Bluetooth LE Audio Is The Most Significant Upgrade To This Technology Yet: Can You Hear The Difference?

By Ana Dascalescu

Posted on July 13, 2022

Announced in early 2020 and now ready to launch, the Bluetooth LE Audio update is the most significant upgrade to this technology yet.

Bluetooth LE Audio promises the ability to let you connect an “unlimited” number of devices to a single source and save up battery thanks to power efficiency improvements.

However, more significantly, it will make things simply sound better.

Coming with Bluetooth LE Audio is the new LC3 Codec, a more efficient codec than the current SBC, which promises better audio quality at less than half the bit rate. And, with a lower bit rate comes lower power consumption.

But can you tell the difference?

You can listen to a comparison between the Bluetooth LC3 codec and the SBC codec here.

Needless to say, Bluetooth SIG is excited about all the potential implications of the update. What’s unclear is how many existing devices will support the new Bluetooth LE Audio or if the tech will only be available in upcoming ones.

“Our members overcame the many challenges placed on them these past few years to complete the largest specification development project in the history of the Bluetooth SIG. LE Audio extends the boundaries of what’s possible for the wireless audio market,” said CEO of the Bluetooth SIG Mark Powell.

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