Laird Technologies Licenses apt-X® Audio Codec Technology for Use in Bluetooth® Stereo Audio Modules

apt-X® Technology Optimizes Sound Quality in Bluetooth®-enabled Digital Entertainment Devices

St. Louis, Missouri, USA – June 14, 2010 – Laird Technologies, Inc., a global leader in the design and supply of customized performance-critical components and systems for advanced electronics and wireless products, today announced the licensing of apt-X® audio codec technology for use in its Bluetooth® BTM510/511and BTM520/521 wireless stereo audio modules.

apt-X technology optimizes the objective sound quality of stereo audio channeled over the 2.4GHz ISM band from Laird Technologies’ BTM510/511and BTM520/521 wireless modules. Each module incorporates the CSR BlueCore5 Bluetooth 2.1 system-on-a-chip which is used extensively in digital entertainment devices. Each module comes pre-configured with apt-X audio codec software, eliminating the need to program in extra firmware.

"By enhancing our Bluetooth modules with apt-X audio codec technology, Laird Technologies is able to offer the best possible stereo audio quality for our wireless audio module designs,” said Carl Baker, Laird Technologies Director of Sales, Telematics & Wireless M2M. “There is a marked improvement in the sonic purity of Bluetooth stereo audio with apt-X programmed in."

Designed by APTX, an established and proven provider of industry-leading audio compression solutions to the broadcast, professional audio, and consumer electronics industries, apt-X transparently delivers full “wired” audio quality over Bluetooth links. The non-destructive coding techniques used means that the quality of the original source audio file, be that of a CD or a compressed format (MP3, AAC, FLAC), will be preserved over the Bluetooth A2DP link.

"This strategic license agreement with Laird Technologies opens previously untapped Hi-Fi markets to apt-X stereo Bluetooth modules,” said Stephen Wray, APTX Vice President of Licensing. “The availability of Laird Technologies’ best-in-class Bluetooth modules pre-installed with apt-X enables high-end audio designers to deliver wireless, full-frequency bandwidth audio streaming, allowing for the richest possible stereo sound."

Laird Technologies is active in the wireless M2M market, offering the widest range of high-performance wireless modules utilizing Bluetooth technology, as well as integrated antennas and electronic components. The company’s broad selection of M2M products provides solutions for the automotive, telematics, healthcare, EPOS, retail, finance, and security, as well as asset management markets.

About Laird Technologies, Inc.

Laird Technologies designs and manufactures customized, performance-critical products for wireless and other advanced electronics applications.

The company is a global market leader in the design and supply of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, thermal management products, mechanical actuation systems, signal integrity components, and wireless antenna solutions, as well as radio frequency (RF) modules and systems. 

Custom products are supplied to all sectors of the electronics industry including the handset, telecommunications, data transfer and information technology, automotive, aerospace, defense, consumer, medical, and industrial markets.

Laird Technologies, a unit of Laird PLC, employs over 10,000 employees in more than 39 facilities located in 13 countries.

About APTX

APTX provides industry-leading audio compression solutions to the broadcast, professional audio, and consumer electronics industries. 

The company's apt-X audio codec technology has earned a reputation throughout the audio industry as the ultimate high-quality, low-delay audio data compression algorithm available. 

Today, apt-X technology is licensed for use in broadcast audio codec hardware, professional audio systems, and consumer electronics devices, including portable media players and mobile phones, Bluetooth stereo headphones, and wireless microphones. 

Headquartered in Belfast, N. Ireland, APTX has sales offices in the US, Japan, China, and S. Korea.

Contact Information

For additional information, visit http://www.lairdtech.com or contact us at:

  Americas: +1-800-492-2320 or WirelessInfo@lairdtech.com
  Europe: +44-1628-858-940 or WirelessInfo@lairdtech.com
  Hong Kong: +852-2268-6567 x026 or WirelessInfo@lairdtech.com

Translations

Translated versions of this press release are available in Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and German languages.

Trademarks

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