"Wireless headphones with Wi-Fi and 24-bit high-resolution audio coming soon, confirms Qualcomm."

Qualcomm, along with its partners, is about to unveil new products related to wireless audio technology that promises to revolutionize the listening experience. This advancement allows for high-quality audio transmission over Wi-Fi, offering lossless sound of up to 24 bits/192 kHz. When a Wi-Fi connection is unavailable, the system automatically switches to Bluetooth, ensuring that users are never without audio.

The technology underpinning this development is called XPAN, which stands for "Expanded Personal Area Network." Unlike Bluetooth, which often faces limitations in audio quality and latency, XPAN aims to provide an experience that optimizes both characteristics. This system is part of Snapdragon Sound technology, specifically the Snapdragon S7 Gen 1 Sound Platform, meaning it will only be compatible with devices featuring Snapdragon chips.

Initially, the first headphones with XPAN were expected to launch by the end of 2024, but that date has passed. Nevertheless, Qualcomm has indicated that the unveiling of new headphones will occur "very, very soon." The promise of XPAN is to deliver high-resolution audio, comparable to the best wired headphones available on the market.

With XPAN, users will be able to move freely within their homes without losing audio quality, as the headphones will immediately connect via Bluetooth if they go out of Wi-Fi range. This improvement in sound quality will be noticeable not only in high-resolution audio files but also in the playback of sounds in video games or during phone calls.

While Wi-Fi has already been utilized for audio in certain high-end headphones like the Sonos Ace and HED Unity, these systems are often power-intensive and present usability challenges. Qualcomm's new solution could address these issues, though it is unfortunate that it requires a specific set of devices for effective operation.