Bluetooth LE Audio promises better sound quality, lower consumption and support for headphones

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, of which Apple is also a member, has announced the latest addition to its portfolio of wireless standards. With the growing popularity and innovation in wireless audio, the consortium announces a brand new Bluetooth LE Audio standard, developed independently of the standard Bluetooth interface.

Bluetooth LE Audio is designed exclusively for wireless headphones and speakers. Its main benefits are the ability to transmit better quality sound at a lower bitrate, lower energy consumption and support for headphones. Unlike the currently used SBC codec, Bluetooth LE Audio uses the LC3 codec and promises higher sound quality at a lower bitrate. According to the Bluetooth SIG group, the codec allows to reproduce sound of the same quality as SBC only at half the transmission rate. For the future, this means manufacturers can develop better quality headphones while maintaining battery life.

Compatible devices can also take advantage of the multi-stream audio feature for the first time ever. This technology allows you to connect multiple headphones or speakers to one smartphone or other device. It also means the arrival of Personal Audio Sharing, previously available for AirPods and Powerbeats Pro on iOS 13 devices, to other systems and products.

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The Bluetooth SIG group promises many benefits for end users from this function, including increased comfort or easier and better communication in households with multiple voice assistants. The multi-stream audio function will also make it possible to improve the sound experience in larger spaces, such as airports, gyms, sports halls, bars or cinemas. This will be supported by location-based audio streaming. With hearing aid support, there is also the possibility to improve the experience for the hearing impaired. The fairgrounds could also provide simultaneous audio in multiple languages, according to board member Peter Liu of Bose Corporation.

Devices with Bluetooth LE Audio support can operate in two standards. In addition to the new standard, which uses the Bluetooth Low Energy frequency, it also offers a Classic Audio mode operating at the standard Bluetooth frequency, but with the support of the above improvements.

The Bluetooth LE Audio specification is expected in the first half of 2020.