Designed primarily for true wireless earbuds and headphones, but also for speakers, the S7 and S7 Pro Gen1 system-on-chips are the most advanced audio platforms ever from Qualcomm, introducing a completely new architecture and bringing a combination of high-performance, low power compute, on-device AI, and advanced connectivity.
The S7 Pro also includes new micro-power Wi-Fi capabilities to extend the range of audio devices far beyond what is possible today using only Bluetooth – allowing users to walk around a home, building or campus while listening to music or making calls. According to the product briefing that audioXpress attended, the micro-power Wi-Fi capabilities will not have any trade-offs in battery life compared to Bluetooth connectivity, allowing for the same exact autonomy and the ability for new designs to seamlessly transition from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth LE Audio or Classic, depending on the application, connected devices, and conditions.
The Qualcomm S7 Pro Platform (Qualcomm QCC7226 + QCP7321) is the first to support micro-power Wi-Fi connectivity and Qualcomm's new Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology that enables whole home and building coverage, supporting up to 192kHz lossless music streaming and enhanced sound for gaming with spatial audio.
In addition to this, the S7 and S7 Pro Gen1 platforms are packed with premium audio technologies, including 4th Gen Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and fully programmable, low-latency DSP to provide powerful ANC, as well as enabling hearing loss compensation and personal sound amplification products.
A new powerful on-device AI and the Qualcomm neural network accelerator enables a step-change in concurrent processing at ultra-low power. The completely new architecture with a dedicated Qualcomm Micro NPU AI engine, multiple DSP Cores, and a sensor hub, is also supported by a 300% increase in memory.
Working in conjunction with Active Noise Cancellation and Personal Sound Amplification technologies, the on-device AI enables earbuds and headsets to become much more responsive to listener needs, environment, and preferences as they transition throughout their day.
"These platforms set a new benchmark for high-performance sound at ultra-low power. They are packed with premium technologies that work together with on-device AI to deliver immersive and personalized audio experiences wherever you go - whether in a meeting, socializing, gaming, listening to music or just needing some quiet time," says Dino Bekis, vice president and general manager, Wearables and Mixed Signals Solutions, Qualcomm Technologies.
Qualcomm XPAN Technology
As the company explains, XPAN is a new Snapdragon Sound connectivity technology that allows TWS earbuds to stay connected even when the smartphone is in another room, or on another floor of your building outside of Bluetooth range. With Snapdragon Sound and Qualcomm XPAN Technology, the new S7 Pro Platform supports high bit-rate music streaming, delivered over Wi-Fi at power consumption levels suitable even for earbuds, so users can listen at ultra-low power and hear every detail of the music in lossless quality (from 92kHz initially, and scaling up to 192kHz later).
According to the latest State of Sound Report, premium audio experiences are front of mind for listeners, with 73% of respondents stating, "I make sure that sound quality on my devices gets better and better with every purchase." Demand for music quality is also at an all-time high, with 69% of respondents listing lossless audio quality as a purchase driver for their next set of earbuds.
Ready to support Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast as well, the platforms utilize on-device AI to help hearing enhancement technologies deliver a more seamless user experience by understanding and adapting to user needs throughout the day. For example, by using on-device AI learning, the ANC can transition virtually seamlessly and intelligently between ANC modes based on immediate environment.
An all-new platform hardware architecture supports low-latency, multi-channel and low-power ANC. The ANC automatically and dynamically adapts to provide strong ANC performance based on different variables including variations in fit, whether the earbud becomes loose in the ear, or whether the noise suddenly changes in the environment. Transparency mode is supported, and the ANC will automatically and seamlessly transition between modes.
"The S7 Pro Platform with our micro-power Wi-Fi and revolutionary Qualcomm XPAN technology further transforms the sound experience by enabling whole home and building audio coverage, support for up to 192kHz multi-channel lossless music streaming and enhanced multi-channel spatial audio for gaming," adds Dino Bekis.
The latest Snapdragon Sound Technology will be already featured in the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform and Snapdragon X Elite, also introduced at the Hawaii event. "When paired with a device powered by the S7 or S7 Pro platforms, consumers will experience sound in way that has not been possible until now," says Qualcomm.
Here is a summary of the new features:
• All new platform architecture unlocks a new tier of performance, maintaining ultra-low power performance
• Almost 100x more AI power than the Qualcomm® S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform
• 3x more memory than the Qualcomm® S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform
• A step-change in DSP – 1.5 GHz total audio compute (50%+ improvement on previous S5 Gen 2 Sound Platform)
• Dedicated AI core to provide higher performance and lower power for ML applications compared to using the DSP
• Dedicated cores for audio curation including hearing loss compensation, ANC, transparency, and noise management
• Hi-Fi-grade stereo audio codec
• 4th Generation Qualcomm Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation 112 biQuad filters combined with fully programmable 3uSec low latency DSP to enable personalized and responsive audio curation
• Bluetooth 5.4 radio and Bluetooth® LE Audio experiences, including Auracast Broadcast Audio
• USB High Speed PHY at 480 Mbps which unlocks enhanced Audio Development workflows
• Non-invasive, low-level debug through use of Qualcomm USB-EUD
• Enhanced memory and peripheral data sharing across subsystems for lower latency and higher throughputs
• DMIC, I2S, TDM, and Soundwire digital audio interfaces
• Fully integrated system including PMU, charger, mic bias, and external supply support
• High-performance audio combined with low power consumption, designed for Snapdragon Sound
Qualcomm S7 Pro Gen 1 Additional Features
• Support for Wi-Fi connectivity at micro-power
• Support for whole home and building coverage with Qualcomm XPAN Technology
• Seamless transitions to Wi-Fi from Bluetooth
• Data rates of up to 29Mpbs, supporting Snapdragon Sound and delivering up to 24-bit/192kHz lossless music streaming over Wi-Fi
www.qualcomm.com
