Wireless headphones are about to get more advanced, thanks to Qualcomm’s next generation of processors. Its Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 platform promises better active noise cancellation (ANC), greater power efficiency and, of course, oodles of AI. It could also help wireless headphones and earbuds sound even better.
Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 offers twice the AI capabilities of the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound platform, uses up to 40 per cent less power and is 30 per cent smaller. Which should mean headphones featuring it have longer battery life and are more responsive to your surroundings. The smaller size should also let manufacturers use larger drivers and more components without making the headphones unduly bulky.
Qualcomm processors are used in headphones from Bose, Cambridge Audio, Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins and more, so we should see these advances in some of the biggest models of the year.
Qualcomm also bigs up the platform’s multi-core processing, which will let headphones simultaneously perform AI, audio, communication and wellness-sensing capabilities. And it uses what Qualcomm calls ‘integrated micro-power wi-fi’ to provide a more robust wireless connection with cloud-based audio and personal AI without impacting battery life.
It will support Bluetooth 7.0 and Higher Bands, XPAN and lossless, low-latency sound.
ANC promises to be up to twice as effective as in the previous generation, and is designed for “consistent, real-world performance, not just ideal conditions”. While its promises sound familiar – ANC that automatically adjusts to changes in fit, movement, and environmental noise isn’t exactly new – we should see advances in performance. In other words, it should do all this better than the current generation of wireless headphones.
We are also promised “stronger performance in challenging scenarios, including low-frequency noise, dynamic environments, and open-ear designs.”
Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 will also see the debut of Snapdragon Sound Apps and Agents, which is effectively an app store for headphones. Powered by software ecosystem MicroEJ, it will expand your headphones’ capabilities through third-party support. Qobuz, Roon and infotainment/connected audio company Cinemo are confirmed as launch partners.
Of course, how good and useful all this is depends on how manufacturers implement the tech at their disposal. We should see the first headphones to feature Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 to roll out soon, so stay tuned for our reviews to see how they fare.
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