Example app to stream to headphones

[Jazman]

I've got an embedded application where I want to stream from my device to wireless headphones.  Really looking for legacy (I think) right now as I'm not sure LE audio is supported much right now.  So, basically just to pairs I have around right now.  I will provide the digital audio data from my external processor via one of the TBD ports (UART, SPI, maybe I2S).  It would be nice if the example was as complete as possible where I just need to customize the digital audio data into the device.

Ideally this would be using the 5340 as that seems to be the current device.  I can't imagine this is a unique application and is probably something that is pretty common.  I can't find an example that seems to fit the need using the latest SDK and VS Code.  I've already worked thru the tutorials with my eval board and have the basics going.  Would ideally target a module from ublox with regulatory pre-approvals.

Thoughts?  Thanks in advance,

Keith

[Karl Ylvisaker]

Hello Keith,

Unfortunately, none of our devices supports the legacy Bluetooth Classic protocol, so it is not possible for you to create a gateway device for the Bluetooth Classic protocol using any nRF devices.

However, I would strongly recommend that you look into using the new LE Audio standard in any new product developments - it really improves on all aspects of its predecessor.
If you want to know more about the new LE Audio standard, and the improvements it comes with, you could check out this short blogpost that summarizes it :) 

We also already have a reference application - the nrf5340_audio application - for the functionality that you describe using LE Audio, made for use with our new nRF5340 Audio Development Kits.
With two such kits you could have the application that you are describing up and running within minutes - streaming audio from one nRF5340 Audio DK (either input through the USB or the LINE_IN jack option) to the other, either using the new LE Audio Broadcast(BIS) feature, or the 'traditional' Connected(CIS) mode.

Best regards,
Karl

[Jazman]

Thank you very much for the response Karl.  So you're saying that all current production wireless headphones and earbuds (ie: Airbuds, Samsung version, Oneplus version, etc) are all using Bluetooth Classic protocols for audio streaming.  I was not aware of that until now.  Given how long BTLE has been around, I'm kind of shocked.

Unfortunately, developing a product with the LE audio standard is a non-starter at this point.  If there aren't headphones to use with my device, then all the new bells and whistles are meaningless.  The fact that a backwards compatibility mode wasn't built in to the standard was a big "ooops" since it will make adoption VERY hard.  In your blog post you note that there are no current phone or tablet devices that support it.  Until they do, there is no way manufacturers will create headphones to support it.  Chicken or the egg problem...

My product will be targeting late Q1 2023 so LE Audio won't work.  Thank you for the quick response.

Keith

[Karl Ylvisaker]

Hello again, Keith

Sorry about my late reply - after the 'verified answer' status the ticket got pushed to the end of my list, unfortunately.

Jazman said:

So you're saying that all current production wireless headphones and earbuds (ie: Airbuds, Samsung version, Oneplus version, etc) are all using Bluetooth Classic protocols for audio streaming. 

This is correct, for the most part - unless they are controlling both sides of the link, in which case they might use a proprietary protocol, but usually it is just Bluetooth Classic there too.

Jazman said:

The fact that a backwards compatibility mode wasn't built in to the standard was a big "ooops" since it will make adoption VERY hard.

As you note, the Bluetooth Classic standard is very old, and definitively due for an upgrade. This also made backwards compatibility infeasible, since the upgrade is such a large one, with a whole host of new features and improvements over the old standard.

Jazman said:

In your blog post you note that there are no current phone or tablet devices that support it.  Until they do, there is no way manufacturers will create headphones to support it.

Please keep in mind that this blogpost was written in April/June, and a lot of things has happened since then. Android 13 is soon due to come out (october, usually), with support for LE Audio, and I would not think that iOS is far behind on this either.
It is also likely that some manufacturers will produce 'hybrid' headsets for the first couple of years, to smooth the transition to LE Audio. I would however think that LE Audio-only headsets will be the prominent ones in a few years, tops.

Jazman said:

My product will be targeting late Q1 2023 so LE Audio won't work.  Thank you for the quick response.

No problem, I am happy to help! :) 
If you would like to discuss market outlooks and changes etc. I would recommend that you reach out to your Regional Sales Director with these questions instead - I personally work exclusively with the technical aspects, and so I do not have much to contribute to this discussion, but the Regional Sales Directors do!
The RSD for Wisconsin is Barry Hawley and you may reach Barry on [email protected] - please do not hesitate to contact him about this, he'll be happy to take your questions! :) 

Best regards,
Karl