Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS
Join us at CES from January 6-9, 2027. Fraunhofer IIS showcases how intelligent audio technologies are transforming everyday life, from crystal-clear communication to immersive entertainment and enhanced accessibility. Meet us in our two suites on Floor 29 of The Venetian Hotel.
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CES 2027
Suite 29-106: Enabling Audio Everywhere – On Earth and In Space
No matter where you are, Fraunhofer's codecs make audio and voice transmissions more intelligible, reliable, efficient, and accessible. From everyday streaming and TV broadcasting to wireless audio transmissions, to mission-critical communication, our solutions ensure reliable, high-quality delivery of speech and sound across all environments and device classes.
NESC: Ultra Efficient AI-based Voice Codec for Reliable D2D Satellite Communication
Voice services should work wherever people are – even where terrestrial networks end. Fraunhofer NESC is an ultra-efficient AI based voice codec designed for direct to device satellite communication. It operates at 1kbit/s or less, ensuring robust voice transmission over GEO, MEO, and LEO constellations.
Experience NESC in two live demonstrations:
- Voice Messaging: Record your voice on a smartphone and hear it played back. Even at extremely low bitrates, NESC keeps it clear, natural, and fully intelligible.
- Live Call: Experience a real-time, bi-directional voice call over the internet, powered by NESC. Switch between NESC and other codecs anytime to compare voice quality side by side.
Since its debut at CES 2026, NESC has moved from proof of concept to real-world deployment – powering the first vehicle-integrated satellite voice calls and running seamlessly on production-ready automotive hardware.
Join us to experience the next chapter in universal voice coverage.
xHE-AAC: Efficient Audio Streaming and 5G Voice Messaging
Experience xHE-AAC across different streaming and messaging scenarios and hear how the codec maintains excellent speech intelligibility and audio quality across a wide range of bitrates and network conditions.
xHE-AAC, the latest generation of the AAC codec family, is the ideal solution for today’s audio and video streaming services – be it movies, music, audiobooks or podcasts.
An installed base of 6+ billion xHE-AAC playback devices from mobile phones and tablets, to SmartTVs and streaming sticks to cars, enable OTT providers such as Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and Audible to stream 2+ billion hours of xHE-AAC content every month.
With adaptive DASH/HLS streaming from 12 to more than 320 kbit/s for stereo, as well as improved speech quality and stereo imaging, xHE-AAC noticeably improves reception and sound quality – to guarantee the best user experience in any playback situation.
In addition to streaming, xHE-AAC is also used for other applications including it being the mandatory audio codec for the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) broadcast system as well as audio messaging on mobile phones as part of GSMA’s RCS Universal Profile 4.0. This marks a major step forward in delivering high-quality audio messaging over terrestrial networks to users within their native messaging apps.
xHE-AAC decoding is natively supported in Android, Fire OS / Vega OS, macOS, iOS and Windows 11.
LC3plus: Lossless Quality, Ultra-Low Delay, Robust Wireless Audio
Experience LC3plus across three very different wireless audio scenarios: adaptive lossless music, ultra-low-delay immersive audio, and personalized multilingual listening.
Lossless that adapts to the link. Stream music to wireless headphones over Bluetooth Classic and hear LC3plus adapt in real time. When bandwidth allows, LC3plus Lossless delivers bit-exact audio. As link conditions tighten, it seamlessly switches to high-resolution audio and returns to lossless when bandwidth recovers, without any audible interruption.
Eight channels, one pair of headphones. Experience an 8-channel mix transmitted over Bluetooth using ultra-low-delay LC3plus and rendered binaurally with Fraunhofer Cingo. The result is an immersive surround sound for gaming, movies and XR.
One movie, multiple audio options. Speakers and headphones play in sync over Bluetooth LE Audio: the room hears the multichannel soundtrack while individual headphone listeners choose their preferred language or an audio description option.
LC3plus is the ETSI-standard codec for gaming, calls and music over any wireless link. With its frame sizes down to 1.25 ms it is up to three times more robust against packet loss than LC3. LC3plus is Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified (JAS).
MPEG-H Audio: Immersive sound. Personalized for you.
Choose your preferred language, enhance dialogue clarity, select audio description, or immerse yourself in sound from all around you. MPEG-H Audio combines immersive sound with personalization and accessibility features that put listeners in control.
Designed for broadcast and streaming, MPEG-H Audio enables content providers to create immersive experiences that adapt to individual preferences and playback devices. From live sports and entertainment to movies and music, a single system delivers immersive sound and interactive features.
MPEG-H Audio is at the heart of Brazil's DTV+ next-generation broadcasting system and has also been adopted for next-generation television in South Korea and Japan.
Broadcasters and content creators can deliver MPEG-H Audio personalization through a wide range of supported professional post-production and live broadcasting tools. End users can choose from a broad selection of supported consumer devices including TVs, soundbars, AV receivers and set-top boxes.
Visit our demo suite and experience how personalized immersive sound puts you in control.
Suite 29-110: Enhancing Everyday Audio Experiences
The upHear technologies provide advanced audio processing solutions for industry-leading brands, device makers, and suppliers across computers, wearables, professional conferencing, home audio, VR/XR, and gaming.
Co-engineered by experts in audio, DSP, and AI, upHear combines outstanding perceptual audio quality with efficient processing at the edge and is widely deployed across mass-market device classes.
At CES, discover how upHear enhances everyday audio experiences: on the move, in calls, while watching movies, and while gaming.
Capture & Connect
Immersive Mobile Messaging
Step inside a message instead of simply listening to it. upHear’s Spatial Audio Microphone Processing (SAMP) captures the acoustic scene in Ambisonics, while IVAS encodes the immersive audio for transmission. With head-tracked rendering at the receiving end, listeners can explore the recorded acoustic environment naturally through head movement – all of that is done on regular smartphones. Add spatial context to your communication and make shared experiences more lifelike.
Interactive Mobile Communication
Experience how upHear and IVAS (Immersive Voice and Audio Services) turn a conventional mobile call into an interactive audio experience. Directly on a smartphone, upHear’s AI-based Directional or Personalized Voice Isolation captures individual audio objects, while IVAS transmits them as object-based audio. At the receiving end, listeners can position, adjust or mute individual audio objects in real time.
Listen & Experience
Home Audio: Dialogue just the way you want it
Struggling to understand the TV dialogue? With upHear AI Live Dialog Boost, you can adjust speech enhancement in real time to your personal preference. In our demo suite, try it with different movie and broadcast content and switch between enhanced and original audio to hear the difference for yourself. Designed for TVs and soundbars, upHear AI Live Dialog Boost enables device manufacturers to offer clearer, more personalized listening experiences with efficient on-device processing.
Gaming Audio: Hear every sound around you
Experience immersive gaming audio over headphones or near-field speakers. Cingo Spatial Audio creates a responsive, spatial listening experience that brings game sound to life around the player. Combined with LC3plus multichannel transmission, the demo shows how immersive multichannel audio can also be delivered wirelessly, opening up new possibilities for advanced gaming audio devices and configurations.
