High performance Bluetooth® Audio for Earshots

Building on Qualcomm silicon, we delivered high-quality audio for Earshots’ active audience.

Sweat-proof, crush-proof earbuds for active people

James Bell-Booth, the Founder and CEO of Earshots, loved staying active but hated when standard earphones dislodge, fall out, or demand constant adjustment. He found it incredibly irritating that trying to listen to audio can detract from the great experience of being active, rather than enhancing the experience as it should.
Earshots came to Virscient with a bold challenge: transform their prototype earbuds into a world-class, fully owned audio platform that would allow him to reinvent Bluetooth earbuds for active users. Working side by side, we reimagined the product architecture around Qualcomm’s QCC5141 SoC — refining every layer from antenna design to embedded firmware. The outcome was a high-performance, low-power system that delivers premium sound, resilient Bluetooth performance, and over 10 hours of playtime, empowering Earshots to own their future innovation roadmap.

Earshots’ challenge

Earshots sits in the active lifestyle and consumer audio market, targeting users who demand reliability and exceptional audio quality even during movement, sweat, or strenuous exercise. They had produced a first generation of their product through an ODM in China and were able to prove the concept in the market quickly and affordably.
This approach delivers well for many innovators, but comes with a hefty compromise – Earshots didn’t own the product nor its IP; the manufacturers did. This situation was neither sustainable nor scalable, and it left Earshots without the control they needed to take the next step in their business.
Earshots’ goal was to reclaim product control — their own IP, hardware, firmware — so they could iterate quickly, maintain quality, and scale efficiently in premium audio channels.

“We wanted to deliver a great connectivity experience. That involved both some firmware work and antenna design work. Our customers want high-performance streaming with no cut-outs. If the experience isn’t seamless and great, then customers don’t feel delighted by your product”

- - Jamie Bell-Booth, Founder, Earshots

Reliable and Extensible

Virscient solved Earshots’ dilemma by delivering a full-stack solution across hardware, firmware and strategy:

Platform architecture & hardware design
• Selected the Qualcomm QCC5141 ultra-low-power Bluetooth Audio SoC as the foundation
• Designed PCB layouts , power management, and antenna integration with strong RF engineering discipline
• Defined mechanical and electrical interfaces to support robustness, compactness, and manufacturability

Firmware & embedded software development
• Built the Bluetooth stack, audio codecs, pairing, reconnection logic, voice call support, and OTAU mechanism
• Tuned performance for ultra-stable streaming and robust reconnection under motion/change in environment
• Integrated power management and battery control to hit 10+ hours of runtime

Validation, optimisation & strategic consultancy
• Conducted RF measurements and antenna tuning to ensure connectivity margin and interference resilience
• Iterated link parameters and software routines for seamless user experience
• Advised Earshots on workflow, version control, release architecture and mass production readiness

Project details

Core wireless chip: Qualcomm QCC5141
Performance goals: streaming stability, low latency, OTA flexibility
Battery target: >10 hours continuous playback
Constraints: compact wearable form, tight power budget, maintainability, modularity for future upgrades
Timeline: from concept through to Gen 2 product launch (2022)

Results

Engaging with Virscient has helped Earshots boost their potential by way of a stronger product platform that is equipped for the future. They can now increase their sales, access more lucrative channels, and operate with greater confidence in their new engineering processes.

The Qualcomm QCC5141-based product platform has built-in flexibility which means Earshots are one step ahead when it comes to their product roadmap.

The Earshots Gen 2 MagFit wireless earphones are in market, receiving strong reviews, and were named as one of Time Magazine’s top inventions of 2022.
They deliver excellent sound quality for the category, with over 10 hours play time per charge, crystal-clear voice calls, and all the convenience of a Bluetooth® true wireless experience.

We made it work for Earshots

Let's make it work for you.

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Related Capabilities

PCB Design

Optimised board designs will support your embedded software and wireless modules reliably from the prototype through to volume manufacturing.

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Embedded Software

Virscient designs lean, robust firmware that forms the backbone of your wireless or connected product, reducing bugs and accelerating your time-to-market.

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