With the rise in popularity of wireless earpiece and earbuds , a lot of technological footing have fare along with them . From wireless charge toBluetooth multipoint , wear detector , ANC and transparency , IPX ratings , andspatial audio frequency , it can all get pretty confusing .
Most of these term are relatively wanton to empathize , but one terminus that can be particularly puzzling is Bluetooth codecs . What exactly are they , and why should you even wish about them ? We ’ll break it down in simple spoken language so that next clock time you come across a headphone review that mentionsaptX , AAC , or LDAC musical accompaniment , you ’ll love what it means . More importantly , you ’ll read how it could impact your listening experience .
Let ’s get into it .
What is a Bluetooth codec?
Bluetooth , as a wireless technology , has traditionally been fairly limit in terms of bandwidth . Each Modern version of Bluetooth ( we ’re up toversion 5.4as of 2024 ) adds a chip more bandwidth than its harbinger , but it ’s still nowhere near as capacious as , say , Wi - Fi .
Because some sort of digital sound recording can be too monolithic to be pour in veridical - clip over that limited bandwidth , it needs to be re - package to fit . Bluetooth codecs are the key to that repackaging and cyclosis unconscious process .
The watchword codec , by the way , is a portmanteau for encode and decipherment , which is flake - speak for packaging and unpackaging , or perhaps more accurately for our purposes , compressing and decompress .
Why is there more than one type of Bluetooth codec?
As with all thing technological , improvement get made over clock time as we get unspoilt at creating software and computer hardware . When wireless stereoscopic picture phone first appeared , there was only one Bluetooth codec : SBC , or sub - band codec . And to this twenty-four hour period , if your phone , computer , headphones , or earbuds only supports one codec , it ’s SBC .
SBC is reliable and always gets the job done , but it was n’t work up for high-pitched - tone or low - reaction time applications . In the early 2000s , when stereo audio was added to Bluetooth , the extremely - compact MP3 single file format still reign supreme . Today ’s music stream service had n’t arrive , and almost nobody was talking about the motivation to support lossless music in 24 - bit/96kHz . Mobile gambling still was many eld from becoming mainstream .
But as these scenario begin to creep closer to midway stage , it became apparent that we need new codecs that could take us beyond SBC ’s limitation . We now have at least 10 Bluetooth codecs that surpass SBC in some way . Some offer lower latent period ( the metre it take from when your gadget makes a sound to when your headphones allow you hear that sound ) , some offer higher tone audio , some are establish to be more vim effective , and some examine to do a little scrap of everything . And as of 2024 , the leaning of beyond - SBC Bluetooth codecs is surprisingly foresighted :
Do I need to care about Bluetooth codecs?
No need to worry if you ’re feeling overwhelmed . Unless you ’re a competitive gamer needing top-notch - fast response prison term or an audiophile seeking top - notch sound character , you’re able to likely end show .
While specific wireless features may only be fully take account with sure codecs , the good news is that all Bluetooth devices support SBC . So , even if you ’re unfamiliar with these codecs , your chosen audio Cartesian product will still work together smoothly .
How do Bluetooth codecs work?
As the parole codec inculpate , if you encode information , you need to be able to decrypt it on the other end , and codec compatibility is fundamental . For a codec to puzzle out , it needs to be patronise on both the sending and receive ending . If your earbuds support aptX , for instance , but your phone does n’t , you wo n’t be able to use the aptX codec .
When two Bluetooth devices connect , they relay which codecs they support . In general , they will default on to the highest quality mutually supported codec . So if two devices sustain aptX , they ’ll use that instead of SBC .
But if they ca n’t find any common earth — e.g. one supports AAC but not aptX , and the other supports aptX but not AAC — they will fall back on full ol’ SBC .
This is where I have some bad news for Apple fan . Your iPhone , iPad , Apple Watch , and to a lesser degree your Macs , only support two codecs : SBC and AAC — neither of which supportslossless audio , hi - res , 24 - bit audio , or blue - latency surgical operation .
Android owners have more options , but beware : Android is a highly fragmented world in which some handsets suffer virtually all of the most common codecs , while others only support some . Google’sPixel phonesare a good example . They support AAC , LDAC , and both aptX and aptX HD , but they do n’t support Qualcomm ’s aptX Adaptive or aptX Lossless codecs .
What’s the difference between Bluetooth codecs?
As antecedently observe , since the introduction of SBC , codecs have been striving to enhance sound character , reduce latency , and improve energy efficiency . However , achieving all three simultaneously is challenge , as prioritizing one or two aspects often comes at the disbursal of the third .
To raise latency and energy efficiency , a codec can downplay computational processing , but this typically result in reduced level-headed character . Conversely , pursuing higher - quality strait through increased bandwidth or complex audio processing may lead to heightened reaction time and reduced barrage life .
Both of these trade - offs are acceptable if they ordinate with your precedence . Hence , the world of numerous codecs .
Now , allow ’s search the specific advantages allow for by each Bluetooth codec .
Sub-band Codec (SBC)
pro :
Cons :
Advanced Audio Coding (AAC)
Low Complexity Communication Codec (LC3)
Qualcomm aptX family codecs (aptX, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless)
LDAC
Low Latency High-Definition Audio Codec (LHDC/LLAC)
Samsung Scalable Codec (SSC) / Seamless Hi-Fi Codec
Airia (SCL6), formerly MQair
Airia ’s MQA compatibility will be of questionable value in the unretentive condition : Tidal , the only major cyclosis service to offer up tracks in the MQA format , has almost finished its transition to FLAC , leaving MQA fans without readily available informant .
However , longer condition , this may alter : Lenbrook ( the society that possess the rights to MQA and Airia)recently announceda partnership with HDtracks to create a new streaming service that will work with both MQA and Airia . It ’s just not entirely well-defined how a cyclosis service interacts with a Bluetooth codec .
Bluetooth codec buying advice
So , when it add up right down to it , does any of this matter when prefer a new hardening of wireless earbuds or headphones , or possibly a earphone ? Yes and no .
Buying for sound quality
A million variables go into wireless headphones . thing like audio source and driver size . Or blueprint and materials . The quality and power of elaboration . The use of digital signaling processing , calibre of digital - to - analogue conversion , and the Bluetooth codec being used . It all cistron into good quality . But even then , the codec would be among the least significant ingredients .
In other tidings , a Aloha State - Re codec like aptX Adaptive or LDAC can not make a lower - quality set of cans sound best , just like putting high - octane fuel in a minivan wo n’t bend it into a sportsman car .
So if you ’re buying a budget sic of earbuds or headphones — and you ’re not into gaming — codecs in all probability are not something you need to care about .
I ’ve listened to several sub-$100 earbuds that sound great , even though they only keep going the base - level SBC codec .
But if you ’re take care to make a large investment in wireless earbuds or headphones to get top - timber sound , codecs can and do make a difference . I ’ve auditioned gamy - remnant phone likeBowers & Wilkins Px7 S2,Master & Dynamic MW75 , or the crazy - expensiveMark Levinson No.5909andDali IO-12 , which all support either LDAC or aptX Adaptive ( and sometime both ) . I ’ve alternated between an iPhone with AAC and an Android machine with LDAC or AptX Adaptive , the departure was forthwith noticeable .
When using these hi - res codecs , detail , dynamic mountain chain , and soundstage accuracy were all improved . Would you detect the difference if you were heed to a low - bit pace Spotify current while commuting on a busy bus or train ? Not a chance . But if you have access to hi - res , lossless content via a streaming service or your own personal collection of medicine , and you may find a quiet place to chill , it ’s the bee ’ genu .
Buying for gaming performance
Gamers — particularly those who act rapid - activeness first - soul shooters or other music genre where reaction stop number is critical — need to be on the observation post for mathematical product that volunteer low - latency codecs . Latency is value in millisecond and is best described as the time between an on - screen trice that you see , and the corresponding bang that you get word . The lower that time , the faster you ’ll be able to respond to what ’s happening in your secret plan .
The absolute best way to reduce latency for play is to buy a set of gaming earpiece or earbuds that come with their own consecrate wireless transmitter . This sidesteps the question of Bluetooth altogether , deliver latency as low as 20 milliseconds — we ’re mouth 20 - thousandth of a instant . A beneficial exercise isAngry Miao ’s Cyberblade wireless earbuds , which time in at around 36ms .
But for a more elastic root , you could search for a set of wireless headphones that support aptX LL . With delays measuring between 30 - 40 millisecond , this is about as close to a consecrated wireless setup as you’re able to get . But there ’s a catch .
Even though aptX LL is a Bluetooth codec , it ’s not available on telephone . It expect its own consecrate feeler or else of the aerial in phones that are often deal between Bluetooth and Wi - Fi connexion . To get aptX LL , you ’ll not only necessitate a stage set of headphones that back up it , like theSennheiser HD 450BT , but also adedicated aptX LL USB donglethat you may plug into your estimator or game cabinet .
When looking for headphones or earbuds for mobile gaming , it ’s significant to reckon the latency clock time . While achieving latency times as broken as aptX LL may not be possible , some headphones and earbuds extend a gambling modal value or a low - latency mode , which can help dilute reaction time . This may involve the earbuds turn off additional sound processing to derogate latency , or utilizing Qualcomm ’s aptX Adaptive technology to mechanically adjust to the mental object being listened to . AptX Adaptive ’s blue - latency mode can thin out latency to under 100 MB , which is faster than both SBC and AAC and can have response time ranging from 150 - 300 ms .
