Bluetooth is working on wireless audio tech I once thought was impossible - what to know

Jada Jones/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Bluetooth SIG is preparing for lossless and spatial audio formats.
• Standardization reduces proprietary requirements and licensing fees.
• These formats are improbable to look until the adjacent decade.

Wireless headphones and speakers are a staple successful our tech arsenals, but there's 1 large drawback to Bluetooth audio transmission: lossy playback. For those who bask higher-resolution audio, Bluetooth isn't an option. However, the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is moving connected several wireless audio innovations, including standardized wireless lossless audio, spatial audio, and situation sound.

How could Bluetooth standardize lossless audio?

Bluetooth's default codec is SBC, which provides the lowest audio prime and prioritizes transportation stability. Other codecs, specified arsenic LDAC, AAC, and AptX, supply much information transmission and tin present near-lossless quality. The contented is that these codecs aren't standard; AAC tin beryllium inconsistent connected Android, and LDAC and AptX codecs necessitate manufacturers to wage licensing fees.

Thus, the Bluetooth SIG's extremity is to heighten its LE Audio Bluetooth vigor to enactment hi-res and lossless audio via high-data throughput, thereby standardizing the exertion crossed brands and manufacturers. 

Also: What is Bluetooth 6.0? How the latest modular fixes audio problems we'd learned to unrecorded with

A integer audio record is considered lossless erstwhile fidelity is preserved, and the opus retains each archetypal audio detailing. Lossless audio files are larger, necessitate higher information transportation rates, and usage much processing power. Therefore, lossless audio files aren't compatible with existent Bluetooth bandwidth standards.

Your wireless audio files are lossy, meaning immoderate audio prime is mislaid successful transmission. Audio files streamed via Bluetooth indispensable beryllium compressed to beryllium compatible, which decreases audio quality. However, immoderate Bluetooth codecs supply amended audio prime than others, owed to improved illustration and bit-rate thresholds.

How could Bluetooth standardize spatial audio?

LE Audio besides includes a model for multi-channel audio playback, which is the instauration of spatial audio. The LC3 codec is astatine the halfway of LE Audio and supports higher bandwidth, little latency, and autarkic audio streams, enabling information transmission for 3D audio, precise timing, and spatial imaging. 

Also: I spoke with Bluetooth reps astir the aboriginal of connected audio, and it's cooler than I expected

Bluetooth besides supports an open-source LE Audio protocol for caput tracking, arsenic seen successful Google's Dynamic Spatial Audio. There's inactive enactment to bash to amended Bluetooth's bandwidth to guarantee that a standardized mentation of spatial audio tin vie with proprietary versions preferred by manufacturers and consumers, specified arsenic Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. 

When tin you expect these features?

The Bluetooth SIG follows a biannual merchandise schedule, meaning halfway specification upgrades are released doubly a year. Although the Bluetooth SIG is rapidly releasing halfway updates, shaper adaptation is usually slower. For example, Bluetooth Auracast, a standardized audio-sharing technology, was introduced to the marketplace successful 2022. However, wide adoption gained traction successful mid-2025, with much products expected passim 2026.

Also: Microsoft's caller Windows 11 Bluetooth update comes with utile benefits (and a large caveat)

Although a Bluetooth-enabled instrumentality whitethorn beryllium equipped with the latest Bluetooth version, that capableness doesn't mean it supports the latest wireless innovations. Device manufacturers tin determine to omit indispensable hardware and software, leaving your instrumentality without desired features.

Still, standardized lossless and spatial audio are ongoing projects, with nary details published by the Bluetooth SIG yet. So, I wouldn't expect these features to deed the marketplace until the crook of the adjacent decade.