InnoPhase IoT, a semiconductor company specializing in ultra-low power Wi-Fi, and GreenWaves Technologies, the company pioneering ultra-low power AI and DSP processors for hearables and connected devices, announced the development of a lossless audio reference design for Wi-Fi headphones. In collaboration with Danish pioneer IDUN Audio, InnoPhase and GreenWaves have created a platform that enables Spatial Audio for hearables and headphones with extended range and long battery life.
The combination of GreenWaves’ ultra-low power GAP9 processor and InnoPhase’s ultra-low power Talaria TWO (T2) platform makes Wi-Fi lossless audio headsets with battery life similar to Bluetooth LE Audio a reality. The solution delivers the higher data rate and low latency required for enhanced user experience. The reference design is available in a small headphone form-factor together with 3D spatial audio application software developed by IDUN Audio, targeting home audio, PC gaming, conferencing and a variety of other applications.
The InnoPhase IoT Talaria TWO platform (available in SoC and module form factors) permits a form-factor audio headset design with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE, enabling streaming directly from the cloud. Talaria TWO offloads the cloud connectivity and streaming functionality while GreenWaves Technologies delivers multichannel audio decoding and processing. Together with applications developed by IDUN Audio, this design enables a binaural spatial audio user experience on Wi-Fi headphones.
“The wireless audio market continues to innovate at a rapid pace. With the continued development of ultra-low power Wi-Fi solutions, headset manufacturers can now more readily take advantage of lossless audio while providing the extended battery life that end users are accustomed to. In addition, the extended range capabilities of Wi-Fi can enable new user experiences, enabling users to listen to their audio throughout the home, be less reliant on their proximity to a source device, and support direct-to-cloud connectivity. ABI Research expects low-power Wi-Fi to be a key differentiator for headset and other audio device manufacturers in the years to come,” says Andrew Zignani, Senior Research Director at ABI Research.
Most headsets and hearables today use a low data rate short-range wireless technology such as Bluetooth to stream audio from either a cell phone, laptop, or gaming console. That presents constraints on throughput, range, and audio quality. For example, Bluetooth throughput at the application layer is ~1Mbps, and multi-channel audio (5.1/7.1) for true surround sound requires multi-Megabits per second, today only possible using Wi-Fi. Also, as Bluetooth is point-to-point, and audio streams from the cloud must go through an interim device, using Wi-Fi allows direct connection to the cloud source so users can directly stream from a variety of music services. Bluetooth range is also much lower than Wi-Fi.
The concept of energy-efficient Wi-Fi headphones is attractive for scenarios where a user could seamlessly roam in his home or backyard due to the extended range capabilities. Finally, although Bluetooth receive power is lower, it is “on” for a longer duration due to the lower data rate. Conversely, Wi-Fi has a higher throughput and consequently a shorter duration for being “on” and can enter sleep mode between audio transfers. The result is a similar average power with a much richer user experience.
“At GreenWaves Technologies, we’re thrilled to partner with InnoPhase IoT to redefine the wireless audio headset experience. Our GAP9 processor, with its energy-efficient multicore parallel architecture working concurrently and in collaboration with an ultra-low latency processing unit and an AI accelerator, provides superior multichannel audio decoding and spatial audio processing capabilities that far exceed traditional VLIW designs. Combined with InnoPhase IoT’s Talaria TWO Wi-Fi solution, which optimizes power efficiency without compromising bandwidth, this partnership enables a new generation of Wi-Fi-enabled headsets that deliver immersive, high-fidelity surround sound experiences without sacrificing battery life. The result is an unparalleled audio experience that brings a new level of quality to wireless headsets,” says Eric Flamand, CTO of GreenWaves Technologies.
Wiren Perera, President and COO of InnoPhase IoT adds: “Our ultra-low-power Wi-Fi delivers enhanced throughput with acceptable battery life for hearables and headsets, making spatial audio a reality that provides a rich user experience. The partnership with GreenWaves and their leadership in DSP and AI technology results in a ready-to-market compelling solution for our customers to adopt. Extended range of roaming and direct cloud connectivity allowing seamless setup and streaming further enhance the user experience.”
The reference board and firmware allow developers to explore the possibilities and easily create a prototype for further evaluation and feature optimization of Wi-Fi headphones or other form-factors – also interesting for wireless speakers. Audio manufacturers can email InnoPhase or contact GreenWaves for a demo and more information. The reference design will be demonstrated during CES 2025 (January 7-10) in Las Vegas, Venetian Suite 29-221.
InnoPhase IoT is headquartered in San Jose, CA. Its flagship product, the Talaria TWO multi-protocol chipset and modules, delivers low-power Wi-Fi radio, enabling end-to-end wireless connected solutions with extended battery life, for high-performance wireless use cases.
www.idun-audio.com
www.innophaseiot.com
www.greenwaves-technologies.com
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