Qualcomm is also bringing new Bluetooth solutions for headphones to the Snapdragon Tech Summit. The S5 and S3 Gen 2 platforms offer support for Dynamic Spatial Audio, so they can track the wearer's head and align the audio with it. There are also new lossless features and reduced latencies.
Qualcomm S5 Gen 2 and S3 Gen 2 have been optimized to work with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the manufacturer explained at the in-house exhibition. However, the chips can also be used in combination with other smartphone processors, but they may not support all features. In order to comply with the full Snapdragon sound chain, the corresponding Qualcomm products must be used. The company has already started sampling to first customers, but products with S5 and S3 Gen 2 are not expected to be launched until the second half of 2023.
Dynamic Spatial Audio with Headtracking
In conjunction with the new announcements, Snapdragon Sound also includes Dynamic Spatial Audio, which performs head tracking on the user to align the sound of a spatial audio source accordingly in virtual space. The required information is collected by the S5 or S3 Gen 2 based headphones and transmitted to the smartphone, which detects the movements in relation to the playback device and then makes appropriate changes to the spatial audio playback.
Programmable DSP for S5 Gen 2
The functionality of the S5 Gen 2 and S3 Gen 2 is almost identical, but the S5 Gen 2 offers a more powerful DSP that can be programmed by the chip's customer to better meet their own requirements, while the S3 Gen 2 has an adjustable one DSP offers, but the basic framework is provided by Qualcomm. So if a manufacturer wants to generate its very own sound beyond the possibilities of individual drivers in the headphones, the more expensive S5 Gen 2 has to be used. Ideally, Qualcomm has halved the latency between headphones and smartphone from 96 to 48 ms with the new platforms.
Auracast for Bluetooth like Radio
Both platforms are designed for up to Bluetooth 5.3 and support Bluetooth LE Audio with features such as the LC3 codec or Auracast to connect multiple receivers to one source. Depending on the configuration, Auracast can be used like radio by listening directly to a source that is playing, for example using a QR code, NFC or a list of broadcasts in the area, as if you were choosing a radio station. With aptX Lossless, an extension of aptX Adaptive, Qualcomm goes from formerly 16-bit/44.1 kHz to now 16-bit/48 kHz with the S5 and S3 Gen 2. Like lossless playback, it should also support Bluetooth LE audio.< /p>
ComputerBase received information about this article from Qualcomm prior to and during a manufacturer event in Maui, Hawaii under the NDA. Travel, departure and hotel expenses were borne by Qualcomm. There was no influence on the part of the manufacturer or an obligation to report. The only requirement was the earliest possible publication date.