Why does AIROHA choose Bluetooth technology as the primary technology for wireless audio system solutions?
bluetooth® technology covers a wide range of data transfer, audio streaming and positioning applications and is equipped with flexible, easy pairing and connection functions. The diverse capabilities and applications have a mature ecosystem that favors the expansion of the IoT application market. In addition, 100 percent of smartphones, PCs and Smart TVs on the market have built-in Bluetooth functionality, which is why we chose Bluetooth as our core technology.
LE Audio, whose specifications are final, has the advantages of low power consumption, low cost, and a mature and widespread ecosystem over other wireless communication technologies. LE Audio power consumption is only 10-20 percent of Wi-Fi.
Adopting LE Audio helps us develop more additional features such as AuracastTM broadcast audio, for our mid- and high-end TWS products. Come on, AuracastTM broadcast audio will be part of the full AIROHA product range.
What are AIROHA’s views on the future applications and development of LE Audio and AuracastTM transmit sound?
“Auracast TM broadcast audio… will vastly change the audio service model of existing dedicated earbuds.
The Bluetooth SIG announced the completion of the LE Audio specifications, the most important milestone in Bluetooth® audio industry in the past decade. The demand from the market for LE Audio technology has therefore arisen. As one of the first companies to qualify LE Audio products, AIROHA’s R&D team is fully committed to proposing total solutions, such as introducing a software development kit (SDK) with the most optimal efficiency, ultra-low power consumption and rich resources . By integrating extensive capabilities required for different Bluetooth application markets and further simplifying the R&D of cross-device Bluetooth connections, we can accelerate the launch of more end products and create new audio experiences for users.
Auracast TM broadcast audio, the key innovation in the LE Audio feature set, is the industry standard for one-to-many audio playback, which will vastly change the audio service model of existing dedicated earbuds. AuracastTM broadcast audio improves user convenience and experience and reduces service costs for providers; it will inspire more innovative applications and scenarios. For example, museum tours no longer need to rent special headsets and visitors can receive audio indoors while wearing their own Bluetooth headsets with Auracast™ broadcast audio. Other venues, such as public gathering places, stadiums, concerts and even corporate events, can also rely on this feature to deliver personalized and innovative services that will revolutionize a company’s consumer experience and service model.
“LC3 will become the standard high-performance and energy-efficient Bluetooth® audio codec.”
In addition to supporting Auracast™ broadcast audio, LE Audio also offers two key benefits: improved sound quality and low latency. In the past, True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Bluetooth earphones were limited by size, weight and battery capacity, making it difficult to balance hardware requirements and audio performance. According to the Bluetooth SIG, the LC3 codec introduced by LE Audio can transmit audio at half the bit rate of traditional SBC without compromising sound quality. In addition, LE Audio reduces the latency problem by 70 percent. Therefore, LC3 will become the standard high-quality and energy-efficient Bluetooth audio codec in the near future.
With the continuous increase of Bluetooth bandwidth and improvement of low latency, more Bluetooth audio applications for IoT devices are expected to emerge in the future.