Still can't stream LDAC at full bitrate - who is at fault?

[Emig5m]

I was hoping that the S20 would have a better bluetooth transmitter so that I could stream full bitrate (990kbps) using LDAC to my Sony WH-1000XM3 but it still breaks up and have to use the middle setting (660kbps).

Which device is to blame here? My thinking was that transmitting is harder than recieving and that the S10 just didn't have a strong enough bluetooth transmitter to stream the full 990kbps because LDAC is a Sony codec and you would think a flagship Sony bluetooth headphone could handle full bitrate using their own codec.

I also hate that I have to go into developer options every time thst I pair/power on the headphones and have to manually select the 660 bitrate because it doesn't remember my setting. Bluetooth audio just really isn't prime time ready yet. To many poor codecs and a maze of settings to enable the only worthwhile one and it doesn't even work at full bitrate or remember settings at that.

 

[Xknight111]

How did you change it successfully to LDAC in the dev options? When I change it, it goes right back to Aptx after I switch away from that screen and back again. And my Sony app says aptx the entire time as the codec. What did you do to get it to show LDAC in the sony app?

 

[Emig5m]

How did you change it successfully to LDAC in the dev options? When I change it, it goes right back to Aptx after I switch away from that screen and back again. And my Sony app says aptx the entire time as the codec. What did you do to get it to show LDAC in the sony app?

Settings>Connections>Bluetooth>WH-1000XM3>Toggle LDAC under codecs. (I think it's retarded that flagship audio gear running on flagship devices doesn't "default" to the best settings possible AND you have to jump through hoops in multiple and hidden menus to select the best settings!)

More icing on the cake, go into developer options and max out the LDAC settings except for bitrate, set that at 660kbps because it will skip at anything higher. I'll attach a screenshot of a good base EQ setting because the default house sound of the Sonys is very dull on top and with overly bloomy midbass. (Bassy music will still pound and have good sub bass, they will just sound a hell of a lot clearer on top and defined on the bottom)

Also in the Sony app make sure to select the sound quality setting to where it won't allow you to use the sony EQ. Use the phone's own EQ under settings>sound>etc.

For the absolute last few % of sound quality disable noise cancelation and ambient noise (doesn't make a huge difference but its there and all the little stuff combined ads up.)

 

[Emig5m]

I had someone tell me that they stream full bitrate LDAC to the headphones with the pixel4 xl. The Galaxy S series is junk. I knew it was the phones fault, I hoped the S20 would fix this, guess not.

 

[Mike Dee]

I had someone tell me that they stream full bitrate LDAC to the headphones with the pixel4 xl. The Galaxy S series is junk. I knew it was the phones fault, I hoped the S20 would fix this, guess not.

As I understand it Pixels have the same problem. I had it with the 3XL and I still see posts complaining about it with the 4XL. Google enabled LDAC support with Android 8.0 and it's seems to have been an issue all along. I'm still not sure if it's an Android issue or an LDAC issue. I have heard the next Gen Sony headphones will be running Bluetooth 5.0 so maybe that will make a difference.

 

[Emig5m]

As I understand it Pixels have the same problem. I had it with the 3XL and I still see posts complaining about it with the 4XL. Google enabled LDAC support with Android 8.0 and it's seems to have been an issue all along. I'm still not sure if it's an Android issue or an LDAC issue. I have heard the next Gen Sony headphones will be running Bluetooth 5.0 so maybe that will make a difference.

I hope so, I'm looking forward to the new Sonys. I love the current ones and even the middle ground LDAC setting they sound phenomenal. I'm a bluetooth hater, but I'll admit, LDAC really closes the gap on wired connections. It's not 100% there yet, but if it's usable to me its very good.

 

[eed05f3c]

For anyone wondering how to make 990kbps LDAC working properly (without chopping) on Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (and pehaps on soplatform Samsung smarts e.g S20 Note20 etc).


While using LDAC 990kbls (best sound quality) you must turn off WIFI and turn off WIFI Scanning and BT scanning (location services settings). 2.4Ghz WIFI activity interfaces with 2.4Ghz BT thus causes choppy playback. Registered just to post this solution, as I had the same issue.