Bluetooth LE Audio is the biggest standards update in years; understand

Today, we are experiencing a new generation of wireless headphones that are more energy efficient, sound better and support new features such as the ability to connect an “unlimited” number of devices to a single handset. Much of this is due to Bluetooth LE audio, a new technology that, finally, had its development completed and specifications announced by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, an organization that oversees the development of Bluetooth standards and the licensing of Bluetooth technologies and brands to manufacturers.

O Bluetooth LE audio it was first announced in early 2020, and the first devices supporting the new standard were expected to ship before the end of that year. But after a significant delay due to the pandemic, there has only now been a final stop on the project, meaning manufacturers can now start adding support for the standard to their devices. As a result, it is expected that the first compatible products will begin to be made available before the end of this year.

O Bluetooth LE audio it is considered the biggest update of Bluetooth in terms of audio in recent years and the possibility of having it in headphones in a short time excites the main experts in the field. "LE Audio pushes the boundaries of what's possible for the wireless audio market. It was a real challenge to develop over the last two years, but what we have for today is a sense of pride that we were able to complete the biggest specification development project in our company's history.”, praises Mark Powell, CEO of Bluetooth Special Interest Group.

But what is Bluetooth LE Audio anyway?

Briefly, the Bluetooth LE audio (Low Energy Audio) is a new standard developed for transmitting low power audio via Bluetooth. The LE is used, until then, for data transfers that do not require as much power and speed, which normally occurs in IoT and wearable devices. During the Consumer Electronic Show (CES 2022), held earlier this year, the main features and benefits that the standard can bring to the market are revealed.

LC3 codec

One of the main novelties brought by the new standard is the LC3 codec or Low Complexity Communications Codec. Simply put, the codec is responsible for compressing the audio to any size needed for streaming, that is, being transmitted over the Bluetooth connection. According to the developers, this new Codec puts the bitrate at lower levels than the sub-band codec (SBC), but ensuring that audio is sent flawlessly over Bluetooth LE even in conditions of heavy radio wave interference.

According to studies carried out by companies in the field, the LC3 can deliver audio quality improvements of up to 50%. The codec has a bitrate variation ranging from 160kbps to 345kbps. Also, Bluetooth LE audio using the LC3 codec is about twice as energy efficient than Bluetooth audio using the existing subband codec (SBC). In this way, there is a gain in sound quality while reducing energy consumption. This is very beneficial, as we can see wireless devices with better battery life in the future without having to change sizes or put more weight inside.

Multi-Stream

Another amazing difference from Bluetooth LE audio compared to Classic Bluetooth it concerns multi-stream technology. Thanks to it, it will be possible to connect a single wireless headset to different devices of the same type. In this way, future headphones where the left and right sides have independent connections will benefit from the technology. Currently, most headphones work with a Bluetooth connection to one headphone and the other works as a “slave”, which ends up generating latency problems, for example.

Due to the designed specifications, another benefit is that the source audio will no longer be interrupted when you connect to a new device, so the user can consume a song or podcast in sync with a friend, for example, without facing greater difficulties to do so. that. In addition, you will now be able to pair your device with an unlimited number of Bluetooth devices within range of a single audio source.

Bluetooth Broadcast

Another feature brought by LE Audio is the Bluetooth Broadcast. With it, it is possible for several people to connect to a single transmission source at the same time, without stuttering or latency problems. Imagine that you are in a waiting hall with a few televisions tuned to different programming. Normally, you wouldn't be able to hear what's happening on the screen you're interested in, but with Bluetooth Broadcast you'd be able to connect your headphones to that audio stream with several people at the same time, even in different languages.

The most interesting thing is that the novelty will arrive natively and can be used in the most varied ways, whether in a restaurant, or in terminals with large numbers of passengers, such as airports and bus stations.

When does Bluetooth LE Audio hit the market?

With Bluetooth LE audio and the recently announced standard aptX Lossless da Qualcomm, Bluetooth audio looks set to take a big step forward in the coming months. But what is currently unclear is whether it will be necessary to buy entirely new devices to reap the benefits. the website of Bluetooth Special Interest Group indicates that it may be possible for some existing devices to be updated to support the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard.

In general, the technology will only be introduced in Bluetooth devices that support the next generation of wireless connection, the 5.2 version. Although there is still no date for the arrival of new compatible devices, the expectation is that by the end of the year we will have news regarding model launches in the global market.

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Source: The Verge.