“When you think about the history of Bluetooth, and specifically the history of audio, you really have to go back to the mid- to late ’90s.”
Chuck Sabin is a Bluetooth expert. As Senior Director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), he oversees market research and planning and business development. He also leads the development of emerging uses for Bluetooth, such as Auracast broadcast audio. In other words, he’s a good guy to talk about the evolution of Bluetooth – from the days of mono headphones used only for voice communications to today’s devices capable of transmitting music with lossless quality.
In the mid-1990s, mobile phones began to gain popularity, and of course, so did regulations regarding hands-free use of mobile phones in cars. Sabin previously worked in the cellular industry and remembers how expensive and intrusive the hands-free systems in early vehicles were. Bluetooth grew out of a concerted effort by cell phone companies to cut the headphone cord because it was cumbersome to use those audio accessories in cars that weren’t already wireless. In the late 1990s, Ericsson launched the first Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones, but newer models did not become available until 2001. That same year, the IBM ThinkPad A30 became the first laptop with built-in Bluetooth. At the time, the primary purpose of short-range radio technology was for voice calls.
“A lot of people end up choosing these mono headphones and boom mics,” he explains. You know, the one we’ve all probably made fun of – at least once. Most of these things are large, and some have obnoxious flashing lights. They’re definitely a far cry from today’s increasingly obscure wireless earbuds.
Bluetooth continues to evolve as a specification, and companies use it to play music and stream audio. To facilitate listening to music, communication between the headphones and the connected device must be faster. Continuous streaming requires Bluetooth to support higher data speeds and reduce latency compared to voice calls. Bluetooth 1.0 was specific to calls, while version 2.0 began to achieve the speeds required for audio streaming in excess of 2 Mb/s. However, Sabin said the 2.1 specification adopted by the Bluetooth SIG in 2007 was implemented when all streaming audio functionality was implemented in cars, phones, headsets and other devices.
Of course, it would be several years before wireless headphones became mainstream. In the early 2000s, headphones were still connected directly to a cell phone or other source device. Once Bluetooth becomes a standard feature on all new phone models and is included in laptops and PCs, consumers can rely on wireless connectivity. Even then, music had to be loaded onto a memory card to be played on a phone, as dedicated apps and streaming services didn’t exist until the 2010s.
“The usefulness of the devices you carry with you is constantly evolving,” Sabin said. “Bluetooth finally rides on an ongoing wave of utility by offering the opportunity to use your phone as a wireless audio streaming device.”
Just when wireless headphones were starting to gain popularity, some companies came up with a new proposition in 2015: truly wireless headphones. Improvements in Bluetooth mean reduced power requirements, resulting in smaller devices with smaller batteries, but still providing the performance required for a truly wireless device. Bragi continues to make waves at CES with its Dash headphones. This ambitious product has built-in music storage, fitness tracking, and touch controls, but it has a measly three hours of battery life. In hindsight, maybe the company was a little overzealous, but it certainly set the bar high, and eventually similar technology will find its way into other true wireless products.
“Companies making products are really starting to stretch specifications to their limits,” Sabin explained. “A certain amount of innovation is happening [beyond that] A need for how to manage two wireless headphones. ” He said that the role of Bluetooth is more to improve the performance of the protocol as a means of stimulating the improvement of wireless audio equipment itself.
He’s quick to point out that in the first few years, true wireless headphones would only accept a Bluetooth signal from one ear and send it to the other. This is why one battery always drains faster than the other. In January 2020, the Bluetooth SIG announced LE Audio as part of version 5.2 at CES. LE Audio offers lower battery consumption, standardized audio transmission, and the ability to transmit to multiple receivers or multiple earbuds. LE Audio won’t be completed until July 2022, but it will have a minimum latency of 20 to 30 milliseconds, compared to 100 to 200 milliseconds for classic Bluetooth.
“All processing is now done on the phone itself and then transferred to each earphone independently,” Sabin continued. “This will continue to provide better performance, better form factors, better battery life and so on, because the processing is done at the source level, not at the source level. [on] Individual earplugs. “
Improvements in Bluetooth speed and efficiency also improve overall sound quality. To meet market demand for better audio, Qualcomm and other companies have developed various codecs, such as aptX, that extend the capabilities of Bluetooth. More specifically, aptX HD delivers 48kHz/24-bit audio for wireless high-resolution listening.
“Even on the classic side, one of the elements included in the specification is the ability for companies to sideload different codecs,” Sabin explained. “Companies can then roll out their codecs to mobile phones and headsets to provide enhanced audio capabilities.”
LE Audio standardizes Bluetooth connectivity for hearing aids, resulting in more supported devices and interoperability. Use cases range from tailoring the earbuds to the user’s specific hearing or general hearing aid needs (with or without the help of active noise cancellation or transparency mode), to being able to hear valuable information through the earbuds or hearing aid in public places.
“Bluetooth is becoming an integral part of people with hearing loss,” he explains. “Not only with medical-grade hearing aids, but you’re also seeing hearing capabilities built into consumer devices.”
Sabin also noted that the development of truly wireless headphones is critical for people with hearing loss and helps reduce the stigma of traditional hearing aids. In fact, companies like Sennheiser and Sony have launched assist-focused headphones that look no different from the devices they make for listening to music or taking calls. Of course, these devices can do that too, it’s just that their primary purpose is to help with hearing loss. A 2022 FDA policy change allowing over-the-counter sales of hearing aids further fueled a multi-year boom.
One of the major recent developments in Bluetooth is broadcast audio, or Auracast. Sabin describes the technology as “silencing your world,” which is exactly what happens when you’re able to hear an otherwise muted TV in a public place. Simply select an available broadcast audio channel on your phone (just like a Wi-Fi network) and listen to news or games on your TV during your layover. Auracast can also be used for airport PA and gate announcements, better hearing in meetings, secure audio streaming with friends, and more. Companies like JBL are building it into Bluetooth speakers, so you can connect to an unlimited number of other devices to share sound with the push of a button.
“You’ll see it in speakers, you’ll see it in surround sound systems and complete home or party type scenarios,” he said. Sabin also points out that out-of-home applications can simplify event logistics because Auracast audio comes from the same source without delay before being sent to the PA system or connected earbuds and headphones. Sabin said the near-term goal is to make Bluetooth audio as common as Wi-Fi connections in public places, thanks to the continued development of technologies and standards such as Auracast.
Even 20 years later, we still rely on Bluetooth to answer calls, but voice and audio quality have improved dramatically since the days of headphones. The smaller, more comfortable design can be worn all day long, giving us constant access to music, podcasts, calls and voice assistants. As consumer preferences have shifted toward wearing earbuds at all times, the desire to blend in with their surroundings rather than shut them out has increased. “Silent your world” has become crucial now, and from the late 1990s to LE Audio, advances in Bluetooth technology continue to adapt to our sound preferences.
celebrate Engadget’s 20th Anniversarywe take a look back at the products and services that have transformed the industry since March 2, 2004.
from Tech Empire Solutions https://techempiresolutions.com/bluetooth-audio-20-years/
via https://techempiresolutions.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment