News

Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound presented, for hi-fi headphones

Qualcomm has unveiled Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, which the company describes as a "chain of audio innovations and software."

With the Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound chain, the intention is that the audio quality will improve significantly when you listen to your music through wireless headphones, earplugs and other devices. The purpose of the software is to wirelessly send music that matches the quality you normally get when listening to your music wired.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound

Snapdragon Sound uses the company’s latest processors, as well as Bluetooth audio SOCs (system-on-a-chip) and codecs such as aptX Adaptive. This achieves an audio playback of 24-bit and 96kHz, or hi-fi.

The Qualcomm components can be found in many earplugs and headphones from well-known brands such as Bose, Jabra, 1More, Sennheiser, Audio-Technica and Anker. For new products, if they support Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, you will see a badge on the packaging. This applies to audio products, but also to smartphones that support this.

Unfortunately, existing devices are not provided with an update. The first devices with Snapdragon Sound on board are expected in the coming months. Xiaomi and Audio-Technica have been announced as the first two partners.

The focus is on reproducing hi-res music. But that’s not the only pillar. The call quality and the clarity of voices during calls must also improve. In addition, the delay of the audio must be limited when playing a video game (that is reduced to 89 milliseconds). The technology must also ensure that the connection always remains stable.