boAt’s next-generation audio range to feature Dirac’s patented digital audio optimization solutions

India, April 5, 2022: Imagine Marketing Limited, India’s #1 ranking among the wireless hearables brands (in terms of volume over multiple quarters from 2019 to the second quarter of the financial year 2022 under its flagship brand “boAt”), today announced a collaboration with Swedish digital audio company Dirac to include Dirac’s digital audio optimization solutions in boAt’s next-generation audio range.

Dirac’s digital audio optimization solutions have been leveraged globally by some of the world’s leading consumer technology companies, but this collaboration marks the company’s debut into the Indian market. boAt aims to offer wide-ranging, high-quality and lifestyle-focused consumer products; their first audio product equipped with Dirac will be available in the second quarter of 2022.

The companies will kick off their collaboration by integrating Dirac into their Neckband and TWS headphone product lines. The Dirac team has been working closely with ‘boAt Labs’, the in-house research and development team comprising of 25+ engineers (as of September 30, 2021), to customize and design products specifically for the Indian consumer.

With boAt’s deep industry expertise and track record combined with a market share of 48 percent by volume (in the branded earwear market, for the 3rd Quarter of 2021 as per IDC), the new Dirac-equipped boAt products aim to offer high quality and aspirational lifestyle-focused consumer products at accessible price points.

More specifically, the companies are exploring the integration of Dirac Opteo™ and Dirac Virtuo™ solutions into the chipsets of upcoming boAt headphone designs. Dirac Opteo enhances headphone sound performance by removing unintended resonances and colourations introduced by headphones for a more transparent and balanced sound with consistent sound experiences regardless of ANC mode. Dirac Virtuo delivers a spatial audio experience to headphone users with any standard stereo content by widening the soundstage and bringing out the spatial cues that already exist in stereo recordings.

In addition to the collaboration done to date, the companies will also continue to explore various opportunities for including Dirac solutions in other boAt audio products.

Sameer Mehta, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Imagine Marketing Limited said, “Music is art, music is passion. For many, music is their entire life. With an unwavering belief in this spirit of sound, boAt has always endeavoured to expand its community of boAtheads by offering high-quality aspirational lifestyle-focused products to deliver pristine sonic experiences every single time. We are therefore beyond thrilled to collaborate with Dirac, an industry pioneer of audio processing software, on our future portfolio of audio devices. We intend to combine boAt’s signature sound with Dirac’s digital audio optimization to bring consumers an iconic sound for the ages. Our understanding of the Indian consumer plus Dirac’s experience in enabling high-quality sound is a perfect recipe for success.”

Lars Isaksson, Dirac’s Head of Business Development, Streaming & Headphones added “Working with boAt is a great opportunity for Dirac. Ever since boAt exploded onto the audio scene, they’ve created iconic products that quickly made them one of India’s largest digital-first brands across multiple product categories. boAt specializes in high-quality products for the young, digitally-enabled and trend-conscious consumers, which dovetails perfectly with Dirac’s commitment to bringing immersive sound to everyone, not just a few.”

Dirac’s headphone technology can be found in multiple headphones available globally. The company’s technology also enhances audio for smartphones, automobiles, and home theatres, through collaborations with leading tech brands.

Dirac’s ability to seamlessly integrate its digital solutions with leading true wireless stereo (TWS) chipsets makes it easy and seamless for headphone manufacturers to add high-quality audio to their products while attaining a unique, signature sound. Consumers, in turn, enjoy the benefits of high sound quality and immersive experiences regardless of playback solutions.

About Dirac:

Dirac is here to change the world of sound. We’re inventing the future of audio with superior experiences for any content, device, and space. For the many, not the few. Based in Sweden, Dirac optimizes digital audio, perfecting sound for better listening in any environment. The patented sound solution technology spans across mobile, gaming, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, headphones, streaming, automotive, residential and commercial AV, boosting whatever sound you’re listening to, wherever you’re listening. For professionals, Dirac produces the industry’s most powerful suite of audio tools for signal processing. Some of the world’s most respected brands, including Rolls Royce, Volvo, Polestar, BMW, BYD, Harman, Datasat, NAD, ASUS, and OPPO bring the Dirac sound experience to their customers.

Dirac is a global company with headquarters in Uppsala, Sweden and R&D facilities in Copenhagen, Denmark and Bangalore, India, with representation in China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and USA.

About Imagine Marketing Limited (Parent company of boAt)

Established in 2013 by Aman Gupta & Sameer Mehta, Imagine Marketing Ltd. offers a product portfolio ranging from audio gear, smart wearable, personal grooming, mobile accessories and much more. Under the Imagine umbrella, boAt came to life and was able to disrupt the audio industry to become the #1 Audio brand in the country (In terms of shipments per the latest IDC data). boAt’s portfolio offers well-designed, innovative, and distinctive fashionable lifestyle-oriented products at attractive price points targeted at a young and widely addressable audience within India. Furthermore, with a massive cultural shift towards DIY post covid, Imagine Marketing Ltd. forayed into personal care appliances and introduced MISFIT, a self-care and grooming brand with the motto ‘Never Fit In’, the brand is aimed at addressing gender stigma through a colourful brand vision and bold conversations. In 2020, Imagine Marketing also acquired RedGear, a gaming accessory brand that deals in gaming keyboards, mouse, gamepads and headphones. RedGear aims to bring gaming to the masses and support the ones who wish to turn their passion into their profession. Imagine Marketing has associated itself with global names such as Qualcomm and Amazon (Alexa) to innovate their products and are backed by Warburg Pincus, a global private equity fund. The company currently has offices across Delhi and Mumbai along with their recently set up R&D department ‘boAt Labs’ in Bangalore.