Building on the success of the original Skylark codec — widely adopted by top-tier microphone, IEM, and headset manufacturers — Skylark V2.0 pushes performance even further with a 17% reduction in latency, lower data rates, and reduced MIPs. Obviously, the improved version of the codec also results in improved audio quality, but manufacturers are particularly captivated by the codec's end-to-end latency of just 1.5ms (77 samples).
These enhancements make Skylark V2.0 an ideal solution for real-time audio applications over sub-GHz, DECT, and Bluetooth LE wireless links. To simplify integration for manufacturers, Skylark V2.0 is now supported on ARM, Blackfin, and HiFi3 hardware platforms. This ensures seamless deployment across a wide range of popular audio SoCs.
While the original Skylark was optimized for synchronous audio links, Skylark V2.0 is purpose-built for packetized RF protocols in next-gen wireless applications. Its integrated Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) technology delivers superior performance — even in congested or unreliable RF environments — where mission-critical audio connectivity is non-negotiable.
In order to fully demonstrate the improvements in the new version of Skylark, Audio Codecs is inviting audio hardware developers and manufacturers to submit audio samples for A/B comparison. The company will return the processed files in Skylark V2.0 24-bit at 48kHz, enabling developers to objectively evaluate quality against the original Linear PCM.
Audio Codecs and its engineering partners are now ready to support any company interested in testing Skylark V2.0 or integrating it into their next product. Licensing and evaluation opportunities are available and should be addressed to Jonny McClintock.
Apart from Jonny McClintock, Audio Codecs was founded by Peter Craven and Malcolm Law, both part of the history of data compression from the University of Oxford and the development of Adaptive Differential Pulse-Code Modulation (ADPCM) technology. Both have also been instrumental in working with Bob Stuart (of Meridian Audio) on Lossless Data Compression, resulting in the MLP lossless compression system (rebranded as Dolby TrueHD) and subsequently leveraged in MQA audio transmission applications. Peter Craven was awarded a Fellowship by the Audio Engineering Society, "In recognition of significant contributions over many years to signal processing technologies that advance high-quality audio, and for co-design of the Soundfield Microphone."
www.audiocodecs.co.uk
