Wireless Audio: Ultra-Low Latency Audio Transmission Over Bluetooth LE Audio

While Bluetooth technology does not provide a complete solution for live performance audio, it still has a key role to play. In particular, the value of a standards-based approach manifests with the availability of low-cost Bluetooth LE-compatible transceivers from a variety of SoC vendors. Building on these readily available devices, manufacturers can engineer systems that are strongly optimized for live and professional applications. But what latency performance targets should those products meet?

The Case of the SCL6 Scalable Codec. How Much Do You Want Hi-Res Audio? The candidates to become high-quality optional codecs for Bluetooth LE Audio are starting to line up. And SCL6 is leading the charge. This new scalable codec created by MQA was one of the best demonstrations at CES 2023, and is one of the most promising solutions for high-quality wireless audio. Yes, I said MQA.

Audio Codecs, a new Belfast-based company and the developers of the Skylark digital audio data compression algorithm designed for low latency, joined forces with Virscient, a New Zealand based RF consultancy house, to launch a new wireless audio transmission module using Bluetooth Low Energy. The solution uses a Nordic Bluetooth LE SoC to transmit a 24-bit/48kHz high quality, low latency digital wireless microphone signal.