.

That’s all for this year! See you fresh in 2026. Until then, we at Shively Acoustics want to wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a wonderful start to the New Year! ■

Shively Acoustics International — Modern Audio Solutions, Worldwide