After announcing their MariSilicon X last year, OPPO is continuing their foray into the silicon space with a new dedicated processing unit they’ve named the MariSilicon Y. This year, they aren’t focusing on optics though, they’ve set their eyes on Bluetooth Audio. The MariSilicon Y comes with a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) and is capable of up to 509 GOPS of on-device computing.
The new System on a Chip (SoC) is made using N6RF technology – the same technology used to create cutting edge 5G technology. OPPO has utilised the fabrication to create a dedicated chip that helps increase the fidelity of Bluetooth audio by increasing Bluetooth bandwidth by up to 50%. This is in comparison to currently available Bluetooth SoCs. OPPO has developed an in-house Pro Bluetooth pack that enables this increase. It allows for transmission of 24-bit audio at 192kHz. That’s the same lossless quality we used to get with audio CDs! Simply put, this processor is able to give you more detailed audio over the same Bluetooth connection that you have with your wireless earbuds.
The unprecedented bandwidth, 12Mbps transmission ratge and audio quality empowers a more robust listening experience complete with the capabilities for spatial audio experiences. OPPO also uses an in-house codec to achieve this. OPPO touts that their new URLC codec is supposedly able to have better compression rates than current codecs like LDAC, LHDC, AAC and AptX. However, the MariSilicon Y still supports these codecs for universal compatibility and is one of the first SoCs with next generation L3C codec support.
The MariSilicon Y also has built-in AI that is able to take listening experiences to the next level. It is able to recognise and isolate different layers of music and even change the spatial location of given layers. In the demo during the INNO Day 2022, they isolated a single instrument – the guitar – in the audio and were able to up the volume as well as swap the space which the sound occupied during playback. Of course, this would be more obvious with headphones than on a speaker.
Being in the sound technology space is not very new for OPPO. Prior to being a big name in the mobile space, the company built its reputation with some of the best audio products on the market until 2018. However, they have recently been returning to the audio space with products like their OPPO Enco line up of earbuds.
