With more than 75 years of experience delivering audio innovation, the Sennheiser brand strives to create unforgettable moments in sound. Developing high-quality audio products for consumers, Sennheiser specializes in premium and audiophile headphones, earbuds, soundbars, and enhanced hearing solutions. As such, they have gained a reputation for providing cutting-edge technology and exceptional sound engineering.
I recently met with Frank Foppe, senior product manager at Sennheiser to talk about how they are using Auracast™ broadcast audio to support enhanced audio capabilities in their portfolio of high-quality audio devices.
“We strongly believe that Auracast™ broadcast audio has enhanced the wireless audio experience.”
Q&A With Frank Foppe From Sennheiser
What benefits will Auracast™ broadcast audio provide for your customers?
We strongly believe that Auracast™ broadcast audio has enhanced the wireless audio experience and will enable many new audio-sharing use cases. Auracast™ broadcast audio removes any limitations from consuming audio individually and moves towards a shared audio experience.
What was the collaboration process like with Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) and other partners while integrating Auracast™ technology?
The Bluetooth SIG enabled Auracast™ broadcast audio by specifying and standardizing this innovation, and we implemented the technology into our products together with our technology partners like Qualcomm. It has taken an amazing global effort with many partners to make the first Auracast™ enabled Sennheiser products.
Can you explain how Sennheiser ensured the interoperability of Auracast™ earbuds with various devices and platforms?
Interoperability is ensured by three things:
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- All Auracast™ products are qualified by the Bluetooth SIG
- Systematic interoperability tests with devices by our system testing group, which is part of our development team. We have a team in Germany and India that works closely together.
- Field testing with a focus group of internal users who receive prototype devices and test features in their real-life conditions. This group also helps to improve the UI/UX concept with their user feedback.
How does Auracast™ broadcast audio differ from traditional Bluetooth technology in terms of sound quality, latency, and connectivity?
Auracast™ broadcast audio utilizes the new high-quality Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3) of Bluetooth® LE Audio, the next-gen Bluetooth audio standard. This guarantees superior audio transmission, and the data is transferred into sonic waves representing the Sennheiser sound signature by our TrueResponse transducer technology. The Auracast™ latency goes down to 30ms for a lip-synced audio experience thanks to its broadcast characteristics, which is perfect for watching movies, gaming, and listening to a conference.
How does Auracast™ technology improve the multi-device connectivity experience for users of your earbuds?
“Auracast™ broadcast audio enables listening to one wireless audio stream on many headphones.”
Auracast™ broadcast audio enables listening to one wireless audio stream on many headphones. This is great for sharing music with friends, watching movies together on one screen, or broadcasting audio from a TV.
Beta testers liked that it provided a hassle-free connection to a wireless audio stream without any time-consuming device pairing process. They strongly believed in the benefits of getting connected to audio information wherever they are, even while locations that support Auracast™ broadcast audio are still in development.
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The Perfect Fit for an Auracast™ Retrofit
Learn about Auracast™ broadcast audio retrofit solutions and opportunities.
How has participating in The Auracast™ Experience at IFA helped showcase Sennheiser’s innovations in wireless audio technology?
Participating in The Auracast™ Experience at IFA allowed us to showcase how Auracast™ technology functions in the MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 made by Sonova. Attendees were able to participate in important Auracast™ scenarios, such as connecting to a flight announcement system or unmuting silent TVs at a sports bar.
What kind of feedback or engagement did you receive from attendees at The Auracast™ Experience, and how does this shape your future approach?
“Seeing participants using our Auracast™ enabled earbuds and tuning into different broadcasts felt like a huge success.”
Participants of the Auracast™ demo at IFA were equipped with MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 made by Sonova, allowing them to experience the benefits of Auracast™ broadcast audio firsthand, and, for the first time, use earbuds which are available to consumers. Seeing participants using our Auracast™ enabled earbuds and tuning into different broadcasts felt like a huge success.
The feedback we received from attendees was very encouraging with guests commenting on how they feel this technology will revolutionize the future of audio sharing. It has inspired us to continue innovating and pursuing new opportunities to help with the future development of this technology.
What do you think the future holds for Auracast™ technology in the broader wireless audio ecosystem?
In the future, headphone users will not want to miss out on the benefits of Auracast™ broadcast audio. We believe that Auracast™ broadcast audio will quickly become a must-have feature for headphones, especially as more public places begin adopting the technology. We are already seeing a rising number of companies supporting Auracast™ broadcast audio, so it is a matter of time for it becomes a standard expectation for all headphones and earbuds.
What innovations can users expect next from Sennheiser as you continue to develop your line of wireless earbuds with Auracast™ technology?
We just launched Auracast™ broadcast audio for the MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 made by Sonova, but the innovation does not stop there. We will continue to roll out Auracast™ broadcast audio as part of our product portfolio. We will also continue to improve the user experience, for example, by allowing consumers to connect to an Auracast™ stream by simply scanning a QR code.
FEATURED INFOGRAPHIC
The Perfect Fit for an Auracast™ Retrofit
Learn about Auracast™ broadcast audio retrofit solutions and opportunities.