Many people go about their daily lives without giving much thought to Bluetooth codecs. And that’s completely understandable. After all, as long as your wireless headphones and smartphone work when you hit play on your favorite music app, why worry about which codec they’re using?
But depending on your devices, choosing the right Bluetooth codec could actually improve the sound quality you’re experiencing. In this article, we’ll explore three top options – aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC. But before we dive into that, there’s an important point to address.
If you primarily listen to lossy digital music (like on Spotify) or own an iPhone, you can stop reading here. The standard Bluetooth codecs (SBC, AAC, or aptX) used by most phones and headphones are more than sufficient for transmitting lossy audio, and Apple only supports SBC and AAC on iPhones.
Still interested? Let’s get into it.
Lossless and Hi-Res Audio
Before we compare the codecs, it’s essential to understand why these three codecs matter. Lossy 16-bit music has already been compressed to a point where it fits into an audio stream requiring about 328Kbps of bandwidth. The standard codecs can handle this quality, which is what you get from services like Spotify, Apple Music, and others.
However, if you listen to lossless CD quality or hi-res audio, these advanced codecs are designed to preserve more detail and can triple the bit rate available for transmitting audio. This can result in nearly lossless performance for 16-bit audio and supports 24-bit sources, theoretically delivering hi-res audio over Bluetooth with some loss of information.
If you want to retain maximum audio quality with wireless headphones, these three codecs are a better choice than the standard options.
The Players
The aptX family of codecs by Qualcomm includes aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and others, each with its own specifications and requirements. Sony developed LDAC, which was initially limited to Sony products but has since expanded to more devices.
The best codec among these depends on various factors, so let’s start from the beginning.
Compatibility and Availability
AptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC need support on both the source (phone, computer) and sink (headphones, earbuds) devices. Google added AptX HD and LDAC to Android 8.0, allowing any Android device to leverage them. AptX Adaptive, though newer, requires Qualcomm audio chipsets in Android phones, with notable exceptions like Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices not supporting it.
AptX HD is primarily used for headphones, while LDAC works on headphones and earbuds without special chipsets. LDAC is widely available on Android devices by default, making it the most accessible of the 24-bit codecs.
Winner: LDAC
