The association of companies responsible for maintaining and improving the Bluetooth protocol has just finalized its new Bluetooth LE Audio specification. It was presented more than two years ago, but due to the pandemic it could not be completed and approved until now. The new specification allows manufacturers to start today to develop products that incorporate some of the novelties included in it.
A better codec will allow headphones with greater autonomy
The main novelty is the new LE audio codec designed to make transmission more efficient. A codec is a mathematical algorithm developed to compress and decompress information trying to make it take up as little as possible without the quality deteriorating too much. An example is Mp3 or JPG. It will allow you to obtain better audio quality using the same transfer speed or you can enjoy the same quality with lower consumption.
In wireless headphones, this point is of vital importance to reduce their size without degrading their autonomy or to offer an audio quality similar to wired headphones in the event that they are large, such as the Bose Quietcomfort. Therefore, the new LC3 codec will allow headphones with the shape and function of AirPods to have greater autonomy, which is their main drawback despite charging cases. Their size and that of their batteries could also be reduced while maintaining the autonomy they currently have.
Multiple headphones connected to the same device
The specification not only features mathematical advances in digital audio compression. Also included is a new technology called auracast that will allow you to connect several Bluetooth headphones to the same device. That is, a couple will be able to listen to the sound of the movie they are watching on the TV each with their headphones. In a gym, all users could listen to the same music at the same time or guided tours could be made in churches or museums without having to disturb the rest of the visitors.
Each user will be able to connect to this kind of common station in a similar way to connecting to a Wi-Fi network. You will also be able to scan a QR code or pose the phone in an NFC contactless socket.
This also allows headphones such as AirPods to work individually, since this new standard allows it without the manufacturer having to do it on their own. This may allow new ways of use, and greater control of the manufacturer to pass calls only through one of the headphones, for example.
It is especially useful for people with some kind of hearing problem, who thanks to this standard could have a simultaneous transmission to which they can connect with their headphones to hear clearly what they couldn’t until now. Venues where conferences are offered or theater plays may be offered this service in the future to make them more accessible.
When will these new headphones arrive?
LE audio headphones depend on several parameters established in the Bluetooth 5.2 standard. But consumers will have to find out if the manufacturer has made them compliant to the new protocol. Headphones compatible with the standard Bluetooth audio used until now will be able to reproduce Audio LE, but it will depend on each brand and model.
The headphones that support this new specification will continue to be compatible with the “classic” audio that has been used until now, and it is normal that it will continue to be supported for the next few years, although it is not mandatory. To enjoy the benefits of the new codec, both the source (the smartphone, for example) and the headphones need to be certified under this new LE Audio specification. The same goes for the Auracast feature: many high-end headsets released this year will support it, but not all.
The Bluetooth association hopes that from Christmas we can start enjoying headphones developed entirely under this new standard.