Any way to assess which codec is used on iOS? I have the highest suspicion that Spotify (which is encoded in OGG) is being recompressed to the bog standard SBC codec. I have MDR-1000x (AAC compatible) and Spotify sounds much, much, much better on my bottom-of-the-range Sony Xperia XA Android phone (in Apt-X) than on my iPhone when using Bluetooth (and an unspecified codec). However, Apple Music (native AAC encoding) sounds great on my iPhone with Bluetooth - it sounds as good as on Android using Apt-X .
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How to Enable the Optimal Audio Codec for Your Bluetooth Headphones in macOS
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Ok, after applying these changes using my Sony MDR1000X headphones (which were previously using the SBC codec) and rebooting it initially changed to using the AAC codec but after some time reverted to using a codec called SOC (which sounds really bad). After disconnecting and reconnecting the headphones it seems to have reverted back to AAC for now. So, it works but seems really buggy.
I have a 2014 Macbook Pro & BeatsX. They are currently using AAC codec. The audio sounds great EXCEPT when I join a call that uses the BeatsX microphone. When the microphone is activated the audio quality drops horribly. Any idea how to fix this? For the past year I have been disabling the microphone on the headset and using the laptop's microphone which is not ideal.
Used this command in terminal,
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AptX codec" -bool true
then input my password,
restart, boom!!! aptX ftw!!!
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AptX codec" -bool true
then input my password,
restart, boom!!! aptX ftw!!!
I did this like 3 days ago to enable aptX for my Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones. The difference between that and SBC is huge. SBC was actually crackling lightly, and it drove me crazy.
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You actually don't need to restart. Just disconnect and reconnect your bluetooth device.
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You actually don't need to restart. Just disconnect and reconnect your bluetooth device.
I did this like 3 days ago to enable aptX for my Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones. The difference between that and SBC is huge. SBC was actually crackling lightly, and it drove me crazy.
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You actually don't need to restart. Just disconnect and reconnect your bluetooth device.
I've tried the instructions both using the terminal and Bluetooth Explorer, rebooting, resetting Bluetooth, and connecting/disconnecting, but the codec remains SBC. I've confirmed that my earphones support aptx. I'm using a 2010 Mac Pro, wondering if the old bluetooth doesn't support aptx?
Considering Macbook Pro's from 2013 do not support aptx, it's highly probable that your 2010 Mac Pro doesn't support it.
Same here. Tried above steps using both the BT explorer and terminal options with codec remaining on SBC on my MacBook Pro 15" 2017...including fresh pairing of BT devices...should the AAC work on any BT headsets (obviously aptX requires supported audio devices)?
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Not Bose...tried with two Anker model's (Life & Lite) and a generic (unbranded) BT headset...hence not certain if my issue is MacOS related or due to the headsets...
My Mid 2009 Macbook Pro works with Apt-X and that only has bluetooth 2.0, so it's more of an OS thing, rather than a hardware thing.
same here! I have the Bose Soundlink AE 2. Maybe it will be updated via firmware at some point.
I know with my bluetooth headphones, if the audio input is set to my headphones, it has to switch to a crappier codec that supports a microphone. I regularly switch the input device to my MacBook Pro's internal microphone to get it to switch to aptX (which does not support a microphone).
Thanks but it's not that.
It's using SBC codec and sounds decent enough. I know what you mean though, go to the audio settings and change mic to headphones and the audio is really bad.
These headphones don't appear to support AAC or APT-x, maybe in the future. SBC sounds decent enough with the Bose headphones but AAC/APT-x would improve latency and possibly sound quality as well. Honestly though, compare, AAC to SBC, APT-x, you can barely tell the difference anyway.
It's because they're using the mic in your AirPods. The only way to get around it is to switch to a different mic. All of the bluetooth codecs that support microphones have terrible listening audio quality.
I use my bluetooth headphones with my MacBook Pro, and have to make sure to use the laptop's internal mic instead of the ones in the headphones. The mic quality is much better in the laptop, and also the headphones can then use a better bluetooth codec for audio, because they don't have to transmit a mic over bluetooth.