New Audio SoCs Combine Bluetooth HDT with Dual-RF Technology

Ceva and Actions Technology have expanded their longstanding partnership with the introduction of the ATS296X series, a new family of Bluetooth audio chips designed to bring High Data Throughput technology into commercial wireless products. Powered by the Ceva-Waves Bluetooth HDT platform, the series is positioned as one of the industry’s earliest implementations of a capability expected to play a major role in the next generation of Bluetooth audio.

Bluetooth HDT is a key feature associated with the upcoming Bluetooth 7.0 specification. It raises peak data throughput from 2 Mbps to approximately 7.5 Mbps, creating more room for demanding applications that conventional Bluetooth connections cannot support as effectively. These include lossless multichannel audio, ultra-low-latency gaming sound, faster file transfers and substantially quicker over-the-air software updates.

For home entertainment, the added bandwidth could be especially significant. Earlier Bluetooth generations have generally limited native audio delivery to stereo. HDT can support more elaborate configurations, allowing soundbars to communicate wirelessly with satellite speakers and subwoofers. This could help manufacturers reduce cabling while offering richer, more flexible home theater systems.

The ATS296X series combines Actions Technology’s wireless audio SoC expertise with Ceva’s production-ready Bluetooth HDT intellectual property. By integrating the platform into a commercial chip family, Actions aims to give device makers a practical migration path to the emerging standard. Target products include Bluetooth speakers, wireless microphones, gaming accessories, multichannel home audio systems and other premium audio devices.

The collaboration also builds on a substantial shared history. Actions Technology has licensed Ceva’s audio DSP technology for its processing pipelines for years and has delivered more than 100 million wireless audio SoCs incorporating Ceva connectivity and sensing technologies. That experience provides an established foundation for moving HDT from specification work into manufacturable products.

According to Ceva, its Ceva-Waves Bluetooth portfolio includes controller, modem, radio-frequency and software protocol stack IP. Before formal ratification of the next Bluetooth Core Specification, the company has taken part in four industry interoperability events, where it validated its HDT implementation with other major chipset providers. The ATS296X series is itself undergoing interoperability testing, an important step toward reliable operation across products from different vendors.

Actions Technology is also bringing its proprietary dual-RF design to the new series. The company says the architecture is intended to support concurrent operation across multiple scenarios, helping customers address a broader range of use cases. Combined with HDT bandwidth, the design is meant to deliver competitive wireless performance while simplifying development for manufacturers.

Tal Shalev, vice president and general manager of Ceva’s Wireless IoT business unit, described Bluetooth HDT as the next major evolution of wireless audio. He said the ATS296X series shows that the ecosystem is progressing from technical specifications toward commercial products.

Jeffers Gong, general manager of Actions Technology’s Portable Audio business unit, said integrating Ceva’s platform gives customers an early route to HDT and premium wireless audio experiences. He also emphasized that the dual-RF design can serve diverse applications and multi-scenario concurrent-operation requirements.

For device brands, the appeal is not limited to higher headline speeds. A pre-integrated platform can reduce engineering complexity, shorten development cycles and lower the risks involved in adopting an emerging wireless technology. Lossless streaming and reduced latency can improve the user experience directly, while faster software updates can make connected products easier to maintain after purchase.

Bottom line: The launch arrives as audio manufacturers seek stronger performance without giving up the convenience of wireless connectivity. If interoperability testing and the Bluetooth standardization process proceed as expected, the ATS296X family could help establish HDT in speakers, microphones, gaming systems and home theaters. For Ceva and Actions Technology, the project extends a proven relationship while placing both companies near the front of Bluetooth audio’s next commercial transition. The result may be a broader wave of interoperable products that combine better sound, responsive performance and simpler installation for consumers worldwide over time.

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