Qualcomm Releases Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation Tech for True Wireless Earbuds

Qualcomm bowed a technology to boost the user experience for true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation. Qualcomm Adaptive ANC is designed to improve user comfort and provide consistent sound quality by adapting performance according to fit, adapting in real time to changes in fit during use, it said Thursday.

True wireless is the most desired form factor for headphones, said a May Qualcomm survey. Global adoption grew from 23% to 42% year on year. Manufacturers are adopting ANC as a differentiating feature, but it can be “difficult for OEMs to deliver consistent ANC performance because earbuds will not always have the same fit or be placed in the ear in the same way,” said James Chapman, general manager-voice, music and wearables. Where a consumer uses earbuds also varies, he said.

Comfort is a key purchase criterion for 53% of consumers considering a true wireless earbud purchase, said the survey. Effective ANC performance is dependent on creating a tight seal once the earbud is placed into the ear, which can cause discomfort. Adaptive ANC is designed to reduce dependency on forming a tight seal so a user doesn’t need to push or twist the bud into the ear, said the company.

Variation in fit can occur depending on whether users are running, walking or moving their head. Adaptive ANC adapts performance in real time according to the tightness of fit or the level of sound leak-through, regardless of how or where the earbuds are being used, Qualcomm said.

Users don’t have to do a fit test, self-calibrate or try out multiple sets of ear tips on setup, said Qualcomm. The technology is designed to work concurrently as a user transitions from one mode to another: taking a call, listening to music or using a digital assistant to ask a question with no interruption to the ANC. Adaptive ANC also automatically adjusts to environmental conditions, lowering noise-canceling for quiet spaces or ramping it up for noisy environments.

Active noise cancellation ranks fourth on consumers’ wish list for earbuds, said the report. Sound quality leads, with 77% of survey respondents indicating interest in high-resolution audio. Over 80% wanted extended battery life, Qualcomm said.

Barriers to true wireless earbud purchases were comfort for long-time wear (40%), price vs. wireless headphones (37%), poor audio quality (37%), sub-eight-hour battery life (31%), lack of capability with current smartphone (29%), slow to charge (29%), poor reviews (27%), easily damaged by water or dust (25%), pairing issues (24%), audio dropouts (23%), hard to control (21%), no active noise cancellation (19%).

Just over half of consumers surveyed said they're likely to buy wireless headphones or earbuds that offer additional features, such as voice assistants, fitness biometrics or hearing improvement, said the report.

Some 69% of consumers use true wireless earbuds for listening to music, 45% for voice calls, 42% for watching TV, 36% for video calls, 33% for audiobooks or podcasts, 28% for noise cancellation, 26% for mobile gaming, 19% for PC gaming, 19% for console gaming, 15% for getting information from the internet and 13% for fitness or health tracking, said the report.