Bluetooth Audio Codecs

Bluetooth technology is a topic that covers a broad perspective. The technology comes as a trend and a future technology that needs to have more improvements. However, we need to understand the Bluetooth Audio Codecs to get the best devices. Bluetooth carries the future of wireless headphones and the advancement of wireless technology.

Such a trend comes with the improvement and the increment of the number of devices without the aux ports. Even the devices that are suspicious are coming with such omissions and enhancements. The first subscriber who had the improvement is apple and worked on the iPhone 7 (on Amazon).

Since then, the other manufacturers have had various improvements on their devices. When you see a device that comes without a part, such as the aux port, it means that the port is no longer in use. Having portable devices that will connect without cables is becoming the greatest need of all time.

Why Bluetooth is growing fast?

Since Bluetooth technology came into existence, it has created a window of growth to other wireless technologies. The widest technology that has been trending is wifi technology. However, wifi comes to fix issues with an internet connection,  and in a way, it has improved the wireless sharing between devices.

Bluetooth technology, on the other hand, does not need an internet connection to function. This is the reason behind having various improvements as it can serve all kinds of devices. It has been the key to the elimination of the use of cables in multiple devices.

The future of Bluetooth is something that we cannot ignore because the improvements are realistic. The Bluetooth era is coming with various improvements like the number of devices one connection or device can serve. The speed of connection is also improving day by day, making the technology’s viability and success better every time.

One of the improvements that have come with Bluetooth is the Bluetooth audio codecs.  Our article today aims at addressing this feature and improvement.

Keywords to understand

Several terminologies that are slightly confusing and difficult to understand have come along with the improvement in technology. Before we properly understand the Bluetooth audio codecs, we have to go through these terminologies and see how they apply.

Bluetooth audio codec

The word codec defines how the Bluetooth signal gets transmitted from the source, such as a smart device, to a recipient device. In other words, it is the definition that comes in to explain how the transmitter and the receiver serve each other.

The major work of the codec is to transform the signals from one format to another. The transformation from the digital signal to a specific usable format is one thing that will greatly impress you. The major function is to ensure that the transmission of the signal at an improved rate.

The process of making the signal involves the compression of the files so that the Bluetooth technology easily picks and channels. You need to understand and note that you keep large files on your devices shared by Bluetooth because of the codecs.

Sample rate

Another word that you need to know about is the sample rate. You cannot miss using this word when you are talking about the codecs. It measures in the hertz units and implies the data points per second.

It concerns the speed that the connection takes to send share a file between two devices successfully. If you share higher files using the Bluetooth connection, the rate maintains at 96khz or even higher. You will also notice that each file has a rate that it gets transferred at.

Bit depth

Bit depth is the number of bits that are found in the audio file. It has to do with the resolution that specific files come along with. You will notice figures such as 16 -bit and 24 bits. 14 bit is common among the cd qualities, and the 24 bit is common among the Blu-ray discs.

The smaller the rate, the smaller the audio file and vice versa.

Bit rate

Another common and related term to bit depth is the bit rate. It means the number of bits that get processed in each second. The unit of measurement of these bits is kilobyte per second. Megabits per second is a higher denotation of the same.

You measure this rate by calculating the but depth in multiplication with the sample rate. The answer you get is several channels.

Data transfer

Data transfer has all to do with the movement of the signals from one device to another. Bluetooth data transfer has two words that bring the different representations. Asynchronous connection-less and synchronous connection-oriented are the terms that make the difference stand out among the connections.

The first one means that the sharing happens without the connection, while the second one means a connection establishment before the sharing is done. The process of data transfer must complete before a specific timeline. Division schemes such as 625microseconds are the determinants of the intervals and slots that facilitate various connections.

Bluetooth data transfer

Under the Bluetooth data transfer, you will notice things such as the 2 to 3 Mbps, and the specs seem to be the best for handling specific amounts of data. What you need to understand is that the Bluetooth data transfer rates are different from the ones advertised. The reason for this is that under a real-time connection, devices tend to have changes.

A good example is when the devices you have connected are 3 or more. The more devices you add to the connection, the lower the speed of the connection.  It happens because when the devices are connected, you will have them sharing the same connection hence getting it congested.

The values that you see in an advertisement are not constant and will change depending on the circumstances. If you are operating at a place with no objects, you understand that the speeds must also improve.

If you get lower speeds, you have to check on factors such as obstacles and the number of connected devices. The distance between the connected devices also matters.

Psychoacoustics

One thing you need to have some understanding of is psychoacoustics. It has all to do with assessing the sound quality with regards to the transition that it has undergone until the final usage. When compression takes place, the content has to remain constant and usable without lowering the quality.

Compression

This is a term that almost everyone knows about, but there is a slight difference with the Bluetooth connection. It is a process that usually involves the removal of certain aspects from the file so that it becomes easier to transfer. A challenge comes when the compression removes the essential features.

Lossy and lossless are the remaining formats that come after the whole compression process is complete. Apple and iTunes use the first one, and it creates files that are 256kbps or the 320-bit.  Good examples of such files are the mp4, mp3, and OCG. Lossless formats are those that are above 500 kbps.

These are very good files because they preserve most of the details found in the music. ALAC, wave, and FLAC are some of the files you will find in the connections. The improvement process is still under improvement, and very soon, we shall have the service working even better than how the wireless connection works.

Bluetooth audio codecs

A2dp is the media that allows for the movement of data from one device to another.  It is a profile that has been in existence for quite some time since 2003 and has also undergone various changes. The first codec had a small number that has kept improving from time to time.

The result of such improvements has brought about a transition that has brought 14 codecs to life. They include;

SBC

SBC is one of the best codecs because it is one that most devices do not have compatibility problems with. It offers great support to devices that have a medium complexity and a lower audio quality. You will enjoy a maximum transfer rate of 320kbps and a bit rate of 345 kbps when in use.

As much as it stands to be the most compatible. It has challenges such as maintaining the low quality and removing some essentials from it. What makes it good is the fact that it is flexible than all the rest. When connected, the level of disruption lowers hence maintaining the best content quality.

AptX codec family

Qualcomm has been the leader in the development of codecs. These are the codecs and the standards that most devices use.

Android versions are the leaders in the production of the devices that make the performance and connection with the standards work excellently. The quality of the things you share with the connection keeps changing with the conditions to meet the needs of the content.

Under these codec connections, you will have the data transfer rate at 352 kbps and 576kbps rates. The audio quality changes, and the number and the level of configuration bringing about the model adjustment. This makes the frequency bands generate 4 divisions.

Such divisions have structures that change the operation. A good example is 0-55, which uses 8 bits. 5.5-11 kHz uses 4 bits, 11-16.5 kHz uses 2 bits. Finally, the 16.5-22 kHz uses 2 bits too.

Another thing we need to know is the aptX-ll which means that it has low latency. It is best because it will improve stability, making it the best for watching. When the latency is low, the human eye can rarely notice.

AAC

This coding represents advanced audio coding and is known to be working along with the SBC. It has a lot of fame because it can remain stable and maintain high-quality streaming. After MP3, it is the second famous and has high and reliable connection speeds.

LDAC

Sony brand is the producer of this codec.  The devices that are from sony and compatible with windows 8 are the greatest beneficiaries of this codec. It is outstanding because the variables allow it to share content at very high speeds than sbc. On the other hand, the quality terms are of the best quality and will deliver three modes.

You will get 990, 330, and 660 kbps. Files that are operating at 96 kHz and 24-bit depth will have good times with this codec.  The higher modes are excellent, while the lower one sounds to be the worst. It has a funny file splitting process that may make the performance not so good.

Other codecs

We have tackled a few major codecs and left the minor ones. It is good to talk about them so that you do not experience a challenge with the Bluetooth codecs. The other codecs include the Samsung UHQ-BT, Samsung scalable, Samsung HD, fast stream, MPEG-1/2, MPEG-2/4, ATRAC, AAC, layer 1/2/3, and HWA LHDC.

These codecs are rare, and you will find them in specific compatible devices. Some of them came to complement the existing codecs so that the service provision improves. It is possible to find one or more codecs working under the same device, making it multi-sharing.

What to do about the Bluetooth audio codecs

Having some good knowledge about Bluetooth audio codecs is important because it guides the selection of devices. You will choose the devices that have codecs that easily pair. The outcome of such selection is that the service delivery becomes slightly enhanced, making the quality and production stand out.

When selecting devices, you need to get those that will pair and have a quick sharing. You no longer have to use my devices that are having a compatibility challenge with various connections.

Conclusion

Bluetooth audio codecs are essential to learning as they make the process of sharing successful. You now have a clue about the things you need to look at to have an effective sharing.

Various qualities and improvements will keep coming to make the services better.  Compatibility and usability are now the things you will focus on when buying a device such as outdoor Bluetooth Speakers. If you get those with very high quality, you will have more outstanding quality. The speakers have different codecs, and you will need to focus on the best features for use.

AAC vs aptX: The battle between these two codecs has been going on for years. Some say that AAC uses psychoacoustic modeling, which makes it a very processor-heavy codec compared to SBC or Apt X and will encode audio at lower bitrates with less quality but in turn, offers more favorable energy efficiency when encoding over Bluetooth connections; while others argue this just isn’t true because they can both still be used effectively even without being processed by complicated algorithms!

Bluetooth Audio Codecs FAQs