It’s always been kind of average, but Bluetooth audio is getting some serious fire thanks to Qualcomm’s new aptX Lossless codec. As the name says, the firmware processes, transmits and receives digital audio from source to listening device with no fidelity loss.
Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music have all been doing their bit to provide high-res audio through streaming, and now Bluetooth fans can join in – to a degree.
For now, we have to make do with CD-quality sound at 16-bit/24kHz. Then, if you’re using Apple and/or Beats hardware , they use a proprietary codec and haven’t announced hardware support yet.
Also on the unfortunate end of the spectrum, high-res recordings made at 24-bit/96kHz are still off the table as well, though it would appear we’re only a codec gen or two away from being able to revel in these.
Of course, at the end of the day, Qualcomm’s aptX lossless is only as good as the hardware you run it through, so if your headphones don’t support it, you’re missing out on some serious audio clarity.
But even if your gear does support the new codec, you’ll miss out if you’ve got cheap drivers in there.
At the moment, aptX Lossless is limited to a few Android phones from Motorola and Xiaomi, and a few sets of earbuds, but as updates come through the groundswell should pick up.
