Yep, it's been done! A new version of the high-end AAC encoding engine has been put up by one of the industry's leading producers and competitors, Coding Technologies. Embedding hi-profile tech from both hardware and software platforms operating these days on the market, Coding technologies have managed to issue an even better set of instructions to amnage your digital sound. Combining the Advanced Audio Coding with groundbreaking proprietary tech such as SBR (Spectral band Replication) and Parametric Stereo, Coding Technologies step forward all guns blazing, deploying truly innovative element in the already agglomerated market of audio encoding.

The instant result of using this new ensemble of technology is the decreased bandwidth needed for online broadcasting good quality audio, OTA (over-the-air) downloads, hi-fi ringtones or better quality streaming. Overall, the bitrates can be lowered while still offering very good hearing conditions as far as the proper quality of the sound is concerned. Below you can get a better idea on what this new version of the aacPlus will act like:

Multi-channel support for 5.1, 7.1 and beyond (48 channels total)
Built-in error concealment for mobile applications
CD-quality stereo down to 48 kbps
Near CD-quality stereo at 32 kbps
Excellent quality stereo down to 24 kbps
Widest available audio bandwidth
Optimized speech, mixed speech/music down to 8kbps mono.

Coding Technologies have made the whole thing instantaneously available for Unix, Mac and Linux and have provided lots of other tools such as libraries, new graphical and user-based computer sample applications and will be suitable as upgrade for all former licenses from Coding Technologies. Not a giant step for mankind, but definitely one step which brings us closer to the future, the new version of the aacPlus Encoding Engine will surely set a new an higher standard in the industry.