The acquisition enables a tighter integration of the apt-x low latency audio compression CODECs with CSR’s next generation audio products. The acquisition also enables CSR to substantially strengthen its offering in the growing real-time streaming audio market for mobile and wireless consumer applications and support its expansion into broader audio markets.

APT is renowned for non-destructive, transparent, audio compression solutions, which retain the full integrity of the original digital audio and are optimised for instant real-time audio streaming. The apt-x suite of audio compression algorithms has earned a reputation for some of the highest audio quality, combined with extremely low latency and strong resilience to bit errors, having been proven in wireless, broadcast and professional live performance applications.

APT joins CSR with existing IP licensing agreements in place with industry-leading consumer and technology brands, including Altec Lansing, Creative, Jaybird, and Sennheiser.

The apt-x algorithm sets the base-rate quality much higher than many audio CODECs, offering a consistently excellent experience. apt-x is particularly suited to Bluetooth and its high performance has already gained it an excellent reputation, as demonstrated by numerous independent product reviews of currently shipping end products such as the Sennheiser PXC 310 Bluetooth headphones.

Another of APT’s latest CODECs, apt-x Lossless focuses on delivering the ultimate in audio quality providing an uncompromised user experience; its ultra low latency and low power consumption make it suitable for portable, battery-driven applications requiring the highest audio quality.

APT has been working on the development of scalable CODECs that can be adapted for specific acoustic environments, battery life savings, latency and error resilience. CSR sees great potential in this technology which offers the opportunity to create new, fully adaptive audio platforms.

APT and CSR started working together in 2007 when APT became part of CSR's eXtension Partner Programme. The Programme delivers high quality audio enhancements to CSR's Bluetooth technologies, and apt-x CODECs have been offered as options on CSR's powerful digital signal processor (DSP) in its BlueCore multimedia products. CSR now embeds this Kalimba DSP into the vast majority of its products, and high quality stereo audio has become an essential part of today's mobile devices and consumer electronics.

Other solutions from the APT suite of audio CODECs include apt-x Standard, which is widely known as the grandfather of broadcast and distribution CODECs and has two decades of successful implementations under its belt. apt-x Enhanced and apt-x Live CODECs were developed for the professional and broadcast audio markets. These technologies have now migrated into consumer electronics where there is an obvious increase in demand for superior audio performance.

All seventeen of APT’s highly qualified and experienced full-time staff will become an integral part of CSR’s audio platform team, and CSR plans to retain the apt-x product brand.

For further information: www.csr.com.