HiPlay: The New Wireless Audio Standard Hiding in Plain Sight

A new wireless audio standard promising lossless 24bit/192kHz streaming is beginning to surface inside mainstream hi-fi hardware. But you've likely never heard of it, and most owners can't actually use it yet.

The protocol, called HiPlay, is part of a Huawei-led ecosystem and has already been confirmed in products from brands such as KEF, with broader industry backing quietly building behind the scenes. At the time of writing, it’s not clear whether this will become a proper alternative to platforms like AirPlay or Google Cast, or linger as something of a ghost in the firmware, present but largely out of reach for most users.

HiPlay was launched alongside Huawei's Mate 80 smartphone series in November 2025, with KEF confirming shortly after that its LS Wireless Collection, the LSX II, LS50 Wireless II and LS60 Wireless, would receive support via a firmware update originally slated for Q1 2026.

At the time, KEF said the feature would allow high-resolution streaming from a compatible Huawei HarmonyOS 6 device 'with a single tap', enabling lossless transmission up to 24bit/192kHz over Wi-Fi. That headline capability remains intact; the reality around rollout is less clear.

Firmware updates have since landed across KEF's LS Wireless range, but there's still no sign of HiPlay being switched on. That suggests the rollout may have slipped, or is being handled quietly on a region-by-region basis. Either way, there's no clear confirmation yet of a global release.

Then there's the question of compatibility, given that at the time of writing, HiPlay only works with Huawei smartphones and tablets running HarmonyOS 6. There's no indication it will extend to standard Android or iOS devices any time soon, which, for most users outside China, leaves it effectively out of reach. In practical terms, that means HiPlay is present in hardware, but largely inaccessible.

KEF is not alone in supporting the platform. Reporting from audioXpress editor-in-chief, João Martins at the China Audio Industry Association's 2026 Global Audio Summit in Shanghai suggests Huawei has secured at least 13 hardware partners. Demonstrations at the event showed products from Edifier, Eversolo, KEF and WiiM receiving audio directly from Huawei mobile devices.

The wider partner list includes brands such as JBL, Dynaudio, MBL, Fosi Audio, Questyle and Libratone, although none have publicly confirmed specific product support yet.

HiPlay sits on top of Huawei's NearLink wireless layer, developed under the SparkLink Alliance, an industry consortium led by Huawei, as an alternative to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for short-range communication. The system uses Huawei's L2HC (Low-Latency High-Resolution Codec), which has been adopted by the China Audio Industry Association as part of its High-Definition Wireless Audio framework.

At the Shanghai Summit, Huawei demonstrated transmission rates of up to 9.2Mbps and described the protocol as 'four times faster than AirPlay', a vendor claim that remains unverified. KEF's own implementation appears to rely on Wi-Fi transport, meaning real-world performance will depend heavily on network conditions and how each manufacturer integrates the technology.

The initiative goes beyond hi-fi systems and includes Huawei's FreeBuds Pro 5. These were among the first products to adopt NearLink Audio with L2HC, supporting lossless transmission when paired with compatible HarmonyOS devices.

We understand NearLink was added to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) global wireless standards in May 2025, while the SparkLink Alliance is now seeking recognition from the IEEE, the body behind widely adopted technologies such as Wi-Fi. Membership of the alliance is reported to exceed 1,200 organisations, signalling growing industry interest.

The platform's future will likely hinge on one factor: whether Huawei opens HiPlay beyond its own ecosystem.

If support expands to other smartphone manufacturers, whether through licensing or broader Android compatibility, the protocol could quickly become a credible alternative to existing wireless audio standards. If it remains tied to HarmonyOS devices, its impact outside China will likely remain limited.

For now, HiPlay sits in an unusual position. It's already embedded in a growing number of hi-fi products, yet remains largely invisible to the people who own them.

Whether that changes will depend less on hardware adoption, which is already underway, and more on whether Huawei can turn a closed ecosystem into a genuinely global platform.

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