What are Bluetooth codecs? Codec types and differences

Nowadays, the mainstream of earphones is wireless via Bluetooth rather than wired.

You are probably using earphones that are all wireless and completely wireless.

Bluetooth earphones have a description of supported codecs.

This codec is the difference in the compression method of audio data.
In fact, many people have never been aware of such a thing in the first place.

What changes when listening to music depending on the codec?
Please use this article to help you understand and choose the right earphones!

Differences by Codec

• Bluetooth has codecs, and the speed of transmission and sound quality differ depending on the codec type

Bluetooth, which we now use as a matter of course, allows us to listen to music wirelessly.

Bluetooth has different compression methods called codecs.

When you buy earphones, you will be told that the earphones are compatible with this codec.

This codec has a slight influence on listening to music and watching movies.

Have you ever paid attention to it?

The type of codec makes a difference in transmission speed and sound quality.

If a slow transmission speed codec is used, the video and audio will be out of sync when viewing video.

There are also differences in the specifications of the audio data that can be sent.
This affects the sound quality.

For example, if you want to listen to high-resolution sound with wireless earphones, you need to use earphones that support the LDAC codec.

Codec Types and Characteristics

There are about seven major codecs in use.
In addition to these, some codecs are proprietary to the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, the delay time is undisclosed for LDAC.
However, after looking at things, I'd say it's about the same as SBC and AAC.

It is said that people notice a delay in sound at about 125ms.
So I think some people may be concerned about the delay with SBC, AAC, and LDAC.

If sound quality is important, LDAC or aptX Adaptive
If speed is important, then aptX or aptX LL would be recommended.

If you just want to listen to music, it doesn't matter if there is some delay, you can choose one that supports LDAC.
However, if you play games or watch videos, you may be concerned about the delay, so it is better to choose a low-latency aptX or aptX LL with a low level of sound quality!

Supported codecs are not usable even if only the headphones support them

• If both the music playback device and the headphones are not compatible, the transmission method in that format cannot be used

Unfortunately, since codecs are a method of compressing audio data, they cannot be used unless both the sender and receiver of the sound support the same codec.

If the sender does not support the codec, the audio cannot be sent in that format in the first place, and if the receiver does not support the codec, the audio cannot be decompressed even if it is sent.

Therefore, it is a good idea to first check which codecs are supported by the smartphone or player you are using.
After that, check the codecs of the earphones you want. Or, we recommend that you find the earphones you want based on the codecs you want to use.

It is a good idea to know the difference between the two, as it will be an indicator when choosing Bluetooth headphones.

To listen to high-resolution sound sources via Bluetooth

• Use a device that supports aptX Adaptive or LDAC

Nowadays, the number of people who want to listen to high-resolution music wirelessly is quite limited.
This is because most codecs do not support high-resolution specifications.

A high-resolution audio source is one that uses a higher bit rate and sampling frequency than a regular CD.
CDs have a bit rate of 16 bits and a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz.

Therefore, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC have higher specifications.
However, the sampling frequency for all but LDAC is 48 kHz, so there are cases where high-resolution sound sources cannot be played back at full specifications.

So basically, if you want to play high-resolution sound sources, you need to purchase a device that supports the LDAC codec.

Recently, the number of LDAC-compatible devices has been increasing, so it is gradually becoming possible to enjoy high-resolution sound sources wirelessly.

If you do not have a device that supports LDAC, you will have no choice but to go wired if you want to listen to high-resolution sound sources.