Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 with Integrated Wi-Fi 6E for Lossless Audio Streaming
Quick Look
- Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 chip, integrating micro-power Wi-Fi 6E to enable direct home network connectivity for wireless earbuds and audio glasses, supporting 24-bit 96kHz lossless audio without Bluetooth limitations.
- The chip is 30% smaller, uses up to 40% less power, and offers double the AI processing of its predecessor.
- Qualcomm is collaborating with HP, Bose, and Cleer on upcoming products, aiming to revive the Wi-Fi audio concept after limited adoption of its 2023 S7 Pro platform due to the need for a separate Wi-Fi chip.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Qualcomm previously introduced the S7 Pro sound platform in 2023 with Expanded Personal Area Network (XPAN) technology to enable Wi-Fi earbuds for lossless audio, but it required a separate Wi-Fi chip, limiting adoption. Only one product, Xiaomi’s 2025 Buds 5 Pro, was known to use it, without a global release.
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 bandwidth.
But that old 7-series platform required a separate Wi-Fi chip to give you Wi-Fi earbuds, and it seems that wasn’t a winning formula for getting makers of incredibly tiny devices to adopt the tech! In fact, we’ve only ever heard of one: Xiaomi’s 2025 Buds 5 Pro, which didn’t get a global release.
Now that Wi-Fi no longer requires an extra chip, perhaps the idea can take off. Qualcomm says the Elite is also 30 percent smaller, consumes up to 40 percent less power, and has twice the AI processing capabilities of the previous gen chip, all of which should be music to device makers’ ears.
So far, Qualcomm says it’s working with HP on one specific unnamed product, is “working closely with Bose,” and is “pioneering a new category of intelligent hearables” (read: earbuds with built-in cameras) with Cleer.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Qualcomm will announce additional partner products using Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 within the next 6 months
Likely · Within months
Wi-Fi-enabled earbuds will gain broader market adoption compared to the S7 Pro platform due to the integrated chip design
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What is the expected release timeline for products using the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2?
- Which specific product is Qualcomm developing with HP?
- What are the pricing and availability details for upcoming Bose and Cleer devices using this chip?
