xHE-AAC Demo

xHE-AAC is the latest member of the MPEG AAC audio codec family. It is natively supported on the latest Apple, Android and Amazon products, and Fraunhofer’s xHE-AAC implementation has been licensed to Microsoft. The codec enables consumers to enjoy uninterrupted streaming of all types of content – such as movies, music, audiobooks or podcasts – with stereo services at bit rates ranging from 12 kbit/s to 500 kbit/s and the ability to switch between them seamlessly. The mandatory MPEG-D DRC metadata provides loudness and dynamic range control so that xHE-AAC can play content at a consistent volume and deliver the best possible user experience in any listening environment, on any device. Latest news on xHE-AAC

Dramatic Film - Netflix "Meridian"

• Stereo version
• Property of Netflix, used with permission
• Listening tip: listen for less roughness on "So these guys..." at intro and "Mickey Cohen...", improved transients and bandwidth on paper shuffling at beginning and rain at end.

Animated Film - Blender "Sintel"

• Stereo version
• Excerpts edited so that loud and soft scenes are adjacent
• CC BY 3.0 © Copyright Blender Foundation | durian.blender.org

To test xHE-AAC even more, Fraunhofer has added a new page to its website to illustrate the dramatic improvements and distinct benefits that xHE-AAC offers to consumers and service providers alike over previous AAC generations such as HE-AAC. The page allows visitors to hear audio samples of film and music content encoded and decoded at several bit rates with both xHE-AAC and the legacy HE-AAC codec. Access it here.