Earphone apparatus

1. Earphone apparatus comprising:

a substantially planar substrate defining at least one electrical connection path; and

a transducer provided on or in the substrate and connected to the at least one electrical connection path;

wherein:

the transducer comprises an electro-acoustic driver and the substrate at least in part defines an acoustic waveguide having a part extending through the substrate for conveying sound from the electro-acoustic driver to an opening in the earphone apparatus for allowing sound to pass into the auditory canal of a user's ear; or

the transducer comprises a sensing microphone and the substrate at least in part defines an acoustic waveguide having a part extending through the substrate for conveying sound from outside of the earphone apparatus to the sensing microphone; and

the part of the acoustic waveguide extends through the substrate substantially normal to the thickness of the substrate.

2. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board or a substrate comprising an electrical connection path embedded in a layered structure formed on a semiconductor wafer.

3. Earphone apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor device and the transducer is integral to the substrate.

4. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic waveguide is formed by a channel in an outer surface of the substrate.

5. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the acoustic waveguide is formed by a passageway having a section formed fully within the substrate.

6. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic waveguide extends substantially from the transducer to the opening in the earphone apparatus.

7. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the acoustic waveguide is connected to the transducer by a connection chamber.

8. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the acoustic waveguide comprises a manifold structure.

9. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transducer comprises a sensing microphone and the acoustic waveguide extends substantially from the transducer to a further opening in the earphone apparatus for receiving acoustic noise external to the user.

10. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the earphone apparatus is configured to be inserted at least in part into an auditory canal of a user's ear.

11. Earphone apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the sensing microphone comprises a sensing element positioned to sense sound present in the auditory canal of the user's ear.

12. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one further transducer is provided in or on the substrate.

13. Earphone apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one further transducer is an electro-acoustic transducer and sound is conveyed to or from the electro-acoustic transducer via the acoustic waveguide or via a further acoustic waveguide.

14. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the earphone apparatus forms part of a hearing-aid.

15. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the earphone apparatus forms part of a headset including a microphone for a user to speak into.

16. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing for receiving at least a part of the substrate, the housing defining an outer profile for insertion in or at an entrance to an ear canal.

17. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an earphone assembly, the earphone assembly comprising the substrate and the transducer, wherein the substrate acts as a chassis for the earphone assembly.

18. Earphone apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a neck region extending toward the opening.