Connected Audio features drive growth of premium mass market audio

CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM, July 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As the audio market evolves, a growing segment is premium products aimed at the mass market. Both traditional Hi-Fi brands and newer entrants are targeting consumers that are looking to upgrade their audio experience. Key to attracting these listeners is to offer connected audio features including.

• Advanced connectivity – High speed Wi-Fi for direct, Hi-Res streaming from the internet and the latest Bluetooth^® Low Energy Audio for low power streaming between devices.
• Easy setup and control via mobile applications.
• Advanced features that enhance user’s audio experience such as AirPlay and Spotify Connect

According to Guy Hammett from Futuresource Audio Consulting: ‘The premium mass market segment is growing, driven by younger generations who have grown up with mobile streaming and are looking to upgrade beyond Bluetooth^® only speakers and add additional features including higher quality audio’.

Cambridge based Frontier, the leading provider of turnkey Connected Audio solutions to audio brands, predict that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^® Low Energy Audio connectivity will soon be standard in audio products above $99, in the same way that most of todays’ TVs include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth^® connectivity.

Frontier’s latest solution, AURIA, enables high quality, Connected Audio products to be designed and manufactured with minimal cost and time to market.
 
AURIA technical highlights
• Fast and efficient processor: dual-core ARM Cortex-A32 at 1.3GHz
• Reliable and efficient architecture: Chip-level integration of memory and flash
• Advanced Connectivity: Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ax (2.4 or 5 GHz) up to 114Mbps at 20MHz channel bandwidth.
• Latest Bluetooth^®: Support for Bluetooth^® Low Energy Audio to enable low power performance at high quality with the latest LC3 codec.
• Advanced audio Features: AirPlay, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Auracast™, party mode, stereo pair.
• High quality audio: Hi-Res 24-bit audio at192kHz sampling rate.
• Delightful user experience: Album art display, alarm clock, sleep timer, easy access pre-sets.
• Flexible final product design: Support for onboard or external DAC, I/O options, headless UI or display.

Full turn-key solution and support
AURIA is a pre-certified, production-ready module that enables manufacturers and brands to reliably integrate advanced audio features into speakers, soundbars, micro systems, and adapters with minimal engineering overhead. Frontier’s turnkey solution includes:
• Embedded software
• Companion mobile app OKTIV (iOS/Android)
• Automatic, secure and reliable Internet software upgrades
• Support during design and manufacturing from customer development in Shenzhen China and Innovation centre in Cambridge.

Prem Rajalingham, Managing Director at Frontier: ‘We see growing demand and momentum for audio products to become connected and offer features over and above basic Bluetooth^®. AURIA allows connectivity to be reliably added to products with minimal time to market. Bringing our expertise in a simple turnkey module allows audio manufacturers to focus their know-how on products that sound great and allow us to handle the complexities of wireless connectivity.’

About Frontier Smart Technologies
To learn more about how Frontier can connect audio products, please visit our website frontiersmart.com.

About Futuresource Consulting
To learn more about Futuresource Consulting market and end user reports across the audio sector, please visit here.


Frontier Smart Technologies is a pioneer in technologies for digital audio and the market leader in DAB/DAB+ radios and Connected Audio solutions. Powering over 80 million devices worldwide, Frontier provides a range of radio chips and modules – from turnkey entry-level solutions to sophisticated, highly configurable options – to leading consumer electronics brands. With its R&D centre in Cambridge (UK) and manufacturing and sales offices in Shenzhen, Frontier supports clients and consumers across Europe and Asia. Frontier is a Science Group (AIM:SAG) company.

James Taylor
Frontier Smart Technology
email us here