The S3 Gen 3 and the S5 Gen 3 are Qualcomm’s two new sound platforms: on-device AI, better ANC, more power،
Qualcomm present two new sound platforms: the Qualcomm S3 Gen 3 and the Qualcomm S5 Gen 3. These are currently the most powerful platforms in their respective series, and they will soon find their way to mid-range (S3 Gen 3) and premium ( S5 Gen 3 devices) such as headphones, earphones and speakers.
It's been less than a year since Qualcomm unveiled the S3 Gen 2 platform.
Qualcomm S3 generation 3
The Qualcomm S3 Gen 3 sound platform is intended to enrich the mid-range segment. This platform supports third-party solutions from the Qualcomm Voice & Music Extension Program, a vendor ecosystem that offers technologies optimized to complement and enhance Qualcomm Sound platforms. This is how you get hearing enhancement, spatial audio, echo cancellation, and health tracking on cans (or speakers) that don't cost a fortune. The S3 Gen 3 sound platform is designed to support aptX lossless streaming at 24-bit 48kHz. The audio DAC performance has also been improved to deliver improved SNR and reduce background noise.
“The S3 Gen 3 is our most powerful S3 platform ever, with up to twice the computing power and significantly more processing capacity than the previous generation Sound S3 Gen 2 platform” , indicates the Qualcomm press release.
Qualcomm S5 generation 3
Moving up the ranks, the S5 Gen 3 Platform delivers 3x more compute and 50x more AI power than its predecessor: “The new Qualcomm S5 Gen 3 Sound Platform architecture and increased AI capabilities offer OEMs a platform to develop smart devices that can monitor the user's environment, in addition to how the device is used, and respond accordingly.”
A new platform architecture with 50% more memory and significantly more DSP power than its predecessor will help take the performance of headphones, earphones and speakers to the next level. Optimized for use cases such as music listening, gaming, and business, the Qualcomm S5 Gen 3 sound platform can deliver rich, immersive sound, while maintaining ultra-low-power performance.
It supports Snapdragon Sound with aptX Lossless to provide high-bitrate audiophile music streaming in 24-bit 48kHz and offers enhanced DAC performance for superior audio quality.
Powerful in-device AI optimizes audio performance and improves user experience across many use cases. Data is processed locally on the device for enhanced security and peace of mind, Qualcomm claims.
Additionally, Gen 3 of the S5 platform is the first to feature 4th Gen Qualcomm ANC, “delivering our highest ANC performance ever.” ANC stands for Active Noise Cancellation.
