Las Vegas, USA & Edinburgh, UK, January 6, 2014 - Wolfson Microelectronics plc, a global leader in the design and development of mixed-signal semiconductor devices and audio solutions for consumer electronic products, and ComHear, Inc., an audio processing and wearables company, have today announced a technology partnership to deliver wonderfully rich and clear audio experiences for the wearable consumer audio space.

The first product to be released, a Wolfson reference design headset using ComHear's innovative EarPuff® earbuds, features a unique combination of both companies' technologies, and integrates ComHear's Kinetic Audio Processing (KAP™) software onto Wolfson's WM8280 Audio Hub solution with ambient noise cancellation (ANC). This headset delivers an amazing audio experience, even in the noisiest environments, and can be used with all types of mobile consumer audio devices, but is especially adapted for wearable media presentation devices such as ComHear's Playbutton™, a fully customizable MP3 digital music player in a branded, wearable button. 

ComHear's KAP software improves the user's perception of bass, spatial imaging and high frequencies, providing an immersive audio experience and eliminating the "in head" effect which can be common with headsets. The combination of ComHear and Wolfson technologies result in an incredibly satisfying audio experience without the need to listen at high volume levels, which protects listeners' long-term hearing acuity while increasing their enjoyment of audio.

Designed for portable devices including smartphones, tablets and headsets, Wolfson's WM8280 high performance, low power Audio Hub solution with integrated audio digital signal processor (DSP) features class-leading earpiece and stereo headphone ANC, enabling a reduction in background noise by up to 90%, and an outstanding audio experience for the user, regardless of external environment noise. When used in mobile devices, it provides crisp and clear audio and voice calls, outstanding audio capture and playback, and stunning conference call and video call experiences. The WM8280 is platform agnostic, so can be used by OEMs across all application processor platforms, and can run Wolfson's Ez2 suite of sound enhancing and noise reduction software, customers' own software or third party software, enabling OEMs to create a unique audio experience to help differentiate their product in the market.

Randy Granovetter, CEO at ComHear, Inc, said: "ComHear is excited about our partnership with Wolfson Microelectronics because it confirms our position as the new standard for audio solutions across a wide range of consumer electronics. The KAP software integrated with the WM8280 in headsets, earphones, handsets, Playbuttons, and tablets provide a rich, natural, immersive audio experience. This end-to-end solution, paired with the ComHear EarPuff and the Wolfson audio solution, delivers a unique audio experience to the end user that feels good and sounds incredible."

Alistair Banham, SVP & GM Customer Solutions Business at Wolfson Microelectronics, said: "Wolfson is dedicated to delivering the best possible noise cancelling audio experience and the most advanced sound enhancing software features available to the maximum number of consumers around the world, whatever their preferred music storage device. Our Audio Hub platform delivers those features, whether they are provided by Wolfson, our customers, or other third parties, and our partnership with ComHear helps us further accomplish this.

"ComHear is a fresh, innovative and extremely exciting new player on the audio scene, with an incredibly experienced team behind it. By integrating ComHear's KAP software onto our WM8280 audio solution, consumers can enjoy an audio experience with renewed depth and clarity, the way the artists meant it to be heard."

Wolfson's WM8280 with ComHear KAP software is available now.


About Wolfson Microelectronics plc

Wolfson Microelectronics plc is a global leader in the supply of high performance, mixed-signal semiconductor devices and audio solutions to the consumer electronics market. In the home, in the office and on the move, Wolfson's innovative technology can be found at the heart of many of the world's leading digital consumer goods, including premier hi-fi equipment, smartphones, mobile phones, tablet computers, MP3 players, televisions, digital still cameras and gaming. 

The company's headquarters is located in Edinburgh, UK. Wolfson's customers are located worldwide, and so is Wolfson, with design centres, sales offices, applications teams and engineering expertise across Europe, the US, Australia and Asia.

Wolfson Microelectronics plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: WLF.L).

For more information about Wolfson Microelectronics, please visit: http://www.wolfsonmicro.com

About ComHear, Inc.

Founded in 2013 by the former founder and CEO of Jabra, Randy Granovetter,
ComHear, Inc. is a Digital Audio Wearables products, software, and services company.  Its new wearables category is defined as "In the Service of Sound" and the company produces "Audio that Feels Good, Sounds Great, and is Good for You." The company's product lines include the proprietary EarPuff® technology based on patented BioFoam™, Kinetic Audio Processing (KAP) technology which is a perfect complement to EarPuff, and its Playbutton line of products.http://www.comhear.com and http://www.playbutton.com

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