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ultra_prescriptivist t1_jd8kdg7 wrote

Reply to comment by AudiophileHeaven in Bluetooth Sound Quality, me trying to explore what is the difference between different bluetooth codecs, which sounds best, and why, along with how to get the most stable connection possible by AudiophileHeaven

Fair enough, I suppose that makes sense. I can see how the real-time transcoding issue could account for a more noticeable degradation than locally stored lossy files.

I don't really do Bluetooth audio, so I often fail to appreciate that it really is quite a different ballgame.

For Android users, what would you say is the best codec to use for a good balance between performance and reliability? LDAC or one of the aptX variants?

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AudiophileHeaven OP t1_jda4hrj wrote

aptX HD is theoretically the best sounding to date, while being the most stable. The idea that LDAC sounds better applies only when there is no network congestion.

LHDC can be a bit superior but it is not widely supported at the moment.

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ultra_prescriptivist t1_jdalv4a wrote

Thanks for that, although I notice you're now being a bit more careful when making claims about what "theoretically" sound better.

You should have really used such caution when writing this article, to be honest. In a technical piece about Bluetooth codecs, it seems to me that subjective impressions should be kept well out of it.

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AudiophileHeaven OP t1_jdavh9y wrote

My take on audio is to have subjective impressions with everything, because I fear that if something should be good, but in practice isn't, then I should call it out. For example, I had the poor experience of not liking some of the high-end audiophile software, and I prefer Foobar2000 over most other programs for listening music, not because it sounds better, but i tend to find the others cumbersome. As for Bluetooth, I think that there's a HUGE difference between what can sound best, and what will sound best in most average situations, like in an airport or a gym, where network congestion plays a huge role, which is why I tried to also include how it sounds to the ear, in real life scenarios, not just in theory.

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