Issue is that we are living in noisy world today. Having said that while you travel on a jet engines roars, while you are sitting in a garden babies cry, while you sleep at home the air conditioning generates humming. Unknowingly environment has became more noisier, louder, and harder to have any conversation over phone with others. Yes, That is one of the main reason why Sound Cancelling Headphones are one of the highest selling item in today’s world! and every-time you look at the headphone specifications you might have came across a term Noise Cancelling Headphones showing specifications that headphone is cVc 6.0 Noise Cancellation capable!
I think it is necessary to know meaning of cVc and its utility and is it MUST for my headphone ? if yes in what way?
So here is my research where I will be explaining you cVc6.0 noise cancellation term in details.
cVc 8.0 was introduced in commercially available products starting from August 2022
cVc8.0 introduced
cVc8.0 over basic cVc6.0 is called as Double Noise Cancelling technology.
Qualcomm’s cVc (Clear Voice Capture) technology is a suite of noise cancellation and suppression algorithms designed to improve voice quality during calls. The latest version of cVc is 8.0, which was introduced in 2022. It offers several improvements over previous versions, including:
- Enhanced noise reduction: cVc 8.0 can cancel out a wider range of background noise frequencies, including lower-frequency noises like traffic rumble and air conditioning hum.
- Improved echo cancellation: cVc 8.0 can more effectively eliminate echo, which is the sound of your voice bouncing back from the other person’s microphone.
- Adaptive noise suppression: cVc 8.0 can automatically adjust its noise reduction level based on the environment, so that you always have clear audio even in noisy environments.
In addition to these technical improvements, cVc 8.0 also offers several new features, such as:
- Voice enhancement: cVc 8.0 can enhance your voice to make it sound clearer and more natural.
- Wind noise reduction: cVc 8.0 can reduce wind noise, which is a common problem during outdoor calls.
- Beamforming: cVc 8.0 can focus on your voice and reduce noise from other directions.
Overall, cVc 8.0 is a significant improvement over previous versions of the technology and offers a number of new features that can improve the quality of your voice calls.
Here is a table summarizing the key differences between cVc 6.0 and cVc 8.0:
| Feature | cVc 6.0 | cVc 8.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Noise reduction | Up to 30dB | Up to 35dB |
| Echo cancellation | Up to 20dB | Up to 25dB |
| Adaptive noise suppression | Yes | Yes |
| Voice enhancement | No | Yes |
| Wind noise reduction | No | Yes |
| Beamforming | No | Yes |
As you can see, cVc 8.0 offers significant improvements in noise reduction, echo cancellation, and voice enhancement. It also adds several new features, such as wind noise reduction and beamforming.
These improvements make cVc 8.0 the best choice for improving voice quality during calls.
Why you need Noise Cancelling for Headphones?
Either you are using the headset at Home or Outdoors, different environment noises disturb your, specially during calls making conversation difficult at times. Mostly person at the other end of call will hear roar, disturbing noise, humming which will be filtered by this intelligent cVc system.
If you are at home, you get background noises of Air conditioning, Washing machine, Children playing, Someone who is watching a TV, Cooking and so many.
If you are at Outdoors, you get other background noises like Wind noise, People crowd buzz, Passing-by cars tire roar, Boom of jet engines, which makes your phone calls on through headphones extremely difficult!
So What’s the solution? cVc by Qualcomm ?
It is one of the best & most affordable system making telephonic conversation over your headphone super silent ! In simple words, the person at the other end of call will feel like you are talking to him from a quiet indoor space ! Wonderful technology making call quality super in the cheapest entry level earbuds & headphones. Thanks to Qualcomm engineering research center for that.
What is cVc 6.0 Noise Cancelling Technology?
cVc stands for clear Voice capture.
cVc noise cancellation technology by Qualcomm works in the background providing you Audio Enhancements and Noise Suppression to the near and far end.
cVc provides packet loss and bit error concealment.
In tern, cVc noise reduction ensures Best possible call conversation quality on your Bluetooth headsets, Landline Handsets, Hands-free Devices and other Automotive Communication Devices. In simple words cVc virtually generates a cone of isolation around your voice such that the person on other end listens to clear vocals, making it virtual appearance of you’re speaking from a quiet indoor space.
How cVc noise cancellation works?
During voice call, the microphone picks up all background noises as well as your voice too, in this scenario, cVc intelligent algorithms comes into picture, they will Enhance the Voice Quality during transmission from your headset, as well as do the same during reception at the other end headphone (if that headset is cVc enabled)
Further to this cVc noise reduction consists of modular suite of algorithms that works on:
-
Enhancing voice communication : Crystal Clear Sound output
Examples like acoustic echo cancellation and noise suppression, which can be applied in a granular fashion to as per the customized requirements of the gadget.
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cVc separates out the voice signals of interest:
Other logic or algorithms in market which are used to suppress noise, cVc uses proprietary signal extraction techniques, it understands the way human speech is heard and processed! and employs an active and self-adaptive system.
How about power consumption?
Honestly the technology is layers so well that it merely consumes power out of your headphone! The energy consumption is so low that even a smallest earbud can have it working!! Thanks to Qualcomm engineering department for making such excellent technology cheap and most effective, that implementation for smallest headphones is practically possible.
In common mans words what is cVC?
If I want to explain in simple terms, while you use a headphone with cVc integration into it, the software in background separates out your voice during calls from all environment noises, practically filtering all ambient sound waves expect your voice, thus giving you a quieter call experience. You can say that nearly 30 decibel noise reduction happens with respect to the external noise during calls.
As said in technical explanation in first para, cVc deploys a number of countermeasures which prevents any intervention in your phone call, thus creating a crystal clear listening and speaker experience. The background mechanism acts on an automatic gain control, active equalization, or manages the changes in frequency such that the human hearing becomes possible. The wind noise cancellation, echo reduction, most of the standard frequency noises like humming or jet engine boom are automatically taken care by the algorithm.
cVc features
- Automatic gain controls
- Send/Receive equalizers
- Comfort noise
- Howling control
- Nonlinear processing
- Adaptive equalizers
- Power savings techniques
- Auxiliary stream mixing
- Frequency enhanced speech intelligibility
Extensive reference is taken from Qualcomm website explaining CVC
Qualcomm vs Bose?
Bose headphones use Bose’s patented Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphone technology. Which they have developed by years of research spending lot of time and money. It is also protected by Bose by having multiple patents in US (and worldwide too). If you ask me Bose in unbeatable in this area and no one else can come even closer to them for perfection in sound technology (This is my personal opinion as I am a big fan of Bose)
Now finally Qualcomm vs Apple Bluetooth headphones
Apple directly sells products to the end consumer and has strong brand image behind them.
Qualcomm works in the background and does not sell their products to the end consumer, however over years now consumers are aware of Qualcomm and their hardware power !
Apple doesn’t support the high sample rates or 24-bit audio, their AAC codec is limited to just a 264 kbps bitrate, which is a lower transfer rate than aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC. But at the front end you can directly stream files from AAC-based services like Apple Music. However I think Apple isn’t thinking on getting the truly high-end specifications that often catch headlines in audio world.
Well, Qualcomm’s Broadcast Audio technology runs on a number of of its audio SoCs for speakers, and now on Snapdragon 845. The company’s latest TrueWireless Stereo Plus gaining benefit of 10 percent power savings.
Both Apple as well as Qualcomm are working on Bluetooth enhancements which are required for the latest smart home speakers, which needs internet connectivity, casting support, voice keyword detection, multi-microphone input support, and noise cancellation technologies ! This demands complex hardware & software’s pushing on more efforts in R&D time & cost. Well other companies instead of spending time & money, want to buy more cost effective Qualcomm solutions for their smart speakers so that they can focus on the audio circuitry and acoustic design.
Finally Qualcomm will be help normal consumers providing a wider range of products at various price points, ranging from cost effective headphones to top notch audiophile brands that have a far better reputation than some of the Apple products!
Update as on July 2018:
Apple vs Qualcomm Lawsuit!
It is said that Apple has sued Qualcomm in three countries.
United States, Apple is suing Qualcomm for a $1 billion, China for $145 million, and in the United Kingdom too.
You can read complete news details for Apple vs Qualcomm Lawsuit here…
Well cVc is inherent part of most of the devices related to human conversation, starting from low end headphones to the hands free bluetooth integrated car phones, cVc ensures a pure quiet listening experience! Thanks a tonne to Qualcomm for bringing it so cheap to us. Making it possible to integrate it into the lowest entry level cheap headphones.
Now that you know so much on this Noise suppression technology, tell me by commenting about what is your personal experience of this super technology? Does it really helps? Let me know your views!
Cheers!!