LDAC, aptX and AAC: what the player controls over Bluetooth

Who chooses the codec

When headphones connect, the phone and the headphones agree on a codec both support. On iPhone that is AAC (or SBC). On Android it can be SBC, AAC, aptX variants or LDAC, depending on both devices, and on some phones you can pick in Developer options. The music player does not take part in that negotiation.

The codecs

The codecs listed in this table are lossy. For these connections, a lossless source does not make the final wireless signal lossless. This table does not cover every newer codec or proprietary wireless mode.

What the player does control

• What goes into the encoder. A clean signal without hidden limiting, needless resampling or truncation gives the codec the best material. MP95’s path is 32-bit float with nothing in it unless you add it.
• Loudness headroom. A signal that clips before the encoder cannot be fixed after. MP95 only limits when something adds level, and ReplayGain and peak handling depend on the available tags and active settings; check for clipping when applying gain.
• Tone. Headphone EQ and crossfeed work over Bluetooth like anywhere else.

Getting the best from Bluetooth

Where your Android device exposes the active codec, check what is actually negotiated. Higher advertised bitrates are not a universal quality ranking and can trade connection stability for bandwidth. Test in the place you listen, at the same comfortable volume.

A wired DAC is an alternative when you want to examine a different output route. It is not a guarantee that you will hear an improvement.