CPU Performance Test Core Audio vs Superpowered Audio

Patrick Vlaskovits

In the Superpowered Audio SDK, we've include an example app that allows developers to listen to and hear the sound of various Superpowered audio effects (time-stretching, pitch-shifting, roll, filter, equalizer, flanger, delay, reverb) on an audio track.

Moreover, the same example app allows developers to undertake a CPU performance test on iOS.

In our video above, we walk through a CPU Performance Test with the Superpowered app running on an iPhone 5S (running an Apple A7 64-bit 1.3–1.4 GHz ARMv8-A dual-core CPU named Cyclone).

The app let's you switch between audio processing engines and then shows you how Superpowered Audio compares to Core Audio by Apple in terms of CPU usage. You can also switch between various effects to see their impact on CPU usage.

From Day 1, Superpowered audio technology has been optimized for the rapidly growing low-power ARM-based mobile world, and because Superpowered uses significantly fewer CPU clock cycles than any other audio engine, not only do we process audio faster, we also use less power.

One of the greatest benefits to processing audio with less CPU usage is that it allows the CPU 'headroom' to process other important information. For example, Crossfader achieved better and smoother graphics at 60 FPS when their team started using Superpowered.

Try the example app on your iOS device and let us know what your results are.

  • ARM Architecture
  • Audio Effects
  • Audio Engines
  • Core Audio
  • CPU