Does Bluetooth audio still basically suck?

[ramthelinefeed]

Just wondering what people's opinion on "Bluetooth Audio" is, quality-wise.
(I think, technically, I'm referring to the "A2DP" bluetooth protocol).

I ask because when I'm mastering a batch of tracks, I usually spend a week or two checking them out on various systems (e.g. in the car, on my hi-fi...) .... only these days, I'd usually doing that with a Sony Walkman that has bluetooth, and my HiFi amp and the player in the car both support A2DP bluetooth, so the quickest and easier way to listen has been via that
(they don't support Sony's superior LDAC protocol).

.... however, today I compared the sound over a wired connection, and was a bit (a lot) taken aback ... basically it sounds like the A2DP had really shelved the high-end (I dunno - I'd guess down 3dB over 1kHz or 3kHz or something)....
so I've been brightening up all the tracks and now it turns out I just made them really tinny, to compensate for the effects of the Bluetooth! Doh!

Anyone got any figures or curves for what A2DP does?

[James Perrett]

Just been reading an article in another mag about the Aptx algorithm in newer versions of Bluetooth but I guess you are talking about the standard compression here.

[ef37a]

Interesting, I have just bought a Blackstar Tone Link. It paired up with my Nokia 201 very easily and I soon had "Money for Nothing" blasting from the powered speakers I use on my living room computer aside the telly.

Sounded ok to me, no different from the quality of R3 internet which I am listening to at the moment but then the device is not touted as "hi fi".

Said to be "Bluetooth v3.0" and with "EDR" whatever TF that is. "Can pair with two Bluetooth devices at the same time". Is that moot?

Dave.

[A Mole]

I have found it generally disappointing so far, BUT I bought a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2 Wireless headphones and they are absolutely fantastic with my iphone 6. Closed back, good isolation, noise cancelling that works and a wired mode, which sounds pretty much identical to the bluetooth.

YMMV with headphones of course, so you might not like the sound of closed back phones, but my point is that, if Sennheiser can achieve that level of quality over bluetooth, so that it is basically indistinguishable from wired, it must be possible.

[ef37a]

Been reading up a bit since..
There is a form of Bluetooth that employs Wi-Fi to carry better audio quality but of course both "ends" have to have the technology. Did the cans come with a dedicated dongle?

Mind you, the question begs...How good can Wi-Fi be?

Dave.

[A Mole]

The momentum 2s are straight bt, no dongle.

[Agharta]

Just been reading an article in another mag about the Aptx algorithm in newer versions of Bluetooth but I guess you are talking about the standard compression here.

It's supported quite a lot these days; my Sony phone does as one example.
There is also a lossless version as well as a low latency one:
https://www.aptx.com/aptx-low-latency

[ramthelinefeed]

Yes it all seems a bit "buyer beware" - there's a lot of different codec flavours and of course the quality you get is the lowest common denominator.
The "LDAC" protocol on my Sony Walkman promises "CD Quality" (or "near" CD quality, ahem) but it seems to be proprietry... so I'd need to make sure I fork out for Sony headphones or a Sony amp or Sony player in the car...

As it transpires, I seem to have spent a week making a set of masters that kick serious ass in the car when streamed from my Walkman, but sound tooth-gratingly brittle when played off CD Oh well, lesson learnt And back to Reaper for me, to shelve off all that hi-end I spent a week adding

[OneWorld]

last time I tried Bluetooth Headphones the connection was up and down more times than a tarts nikkers

[Drew Stephenson]

I think that side of things has improved a lot. In a year+ of commuting use I think I only lost connection twice. And it was quickly restored.
It even restored automatically if I wandered down the office and forgot I had my phone with me.
Have to say, for casual listening I wouldn't go back to wired headphones.