CSR Brings Quality Bluetooth® Audio to Entry-Level Portable Music Speakers

BARCELONA, Spain --(Business Wire)--

CSR plc (LSE: CSR; NASDAQ: CSRE) today introduced the BlueCore® CSR8605™ single-chip ROM Bluetooth® music streaming device, a cost-optimised, highly configurable solution that delivers a quality audio experience to the extremely price-sensitive entry-level market for wireless portable music speakers.

Bluetooth 4.0 qualified, the highly integrated CSR8605 device builds upon the tremendous success CSR has already achieved in this market with a next-generation design offering rich music enhancement capabilities usually found only in much higher-featured products. Key features include five-band music equalisation, volume boost and remote control (AVRCP) support to enable users to Play/Pause and Forward/Rewind streaming music from buttons on their portable music speaker.

"Bluetooth technology has captured the market for shared listening as the connectivity choice for streaming music from smartphones and tablets to wireless portable speakers," said Chris Havell, Senior Director of Audio at CSR. "The CSR8605 device embodies CSR's pedigree for Bluetooth audio quality to deliver a cost-optimised solution specifically tailored for differentiated entry-level portable music speaker products."

The device is already shipping in volume to ODMs and OEMs, and a variety of wireless portable speaker products will be available this year under popular brand names.

The CSR8605 device is a low-power mono A2DP sink solution that enables a new class of quality, low-cost portable wireless music speakers. This low-power solution integrates a Bluetooth radio, baseband, an enhanced Kalimba DSP co-processor, mono audio DAC and ADC (News - Alert), battery charger, application software and an extensive array of I/O interfaces, including I2C, three LED drivers and plenty of general purpose PIOs in a single chip. The integrated peripherals in the QFN packaged device reduce the number of external components required, including no requirement for external codec, battery charger, SMPS, LDOs or balun, to ensure minimum system and manufacturing costs.

As the latest addition to CSR's Bluetooth audio ROM solutions, the CSR8605 offers the ability to customise many of the software features to achieve a particular sound and ambience, and create a quality portable experience. The CSR Configuration Tool offers ease of design with the flexibility to differentiate, and can be used to adjust Bluetooth 4.0 specification features, reconnection policies (like reconnect on power-on), a variety of audio features including five-band equalisation with up to six banks of user selectable presets, button events, voice prompts, LED indications, event tones, battery divider ratios, advanced multipoint settings for connecting to up to two A2DP sources, and more.

The CSR8605 also supports CSR proximity pairing and CSR proximity connection for fast and easy wireless music sharing enjoyment.

The BlueCore CSR8605 Bluetooth music streaming device is available now in production quantities. Please contact CSR for pricing information.

Visit CSR at Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) 2013

CSR is exhibiting an exciting range of platform solutions for Voice & Music, Bluetooth Smart and Indoor Location at the CSR booth [Hall 6, Stand 6D35] at Mobile World Congress 2013. To book a meeting or demonstration with CSR at Mobile World Congress please e-mail external.communications@csr.com

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About CSR

CSR is a global provider of innovative silicon and software solutions for the location-aware, media-rich, cloud-connected world. Our platforms are optimised for the automotive navigation and infotainment, digital cameras and imaging, connected home infotainment and wireless audio markets. We provide solutions to complex problems in the audio-visual, connectivity and location technology domains across a broad range of markets, with a technology portfolio that includes GPS/GNSS systems, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, FM, NFC, aptX® and CVC™ audio codecs, JPEG, MPEG, H.264 imaging, PDL printing, microcontrollers, DSPs and broadband receivers. CSR's technology solutions and market platforms enable its customers to deliver a superior user experience and are adopted by leaders in the auto, computer, home and mobile markets. More information can be found at www.csr.com. Keep up to date with CSR on our technical blog or CSR people blog, YouTube, Facebook or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at twitter.com/CSR_plc

CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain statements (including statements concerning plans and objectives of management for future operations or performance, or assumptions related thereto) that are not historical facts and constitute 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in relation to CSR's CSR8605 device, and their performance characteristics in wireless music speakers and other consumer electronic devices, and other future events and their potential effects on CSR. These forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as 'will,' 'can deliver,' offers', 'allows', 'to enhance,' 'enables,' 'designed to' and other similar expressions regarding the performance characteristics of CSR's CSR8605 device, and their performance characteristics in consumer electronics products, and their potential effects on CSR. Any future release of CSR's CSR8605 device or consumer electronics products containing such technology, related products or modifications to such products' capability, functionality or features are subject to ongoing evaluation by CSR and its customers, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by CSR or its customers and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. Such forward-looking statements represent the current expectations and beliefs of management of CSR, and are based upon numerous assumptions regarding CSR's business strategies and the environment in which CSR will operate and therefore involve a number of known and unknown risks, contingencies, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of CSR, including, but not limited to, those detailed from time to time in CSR's periodic reports (whether under the caption Risk Factors or Forward Looking Statements or elsewhere), which are available at the SEC's (News - Alert) web site http://www.sec.gov. Each forward looking statement speaks only as of the date hereof. CSR does not undertake to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statements contained herein, otherwise than required by law.

Bluetooth® and the Bluetooth logos are trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and licensed to CSR.

Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance (News - Alert)®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access®, WPA®, WPA2®, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ and Wi-Fi Multimedia™ are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Other products, services and names used in this document may have been trademarked by their respective owners.