CES 2017: Qualcomm Launches New Active Noise Cancelling, Wireless Headset Technologies

At CES 2017, Qualcomm Technologies has introduced the Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Headset Reference Design to address the headset and hearables markets, as well introducing active noise cancelling (ANC) technology onto its CSR8675 product platform – making it the world’s first Bluetooth audio system-on-chip (SoC) to integrate such an advanced audio solution.

Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Technology Addresses Bluetooth Stereo Headset, Hearables Categories
The innovative Qualcomm TrueWireless technology aims meet growing demand in the headset and hearables markets for much smaller form factor, truly wireless devices. Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo technology eliminates the need for wires entirely – not only between the media source and stereo headset, but also between left and right earbuds. Without a solution such as Qualcomm TrueWireless, wireless Bluetooth headsets and hearables would be connected to the audio source wirelessly, but would still need a wired ‘connection between the left and right earbuds.

“Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo technology is the result of years of premium audio and connectivity research and development specifically on exciting new wireless headset use cases,” says Anthony Murray, SVP and GM, IoT, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. “Demand for non-wired headsets is growing rapidly. We are also seeing the emergence of hearables. This new category sees convergence of traditional audio device features with wearable technology features in ultra-small form factor devices. Users want more fully featured headsets combined with total freedom while listening, easy portability for sports and travel and not having to worry about wires tangling or getting caught in head gear,” added Murray. “By using our cutting-edge Qualcomm TrueWireless technology, manufacturers can better serve the end user’s needs and reduce the time required to develop exciting new products.”

The Qualcomm TrueWireless Stereo Headset Reference Design is based on the CSRA63120 audio ROM device, which supports stereo Bluetooth headsets to function completely wire free and is ideal for manufacturers who wish to take advantage of growing consumer desire and wireless earbuds, without deploying enormous design, validation and testing resources or acquiring deep radio frequency design expertise.

The reference design makes low-cost wire-free headsets possible, meets new consumer needs and benefits manufacturers who want to save time and cost as they develop new products in this emerging ecosystem. Schematics, bill of materials (BOM), gerber files and user’s guide are included with the reference design platform.

The Qualcomm TrueWireless Reference Design is available to audio OEMs and headset manufacturers now. Its key benefits include low cost, optimized for low latency between left and right headphones, low power allowing long listening time per battery charge, reduced development time, completely wire-free headphone connection with antenna technology, Bluetooth 4.2 and 8th generation Qualcomm cVc noise cancellation technology, and Qualcomm TrueWireless technology.

Active Noise Cancelling Technology Comes to Ultra-Small Earbuds, Headphones
Qualcomm Technologies has also introduced active noise cancelling (ANC) technology onto its CSR8675 product platform, making it the world’s first Bluetooth audio system-on-chip (SoC) to integrate such an advanced audio solution, according to the compnay. The new feature reduces the complexity and cost of adding active noise cancelling to headphones by eliminating the need for a separate ANC chip, helping manufacturers quickly deliver premium audio experiences in much smaller form factor designs.

By integrating ANC with CSR8675, which is ideal for ultra-small form factor designs, Qualcomm is taking the category of small form factor in-ear designs to a whole new level and bringing a higher-quality listening experience to consumers who prefer earbuds. The CSR8675 is a fully integrated Flash platform with embedded 120Mhz 24-bit DSP and also supports Qualcomm aptX and Qualcomm aptX HD audio technologies for consistent, high-quality audio streaming over Bluetooth.

“Demand for stereo wireless in-ear devices and headsets is growing rapidly. Users want to enjoy a superb audio experience in any environment, without sacrificing quality when they listen to their music, videos and games,” said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, IoT, Qualcomm Technologies. “Being the first to bring a Bluetooth audio SoC with integrated active noise cancelling technology allows us to work with manufacturers to integrate noise cancelling technology into a wider range of their products now, while consumers, who have experienced noise cancelling in high end headsets,  are increasingly wanting this capability in their more casual audio headsets which typically retail at lower price points.”

“We’ve added the CSR8675 with integrated ANC to our Active Noise Cancelling Bluetooth headphones to offer a high quality audio experience,” said Tom Li, executive vice president of business development, Fujikon Industrial. “Because the ANC technology is integrated onto the CSR8675 device we can deliver real value to our customers both in terms of cost and performance for end users. The headphones feature an extended playtime of approximately 12 hours and noise cancelling performance of up to -23dB.”