Bluetooth gets LE Audio variant with efficient codec and multistream playback

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has announced LE Audio, a new standard for audio that works over Bluetooth low energy and offers some features on top of what is now called Classic Audio from Bluetooth.

For example, LE Audio uses the low complexity communications codec or lc3, which was co-developed by Fraunhofer. The purpose of this codec is to provide high quality audio at medium bitrates with minimal computational complexity. This should, among other things, make use more energy-efficient compared to the subband codec, or sbc, of Bluetooth Classic Audio. In addition, the Bluetooth SIG claims that lc3 offers better audio quality than sbc, even at a 50 percent lower bitrate.

Bluetooth LE Audio further supports multiple independent but synchronous audio streams. For example, a smartphone can output to multiple speakers and headphones, and it should also help manufacturers offer better wireless stereo reproduction. There is also a broadcast option that enables sharing of audio, among other things. This can also be based on location, so that museums, for example, can broadcast audio from screens via Bluetooth to people in the vicinity.

The new standard also offers support for hearing aids, so that in the future users of such aids can connect their hearing aid to, for example, a smartphone or TV.