LEAudio, short for Low Energy Audio, is a next-generation Bluetooth audio standard launched by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) in 2020. It was specifically designed to address the pain points of traditional Bluetooth audio (Classic Audio). Based on the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology architecture, it reconstructs audio transmission solutions. It's not a simple upgrade of the old standard, but a comprehensive innovation from the underlying protocol to application scenarios. Its core positioning is an audio transmission technology with "lower power consumption, higher efficiency, and richer application scenarios."

Traditional Bluetooth audio relies on Classic Bluetooth protocols such as A2DP and HFP, which suffer from high power consumption, insufficient connection flexibility, and uneven audio latency. LEAudio, on the other hand, is directly integrated into the BLE protocol stack, inheriting the low power consumption advantage of BLE and achieving a balance between sound quality, power consumption, and latency through new audio transmission protocols (LC3 encoding, ISOchronous Channel, etc.), making it an ideal audio solution for TWS earphones, smart wearables, and IoT devices.

LEAudio's Core Technological Breakthroughs

1. LC3 Encoding Technology

Audio abandoned the traditional Bluetooth SBC and AAC encodings, adopting LC3 (Low Complexity Communication Codec) as its core encoding scheme. This is the core of its performance improvement. The advantages of LC3 are:
* High Compression Efficiency: At the same audio quality, LC3's bitrate is only half that of SBC (for example, stereo music transmission requires only 32-48kbps, while SBC may require 64-96kbps for the same audio quality).
* Low Latency: LC3's encoding latency is as low as less than 10 milliseconds (traditional SBC is about 40-60 milliseconds), perfectly suited for real-time scenarios such as gaming and live streaming.
* Strong Fault Tolerance: It has excellent anti-interference capabilities, reducing audio stuttering and disconnections even in environments with weak signals.

2. Dedicated ISO Channel

Traditional Bluetooth audio transmission is susceptible to interference from other data. LEAudio introduces the ISOchronous Channel, providing a dedicated transmission channel for audio streams.

3. Auracast Broadcast Audio

LE Audio's most revolutionary feature is Auracast broadcast audio, which completely changes the "one-to-one" connection mode of Bluetooth audio: Multi-receiver synchronization: One audio source (such as a mobile phone, speaker, or public address system) can simultaneously broadcast audio to countless LEAudio receiving devices (such as headphones or hearing aids), with all receivers receiving synchronously without latency differences; Balance of openness and privacy: Broadcast audio can be set to public (such as public audio in airports or theaters) or encrypted (such as private audio at family gatherings). Users do not need to pair; they only need to be near the broadcast source to "subscribe" to the audio stream.

Comprehensive Coverage from Personal Applications to Public Scenarios

1. Personal Consumer Electronics: Reconstructing the TWS Earphone Experience

Low Power Consumption and Battery Life: TWS earphones using LE Audio reduce power consumption by 30%-50%, extending battery life on a single charge and allowing for further reduction in the size of the charging case;
Seamless Switching: Supports simultaneous connection to multiple devices (such as mobile phones, computers, and tablets), enabling seamless audio switching between devices without repeated pairing;
Gaming/Live Streaming Optimization: Low latency within 10 milliseconds, combined with two-way voice optimization, makes TWS earphones the ideal peripheral for gaming and live streaming.

2. Assistive Hearing Devices: Breaking Down Communication Barriers for the Hearing Impaired

LE Audio is the world's first Bluetooth standard optimized specifically for hearing aids:
Low Power Adaptation: Given the small size and limited battery capacity of hearing aids, LE Audio's low power consumption extends battery life;
Clear Audio Transmission: LC3 encoding provides higher fidelity to speech details. Combined with Auracast broadcasting, hearing-impaired individuals can directly receive clear audio broadcasts through their hearing aids in scenarios such as meeting rooms, classrooms, and cinemas, without relying on the "near-field pickup" of traditional hearing aids;
Privacy Protection: The receiving device can encrypt the received broadcast audio to prevent eavesdropping, balancing practicality and privacy.

3. Public Scenarios: Creating an Immersive Audio Experience

Upgraded Public Address System: Airports, train stations, theaters, and other venues can broadcast audio via Auracast. Visitors wearing LE Audio headphones can receive multilingual audio guides and programs, avoiding noise interference from public loudspeakers.
Multi-user Interactive Scenarios: In concerts, gyms, and conference rooms, users can receive personalized audio through headphones (such as multi-channel mixing for concerts or dialect translation for conference rooms), achieving "different audio experiences in the same space."
In-vehicle Audio Innovation: In-vehicle systems can broadcast audio to all passengers' headphones via Auracast, while also allowing passengers to independently adjust the volume, avoiding disputes over speaker volume.

Core Value—Making Audio Transmission More Efficient and Flexible

The essence of LE Audio is to break through the technical limitations of traditional Bluetooth audio through a combination of "low-power architecture + efficient encoding + flexible transmission," achieving an audio experience upgrade "from personal to public, from one-way to two-way, and from exclusive to shared." It's not just a technological upgrade direction for devices like TWS earphones and hearing aids, but also a restructuring of the rules of audio transmission, allowing Bluetooth audio to move from "connecting devices" to "connecting scenarios," bringing new possibilities to smart living, public services, and barrier-free communication. With more and more devices supporting LE Audio, a more efficient, freer, and more inclusive era of audio interconnection is arriving.