When you look at the audio department of any store, you can’t help yourself but think that there is nothing else to invent, that we have seen it all. However, the real fans of audio equipment are looking forward to the full development of the newest wireless technology that takes the entire listening experience to the next level. We say “the entire listening experience” because it’s not only about the performance and sound quality of your headphones and wireless speakers but also about the entire experience including the comfort at all levels.
The technology is called “true wireless technology” (or TWS) and, in this article, we are going to try to introduce it to you and show you the world of untangled and uncluttered satisfaction filled with nothing but pure music. This technology hasn’t been perfected yet, but even in its current stage of development, it delivers more than satisfying performance. It offers more freedom, more opportunity for interaction with the objects and people around us.
In order to understand the true wireless stereo technology, we have to explain to you the terms “true wireless” and “stereo” because the combination of these two technologies has resulted in TWS technology.
True wireless technology is the "art" of transferring sound wirelessly through Bluetooth. The wireless transmission is enabled by a small chip built into the source and into the receiving device (devices). The true wireless devices (headphones/earbuds and speakers) have many positive characteristics but the most important one is that there are no cables of any kind. This means not only that you won’t have to connect two or more of these devices into a system and to the source of sound with cables but also that you won’t have to use the cable to supply it/them with power. They come in all shapes and sizes and have different types of rechargeable batteries that can last up to 12 or 15 hours, depending on the price and quality. The cheapest speakers/headphones have shorter battery life (from 4 or 5 to 8 hours per charge).
True wireless devices can be used alone or in the form of a system of the same matching devices paired one to the other. They are highly portable and can be used in different parts of your house/apartment, or even outdoors in case their build quality allows it.
Stereophonic sound or, as it will definitely be more familiar to you, stereo sound is one of the most common sounds you can hear today but it didn’t become so popular overnight. This type of recording was first used in the early 1900s and one of the first companies that used it in theaters was Disney but the real expansion happened during the 50s and 60s when it became truly popular.
Its popularity comes from the fact that stereo sound is more pleasant and more natural for human ears than monophonic music because, as its creators said, people have two ears and this is the main reason why any type of stereo recording consists of two recordings played at the same time. Therefore, if you have two recordings, it means you have two channels, the left for your left ear and the right for your right ear.
True wireless earbuds are small, light and simple-to-use type of headphones that can be found at very reasonable prices. They are rechargeable and portable, and they enable you to use them in pairs or only one of them while performing different activities such as doing house chores, walking, running, or even driving. True wireless earbuds/headphones enable greater mobility due to the lack of cables.
True wireless speakers are the speakers that come with built-in rechargeable batteries as the only power source, which means that you will be able to use them all over the house or outdoors without the necessity to set up and take care of the cables lying all over the place. They can be paired with smartphones, players, computers and even TVs, while their sound quality remains quite satisfying.
True wireless devices can be used as single devices or in pairs. When used in pair, one device will be the left channel, while the other will play the right channel creating that pleasing stereo sound experience. For example, if you have two Bluetooth speakers of the same kind that support pairing/linking, you can link them together, pair them with the sound source and use as a stereo speaker system. Of course, this usually requires the use of a certain app or a simple remote controller that will allow you to control the music, play, pause or skip tracks.
If you have a pair of true wireless earbuds or a pair of true wireless speakers, which are supposed to be connected into a true wireless stereo system, the first thing to do is to turn the Bluetooth on and pair one of these devices (the user manual usually indicates which one shall be used first) that can be called the master device to the selected audio source (smartphone, player, PC, TV, etc.). After successfully pairing the first device with the audio source, you will want to pair the second device (the so-called “slave”) to the master device, not the source. This way, you’ll get your stereo system, which plays separate left and right channels, making the music more pleasing and real to your ears.
The technology is actually based on chips. Every Bluetooth device has a built-in chip responsible for sending and receiving audio signals wirelessly. The main speaker receives them from the source device and it remains mono in case the connection finishes there. In case the main speaker is paired with another speaker, it starts sending the signals towards its “slave” and the signal is split into two channels – left and right.
