Your headphones have hidden LE Audio features you’ll want to know about
Your JBL, Sony, or Bose Bluetooth headphones got a top-to-bottom wireless makeover — not just Auracast.
The audio industry is transitioning from Classic Bluetooth to LE Audio in major headphones and earbuds releases from companies like JBL and Sony. Bose has upgraded its flagship headphones through an OTA firmware update, and Apple has faced Bluetooth challenges. LE Audio includes LC3, which unifies Telephony and Media Audio Profile (TMAP) for simultaneous audio streaming and voice calls.
Bluetooth Classic requires both profiles, leading to poor voice quality during hands-free calls and video chats. LE Audio consolidates these profiles, enhancing bidirectional audio quality and preserving voice call quality during wireless use. Bose's Tour Pro 3 earbuds received an OTA update for LE Audio, while Sony's WF-1000XM6 earbuds support it from launch.
A key feature of LE Audio is native multi-stream audio, addressing multipoint connectivity issues. Bluetooth Classic's multipoint audio transmission causes battery drain in one earbud, which LE Audio resolves by enabling independent audio streams. Hardware and software ecosystems contribute to fragmentation in audio features, with some companies offering advanced codecs only in specific devices. iPhone users may soon access Bluetooth Channel Sounding, a significant improvement in audio quality.
As more devices adopt LE Audio, users can expect lower latency, improved voice audio streams, and enhanced wireless gaming experiences. However, Apple users may have to wait for compatibility with LE Audio.
Written by urgent.news from ZDNet's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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