CSR today announced the availability of a new reference design for Bluetooth stereo headphones that offers the lowest ever total bill of materials (BOM) cost for this type of product. The new design exploits several features in CSR's BlueCore3-Multimedia chip, including an internal codec, minimal external components and smaller PCB footprint, to achieve the break-through BOM. By using BC3-MM's internal CODEC alone, the bill of materials is reduced by around 20%.

BlueCore3-Multimedia is the only Bluetooth chip available with a high quality internal stereo CODEC, achieving a SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) of up to 85dB. It is also compatible with a wide range of external CODECs. The chip also requires fewer than half of the external components of alterative solutions, thereby reducing costs directly through shorter assembly time and the need for fewer components to be purchased.

BC3-MM offers market-leading energy efficiency by using an advanced Digital Signal Processor (DSP) which greatly reduces the power consumption of the headphones.

The new design offers many leading edge features including support for MP3 streaming. MP3 streaming improves audio quality and reduces power consumption in music players such as the Apple iPod or the latest mobile phones with integrated hard disk drives. By incorporating CSR's stable headset software, currently used in 85% of all Bluetooth headsets, the reference design offers the ability to make and receive calls as well as playing music.