Regarding the Exynos variants of the S20 family (standard, plus and Ultra). Do they natively support Aptx and AAC bluetooth audio codecs?
If so, how is the experience? When connecting a supported TWS, does it automatically transmit via the best codec available (presumably Aptx > AAC > SBC)? Or do you need to manually switch to AptX/AAC in the Developer Options, with the phone reverting to SBC whenever it is reconnected to the device?
Haha yes, I'm fully aware that both phone and earbuds need to support said codecs. It is just that I'm reading conflicting reports online. Even reports confirming that it does support AptX and AAC, often they say they need to fiddle in the developer options to make the connection stick to the desired codec – so it is either the user not really knowing their hardware or Samsung user experience on these devices being suboptimal.
The Samsung Scalable codec is the highest resolution codec for the Buds. LDAC is better if the audio device supports it, few do.
Normally SSC is auto enabled when you connect the Galaxy Buds. You can manually set it (or view current codec setting) in Developer options.
The phone will shift codecs on the fly depending on the source.
No Galaxy Buds in my case, mate. I've got an assortment of TWS and they vary between aptx, aptx HD and AAC codecs.
The conflicting reports I've read are indeed all about third party audio devices and the spotty codec implementation. In theory looks like at least the snapdragon S20s should be able to deal with them, but (1) I've yet to see it confirmed regarding the Exynos phones and (2) people still report having a hard time making the phone stick with Aptx or AAC without it reverting to SBC.
I go with either LDAC wireless buds or headphones.
Or the Galaxy Buds+. I have the Buds+, with Poweramp they sound pretty good, great for calls, very good battery life and link up fast.
The highest available resolution codecs for the bt chipset on the phone are LDAC then SSC; Aptx and AAC are inferior to the two former ones.
This is a chipset hardware limitation; no firmware upgrade can improve it ie no AptX-HD will be possible.
All the latest Sammy's phones have this huge short coming.
Take my first suggestion and be happy... good as it gets.
Haha thank you! I'll probably clear my cart though. Never had a samsung phone and was closing the deal on a S20+ when it crossed my mind that Aptx et al is a Qualcomm codec, so I should not take it for granted on an Exynos phone.
Unfortunately I have no interest in switching to the galaxy Buds. It's been a long way on the TWS road already - MPOW, Shanling, Edifier, Fiil, Bomaker. They all have different codecs but they usually sound their best either with AAC or Aptx. Listening through SBC on them usually gives a pretty metallic sound like if I had a pair of tin cans for headphones.
I'm sure the buds work wonders with SSC* as it's been highly reviewed time and time again but I'm not willing to take a leap of faith with my devices nor to invest even more on a new TWS.
Hi,
I have a sony wh-1000xm4 which supports ldac. But I cannot select the ldac codec in the developer option. It is fixed at aac. I can only downgrade to sbc. I have s20 exynos version.
Phinixs said:
Hi,
I have a sony wh-1000xm4 which supports ldac. But I cannot select the ldac codec in the developer option. It is fixed at aac. I can only downgrade to sbc. I have s20 exynos version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In order for you to select the LDAC codec you need to do the following:
1. Connect your headset via Bluetooth to your S20.
2. Install the Sony app for the headset
3. Configure your headset in the Sony app with the following setting: SonyApp > Headphones > Sound Quality Mode > Priority on Sound Quality
4. Go to the general Bluetooth settings (swide down and hold your finger onto the Bluetooth icon) and from the list of connected bluetooth devices press on the "wheel" icon next to your Sony device.
5. Turn on the switch where it says: Codecs > LDAC
Now what you also should know is that LDAC is only superior to the other codecs, yes even the Samsung's scalable codec, if you turn up the Bluetooth Audio LDAC Codec's Playback Quality to the max "990kbps/909kbps".
If you don't turn that up you're better off with one of the aptX codecs than LDAC. Search the internet for all the details.
Do the following steps only after you've done the above steps to configure your S20 to use the highest quality for the LDAC codec:
Activate "Developer options" on your Android (skip this step if you already did that):
1. Go to Settings > About phone > Software information > repeatedly tap on the text "Build number" and agree to unlock developer mode.
Configure the LDAC codec on Android to its full potential:
2. Go to Settings > Developer options > Bluetooth Audio LDAC Code: Playback Quality > tap on the text > choose "Optimized for Audio Quality (990kbps/909kbps)"
Please note that till date (June 2021) Android still automatically resets this playback quality setting to the lowest if you disconnect your headset and reconnect, so it is necessary to do this step everytime you connect your headset. Unfortunately, Google nor Samsung seems to have any intention whatsoever to fix this issue with the developer options. Some ppl actually are going full Stockholm and try to convince themselves and others that this is normal behavior for the dev settings, they argue that the dev settings isn't a normal app and therefore it's actually supposed to not remember your settings for it.
I think if you already spent the money on a decent headset like yours, why not use it to its fullest potential? After all good sound enhances your overall experience of life.
Got this from Samsung executive via Chat feature on their website:
S20 FE 5G:
"terms of Connectivity there is Dual Band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth® 5.0 + LE, A2DP (HD codecs: AptX, AptX HD, LDAC, AAC), NFC, Samsung-exclusive MST feature is available. "
Related
Does the Nokia 6.1 (with Pie) support HD bluetooth codecs? Did someone tried to pair with sony or others headphones and check if LDAC is working?
I'm not much of an audiophile myself. I've never tested any of these out, but here's what bluetooth codec selection looks like in developer options.
jason2678 said:
I'm not much of an audiophile myself. I've never tested any of these out, but here's what bluetooth codec selection looks like in developer options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but it seems it does not work, everytime you exit the option, it go back to default.
I tested a BT speaker Sony XB40 and a car stereo Pioneer NEX, and both have "HD Audio" in their bluetooth properties displaying "HD Audio: AAC". I cannot change it, I tried to change the codec in the dev option, but it does nothing.
I don't think the developer options are meant to be changed. I think they are there to show what the phone auto-selects when playing.
This screenshot is from another phone, while playing to an AptX device. I think it works the same way on Nokia.
Got a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3's today. The headphones support SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC Bluetooth Codecs but according to the App its only ussing AptX. It looks like the Note 10+ should support LDAC which I'm told is one of the best. I can turn it on in the developer menu, but then it just seems to turn off and go back to AptX.
Any idea how to get it working?
Go to the bluetooth settings and then select the headphones and enable LDAC for the headphones
howie411 said:
Got a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3's today. The headphones support SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC Bluetooth Codecs but according to the App its only ussing AptX. It looks like the Note 10+ should support LDAC which I'm told is one of the best. I can turn it on in the developer menu, but then it just seems to turn off and go back to AptX.
Any idea how to get it working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're lucky yours stays on AptX. Mine switches back to SBC no matter what I do.
I've also got the Sony WH-1000XM3 and would be interested to know how to switch. The suggested method of selecting the headset only shows the Name, the option to unpair and use for "Calls" and "Audio" and nothing about LDAC.
thecrater said:
You're lucky yours stays on AptX. Mine switches back to SBC no matter what I do.
I've also got the Sony WH-1000XM3 and would be interested to know how to switch. The suggested method of selecting the headset only shows the Name, the option to unpair and use for "Calls" and "Audio" and nothing about LDAC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I did find out if I go to the gear icon for the paired WH-1000XM3, at the bottom it says Codecs and does list LDAC. It was off, so I turned it on and it seemed to stay. Not sure about AptX HD but I think LDAC is better anyways.
thecrater said:
You're lucky yours stays on AptX. Mine switches back to SBC no matter what I do.
I've also got the Sony WH-1000XM3 and would be interested to know how to switch. The suggested method of selecting the headset only shows the Name, the option to unpair and use for "Calls" and "Audio" and nothing about LDAC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here... i have XB900N....tried everything..given up momentarily.
---------- Post added at 06:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 PM ----------
howie411 said:
So I did find out if I go to the gear icon for the paired WH-1000XM3, at the bottom it says Codecs and does list LDAC. It was off, so I turned it on and it seemed to stay. Not sure about AptX HD but I think LDAC is better anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exynos or Snapdragon?
I'm on Exynos and i dont see anything as such on the bluetooth setting.
Got it working finally....
1. Sony companion app, set Sound Quality Mode to Priority on Sound Quality.
2. Now you ll have the LDAC option enabled on your bluetooth settings for your paired headphone under calls and audio. Turn it on.
Now you ll have the developer options > bluetooth audio codec stick to LDAC.
Also interested if this is the same for Exynos processors.
boxallw said:
Also interested if this is the same for Exynos processors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is. It's an Android option so should be on all version.
Had it on my exynos note 9..and now my exynos note10+
Now I suggest you to try another tweak on developer settings: Bluetooth Audio LDAC Codec. Try to put it 990kbps. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a reliable Bluetooth connection and it "cracks" the sound sometimes. I'm still testing, buy seems pretty stable at 660kbps.
You may find the following article an interesting reading:
[ As a new user, I'm not allowed to post outside links. Please, Google for: The ultimate guide to Bluetooth headphones: LDAC isn’t Hi-res ]
Up the IroNs!
Galaxy Note10+ (SM-N975F) with Tapatalk.
IroN_tuxer said:
Now I suggest you to try another tweak on developer settings: Bluetooth Audio LDAC Codec. Try to put it 990kbps. Unfortunately, I could get a reliable Bluetooth connection and it "cracks" the sound sometimes. I'm still testing, buy seems pretty stable at 660kbps.
You may find the following article an interesting reading:
[ As a new user, I'm not allowed to post outside links. Please, Google for: The ultimate guide to Bluetooth headphones: LDAC isn’t Hi-res ]
Up the IroNs!
Galaxy Note10+ (SM-N975F) with Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue here. Poor quality connection between my Sony XM3s and my Note 10+ when using LDAC at the maximum bandwidth.
Kiran-Kumar said:
Got it working finally....
1. Sony companion app, set Sound Quality Mode to Priority on Sound Quality.
2. Now you ll have the LDAC option enabled on your bluetooth settings for your paired headphone under calls and audio. Turn it on.
Now you ll have the developer options > bluetooth audio codec stick to LDAC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the WI-1000X's, found if you try any of the EQ settings in the app it forces you to SBC.
Also @A_DrunkTeddyBear thank you for the LDAC tip, got it enabled on mine now.
Please delete
I'd like to maximize the audio quality for my ear buds but the settings won't stick-- they can be changed on the Developers options page but they don't stick. For instance- if I select aptX as the bt audio codec it displays aptX but the phone reverts to the default SBC. Same goes for sample rate, bits per sample and and LDAC playback quality. The options are there but you can't force the phone to use them... Does it require the phone be rooted to make these settings work?
The earbuds you are using should support all the codecs.
Else it will revert back to default which is SBC even if you force it in developer settings.
Thanks very much for the reply. These are the new Ear buds plus so the problem lies with them not the phone. Much appreciated Kiran-Kumar.
gregro611 said:
Thanks very much for the reply. These are the new Ear buds plus so the problem lies with them not the phone. Much appreciated Kiran-Kumar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember reading somewhere that the buds support aac and scalable codecs additionally apart from the default one...Did you try choosing them in the dev options?
Also check under bluetooth settings against the paired device( buds in your case ), click on the setting icon at the right corner and see if there are some settings to be enabled.
They do support aac and scalable. I set it to scalable, where I've done most of my testing. Can't hear any difference between that and aac so far- it's kind of subtle. The buds are good but I know they can be a lot better. Appreciate the help.
So I am currently using the Sony 1000xm3's and am trying to get the codec into LDAC for the highest quality, but whenever I change the "Bluetooth Audio LDAC Codec Selection: Playback Quality" or the "Bluetooth audio codec" in the developer options, it immediately reverts back to what it was before.
When the Codec is correct the Sony Headphones app will show LDAC, but instead it is currently on SBC.
Thanks!
EDIT: Sorry, I should have checked around more, to anyone else having this issue, make sure in the app your sound quality is set to "Priority on Sound Quality" then follow the steps below.
(Ripped directly from Reddit, but cant put link as I havnt made 10 posts (What dumbass made that a rule))
1. Pull down the notification shade, long press the Bluetooth icon, press the gear icon next to your headphone, switch on the LDAC codec.
2. In the Sony app, turn off the EQ. User of the EQ will bit you out of Sound Quality priority and put you into Stable Connection priority.
Is there a way of forcing a particular Bluetooth codec as default? I use Airpods Pro for workouts, and I find SBC codec to be much more stable in terms of connectivity than default AAC, but it's quite annoying to switch manually to SBC in Developer Options every time I connect my Airpods Pro to my S9.
I actually found an easy solution: include _NOAAC in the name of the device (i.e., I'm using AirpodsPro_NOAAC), and it will skip AAC codec and choose the next best one, which is SBC in my case.
Or maybe not... It's inconsistent.