The new Bluetooth LE Audio standard includes the LC3 audio codec, which is more efficient than the current SBC codec. It also brings the new Auracast streaming feature to easily connect multiple devices to the same audio source.
It will have taken two years since the first announcement, but the specifications of the Bluetooth LE Audio are finally complete. This has just been announced by the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group), which is responsible for standardizing the standard. The objective of this evolution is to improve the sound quality, to save energy and to share its connection more easily. Bluetooth LE Audio uses the core of the standard updated in version 5.2.
The two-year delay is mainly due to the pandemic, but the Bluetooth SIG hopes the first products will be available before the end of the year. For example, Marshall indicated that his latest home speakers can benefit from it with a simple firmware update.
A more powerful audio codec
The first element of Bluetooth LE Audio is the new audio codec LC3 (Low Complexity Communications Codec), more efficient than the aging SBC codec. This is generally neglected in favor of AAC or aptX, which are more efficient. According to the first tests, the LC3 codec offers significantly better sound quality than the SBC with the same bit rate. But the advantage of the LC3 is to offer the same sound quality as the SBC with half the bit rate, which means half the power consumption. As a result, the autonomy of the devices will be much greater. We will therefore have to distinguish between classic Bluetooth audio and Bluetooth LE Audio, even if the two technologies can coexist. The new standard will also improve the connection of true wireless headphones. This is because each earbud will have its own independent Bluetooth connection to the source device. The transmitter will be able to broadcast several synchronized audio streams, the maximum number of which will depend on the desired audio quality.
A new function for Bluetooth audio broadcasting
The other aspect of Bluetooth LE Audio will be the ability to connect multiple audio devices to the same source (broadcast). This new feature is called Auracast. It will be possible to search for a source as we can currently search for a Wi-Fi network. The standard also provides for connection by NFC or by using a QR Code.
In the example above, it is possible to select airport announcements, or Taylor’s laptop, or Amir’s phone as the audio source. In addition each receiver can control the volume independently. This function will therefore be able to be used in public places, but also to share music from the same source (smartphone, tablet, computer, television, etc.).
Finally, Bluetooth LE Audio will make it possible to design a new category of Bluetooth hearing aids that will require less energy and can therefore be even smaller and more discreet than existing models.
On paper, the Bluetooth LE Audio standard is very promising, but we will have to wait for the arrival of products capable of exploiting it both in transmission (smartphone, tablet, laptop computer) and in reception (headphones, headphones, speakers) to see if these promises will be kept.
Bluetooth SIG
