Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 Audio Chip With Personal AI for Flagship Headphones

Qualcomm has unveiled the premium Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 audio chip, designed for headphones, hybrid open-ear audio systems, smart audio glasses, and other next-generation multifunctional wearable devices. The new platform is the first of its kind to feature a processor for personal AI that runs directly on the headphones. Compared with the previous model in the series, the chip's AI performance has doubled to 128 GOPS, while power consumption has decreased by 40%. This performance will enable devices to support third-party AI applications, agents, and various local AI models, though the exact list has not yet been specified.

In addition to simple audio playback, the mobile platform has gained contextual object and image recognition, which will be a useful option for gadgets with built-in cameras. Local AI algorithms will also be used to improve the effectiveness of adaptive active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and voice processing.

Another key feature of Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 is support for Wi-Fi 6E on the 2.4/5/6 GHz bands and the ability to connect directly to the cloud. This will allow headphones based on the new chipset to connect directly to compatible streaming services without requiring a smartphone. It supports lossless streaming at up to 192 kHz, low latency, and spatial audio. To improve sound quality and extend wireless range, the chipset also supports Bluetooth 7.0, Qualcomm's proprietary aptX codecs, and XPAN technology.

Qualcomm has not yet named any specific device models that will receive the new audio chip, providing only a general description of the device categories.