Qualcomm’s new ‘Elite’ sound chip might finally deliver the Wi-Fi earbud dream
Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
What if your wireless earbuds — or audio glasses — could stream high-quality lossless audio that doesn’t cut out when you leave your phone on the bedside charger or buried in the couch? Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 is its first to integrate “micro-power Wi-Fi 6E” right into the chip, so they can connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network, and from there to the cloud.
If that sounds like a familiar promise, it’s probably because Qualcomm promised something similar back in 2023 with the “S7 Pro sound platform”and its Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) tech, saying that Wi-Fi earbuds can do what Bluetooth alone cannot. Namely, 24-bit 96kHz lossless audio that can’t fit into Bluetooth’s meager...
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