CD-quality Bluetooth is NOW A REALITY -- but is it worth it?

This episode is brought to you by Munich High-End 2024:
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🎥 Camera: John Darko / Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🌈 Colour: Olaf von Voss
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
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0:00 Part 1: What?
5:30 Part 2: How?
13:17 Part 3: Why?
👉 As seen in this video...
Bose QC Ultra
🛒 amzn.to/4atTbyc
Sennheiser Momentum TW4
🛒 amzn.to/4afvIBa
Denon Perl Pro
🛒 amzn.to/4cBnvJe
Asus Zenfone 10
🛒 amzn.to/49gaJNh
Sony Xperia 1 V
🛒 amzn.to/43APQvf
Aphex Twin umbrella
☔️ / 1729569238640181607
Podcast: Bluetooth STILL can’t do hi-res audio BUT…
🎧 darko.audio/2023/03/podcast-b...
No, Bluetooth cannot deliver hi-res audio
📖 darko.audio/2020/11/no-blueto...
Room treatment by Vicoustic
📖 audioadvice.io/Vicoustic
Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, which are indicated with a '🛒'.
#bluetooth #cdquality #headphones
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[@PeterComber]

If a tree falls in the forest can an audiophile tell whether the sound is lossless?

[@IainMacUK]

Only if it's recorded. Then yes.

[@ChatGPT1111]

Yes but only if it is hardwood. Softwood is too soft.

[@user-ew5id4yz1j]

Depends on if the tree fell in the matrix

[@ronaldweed6103]

As a hair, I heard the tree fall

[@zensbikeshop]

To hell with the audio, where can I get the umbrella? 😆

[@_fakeklg]

For real … that umbrella is ace

[@_fakeklg]

Kinda want to do a tap dance and ride in a limo

[@bintururong]

I think it's available on the official merch store of Aphex Twin 😄 (idk if it's still in stock tho)

[@koffie123]

YES!! what he said! Want one

[@zensbikeshop]

@@_fakeklg a very, very long limo...

[@buddhamack1491]

Bring back the headphone jack

[@sethlennberg4516]

It's there. You need to look for it.

[@alfrednerstu]

Don’t think you need to excuse the nerdiness or complexity of this stuff. That’s what we’re all here for.

[@adox66]

So ironically it’s quite an Apple type move where the listener is locked out of controlling the codec selection. My read from this video is that lossless just can’t be consistently stable over Bluetooth so the best you will get is the occasional lossless playback in a adaptive variable playback that you have no control over and is marketed as lossless.

[@NostalgicMem0ries]

imo its ldac alternative, as ldac scales down and up, same with aptx now, just qualcomm named their perfect condition loseless, sony could have done that too, but they didnt.

[@rickbrookes9491]

Nerdy? Yes. But, I enjoyed it very much. And I’m an iPhone user. Which I heard the disclaimer in the beginning of the video, yet I watched it all the way until the end. A testament to how interesting and informative your videos are. Thank you.

[@hvskyline1368]

Wow lossless Bluetooth before lossless Spotify

[@abhijeetdey]

😂😂😂

[@i_dont_know_who_i_am69]

Spotify probably knows that most of their users don't even know about what lossless means, so they're not prioritizing it

[@Okamine]

You do know that Spotify isn’t the only music streaming service, right?

[@Ryubiru]

Go wireless when you need convenience. Wire when you need quality. That's it for now. Bluetooth audio is messy things

[@Emi-rd1lk]

Nuff said

[@martinhinge1462]

So nothing new then: If you want the best sound quality at all times you’ll want to use wired headphones, as always.

[@conorfurlong]

The vast memory of wired headphones do not have active noise cancellation, so I wouldn’t agree they are the best audio experience unless you’re at home or some other quiet location.

[@aglobalnomad]

This is exactly the type of video I was hoping it would be! Thanks for keeping it nerdy

[@deiruch]

Some clarifications: 1. SBC is adaptive as well, not only LDAC. SBC codes adjust the "bitpool" parameter, depending on the connection. 2. By default, most SBC codecs are configured with comparatively low quality settings, but we can adjust parameters. I currently run SBC at 684 kbps. It's easy to run SBC at higher rates as well, e.g. 990 kbps, but at some point you run the risk of producing dropouts when you hit the bandwidth limits of the Bluetooth connection. 3. LDAC fares worse in listening tests, compared to SBC-With-High-Data-Rates and/or AptX. Don't use LDAC. 4. Some codecs, like AptX, compresse audio data not by removing content, but by increasing noise. LDAC and SBC remove audio data.

[@agent4704]

interesting cose for me ldac sounds the best, run from windows 11 by a2dp driver, while i can switch between sbc, aac, aptX aptX hd and ldac, and ldac is simply the best quality for me

[@kostasjezuz4846]

@@agent4704 for me as well

[@markkavanagh93]

Love this. Super nerdy but brilliant. Keep up the good work!

[@1337sim1]

Great video Darko! Thank you for your quality of research on this topic.

[@mikewebsdale4777]

Thanks John! Fun to follow along wading through the information.

[@scottwatson8656]

Great Video, John Darko. Thank you; I listened all the way to the end! Yes, it was technical. However, it is necessary to understand this subject for buying or upgrading purposes. Nobody else explains this material, for the most part, better than you. Thanks Again

[@msquareist]

Great video John. Good advice. Will definitely wait before switching to one other three IEMs

[@paulofoliveira]

Really good, I love these nerdier videos 👌👏

[@keesv8000]

Thanks for this vid. I liked not only the Nerd Factor, but your shirt as well.

[@davidbailey6350]

Damn, I’m glad I listen to LP’s and CD’s….

[@JM-if1mo]

"Staying put" Thank you for the awesome perspective.

[@Kruziform]

Great Video, i really like this kind of content

[@Soundoverload]

Superb quality review as always.

[@Abhinav_Nayana_Sailen]

need that umbrella mate

[@GaryMatthews1]

Fantastic video John. Whilst I am a cable guy, you explained the subject matter very well and I followed it all. Thx

[@MichaelLopresto]

Thanks John, loved this informative video.

[@lalaha4241]

Thx for digging so deep! I give it another year or two to upgrade untill more developements....

[@LDN_BOX]

I’ve been using LDAC for ages and happy with it!

[@olivierstritt83]

Brilliant and well explained! Thanks🎉

[@Johan-qy6yb]

The ever long and troublesome quest for perfect sound. It’s a deep deep rabbit hole

[@andrewdhome]

Not many people might watch it .....but one of your most useful videos for those who do!!!

[@1423big]

Just give me a dang headphone jack. Augh

[@AngeredNumber1988]

Love the content mate, Always a quality watch! Do you have any plans on reviewing the new Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 earbuds??

[@eugenenelson9124]

Great. That’s an improvement. With time they will perfect the technology and make it available across platforms. Keep up the good work Qualcomm. Thanks for the video John. Much appreciated!

[@tehkik]

Yeah it was nerdy but really liked it. Kinda confirmed all my suspicions. To get real lossless on wireless there are just too many factors in play (phone, IEM/headphones, software, bluetooth chips and the air in between). So wired for quality and wireless for ease of use it is 😊

[@rav78]

Have always think the same, however maybe in the next ten years wireless could be for quality as well.

[@taidee]

Thanks JD, yep, it's going to be a battle to get things just right for a little while longer.

[@aaronwade2382]

Getting In depth reviews of earbuds I have my eye on , very soon . Looking forward to it

[@mrtreevis]

In my experience, LDAC has been a game-changer. It's been the most reliable for sound quality and constant uninterrupted connection which was something that plagued my many other Bluetooth headphones/iems. I also agree that the hardware makes a bigger difference. For me the now old Sony WFXM3's are just unbeatable! I love them and they can be had for so little now relative to their new price.

[@Kodiak-1984]

Sony is great, I have the headphone Wh-1000XM4 its very nice, but it gets too hot in the summer. Now I give a chance for Technics EAH-AZ80. This premium brand is owned by Panasonic in 1965. I've watched a lot of comparison videos, most of the time this one came out on top. I can't wait to use it, I'm very curious about it.

[@MrChoppington]

"Hello ladies" - that got a belly laugh from me. Touché, John

[@Tura67]

Kudos John with all those tongue twisters!

[@darkblueturbo]

Just as you said “…this is so nerdy” I was thinking “this is fantastic!” Thanks John. Love it. I’m in iPhone user and I have a DAC and a cable, but it’s still wonderfully interesting stuff to know.

[@D1N02]

Take into the equation the noise floor out on the street due to traffic and wind and it is all moot unless you turn up the sound level so much you'll likely cause long term hearing damage.

[@rufoneq]

Excellent explanation ofJohn thank you, as a Sennheiser user I can say there is a notable difference between the two codecs Aptx and Aptx Adaptive. I recently started using the BTD600 dongle so I can extract every ounce of sound from my Momentum 4 since it enables the full AptX suite and you can even FEEL the difference. Tried that dongle with the MTW3s and the diference was not that perceptible. So I can agree in you conclusion: hardware totally matters at the end.

[@tommymichalski9989]

This reminds me of the good old days, when 1080p was 1080i and when megapixels in phones ruled.

[@leegodwin2071]

Loving the nerdy 🤓 Also has john made the tweeters cry on the speakers in the back ground?

[@suryaaje5245]

lol happy that a video discuss that much details about things we care about

[@rickmepham8819]

Has there ever been a hobby as confusing as HiFi? Great video John, you did a superb job in explaining all of this. Thanks.

[@maubetproductions]

Your videos are great Darko. Casual 25 year old iPhone user here and hoping to start upgrading my audio gear as soon as I’m able to afford nicer gear haha. Super informative and thanks for sharing

[@isaacapeltz]

Dude absolutely fantastic analysis

[@roumiaou]

Very instructive for sure. PLUS the Windowlicker umbrella is a killler 🙂.

[@mattybryan2011]

Silversun Pickups just chillin' in the corner...nice!

[@aphex2k]

25 seconds in and I'm pausing just after I saw the Aphex logo on the handle. This video gets a thumbs up before I've even watched it. Fantastisch!

[@TheJimi74]

I am glad that I still got some wired headphones as well

[@jesusarevalo5790]

John, I have to admit, recognize and congratulate you for how well structured your explanation is about aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive, it was like having seen the best science fiction movie, complex, disconcerting at times but wow, what an amount of information so well developed. Yes, I love technology, innovation and nerdy things, as always excellent content, greetings from Mexico! You should seriously consider writing a science fiction novel, you have a great ability to explain complex topics.

[@AdamCarrCom]

I stayed until the end. I’m here for it. I’ll sign the petition too. Show us the lossless. 😀

[@conorfurlong]

My head hurts. As an iPhone user, I’m looking forward to the day when Apple releases its updated AAC, with lossless - which is something they’re apparently working on. I won’t need a degree in audio codecs to know what the hell is playing on my earbuds!

[@sultantoure4220]

What a great job thank you !!!!

[@AuggieG]

Thank you for the detailed breakdown! I’m still rocking the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ (2020). I’ll probably wait until I upgrade.

[@KorakMartin40]

Hi John Darko. Tanks for a very informative video about apt lossless bluetooth, I think it was a bit nerdi but not to much., you do make great videos, keep going. on please. Thanks for yours big work and often with a bit of humør, that make it funny to watch and learn something from. Have a nice week Mr. John Darko. Vh Martin.

[@joebass5163]

I'm just going to use wired headphones if I want the highest audio quality lol

[@mwgoldfix]

John - why do think Apple is not participating in this Bluetooth arms race ?

[@gavaniacono]

Excellent, thanks.

[@pimvanvliet2812]

Love the shirt John

[@ebidaukoru]

Thanks great detailed update nothing to apologize about ....looking forward to more info on anything tech related ...looking forward to when codecs like snapdragon aptx lossless will be more main stream and verifiable with videos like these the manufacturers may be influenced to change their marketing strategy and be more transparent..

[@Jstall7543]

Did You Adjust the EQ on the QC Ultra? Great Video!

[@dirk-jansmit9772]

Thx,informative. Whats with theAphex twin umbrella and all other hints?

[@petererk8064]

Ditto below. Thanks for another helpful and very watchable review.

[@itube027]

I’ll wait for  to release cd quality high fidelity Bluetooth AirPod Pros.

[@pickyaudio]

I love your videos and the effort to decipher the madness that is hi-res/lossless streaming over Bluetooth! I own all three earbuds as well as the Zenphone 10. I found to consistently stream 44.1khz on the PerL Pro I had to disable Aptx Adaptive Hi-Res 24bit 96khz streaming in the Qualcomm settings in Bluetooth settings. But even then, when I enter developer settings it still shows the connection is 24bit not 16bit. So yea even more confusing but basically I agree, going from regular Aptx to Aptx lossless is the slightest improvement. The same difference using the Denon PerL pro on my iPhone 15 pro with AAC vs Aptx Lossless.

[@jeraldquist8579]

Thanks again. An emerging technology that needs a good year or two.

[@sudipchatterjee]

I am using the Final Audio ZE3000 which has the aptX adaptive codec. It sounds phenomenal! For the first time, I felt that it could do justice to all those lossless albums that I’ve purchased and saved on my phone. At first, I attributed all of this excellence to aptX adaptive; but gradually, when I played those same songs from devices that did not support aptX adaptive, I realized that the hardware of the ZE3000 was as much in play as the codec. So I agree with your conclusion here. And John, thanks for reminding me of that Yorke and Donwood book! 🙌

[@upbeatbeacon]

Interesting! What phone are you using , may I ask?

[@czondag]

Thanks… I will definitely go for wired now…

[@Spleen250]

Just one Word: BRAVO!

[@hanamichi-sakuragi]

Finally someone with my problem not seen anywhere aptx loseless

[@kostasjezuz4846]

I have the Sony Xperia 1 V, it is, and sounds, amazing! Even the onboard speakers sound amazing, for listening to some music while talking a shower!

[@IainMacUK]

Great video John. Not in any way confusing. I assume requirements are BT 5.3, Qualcomm Snapdragon, and the phone manufacturer to pay the appropriate licences. Samsung only pay for APT-X. Never APT-X HD or above. Because they have their own high quality codec... Would be good to tell your audience about this... They are a major player. Can't install a better codec either..

[@humeyboy]

Lossless is build on top of Adaptive so if the signal etc is not good enough it drops to Adaptive, it really is like a chasing a Unicorn and the newer using XPAN (BT+WIFI) will probably be more stable.

[@ad_fletch]

They named a new codec after a Hasselblad?

[@EthanHMoore]

Thank you for being as nerdy as me! Could you do a video on the variable quality levels of AAC and just the whole psychoacoustic codec stuff in general? TheSoundGuys did a big deep dive some years ago, and it'd be great to hear your thoughts.

[@ZbyszekMichalicki]

..hi, in the developer options (once the device is connected) under bluetooth audio sample rate, you can switch between 48/96 kHz, as per adaptive option for aptx codec, and yes it does fluctuate on the go, where in my case lg's tone t90q are more stable than sennheiser's tws, though over the ear version (senn's) are pretty best sound quality outcome..

[@spda242]

Using an iPhone, I can use any codec I want as long it is AAC 😂 begun looking at the new Sennheiser offering but there seem to be some issues according to other reviewers with transparency mode and microphone placement. When investing this I found raving reviews for Technics AZ80 so I am thinking of giving those a try, didn’t even knew Technics was in this space

[@harrisfogel6992]

For me the problem lies with Apple. The way to get a Mac to work with AptX codecs, is normally by using Bluetooth Explorer from Apple. But... it doesn't seem to work with Silicon Macs, and Apple hasn't updated the app. Love to see you do a post on getting the best Bluetooth audio from a Mac. I hate it that my Android phone, using LDAC, sounds so much better with a Bluetooth receiver than my new Mac!

[@ozboyblu]

Try the sennheiser BTD 600. You can get AptX quality audio on your Mac or iPad Pro. I hear it works with the iPhone 15 Pro Max also. But I haven’t tested this. Absolute game changer using focal Bathys or momentum 4 or TWM4 with Apple devices.

[@glennbucc7107]

I appreciate your videos, they offer so much information that is very helpful. I just purchased the Sennheiser Momentum 4 earbuds. I had no idea I could adjust the audio quality with them with my Samsung phone. This was not an option as I do not have this option with my B&W PX8 wireless headphones. Sure enough when I went to my Sennheiser Smart Control app, I was able to increase the audio quality to higher quality with aptx Now the Smart Control app says "Audio resolution" Standard: - For all day listening Low Latency: for gaming High Resolution: For audiophile listening 24bit/96kHz AptX Adaptive Lossless: For audio listening 16 bit/44.1kHz AptX Lossless. Based on this information, the High Resolution with Aptx Adaptive provides higher quality than the Lossless Aptx Lossless Now on my Galaxy phone when I open up Tidal and play through the Momentum 4's, the audio quality in Tidal says Max. When I open the message, it says Bluetooth: Audio is compressed when listening via Bluetooth. Not sure what this means; does it stop audio quality from going to high?

[@leonvanderlinden6929]

He got THE umbrella😂

[@FelipeBudinich]

I'm happy enough with LDAC on my phone due to use (moving around in noisy spaces). What I want is support of LDAC/Aptx Lossless in desktop devices, so I can enjoy that in my house. (Of course it's awesome it is getting better accross the board)

[@tientuan1606]

Nice umbrella :D

[@Tec2Nut]

Of the headphones you mentioned with do you think. Is the best sounding and Bass

[@spoon072000]

Great video. It can be quite confusing, but I'm pretty sure that most codecs employ a scalable bit rate level. I have tried quite a few and, ultimately, the hardware does make the biggest difference. Especially out in the world. Indoors makes it a bit easier to differentiate, but if I'm listening indoors, it isn't going to be wireless!

[@timurkat1985]

Omg this shirt is 🔥🔥🔥!

[@kevinmcgrath3591]

yes, ANY transducer in the audio chain distorts / changes the sound, you are so right the 'lossless' thing comes second to the actual earbuds. Similarly LP cartridges and the whole vinyl thing distorts the signal, hey lots of people like it - and why not - Marmite comes to mind for some reason 😅

[@Frequincy100]

After trying AirPods Pro and enjoying the Spatial Audio but not enjoying the IEM form I’m looking for an over the ear headphone that does Spatial Audio/atmos/etc but not for crazy amounts of money. Also love the umbrella

[@christopherfogarty1877]

John, Have you reviewed, and I just can't find it, a pair of IEMs that are both wired and wireless? I don't like over-ear headphones, but I would like the option of being wired or not.

[@skampster]

I own the Denon Pro’s, I wish you gave an opinion between those and the Momentum 4’s.

[@gildasguillaume251]

At one point, you lost me 😅

[@camhyde9701]

I hardly ever use BT nevertheless I totally agree that the codec, sample and bit rate should be at least readily available information as it is for example in Roon, DACs etc

[@agent4704]

Im using LDAC on windows 11 laptop by installing alternative a2dp driver. Also windows 11 uses AAC by default but if you switch it off it automaticly changes to aptX. Still LDAC is the best atm for Windows 11 but you need to purchase a driver for about 10 usd what i recommend strongly. there u can switch between different codecs with different settings as well.

[@7in1]

Why UAT codec that I use often (>1000kbs) was not even mentioned?

[@krjal3038]

Nura had a better handle on aptx Lossless than Denon after they bought out Nura. For some reason my "old" NuraTrue Pro manage to enable aptx lossless far more often and reliably than my brother's (identical apart from the branding) newer Denon Pearl Pro.

[@kindofanmol]

LHDC and LDAC works really well on my Enco Air3Pro

[@luciferray6560]

Indian spotted

[@efei33]

apt-x is my go to codec if i dont want to change the codec rate in developer options, if do i use ldac at 600kbps for connection and sound quality. ldac lhdc changes rates automatically by the phone

[@hypie69]

We are all here. We are all watching this video. We love what you do. It is important to us.

[@observerstation]

When’s the Asus Zenfone video coming John?