The Acoustical Challenges of Designing True Wireless Earphones

Expanding the perspective on the evolution toward hearables, this article explores the current trends as well as the acoustical challenges and solutions for designing true wireless earphones. The article explains the enabling technologies currently converging as the TWS market continues to grow and use cases multiply, with more consumers using wireless earbuds for a diverse and varied set of applications, from listening to podcasts and audiobooks to Internet meetings and interacting with voice assistants. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022.

In order to meet the quality expectations of their users, high-end consumer electronics manufacturer Bang & Olufsen decided on the new open standard LC3plus codec from Fraunhofer IIS for their wireless streaming devices. LC3plus is currently the most advanced solution that combines support for high-resolution audio with low delay. LC3plus has been standardized by ETSI as TS 103 634, and is the first solution to support high-resolution music streaming services also over wireless accessories.