A trend we have been observing over the past few years is the divergence of audio listening habits.
The mass consumer end of the audio market has shifted to earbuds and average quality audio codecs delivering fast streaming audio, while the high end continues to seek high quality digital audio files and hi-fi storage and playback systems.
New technology is now promising to deliver higher quality audio but with maximum convenience to the mass market end of the audio audience.
Our go-to audio tech research company, Futuresource, has identified some new trends that promise to close the gap between high-quality audio and seamless convenience.
Technologies like Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE), Auracast and flexible rendering solutions are revolutionising the audio landscape, delivering better sound without building usability barriers, according to analysts Rasika D’Souza and Guy Hammett.
The rise of BTLE
BTLE is one of the most significant advancements in wireless audio. Powered by the LC3 codec, it doesn’t achieve fully lossless audio, but it does offer a more efficient compression algorithm, delivering far higher-quality sound at lower bitrates. This means consumers can enjoy richer, clearer audio without increasing data consumption or compromising battery life, which is a key selling point for portable devices like earbuds and speakers.
Additionally, BTLE significantly reduces latency compared to classic Bluetooth, making wireless audio a viable option for gaming and video streaming, as well as live radio talkback, where wired connections have long been the preferred choice.
Extending the horizon with Auracast
Auracast, a companion technology to BTLE, adds to the wireless audio experience, allowing a single audio source to broadcast to multiple devices simultaneously. This enables shared listening experiences and improves accessibility. As an example, users can seamlessly share music or podcasts with friends, or connect multiple speakers for a synchronised multi-room system.
Unlike previous wireless audio advancements, BTLE and Auracast are poised for widespread adoption.
Major system-on-chip (SoC) vendors, such as Qualcomm, are already embedding these technologies into their hardware, ensuring they will become standard features in the majority of future wireless audio products. Plus, consumers need no additional understanding and effort to reap the benefits of BTLE, making better audio quality accessible to everyone.
Flexible rendering for home audio
In the home audio space, flexible rendering technologies like Dolby‘s Atmos FlexConnect and Fraunhofer‘s UpHear are redefining the listening experience. Traditionally, home theatre setups required careful speaker placement to achieve optimal sound, often discouraging consumers due to the complexity and effort involved.
These new systems remove that barrier. Flexible rendering calibrates and optimises audio, based on the placement of speakers, regardless of where they are in the room. As a result, consumers can add as many or as few speakers as they like, and the system will quickly and seamlessly recalibrate to deliver the best possible sound experience.
This modularity not only simplifies the home theatre experience. It also allows consumers to easily add new speakers from friends or family into their Bluetooth listening experience.
Convenience meets quality in a new era for audio
The critical difference with these new technologies is that they require no compromise between quality and convenience. Consumers have consistently demonstrated a preference for ease of use over high fidelity, but now they can enjoy both. Through enhanced wireless audio performance and adaptable home theatre systems, these advancements will align quality audio technology with modern lifestyles.
With this seamless blend of convenience and performance, the future of personal and home audio has never looked or sounded better.
Senior analyst Rasika D’Souza and Guy Hammett recently discussed the audio innovations, purchasing patterns and their view on what’s ahead for personal and luxury audio in 2025. Check out our new Future Sessions 2025 video series here.
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See also: www.audioinfo.world
Divergence and convergence of listening: smart speakers and the age of audio
This story first appeared on RadioInfo.asia